Ribbon cut on new, $15M elementary school

“Maybe we could send our kids here so they can enjoy this school,” she said.

The $15 million Sudbury Catholic District School Board school is built on the same campus as St. Charles College.

St. Andrew, St. Raphael and St. Bernadette schools officially closed at the end of June, and students up to Grade 6 have been transferred to Holy Trinity.

The name Holy Trinity, picked in January, refers not only to the Christian concept of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, but to the fact that three elementary schools are being merged to create the new school.

The old schools' Grade 7 and 8 students now attend St. Charles, which has undergone a $1.7-million renovation to accommodate younger students.

Holy Trinity, built by the contractor Build North Construction, is about 60,000 square feet, and features a 550-student capacity, along with 70 daycare spaces.

The building, completed underbudget and on schedule, has a number of green features, including in-floor heating, displacement air and a grey water system, where rainwater from the roof is collected to flush toilets.

The official opening included speeches by school board officials, politicians — including Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault (whose daughter attends the school) and Mayor Brian Bigger — and those involved in the building's construction.

The school's choir also gave a performance and Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie led a brief blessing ceremony.

“It's exciting to be the first principal of this school,” said Diana Salvador, Holy Trinity's principal.

“But the building is not as important as what happens inside the building. Obviously, this is a new building, so it's special and shiny. But it's all the people is what make up the school.

“The children are the centre of our school — the reason why we're here — and it's our goal to keep them safe and comfortable, so they feel so good.”