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NNSL Photo/graphic

Being back at school is a treat for these four Ecole St. Joseph students. From left: Savannah Lane, Madison James, Michela Jobse, and Erin Chambers. The kids were forced to change schools following a devastating fire at St. Joesph in August. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

Welcome back to St. Joseph

Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 18/06) - Nearly 100 St. Joseph School students returned to their school last week after being displaced for nearly two months by a fire this summer.

Flo Campbell, principal of St Joseph, said that it was a joy to have them back at school.

"To be honest, there was a gap. I didn't like that much quiet," she said.

Campbell pointed out that the school's theme this year is about community, so students and staff worked to make the returning children feel welcomed back.

"There was an absolute high when they came in. We thought it was important that they reconnect before they started back," Campbell said. "They devoured $500 worth of pizza."

Madison James, a Grade 4 student who had been at William McDonald for two months since the blaze damaged her wing of St. Joe's school, said she was glad to be back.

"Just being back, seeing all your friends and old teachers was great," she said.

Erin Chambers, a Grade 5 student, said that she enjoyed her time at William McDonald but that "it was just a lot of older kids."

James said that it wasn't just her that was glad to be back at school, her mother was as well.

"My mom was glad because I was taking a different bus than my (younger) brother," she said.

Chambers added, "I'm glad to be back because you get to see all the people that you saw last year."

Michela Jobse, Grade 5, and Savannah Lane, Grade 4, said they really got to know their classmates better while being at William McDonald.

Jobse said the best part of coming back was "seeing your old friends. It was good seeing all the new teachers."

There are still some St. Joe's students at N.J. Macpherson, and Campbell said that they are also missed at St. Joseph.

William McDonald School staff were sad to see them go, but felt good about the community theme that St. Joseph was promoting.

"A few (parents) thought that it was so great, they got us a half-flat cake from the Co-op. Our custodial staff were given flowers," Dean MacInnis, principal of William McDonald said.

"Now that the four rooms are available, we're moving one of our classes in there," MacInnis said. He also said that they would be turning another room into a core French classroom.

"We were all on the same page right from day one," MacInnis said about the collaboration between the two schools.