Students at Nor’wester View School have been benched.
But they’re perfectly OK with the development.
Principal Erin Aylward says the arrival of six wooden benches, courtesy of students at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute, has made their own foyer a little more inviting for students, teachers and visitors.
“Kids are using them to do schoolwork. We have kids out here running Friday music classes, we have people doing their plays. We’re able to look at some of the slide shows we have on our TV in the foyer as well.
“And for parents they can come and gather when they’re waiting to pick up their children,” Aylward said.
The positive response was near instantaneous, she added.
“The first five minutes, after a class went by, they asked right away. In fact, that very first recess we had a group of active playgrounds sitting here doing their thing before they headed outside,” Aylward said.
Ten-year-old Nicole Parisien said the benches, which can form a hexagon for discussions or be pulled apart for use by smaller groups, are a great addition to the school.
She sees plenty of uses for them, too.
“It’s kind of a nice area where you can just kind of chill. And it’s really easy (from here) to walk to different places, whatever you need,” the Grade 4 student said on Monday, taking a few minutes from class to hang with fellow Nor’wester View students in the foyer.
“And, if you ever wanted to have a snack, you can always eat on here too.”
Dexter Hupe was part of the Westgate crew that helped build the benches, and the 16-year-old said he didn’t know what to expect when his teacher told him about the project.
He was glad to be able to give back to a school that will supply some of the next generation of Tigers alumni.
“It’s always a bonus helping the schools that come to Westgate, because then they know what to expect, the friendly atmosphere, so they want to choose our school, other than the competing schools they can go to,” the Grade 11 student said.
“It’s more fun helping them come to our school so we can help them feel safe.”
