Principal Jeff Barrett, (right centre), and Vice Principal Anneleise Hampson, (left centre), with the school's mascots, the kodiak bears, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Living Sky School Division

Cut Knife Community School celebrates grand opening

Mar 31, 2023 | 6:10 PM

Students, families and staff came together Friday to celebrate the grand opening of Cut Knife Community School.

Due to reduced enrolment at the high school level, Cut Knife high school and elementary school were consolidated into the high school building in 2019, to form one school – Cut Knife Community School. The project involved extensive renovations and improvements to accommodate both the elementary and high school kids at the one site.

The school is now a pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12, and has 220 students enrolled currently.

The work was actually completed in 2019, in time for fall classes to start that year. However, due to the pandemic, the official grand opening celebration was postponed until Friday.

Principal Jeff Barrett was excited to launch the new consolidated school.

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“This has been a tremendous day,” he said. “It has allowed us an opportunity as a school to come together with the four communities that surround us. It’s been wonderful to see so many families share this day with us. So many students had many wonderful things to say. It’s been three-and-a-half years of a long journey for us, and it’s so nice to be able to come together today in a good way, and celebrate all the achievements and accomplishments we’ve had.”

The four communities that attend Cut Knife Community School are Cut Knife, Poundmaker, Little Pine, and Sweetgrass First Nations.

Barrett said the renovations were a big success.

“We continue to work with our community partners for the betterment of the school and for the betterment of students,” he said.

Living Sky School Division board chair Ronna Pethick, left, and Director of Education Brenda Vickers, right, at the school grand opening Friday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Living Sky School Division board chair Ronna Pethick said the cost of the renovation project was $2 million, funded through reserves.

The work involved upgrading bathrooms, painting, improving the Industrial Arts Lab, and upgrading the library. Upstairs windows were also added at each end of the hall to bring in more light.

“It was cosmetic for the most part, but made a huge difference to the school,” Pethick said.

She noted it’s always difficult to bring elementary and high school milieus together, in a learning environment that benefits all, but it all worked out well.

“Both those schools – the elementary and high schools were two distinct cultures,” Pethick said.

She credited the school’s leadership for the success of the project.

Pethick said the new learning environment is “rewarding and welcoming – for our students’ learning and success.”

Cut Knife Community School. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Living Sky School Division Director of Education Brenda Vickers said it’s great to see the project complete, and see everyone come out to celebrate.

“The building has served us well ever since it was opened,” she said. “The staff here have done a wonderful job of bringing kids together. I’m really excited to be here. It feels very good.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow