Crescent Heights Academy breaks ground on new school in Cloverdale

Crescent Heights Academy broke ground in September on a new school on its property south of Highway 10, between 184th and 188th streets. The planned 120,000-square-foot, four-storey building will bring together the academy’s primary, intermediate and senior campuses, now spread across Cloverdale and Clayton Heights. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.

Head of school Laurel Middelaer said the groundbreaking meant “much more” than the physical start of construction, describing it as a belief in the future of students and the community. She said the school aims to create a place where students are known and cared for, can discover who they are and develop their abilities, build meaningful relationships, and gain the confidence and courage to make a positive impact in the world. Middelaer called the ceremony a major milestone in the academy’s history and said the new chapter would provide a shared home for its students, families and staff.

According to a press release, the school is being designed around how students learn, grow, build relationships and develop. It will include flexible, purpose-built spaces for academics, arts, athletics, technology and collaboration. Students will learn in four smaller age-based communities: Kindergarten to Grade 1, Grades 2 to 5, Grades 6 to 9, and Grades 10 to 12. Each will have dedicated spaces suited to students’ stage of development while remaining part of one K-12 school community.

The campus will also have athletic fields, underground parking, outdoor and rooftop spaces, and areas for school and community activities. The plan is to make the new athletic and recreational areas available to the wider community in the evenings and on weekends.

Perminder Tung, vice-chair of the academy’s board, said the start of construction offered a chance to celebrate everyone whose work helped bring the project to this point. “This new campus is something we are building together and it will serve generations of students and families to come,” he said.

Crescent Heights Academy is an independent K-12 school with more than 700 students. The new school is scheduled to open in late 2028 or early 2029. Project information is available at crescentheightsacademy.ca under “New Campus”.