School addition to be dedicated

By Carol Hollenbeck - For the Daily Press

MANISTIQUE - Excitement at St. Francis de Sales continues to build as the day approaches for Bishop Alexander Sample to dedicate the new Junior High Academy wing.

A full day of activities is planned to commemorate completion of the newest phase of construction and renovation at the school. Bishop Sample will say Mass at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the church. The Knights of Columbus will serve its popular breakfast after both the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses. An open house at the school, including the new wing, will be held from noon to 3 p.m. "Finger food," cookies and coffee will be available. School t-shirts, sweatshirts, vests and polo shirts will be for sale. Everyone is welcome to attend the day's events.

The addition houses three large classrooms for sixth, seventh and eighth grades, explained Pastor Fr. Glenn Theoret. The eighth-grade room includes math and science labs featuring state-of-the-art equipment such as an LCD projector and computerized microscopes, and other science lab equipment.

The wing also houses the new teachers' lounge and a handicapped-accessible restroom.

"We're especially pleased that the new wing blends so well with the rest of the school," Fr. Theoret said. "We were able to match the brick on the outside of the school, so it looks as if it's always been there."

"The kids are really excited," said Principal Kitty Lovell. "During construction, they toured it nearly every week."

"I think it's great how we get a new classroom," commented eighth grader Ahna Jenerou. "Also, I am happy how much the school does for us."

"I am excited about the new addition because of the huge classroom and the science lab," added classmate Hunter Majurin. "We (are) finally spread out away from each other so we can't argue."

Maryse Hinkson noted that she is happy to be in the first eighth-grade class to be in the Junior High Academy wing. "I am really excited because St. Francis has been the same for a long time, and it is cool to have a new addition," said Vanessa McNamara, seventh grader.

Lovell said students also like the idea of new lockers which will line the wing's hallway.

Ground was broken for the wing on May 22, with seventh graders digging the ceremonial first shovelful.

The wing links the church and school, with the 'sisters' house' torn down. Bricks from the old convent will be sold to help fund the building project, estimated at $1.3 million. "We used 15 local contractors on the project," Fr. Theoret said. "We went local as much as we could." He said it will take a combination of existing funds, a capital campaign and long-term financing to pay for the project.

The new addition is just the latest in a long-term plan that builds St. Francis school both physically and conceptually.

Physically, it is the second phase of a three-phase plan that began last year. Three homes were purchased and demolished to make room for a new playground, and remodeling and updates were done to the school. This year saw the new wing built. Next year, the third phase calls for construction of a community center that will contain a new kitchen to serve both the school and social functions, a lunch room, a new church library and bathrooms.