Students from shuttered Ottawa high school find footing in new surroundings

For many students returning to Ottawa's English public schools Tuesday, the new academic year means a fresh start in a new building, surrounded by new classmates. 

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board closed five elementary schools and one high school last spring, sending hundreds of students to new schools.

One of those schools opening its doors to new students this fall is Gloucester High School on Ogilvie Road. In addition to Grade 9 students starting their high school careers there today, Gloucester is welcoming some 300 students from Rideau High School, which closed its doors for the last time in June.

It sounds goofy, but I literally get goosebumps because it is just a beautiful place to be.- Jennifer Perry, Gloucester High School principal

Among the new students at Gloucester is a large Indigenous population. Gloucester High School principal Jennifer Perry told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Tuesday she and her staff have been preparing all summer to welcome the new kids.

Those preparations include a new lodge for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, Perry said.

"I can't wait for our [Indigenous] students and elders to see it. It is beautiful. They have played a really important role in what it looks like."

The new students have also been given tours around their new school, and there are plans to move a mural marking the closure of Rideau High School to Gloucester to make the new students feel more welcome.

Mixed emotions

For former Rideau High student Jacob Smith, the first day of Grade 11 brings mixed emotions. 

"I was pretty bummed that the school was closing. I was already there for a couple years prior to the shutdown. It was a pretty cool experience going to Rideau.... but I'm pretty excited to start here at Gloucester," he said.

Another Grade 11 student, AJ Moroziuk, admitted to feeling some tension.

"My biggest fear is that there's going to be a lot of fights because Rideau and Gloucester used to be rivals. So, coming to our rival school might be a little weird. But I'm not too concerned," Moroziuk said.

Controversial closure

The decision to close Rideau High School was controversial when the board voted last March to combine the populations at Gloucester, blaming low enrolment at both schools.

At least 100 people, including recently arrived Syrian refugees living within the school's catchment area, attended the noisy, three-hour meeting.

Former Ottawa city councillor Jacques Legendre accused the board of wanting to close the school because it sat on valuable land.

"We have trustees who, frankly, like to think of themselves as developers," he said at the time. "This is bad. This is really bad."

Despite the controversy, Perry is looking forward to the new school year. 

"Every day, when I walk in our foyer, it sounds goofy, but I literally get goosebumps because it is just a beautiful place to be. And the students are wonderful and welcoming. And the students are so excited and the staff are so excited."

Meanwhile one new school is opening its doors for the first time today: Vimy Ridge Public School in Findlay Creek is a brand new school for students from junior kindergarten to Grade 8.

The school features a special area to develop students' abilities in science, engineering, math, problem solving and critical thinking. It also has two science rooms with a green roof for outdoor projects and a double gym with a stage that links to the school's music room, making it easier for students to put on performances.