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PHOTOS: Education minister officially opens ‘beautiful’ new Stitó:s school in Chilliwack

A lot of care, hard work and thought went into design of Stitó:s, says minister Jennifer Whiteside

Curious children pressed their noses against the floor-to-ceiling windows to get a peek inside their own school as drummers, dignitaries and other guests gathered on Wednesday.

It was all part of the grand opening of Chilliwack’s newest school Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt on Oct. 12.

Although the elementary middle school already opened its doors to students on Sept. 6, the official ribbon cutting happened more than a month later.

PHOTOS/VIDEO: A peek inside Chilliwack’s newest school Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt

“It is really evident that a lot of care and consideration and hard work and thought went into the design of this school,” said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of education and child care, as children could be seen behind her, outside the school running back and forth between the playgrounds.

Whiteside called it a “beautiful” school in a “stunning, stunning environment.”

Jennifer Whiteside, minister of education and child care, speaks during the official grand opening of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Jennifer Whiteside, minister of education and child care, speaks during the official grand opening of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

The hot autumn sun streamed into the theatre-like space for the ceremony as people inside looked out to the Vedder River where folks passed by on the Rotary Trail.

“The innovation and the forward-thinking that went into the planning of this facility, this is going to be a benchmark, not just in our district but in B.C. and Western Canada for K-12 learning spaces,” said Jared Mumford, trustee and board chair with the Chilliwack School District.

Teachers use a “collaborative teaming” approach at Stitó:s where two neighbouring classrooms are connected with a soundproof sliding door that can be opened to create one larger learning space. Two teachers will work together to teach both classes combined, or they have the option to focus on just one class.

The furniture is “flexible and versatile” and can be adjusted accordingly to fit both older and younger kids, said principal Helen Plummer.

The desks and tables are designed to be able to be moved out of the way – they fold up to stand vertically and some even double as a whiteboard. There are metal stools that attach to the underside of workspaces with giant magnets, so they’re up and off the floor for easy cleaning.

The artificial turf field at the school also recently opened. On Friday, the material arrived on two semi trucks and was installed before the ceremony.

The school district and the City of Chilliwack signed an agreement for a $3.75 million artificial turf field which is still under construction at the school.

RELATED: City and school district sign agreement for $3.75 million turf field

“It was no small feat opening a state-of-the-art school during a pandemic, labour shortages, procurement issues, and, oh yeah, the worst flood this valley has seen in a hundred years,” Plummer said. “And yet, here we are, in a beautiful school built with resilience, grit, a whole lot of patience and sheer determination.”

Whiteside also announced that a total of 102 before- and after-school childcare spaces were opening in Chilliwack at Stitó:s, Watson Elementary and Central Elementary combined.

There are 580 kids enrolled at Stitó:s which has a capacity of 930 students.

The Williams family drums during the official grand opening of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
The Williams family drums during the official grand opening of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)


 

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Email: jenna.hauck@theprogress.com
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Jenna Hauck

About the Author: Jenna Hauck

I started my career at The Chilliwack Progress in 2000 as a photojournalist.
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