Ecole Notre Dame Des Vallees has seen some changes in the past 10 years, but with their anniversary on June 25, principal Adéle Scott took the time to remember just how far the school has come.
2003 was an important year for the French community in Cochrane. Parents wanted somewhere for their children to maintain French language skills outside of the home, somewhere with strong francophone roots and an ability to teach at the highest level.
“During the better part of the last century, the entire francophone culture outside of Quebec has struggled to maintain its language and culture,” said Scott, whose four children have all gone through Des Vallees.
With a diverse and ever changing population, Cochrane is home to a growing number of French Canadians and already there was a large number in 2003, looking and pleading with government for the ability to start a school.
The local parents got what they asked for in the form of room use at the Cochrane RancheHouse where children came and learned, while teachers did their best with the tools they had, eventually outgrowing the space and moving to their current location in the community of Riverview, along the Bow River.
Scott and her four children moved to Cochrane in 2006. The school that already housed 66 students grew to 70 that day and hasn’t looked back since.
The school’s population remained stagnant from 2006 until 2011, but Scott said the teachers and students had a bit of a shocking surprise when, in 2012, it jumped to a whopping 95. It was a large feat for a school whose gymnasium also doubles as a lunchroom and a meeting place.
But now with the population expecting to rise to 150, Scott and the school are looking forward to getting into their new school building, which will be housed next to Mitford Middle School.
“I am so proud of the work we’ve been able to do with what little tools we have. These students are getting an amazing education and it will be exciting to see what our talented teachers and their students can do with all the tools,” Scott said.
Scott said she doesn’t know if she will still be around in 10 years, but there will be many exciting years ahead.
