Prariedale is closing and Sinkut View, a grade four to seven school, is now going to become a K to grade six school and some changes will need to be made to accommodate the students.
"Priority enrollment at Sinkut View will first be those that live within the catchment area," said Manu Madhok, Director of Instruction. "The grade fives and sixes next year, it wasn't fair to them to transition back to Evelyn Dickson or McLeod and then do another transition to the high school."
They have protected the seats of this year's grade fours and fives, for Sinkut View next year. Just so that they don't have to move schools before they get to NVSS.
"When we looked closer at that group of fives and sixes, they have siblings in Sinkut View," said Madhok. "So wherever we could we wanted to protect the siblings of those in grade five and six. And then after that, if there were seats still available, they will open to out of catchment families.
The lottery process for wherever seats are available will occur on January 21. Every current family at Prairiedale and Sinkut View is going to receive a letter that personalizes what their children and the age group that they're in and what choices they have.
"Hopefully doing the lottery early in the year gives families the time they need to make decisions," said Eugene Marks, Director of Instruction at SD91. "We're also looking at the Sinkut View building to see if there are changes that we need to make because we are adding the K to threes."
These changes could include lowering shelves and coat racks to accommodate the younger students. The library will also be updated to include books for the primary grades.
Both schools have undergone serious changes in the past. Prariedale and Sinkut View were both K to grade six schools in the past so the recent changes are another step that Vanderhoof's evolution in education.
Neither Madhok nor Marks could comment on what is going to happen to the Prairiedale building in the future.