Living Waters Catholic Schools prepares for the opening of a new school in 2023

Living Waters Catholic Schools officially announced who would be taking over the role as principal at the currently-being-built Ecole St. Anne School on the old Ecole St. Joseph School site. Ashley Floyd has been a principal with Living Waters for over ten years and is excited to walk into the new school as principal in 2023. “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the support system for our students. Being a Principal allows me to take an active role in decision-making to continuously improve our schools and serve our community,” said Floyd.

Over the years, Floyd has gained learning experience by leading teams of teachers and support staff from junior kindergarten through to grade 12. She is currently the principal for Across the Waters Outreach, an alternate school providing junior high and senior high school courses in a faith-filled, informal, flexible learning environment. Now, getting the opportunity to open a brand new school, Floyd is ready. “A new school is an exciting opportunity to create a learning environment that is aligned with our philosophy of early childhood learning. We believe in providing our youngest learners with developmentally appropriate hands-on experiences and inquiry-based activities that spark curiosity and joy. The design of the new building will welcome our school community to come together to support our littlest learners as they begin their education journey.”

Ecole St. Anne will house the youngest students from junior kindergarten to grade three. Ecole St. Mary School will house grades four to six, and Ecole St. Joseph will take on the junior high and senior high students with grades 7-12. “While our students will attend different physical locations, we are committed to providing continuity in education and care for every learner. Our teams work collaboratively to ensure each site is developmentally appropriate for the age of the students within it and provide smooth transition between sites,” explained Floyd on the soon-to-be three schools.

Watching the changes occur as work continues at the site on 47 Street is exciting for Floyd to see. “It is exciting! The new building has been very purposefully designed to meet the needs of our students, families, and staff. We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome the community into our beautiful building,” she said.

As for the name Ecole St. Anne, Floyd explained that it reflects the importance of family. “St. Anne was the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. In naming the school Ecole St. Anne, we show reverence to the vital role that parents and grandparents play in raising our children. We believe in the importance of family and working together as a school community to support all children.”

The announcement released on May 2 spoke of the changes planned for Ecole St. Mary School once things switch up in 2023. “The Board of Living Waters has set aside capital funds to make some structural change to open up parts of the existing building to including al earning commons, makerspace, and flexible spaces for collaborative learning. This refresh will complement some of the updates and investments that have already been made to the school in the past year and a half, such as the kitchen redesign, washroom remodels, and upgrades to the corridors.”

Also announced last week were those taking over the other two schools currently in operation. Sarah Whelen, already principal at Ecole St. Mary School, will remain in her role. With a background in social work and elementary education, Whelen has been an administrator with Living Waters for eight years at the two current schools. The principal position at Ecole St. Joseph is the only one without a name as the hiring process continues. The announcement by Superintendent Jo-Anne Lanctot stated, “Our hope is that by the fall of 2023, our three buildings, led by strong visionary instructional Catholic Leaders, will be opening their doors to students and families who choose our Living Waters Catholic Schools as their home for learning in a faith-filled, safe and caring environment.”

Ecole St. Anne is planned to open for the 2023/2024 school year, and the changes to Ecole St. Mary School and Ecole St. Joseph School will also be ready for the fall of 2023. The reconfiguration of the Living Waters Catholic Schools Whitecourt Ward is an exciting change for both students and staff.