OUTLOOK - A community engagement meeting held last week discussed the future of Outlook Elementary School and what parents and the public might want the next five, ten or twenty years to look like in the building.
Held on Tuesday, May 27, the meeting was hosted by those with Adero Architecture, including the firm's design director, Jessica Gibson.
Gibson was one of the presenters at a similar meeting held next door at Outlook High School in May of last year that discussed the same topic and asked the same questions about what people would like the future to look like for the school.
At OES, the handful of attendees gave their input on ways to improve the school's current learning spaces. This came after earlier talks were had with school staff and even the students themselves. OES principal Darla Thorstad said the talks were very informative and the students were engaged in the topic, providing some noticeable feedback on how they'd like their school to become more modified and renovated.
Citing red tape and funding hurdles as barriers to future progress, Gibson noted that working with what one already has is typically the most ideal approach to significantly moving toward a common goal as it relates to any construction or renovations.
"The cheapest way to build a new school is to work with the one you have," she said, explaining how renovations and modifications to OES's existing infrastructure is likely the road to follow in this venture.
With that, discussion was had on what the "masterplan" would look like for the future of the school; essentially, a roadmap for renovations that's based on the needs, goals, and visions as identified by staff, students, and parents.
Those gathered also wrote down their thoughts on hopes and fears associated with renovations, as well as a wishlist of "bucket list" items.
One of the concerns that came up was the sheer shape of Outlook Elementary School, with its round, pie-like structural design that could potentially cause issues with any such renovations or modifications. As well, there was also concern about what the future may look like for the school as it pertains to student enrolment over the next decade and more, and whether the current shape of the school could accommodate what many believe will be a spike in numbers over the coming years.
Parents also posted their thoughts on what they'd like and what needs improvement on the board, with several notes being discussed in the room.
Ultimately, the end goal in sight is to move OES into becoming more of a '21st Century Learning Space'.
With the goal to inform as many people about these future prospects as possible, the architecture firm will be issuing a survey to parents in the community.
