New RHS ribbon-cutting on Sept. 10

Westwind Weekly News Photo Submitted. NEW LOOK: Main Floor Collaborative Learning - Learning Commons.

By Heather Cameron
Westwind Weekly News

The new Raymond High School will be having its ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Genevieve Boyd, communications officer for Westwind School Division, said that the new school was created by architect OTA, and is located beside Victoria Park Track and Field, and is 6,110 square meters in size. 

The school, Boyd explained, includes 17 teaching stations, a number of specialized and shared learning spaces, a sunken gymnasium, a second-floor Learning Commons overlooking Victoria Park Track and Field, a black box theatre, a commercial kitchen, collaborative learning areas, a multipurpose theatre, a band room, a wood shop, a weight room, and a food and culinary area.

“The new Raymond High School was created primarily in response to enrolment pressures and the school community outgrowing the existing facility,” Boyd also noted. 

The need for additional space had become significant, Boyd stated, with 22 modular classrooms located on the previous school site. 

“A new school had been a long-term capital priority for Westwind School Division, and they offered an opportunity to create a facility that could better accommodate enrollment and support modern teaching and learning,” said Boyd.

The project, Boyd said, has developed over several years, beginning on December 10, 2019, when Westwind School Division received planning funding to complete site analysis and readiness work, visioning and detailed program development, architectural concept design and renderings, and other planning work. On March 4, 2022, Boyd added, the Government of Alberta approved design funding for the new Raymond High School, on March 1, 2023, the project received full construction funding approval from the province, and in April 2023, a provincial investment of $37.6 million to build the new Raymond High School was announced.

Boyd said that ultimately, June 11, 2026, was identified as the project completion date by the project timeline, with the school scheduled to welcome students for the 2026/2027 school year, and the final project cost totaling approximately $45 million.

The ribbon cutting will happen on the 10th, Boyd stressed, and the ceremony will involve remarks from Darren Mazutinec, Superintendent, Westwind School Division; Jim Ralph, Board Chair, Westwind School Division; Brett Ralph, Principal, Raymond High School; a Raymond High School student speaker who will be selected by the Principal; Bryce Coppieters, Mayor of Raymond; and Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner, as well as invited Westwind School Division trustees and administrators, government and municipal representatives, project partners, school representatives, staff, students, and other special guests. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony, Boyd said, is invitation only, but there will be a free Community Open House later that day from 5 to 7:30 p.m. that will be open to the public.

“The Community Open House will give guests an opportunity to explore the new school and see its learning, arts, athletic and gathering spaces firsthand,” stated Boyd. “Guests can participate in a self-guided tour, with Student Ambassadors available throughout the school to provide directions and assistance. The evening will also include historic displays and construction photos, a time-lapse video documenting the new school’s construction, a time-capsule station, and light refreshments. We hope visitors leave with an understanding not only of what the new building offers students today, but also of the history that has shaped Raymond High School and the role the school continues to play in the community. We would encourage anyone with a connection to Raymond High School or the Raymond community to come and see the new school for themselves. Whether you are a current student or family member, an alumnus, a former staff member, or simply a member of the community, this is an opportunity to explore the new building, reconnect with the history of Raymond High School, and be part of the beginning of its next chapter.”

Boyd explained that one of the goals of the grand opening is to recognize that Raymond High School is part of a much larger story.

“Raymond High School has generations of students, staff, families and alumni connected to it, which is why the theme of the celebration is ‘Honouring the Past. Building the Future’,” stated Boyd. “We want the event to recognize that history while giving the community an opportunity to see what has been created for the students who will learn here for generations to come.”

As part of that legacy, Boyd said, Raymond High School is also creating a hybrid – digital and physical – time capsule that will preserve messages and memories from today’s school community that when closed, will remain sealed inside the school until 2076.

“We look forward to welcoming the community on September 10 to experience the new school for themselves,” said Darren Mazutinec, Superintendent of Westwind School Division. “The opening of the new Raymond High School is an exciting milestone for our students, staff and the entire Raymond community. This school reflects years of planning and partnership, and it provides outstanding spaces where students can learn, connect and grow for generations to come.”