GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Cedar Hill Middle School Students Make Their Mark on New School Under Construction

Grade 6-8 students signed their names on a beam used within the new school under construction.

Steady construction progress continues for the new seismically-safe Cedar Hill Middle School which is on track to open in September 2025.

To celebrate the placement of the fourth horizontal beam on the north side of the building, students in Grades 6-8 were invited to sign their names on it and make their mark on the new school.

"It has been a very exciting time for our school community," said school principal Maryanne Trofimuk, who got the idea for the beam-signing from a similar tradition during the construction of Cowichan District Hospital. "Staff and students have been eagerly watching the progress."

After each class had a turn to sign the beam, students then got to see the beam hoisted into the air by crane and placed securely on the structure.

"It's really cool to see the structure start to build," said Walter, a Grade 6 student.

"I've been teaching at Cedar Hill since it became a middle school in 2004," says Grade 6 French Immersion teacher Lori Blouin. "The kids talk about the construction daily and I'm often ushered to a window by a student who wants to show me something new on the construction site."

The Greater Victoria School District would like to thank the schools' staff, the district facilities team, and Yellowridge Construction for being so accommodating and not only giving students the opportunity to etch their names onto a permanent piece of the school, but providing them with connection to an important project happening outside their classrooms.

Click here for more information about the new Cedar Hill Middle School including conceptual drawings and past news releases.

The signed horizontal beam was lifted and placed by crane (left) and the beam as seen from Cedar Hill Road (right).