The newly completed Lions Oval Public School was set to open the following morning, and Joy – one of more than 400 students enrolled at Orillia’s first new public school in more than 30 years – eagerly awaited the first bell.

“I was awake for the whole night, I was trying to see if it was morning” he said during an interview outside his Grade 1 classroom. “I was wondering how big it was going to be.”

The verdict?

“It’s much bigger in the hallways than our old school,” he added with a smile.

Spread over two stories, the 4,700-square-metre building features an energy efficient design with soaring floor-to-ceiling views and windows that flood the interior with natural light.

 “It is really just breathtaking,” said Principal Jan Rutherford. “It is just magnificent.”

Other features include a gymnasium with portable stage and second-floor viewing area, an adjacent multi-purpose room, and a library.

A ground-floor space set aside for a daycare centre is still under construction. The school board will choose the daycare’s operator through the tendering process, said vice-principal Jennifer Brown.

“It is going to be a wonderful addition for the Orillia area,” she added.

Due to its central location and close proximity to local neighbourhoods, all but a handful of students will be relying on their feet to reach the school each morning. Other than transportation for children with special needs, just one school bus will ferry pupils to and from the site.

“The majority of students will walk to school,” said Brown.

More than 450 students attend the school, which boasts a staff of about 43, including educational assistants.

Students were amalgamated from three other recently shuttered schools – David H. Church, Hillcrest and Mount Slaven.

“Because we have been together for the first term (at the former Hillcrest site), we have already bonded and blended,” Rutherford added.

In the months leading up to the opening, the Hillcrest site served as the temporary school, and was operated under the Lions Oval banner.

“We were coping well where we were,” Rutherford said. “However, the layout of this building lends itself much better for everybody.”

Staff is working to ease students into their new surroundings, particularly those in the primary grades, she added.

“We did lots of pre-planning and run-through on routines with staff,” Rutherford said. “The kids are just thrilled.”