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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, January 15, 2016 | 12 New Catholic elementary school for The Preserve by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff As houses continue to pop up in north Oakville, so, too, will an elementary school this fall. With Ontario Ministry of Education approval and funding, the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) broke ground Thursday (Jan. 14) on the North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School to accommodate the growing needs in The Preserve community. Future students, staff, trustees and members of the community gathered on the site at 16 Mile Drive for the ground-breaking. The 5.93-acre property, beside a municipal park north of Dundas Street and west of Sixth Line, was blessed by Daniel Miehm, Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton. Giacomo Corbacio, HCDSB superintendent of facility management services, told the Oakville Beaver this week, the school will house 671 Kindergarten-Grade 8 and special education students in 30 classrooms. The two-storey, 70,000-sq.-ft. school is modelled after Milton's St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School, with improvements. "We've added some 21st century options as far as having more collaborative teaching spaces," said Cobacio, adding there would also be nutrition and fitness rooms and a childcare centre attached to the school near the Kindergarten classrooms. He said the centre would be a one-storey, 8,600-sq.-ft. facility designed to accommodate 88 childcare spaces. The Halton Catholic District School Board held a ground breaking ceremony for the new North Oakville Preserve Catholic Elementary School on Sixteen Mile Drive. St. Mary Catholic Elementary School students, who will attend the school, from left, Emily Fruscella, 11, her twin brother Ben, and Emilio Virguez Ballesteros, 8, get a hand from Paula Dawson, education director. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver "The way it's linked in, it's going to be a seamless transition going from pre-school to Kindergarten. We're really excited about that feature of the school. I'm sure the community will be, too." The new school's construction is being expedited so it can open in September to ease enrolment pressure, the lack of elementary schools in the area and the community's future needs. "North of Dundas (street), the homes are just popping up and closing on a daily basis," said Corbacio, noting most of the children are attending St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School on Colonel William Parkway. The HCDSB is reviewing boundaries for the new school. The committee, with members from the community, Catholic school council and board staff, first met Jan. 11, followed by a community information session at St. Mary on Jan. 13. Online feedback is open until Jan. 29. For more information, visit hcdsb.org. Boundaries will likely be approved by March. Corbacio said HCDSB is fortunate to have been given the school allocation grant for North Oakville Preserve Elementary Catholic School last November. "We're trying to get the adequate and proper learning facilities for our students as quickly as possible," he said. With the growth that's been identified by the Town of Oakville, Region of Halton and developers in The Preserve community, he said more elementary schools will be needed. "Development in this area is anticipated to increase steadily over the next 15 years, resulting in a projected increase in student enrolment," added Frederick Thibeault, HCDSB administrator of planning and assessment services. 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