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More than bricks and mortar Two new Catholic elementary schools establish their identities in the community uilding a new school Btakes more than just having the bricks and mortar in place, say the principals of Waterioo‘s two newest Catholic elementary schools, as the final touchâ€" ups continue at St. Luke and St. Nicholas schools. It‘s about finding their place in the community, and understanding how the school can become the focal point of the neighbourhood in which it‘s located. It‘s also about establishâ€" ing new traditions, and givâ€" ing students and staff a sense of self, as the school establishes its own identity within the wider communiâ€" ty, they said. St. Luke school, on Chesapeake Drive in the Eastbridge area of Waterloo, and St. Nicholas school, on Laurelwood Drive, opened their doors to students for the first time last week with the start of the latest school year. And while the final stages of construction were still being completed, the foundations of the future school communities were already being put into place with spiritâ€"building and communityâ€"building exerâ€" "Our weekâ€"one mission was to make each student feel like part of the commuâ€" nity â€" here," â€" said _ Rick Boisvert, principal of the new â€" Laurelwood school. "Everyone in our communiâ€" ty brings very special gifts with them. And with everyâ€" body being the best they can be, the community will be the best it can be." They reinforced that misâ€" sion through special presenâ€" tations, _ assemblies â€" and communityâ€"building exerâ€" cises that culminated in a celebration of faith. "We made it," said St. Luke principal Liz Degutis, still overseeing some of the small construction details of what is one of Waterloo region‘s largest elementary By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staff schools. "The challenge has been to work around all the lastâ€"minute glitches that go into opening a new school. St. Luke principal Liz Degutis stands under a banner that welcomes students to the new Catholic school located in the Eastbridge area of Waterloo. With the bricks and mortar in place the schools are now trying to establish their place in the community. "You think that everyâ€" thing is organized, and two weeks before you open, you find some of the final conâ€" struction still hasn‘t hapâ€" pened." It‘s a similar story at St. Nicholas, where principal Boisvert, a lifeâ€"long resident of Waterloo, waited patiently until the Labour Day long weekend when the sod was finally laid on the school‘s playground, one of the cenâ€" trepieces of the new school. A presentation, by deepâ€"sea explorer, _ scientist and author Dr. Joseph Macinnis of the Friends of the Environment â€" Foundation last Wednesday was shown on the gymnasium wall instead of the yetâ€"toâ€"be installed movie screen. But while the design eleâ€" ments of the new schools continue to fall in place, channelling the enthusiasm of a new school year in a new school environment remains the biggest chalâ€" lenge. St. Luke is trying to mesh students that have come from St. Matthews, St. Agnes and St. Thomas Aquinas, which closed this past June. The challenge is proving even more daunting at St. LIFESTYLE Nicholas, which is bringing together students from 17 different schools. Both schools are also near capacity, with St. Luke‘s enrolment figures counting more than 547 students regâ€" istered, while St. Nicholas is quickly approaching 340 students registered. But both administrators have looked at that influx of fresh faces as an opportunity instead of a drawback. "It‘s an opportunity for us to say everybody is new," said Degutis "We‘ve mixed students in classes, and tried to put working groups together that we thought would be really good, mixing all the students from the feeder schools." Best practices of past schools can be brought in, while the school community comes up with its own tradiâ€" tions it chooses to celebrate. "We can make our own traditions," said Degutis. "We have to take advantage of that this year. "We all come from differâ€" ent areas of the region, but each one of us can impact on what this school is going to be. We want to highlight that one person can make a difference in school, or in their own life." Parents have been kept informed through various open houses. They‘ve also been asked to become involved with the new school community by volâ€" unteering for upcoming school events. "From March through June, we sent letters to parâ€" ents updating them on the progress of the school, and telling them what was going on," said Boisvert. "We tried to give those people who‘d be coming here a sense that they‘re a part of something from the very beginning." Boisvert has been heartâ€" ened by the response. At a school barbecue last Friday, more than 25 parents helped out as volunteers, six bringâ€" ing their own grills with them. The goal of both schools is to become a focal point of the community. Not just for those who enter through its doors, but for the wider neighbourhood each school occupies. "We really hope it will be," said Degutis about the new Eastbridge school and the facilities it brings to the surrounding area. "We want them to be able to utilize it for special events, and as a meeting place and a gatherâ€" ing place. There are no fences around our school yard yet, and we want to try maintain that open partnerâ€" ship with all of our neighâ€" bours out there." The Canadian Federation of University Women will hold its first meeting of the new membership Sept. 18. Women university graduates are invited to meet at First United Church, at the corner of King and William Streets in Waterloo, at 6:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Prof. John Thompson from the department of biology at the University of Waterloo. He will speak on "Gene Technology: New Insights into Aging in Plants and Humans". Trillium Retirement Apartments at Waterloo Heights will be holding a Monster Bingo Sept. 27. raising funds for the St. Mary‘s Hospital Foundation. The event is open to all members of the commuâ€" nity. There will be a charge or $1 per Bingo card, with prizes being donated by five local restaurants. The evening will be rounded out with a 50/50 draw, as well as lunch and refreshments. Waterloo Heights is located at 170 Erb St. W. in Waterloo. For more inforâ€" mation, contact Heather at 886â€"3410. Toel Schraven of Pickering Nurseries is the guest speaker at this month‘s Golden Triangle Rose and Garden Societ; meeting, being held at the Adult Recreation Centre Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ':l{tgéub|ed of Schraven‘s présemation will be about bare root roses and planting roses, from the growing expert who ships roses across North Guests are welcome to attend, and there is no charge for this special seminar. There will also be a draw for some miniature rases. _ The J. Steckle Heritage Homestead invites resiâ€" dents to kick up their heels for a special barn raising event to be held at the homestead on Sept. 15 starting at 7 p.m. This unique event will take place in the heritage barn on the homestead site, and will feature a night of Celtic celebration. This marks the second year for this exciting barn taiser that will raise funds to support the educational programs offered by the J. Steckle Heritage Homestead to more than 4,000 youth annually. The evening will feature music, a silent/live auction, and home cooked Celtic treats. Canadian Federation of University Women hosts membership meeting Tickets for the barn raising are $30 per adult, and $15 per child. Tickets are available by calling 748â€" 5719, or by visiting the homestead at 811 Bleams Rd. in Kitchener. Roses are the topic of Golden Triangle seminar Steckle Farm hosts barn raising Trillium Apartments to hold Monster Bingo For more information about the meeting, call ( nlg L1 "â€"