ALMAGUIN – As construction on the new Almaguin high school
ramps up, with large portions of the building getting enclosed before Old Man
Winter’s wrath hits full force, so are the efforts of the community fundraising
group looking to enhance the project for the whole community.
“For a very long time now it was an empty piece of property
with a sign saying “Future home of.” Now there is an actual building coming up
that will generate some real interest and hopefully some funds,” said Cathy
Gutjahr, chair of the ACCESS 2011 committee that is looking to make the
enhancements a reality.
Gutjahr says the committee currently has five sub-committees
working on five different projects.
“All of the projects are to pull the community into the
school and make it more of a hub for the area,” said Gutjahr.
The first is the installation of retractable theatre seating
in the cafeteria/auditorium. The room, to be dubbed the John A. McDermott
Community Room will be equipped with a full-sized stage with the lighting and
sound system already provided. The ACCESS committee needs to find funds for
theatre seating capable of being moved in and out of place quickly so students
can have their eating area back in short order. A company has been sourced to
provide the seats and a price tag of about $175,000 installed has been given.
Community groups are beginning to step forward in a big way
to get the project on solid footing with $10,000 coming in recently from the
South River Lions, Magnetawan Lions and East Parry Sound Retired Teachers’
Association, combined.
Those commitments are coming in conjunction with the launch
of the new program “Edge of Our Seats” where community members, businesses and
organizations can sponsor individual seats or rows or be included on a sponsor
board in the space.
“If we sell each of the seats at $250 apiece, that will go a
long way,” said Gutjahr.
Each sponsored seat will have the sponsor’s name engraved in
a plaque on the back.
The ACCESS committee is putting the seats at the top of the
current priority list for two main reasons. First, it is their largest project
by far, and second, it will be less costly to install the seats during
construction than afterward.
“The community needs to come together and work on that right
now,” said Gutjahr.
Other projects the committee is tackling are the improvement
and expansion of the trail system on the school’s 60-plus acre wooded property.
Another is updating and refurbishing shop equipment at the current school for
the move to the new one.
Gutjahr says the committee is working with the school board
to develop a partnership with Canadore College to bring adult trades training
to the new school.
“There certainly is an interest and a need (for adult
training). We have to make sure that our equipment is up for it,” said Gutjahr.
Trustee Al Bottomley says there is a need for about $50,000
in refurbishments and repairs.
“The board’s budget is to do one or two machines every two
years over seven high schools. At that pace it could be decades for them all to
get done,” said Bottomley.
Gutjahr says her group is also excited about the greenhouse
concept even though it has yet to be fleshed out.
That is different than the snoozelen room. The room is already
part of the Near North’s construction plans though money still needs to be
found for equipment for the room. The cost could be as high as $50,000.
The snoozelen room is a special space for mentally
challenged individuals to be exposed to calming stimulation, such as soothing
lighting or sounds, or dynamic touch sensories like a ball pit.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable the affect that a session in
one of these rooms can make on a kid. I’ve watched them go in and they’re all
agitated and you just see them relax. It’s just like a wave washes over them.
It’s amazing,” said Bottomley.
The room would be accessible not only to AHSS students, but
also those from Near North elementary schools as well as clients from community
groups such as Almaguin Highlands Community Living that assist developmentally
delayed people.
The room would be the only of its kind between Gravenhurst
and North Bay and likely would be larger than the ones in those communities.
The ACCESS group, through the generosity of community
groups, student fundraisers at the school and efforts like an online auction
over the summer, has raised more than $20,000.
“Our overall budget is about $260,000. We have a long way to
go but we have a really good batch of seed money and we’ve got a subcommittee
working hard on grant applications and proposals,” said Gutjahr.
Another team is scouring the corporate landscape for
sponsorships and there is reason to believe that more community groups will
step up with contributions.
“It is going to take the Almaguin community as a whole to
make school something we can all be proud of and use as the regional hub it has
every potential to be,” said Gutjahr.