At approximately 3:30 a.m. on December 10, 2019, a fire broke out at Centennial School. Classes were not in session and no one was in the building. The fire resulted in extensive fire and water damage to Classroom #8, and smoke damage to the remainder of the school. The Wetaskiwin Fire Department responded to the scene very quickly and ventilated the school preventing major smoke damage.
The Facilities Department is in the process of investigating the cause of the fire and determining the extent of the damage to the remainder of the school facility. At this time students and staff may not enter the school to collect belongings or for any other reason due to health and safety concerns.
Centennial School will be closed until January 6, 2020. All classes are cancelled, however Junior High School students are welcome to attend École Queen Elizabeth School for their option classes. Parents will have to provide transportation to and from École Queen Elizabeth School. In addition, all before and after school activities that were planned between today and January 6, 2020 have been cancelled.
The Fire Department and an Independent Fire Investigator are in the process of investigating the cause of the fire. Facility Department staff and insurance adjusters toured the school to determine the extent of the damage. ServiceMaster Restore was in attendance to understand the scope of the restoration work. At this time, we do not have a financial estimate of the damage.
The Boys and Girls Club of Wetaskiwin has shared that they would like to support our families by offering childcare at the downtown location 5109 – 51 Street. Contact Justin Wyeclaw at Boys and Girls Club 780-352-4643 to inquire.
Please refer to the school and division websites for further updates. In addition Centennial School families will be notified through School Messenger via email, text and telephone and also on their Facebook @ceCyclones.
I want to express my thanks to Division staff and emergency personnel who responded to the incident. As bad as the situation was, their prompt and diligent actions prevented the circumstances from escalating into something worse.
Dr. Terry Pearson,
Superintendent of Schools
View: Centennial School Fire Letter to Parents
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