Surrey elementary school gets 10 new classrooms
Posted February 3, 2023 4:01 pm.
Students at an elementary school in Surrey no longer have to take classes in a “portable world,” as 10 new permanent classrooms opened Friday.
According to a release from the Ministry of Education and Child Care, Sunnyside Elementary School’s 250-seat expansion is now complete.
Two students are voicing their joy at the news, glad to no longer have to walk to and from the portables — something that one Grade 6 student says is a big quality-of-life improvement.
“When we were in the portables, it took a lot of time to come all the way into the building for learning support to visit the library or to get to leadership meetings. Sometimes we would be soaked before we even got halfway to the school,” Peyton Symons said.
“The biggest difference now that we are in the building is that we have a greater sense of community.”
Fellow Grade 6 Braydon Lyons adds kids are also happier at the school.
“We were happy learners in the portables, but we are happier being inside the school. We have more natural light coming in through the windows,” Lyons said.
“We are grateful to be able to learn in a school as beautiful as this. We would like to thank everyone who helped plan, build and pay for our new school. We love it.”
The expansion is the result of an $11.4 million investment by the province, and over the past five years, the B.C. government says it has invested $475 million in school-related projects like upgrades and school expansions in the city.
It adds that the investments will eventually result in over 10,000 more student seats by 2025.
“We know there is still more to do and are committed to continued work with the Surrey School District to find beneficial solutions to its enrolment growth,” Minister of Education and Child Care Rachna Singh, said.
