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Schools ready for influx of new students s the end of two A:jValerloo schools raws closer, so does a new beginning of sorts for two other local learning facilities. Children who now attend St. Michael and St. Thomas Aquinas schools will bid their classrooms goodâ€"bye at the end of June to join either the St. Agnes or Our Lady of Lourdes communiâ€" ties in September. Telaghone (519) 885â€"5090 Last _ year, _ Waterloo Catholic â€" District school board trustees voted to close St. Michael and St. Thomas Aquinas at the end of this school year to make room for the opening of St. Nicholas school in the Columbia Forest area, as well as St. Luke school in the Eastbridge area, this fall. Looking For a New But, with the construcâ€" tion of new additions and upgrades to both St. Agnes and Our Lady of Lourdes schools now underway, as well as having a number of welcoming activities planned over the next few months, both schools‘ prinâ€" cipals feel the transition process for all students will be a smooth one. "We‘re keeping our finâ€" gers crossed that everything will be done by September," said Dave Kraemer, princiâ€" pal at Our Lady of Lourdes. "But we do realize that we may have to be flexible as well." Though _ Lourdes _ is expecting 33 new students from St. Michael school next year, Kraemer: said the school will also lose close to 100 students to St. Nicholas school. So in fact, the school‘s population will decrease from 410 students to 330; a number Kraemer described as manageable. "I‘d say it‘s quite a nice number in terms of servicâ€" ing the students‘ needs," he said. St. Agnes school won‘t see a drastic change to its popuâ€" (chck here) . t _ exnamer" 3â€"K Motors Authortred BMW Resuiler â€" 527 Kang i. N. We‘ By Anorea Baicey Chronicle Staff _ Ou183 Mon.â€"Wed. 9â€"5, Thurs. & Fn. 9â€"6, Sat. 104 FACTORY SHOWROOM 21 Alien St. W. 585â€"1000 { madl mio@b kmators com lation, as about 100 students are expecied to come from both St. Michael and St. Thomas Aquinas combined, while the same number is expected to leave St. Agnes to continue their education at St. Luke school. "In the end, it will all sort of even off," said principal Gail Freiburger. â€" "We‘re not anticipating a problem. We find that stuâ€" dents are usually very adjusting to situations like this." She also doesn‘t anticiâ€" pate a problem for her curâ€" rent students to adjust to the $2.3â€"million upgrade process the school will go through over the next few months. This fall, St Agnes will open a brand new integratâ€" ed learning and resource centre, a new special educaâ€" tion room, four new classâ€" rooms, and an upgraded gymnasium, complete with changerooms. There will also be some changes to the school‘s exteâ€" rior with the addition of a new parking lot, four new basketball _ courts, _ and bleachers around the existâ€" ing baseball diamond. While no portables will be used as classrooms, there will, however, be one on site to be used as a temporary staff and meeting room while the current room is under renovation. "It will be rather interestâ€" ing to see all of these changes take place in front of our eyes," Freiburger said. Our Lady of Lourdes will also go through a $2.5â€"milâ€" lion facelift with the addiâ€" tion of an updated library resource _ centre, _ and upgrades to the administraâ€" tive suite and staff lounge, the â€" kindergarten _ classâ€" rooms, and the gymnasium. "We‘re certainly disapâ€" pointed about losing some of our students," Kraemer said. "But we‘re also excited about welcoming the new students, as well as these changes." Continued on page 4 Fine Home Furnish in Uptown Waterloo "We‘re more than just tables and chairs!" * Livingroom Suites * Bedroom Suites * Kitchen & Dining Sets * Chairs * Office Furniture * Lamps * Bar & Kitchen Counter Stools * Home Accents Target date set for opening of new Conestoga College campus in Waterloo mm S eon ns camaining €20.million needed to conâ€" â€" technical institute, he said . ollowing a year of uncertainty and Fdelay, Conestoga College presiâ€" dent John Tibbits has announced a target date for the opening of a new campus near the Millennium Recreation Park. "We are looking towards an opening in the fall of 2004," Tibbits said. _ "A Waterloo éampus is definitely part of our master plan. It‘s now just a matter of putting everything on paper." Paper, meaning acquiring the funds needed to com@truct the $53â€"million facility, which is planned to carry such programs as police, fire and emergenicy services, health services, information technology, landscape, sports adminisâ€" tration and/or sports medicine. The campus will sit on 25 acres of land, which the college purchased from the City of Waterioo in late 1999, and will accommodate 2,000 fullâ€"time stuâ€" dents. Last year the college was shut out of coveted provincial SuperBuild funding, offered to a number of postâ€"secondary institutions throughout Ontario, which would have made a large dent in the 105.3 KOOL FM morning coâ€"host Mark Paine ;nd "Unlucky Charms: the Binerâ€"Leprechaun" spent Friday morning celebrating St. Patrick‘s day at the Tim Hortons shop at the Bridge and University plaza. The pair gave away "green stuff" to listeners like Karen Robus. pesora» crhanoa PAGE 3 By Anprea Baney Chronicle Staff remaining $30â€"million needed to conâ€" struct the new facility. e The college president said he is still a little confused by the province‘s actions, but would Brefer to look to the future instead of the past, adding he is Top ‘o the morning optimistic the local project will be on the agenda for the 2002â€"2003 provincial budget. _ o "With the economy tightening up a bit, we believe we‘d have a better chance for success if we submit for next year‘s provincial budget," he said, also adding the college is now talking with local MPFs in attempt to promote the concept. «i "Overall, I think we have a good chance. This is one of the fastestâ€"growâ€" ing areas demographically in Ontario, with one of the strongest economies in the province as well. And with the number of applications to Conestoga growing in the last number of years, the quality (of education} is obviously there." _ Tibbits said the college is now workâ€" ing on an advocacy campaign to make the public aware of its plans. _ But, given the fact the college is now focussing most of its energy on preparâ€" ing a plan to convert itself into a polyâ€" Telephone {519) 885â€"5090 Looking For a New technical institute, he said a more intense lobbying effort will become more apparent by October. "Right now we‘re building momenâ€" tum," he said. "By the fall, there will be much more of a public push." B (cick here) s 5â€"A Motors Authorized BMW Resailer â€" 527 Tang St. M. Wat In accordance with its plan to become a polytechnical institute, Tibbits said it is the college‘s intent to one day offer nursing degrees at the new Waterloo campus. "We are trying to be an institution which focuses on applied learning and the trades, as well as highâ€"end learnâ€" ing," he said. Yet, he said, the college is not trying to take an the persona of a university. He also said there are no plans at this time to close the existing Waterloo campus, now operating on King Street North. However, Tibbits said the college is hoping to acquire land in Cambridge where they can build another new campus over the next 10â€"20 years. "We‘ve got all kinds of plans," Tibbits said. "But this (new) campus in Waterloo is a major step, and it‘s defiâ€" nitely more immediate. "Make no mistake, we have made this commitment to Waterloo." DEBORAH CRANDALL PHOTO