Sprucedale Celebrates New Track at Open House

At the Sprucedale Public School open house barbecue are, from left, Grade 5 student Vanessa Trotter, her mom, Angela, Waterloo-Oxford Grade 10 student Logan Hajdu and Sprucedale Grade 8 student Sydney Robinson. Diane Danen photo

By Diane Danen

Sprucedale Public School in Shakespeare held its annual open house and barbecue on Thurs., Sept. 18, giving parents and families an opportunity to visit classrooms, meet teachers and enjoy an evening at the school.

This year’s open house was extra special with the official opening of the school’s new running track. The project was led by the Sprucedale Parent Council and spearheaded by council chair Jody Hart.

Steve Smith Construction of Stratford recently completed the track. The dry summer weather helped the project move along quickly.

The new track is located at the southeast corner of the school grounds, next to the soccer field. It will provide students with another opportunity to be active throughout the school year, and is expected to be used for gym classes and track-and-field activities.

The parent council has plans for further improvements, including a shaded seating and spectator area beside the track. Colourful adirondack chairs purchased from CR Plastics have already been placed around the track for spectators. The council recognized those who supported the project through donor recognition plaques placed on the chairs.

Support for the track came from Grit Engineering, Steve Smith Construction, Shakespeare Presbyterian Church, the Optimist Club of Shakespeare, the Opti-Mrs. Club of Shakespeare and numerous other community members.

The Hart and Lapointe families helped with the landscaping, while Ed’s Concrete generously donated the landscaping rocks. Work on the project will continue in the spring, when the soccer posts will be moved inside the track area to create a smaller soccer field for primary students.

Principal Lisa Cairncross welcomed guests to the ribbon cutting ceremony and thanked the many donors and community members whose contributions of time, materials and money helped make the track possible.

Grade 5 student Lilah Elliott had the honour of cutting the ribbon to officially open the track. Sprucedale students were eager to try it out, with many taking the opportunity to run a few laps.