Explorateurs' Primary School

The new primary school in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier accommodates 550 children, from kindergarten to grade six. The 4,460 m², split-level school is built on a lot that slopes down at the back. Its design features superimposed planes laid out longitudinally. The building will face southwest and have numerous windows. It will consist of two rectangular volumes divided by a central hall and linked to the classroom areas by a triangular hub.

The school, commissioned by a Quebec City area school board, will have a total of 26 classes (three classes per grade) and four kindergarten groups (80 children). It will have a staff of approximately 75 people, including 40 teachers, as well as pedagogical experts, a remedial teacher, psychologist, speech pathologist, etc., plus support staff. The school will also house after-school child care services provided by some fifteen employees.

The school board’s new school will have a sustainable development and technology focus, providing a one-of-a-kind array of educational services. Sports-study programs and extra-curricular sports programs will also be made available, all with an emphasis on nature, wellbeing, and the environment. An application has been submitted for LEED certification. 

This will be the first School 2.0 in the school board, which in concrete terms means it will be equipped with Wi-Fi, interactive blackboards in each classroom, versatile facilities, and, ideally, an electronic tablet for each child.