New $15M elementary school announced for east Aurora

'We're far ahead in Canada': Christine Elliott, Stephen Lecce defend school reopenings

Yorkegion.com
August 17, 2020
Lisa Queen

Maybe three-year-old Athan Charitsis will be more enthusiastic about his new school when he actually starts going to class there.

After all, he will be seven and entering Grade 2 when Aurora’s newest elementary school opens in September 2024 at the southwest corner of Hartwell Way and William Graham Drive in the fast-developing area of St. John’s Sideroad and Leslie Street.

But Athan had little interest in the project on Aug. 10 when Education Minister Stephen Lecce, Newmarket-Aurora MPP and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott, Mayor Tom Mrakas, York Region District School Board director Louise Sirisko, board chair Juanita Nathan and Aurora and King Trustee Bob McRoberts gathered at the site to formally announce the new school.

Even prodding from his cousin, Kiyana Zabihi, who attends Phoebe Gilman Public School in East Gwillimbury, couldn’t convince Athan about the merits of going to school.

But his mom, Sara Charitsis, who is also Elliott’s constituency assistant, is looking forward to sending her son to the $15-million new school.

“I’m very excited about it,” she said, happy Athan will meet new friends from the neighbourhood.

“It will be an exciting adventure for him and for us.”

The new school, in the midst of a community that will be home to 8,000 families in coming years, will have space for 683 students and 39 youngsters in child care in two daycare rooms.

Asked after the announcement how they would address concerns of protesters who rallied outside Elliott’s office on July 29, worried that the province isn’t doing enough to protect children and staff when classrooms reopen in September, Lecce and Elliott said the government is relying on the advice of experts.

Health experts have worked to ensure “we put in every public-health precaution that we can to keep kids safe -- that is going to be the most important step that we need to take,” Elliott said.

“We’re far ahead in Canada. There are some other provinces that are emulating what Ontario is doing.”

Lecce agreed.

“I think the fact that public health and the Ministry of Education are collaborating to provide the strongest plan to safely get kids back in class in this country, I think speaks volumes about our commitment to safety,” he said.

“We’re listening to parents, we’re listening to our boards, to our educators. But ultimately we’re listening and defaulting on evidence and science and I think that’s what most parents, all parents, want us to do. Let the evidence, the emerging data and the best practices keep kids safe.”

The plan comes from collaboration with experts, including those from SickKids hospital, and makes Ontario a leader in Canada, Lecce said.

The province is providing for 500 additional public health nurses, 1,300 more custodians and $75 million for more cleaning in schools, he said.

“I think Ontario leads the nation by far in every measurement, with an acknowledgement that we can do more,” he said.

“I think our government is inclined to want to be there to support communities, particularly high-risk communities like in York or Toronto or others where the transmission risk may be a bit higher than other parts of the province.”