RRHS School Council sets its sights on completing courtyard project this year

By Jack Elliott
Correspondent

The rebuilding of the Courtyard at the Rainy River High School is a primary focus of the School Council this year. The goal of the project is to enhance the usability of this oasis in the RRH School. Since the construction of the RRHS in the 1960s very little has been done to update the Courtyard.
Last year efforts were initiated by the RRHS Council to completely rehabilitate this area and make it a central social focus of the school for the students, staff, and community. Initial landscaping efforts have expanded to include a complete redesign of the area. Students designed and constructed a number of attractive benches for use in the courtyard.
The next phase of the project will remove the existing weathered and cracked concrete, replacing it with landscaping brickwork and the addition of access doors from the library and staff rooms.
Plantings of trees and other appropriate vegetation is also planned. Total cost of this phase is estimate at $11,000.00 to $13,000.00 with much of it coming from donated labour and supplies, says Peggy Advent, Chair of the RRHS Council. But she adds, it will still take considerable cash to complete the project.
Budget and funding cuts at the Rainy River District School Board means there are no funds available at this time from the board, so other means of paying the bills are being explored. A Fund Raising Kickoff Breakfast is being held Dec 5 in the Multi-Purpose Room just inside the office entrance of the RRHS. Contributions of $50 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt issued by the RRDSB office. Local businesses have generously agreed to the placement of donation containers. These ‘buckets of cash’ will be tallied monthly and the public kept abreast of fund raising results.
Improving the learning environment for our students, and engendering pride in our school and community are just a couple of the benefits Advent sees in this Courtyard rebuilding.
“It’s your opportunity to give back a little bit to the community that provided you with your education. We need your help,” says Advent of her request for community support
The RRHS Council meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. All interested parents and community members are encouraged to participate. Further information may be obtained by calling the RRHS 852-3284.