Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 21/01) - Tucked in a thicket of trees just off Borden Drive is a sprawling modern building, both inside and out.

It is Range Lake North school, the youngest school in the district. Built in 1993, the school opened its doors to students from kindergarten to Grade 8 that fall.

Dustin Mercredi gets his arm clamped in a technology project while project team leader TJ Borschneck (at desk) and Justin Russell look on. - Dawn Ostrem/NNSL photo

It is the only school in the district with several computers in every classroom.

"Even kindergarten," explains parent Susan Craig. She has two boys attending the school in grades 4 and 7.

Computer labs in most schools are usually classrooms set up for specific computer courses but not at Range Lake North. Everything from language arts to math is taught on modern high-grade hardware.

The tech lab, on the other hand, is where students are taught how to make digital movies, robotics, Web design and other projects.

On a Tuesday afternoon the lab is noisy and chaotic as one group takes apart a project that failed to work out for them.

At the back of the lab a group of boys hook up wires to a robotic lifting device, controlling its lever by clicking a mouse.

"We are like the only place that has a tech lab," explains student Garett Cochrane, who is in Grade 8.

"Everybody likes this class."

Designed by a San Diego firm, it was one of the first high-tech labs built in the country. "When we opened we were known as the high-tech school because we had lots of computers," says principal Mike MacDonald. "We had about 200."

The school still gets by with its 200 computers but it is easy to see that even in the span of eight years, these computers have been methodically upgraded.

There are about 348 students at Range Lake North school.

The school is away from the hustle and bustle of the streets and is bordered with large comfortable-looking homes.

"A lot of people do, I think, associate us with being in a better socio-economic population," MacDonald says.

"It is at the other end of the city and we have a few parents that are fortunate."

The success of the school, MacDonald maintains, is due to the organization and smooth communication between all groups, especially parents.

Parent input a plus

"We have needs, the same as other schools all over the place. We, too, have kids that don't get enough sleep or enough to eat. But we have very supportive parent co-operation."

MacDonald said it is the Parent Advisory Group (PAG) that scouts out many possible concerns to bring to the school's attention.

One example of parent concerns turning into solid action includes the flashing crosswalk sign that now warns motorists at both entrances to the school.

It was parent pressure that resulted in the city installing the lights.

"I think it is a fantastic school, probably the best one in the district," Craig says. "The staff there makes all the difference."

Craig says much has changed since she went to school in a rural community. She said she has no desire to move from her home, simply because she wants her children to attend Range Lake North school.

"When I went to school it was the teacher's turf and parents were not welcome," she says.

"It is just the opposite here. The doors are always open."

"The PAG is thinking of organizing a forum to talk about classroom size," she adds.

"The classrooms are supposed to have 24 kids and most have about 30."

MacDonald averaged out the number of kids per classroom this year and came up with 28.

He said classroom size is an important issue facing all schools and the problem is compounded by the current lack of teachers.

"With more resources we would put more teachers in the classrooms with kids," he says.

Literacy come first

Another area MacDonald notes the school is making headway in is tackling literacy problems.

The school's effort was rewarded in recent Alberta achievement test scores, in which scores of 85 per cent are considered average.

"One of the things we do really well and don't get a lot of recognition for is our primary program," he says, spotlighting the accomplishments of Grade 3s.

In language arts the grade averaged 90 per cent, in reading, 98 per cent and in writing, 83 per cent.

"For the first year of the tests we were pretty happy," MacDonald says.

The school also takes a lot of pride in how it interacts with students, something accomplished through its student leadership program.

Four student directors, headed by school president Tyler Properzi, are key players in the school's social activities, corporate services, communications and school services.

Currently in Grade 8, Properzi talked proudly about this year's grad party that will see the first kindergarten class at Range Lake North move on to high school.

"We are probably going to have a bigger grad with elephants and tigers," the novice politician says, adding,

"Being president is pretty good, considering I beat out six girls."

"I didn't vote for you," murmured a fellow female classmate sitting beside him."

"I'll remember that," he jokes back.

All in the family

There is plenty to do at Range Lake North. There are clubs that are busy with choir, drama, Christmas crafts, French, cheerleading, reading and yearbook design.

They're is also Odyssey of the Mind, a program that challenges students to come up with ingenious ways to solve problems.

And then there are the sports. You have got your regulars like volleyball, basketball, badminton and track and field. At Range Lake North these sports are commonly known as Hoyas.

"We borrowed that from Georgetown University," MacDonald says. That university was built by "stonewallers" who created the title Hoya for stonewallers from a Greek and Latin mix.

The symbol for Range Lake North is the rock-layered inukshuk, to guide students.

Teacher Gayla Meredith started as a student teacher at the school the year it opened.

"I was a loans officer before but kind of made a career change," she said.

"It is a great place to work," she notes, as she returned to her class of Grade 2 and 3s who were busy putting together books about themselves, their families, and their community.