The newest school in Surrey opened its doors to students Tuesday, relieving enrolment at a nearby overcrowded elementary school.
The Grandview Heights-area, 27-classroom, three-storey elementary school called Ta'talu was originally planned for a January 2025 opening, but instead, began welcoming students on Oct. 1.
“I told our students we have the most beautiful school in B.C.,” Ta’talu Elementary principal Sabrina Niro said in a press release.
“The architecture is pretty magnificent and we’re very lucky that we get that for an elementary school.”
The name Ta'talu comes from the SENĆOŦEN langauge and was gifted to the district by Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell. Meaning 'little arms', the name references the nearby Campbell River and its tributaries that are often called the little arms of the river.
As of opening day, more than 220 students now attend Ta'talu Elementary, a South Surrey school with a capacity for 655 students. Most of the new students transferred from nearby Edgewood Elementary, which has been experiencing significant overcrowding, leading to the use of 14 portables.
“Some were sad to leave their friends and what they know at Edgewood, but then there was a sense of excitement for this new opportunity and building and being together and being closer to their homes,” Niro said. “A lot of them will be able to walk to school and not need to be driven to Edgewood.”
Just behind the school is an old-growth Western red cedar tree, which presents an opportunity for outdoor learning right on school grounds. Other opportunities come from the gravel field, a long jump sand put and preserved rocks, boulders and stumps that are all available for students to explore.
“Our teachers are just as excited and our staff were amazing at going in on their own time, night after night, after working every day at Edgewood, to unbox everything we received and make sure the school was looking ready for the students.”
