MOOSE JAW — As the final bell rang through the halls of Westmount Elementary on June 26, it wasn’t just the end of another school year — it was the end of an era.
Outside the aging school, students clung to final moments, sharing hugs, snapping photos, and saying emotional goodbyes. One student shouted, “So long, Westmount!” with a satisfied grin, but the overall mood was reflective as the Kindergarten to Grade 8 school officially closed its doors for good.
Westmount is one of four Moose Jaw schools that will not reopen in the fall, alongside Sacred Heart Community School, Empire School, and St. Mary School. , and others will transition to high school, but on their last day at a place filled with familiar faces and memories, the mood was bittersweet.
“I'll miss it because I moved to the school for the smaller aspect of it,” said Grade 8 student Blake Gatzke, who transferred to Westmount during the COVID-19 pandemic and finished his final year with Grade 8 teacher Mrs. Gadd. “It's strange ... just to think it's empty now. I hope they do something good with it, or tear it down and do something cool.”
Gatzke, who is heading to Peacock Collegiate this fall, said one of his fondest memories was having Mr. Boyle as his teacher in Grade 6.
“Grade 6 with Mr. Boyle was the best … Mr. Boyle really shaped me into the person I am right now,” he said. “I'm nervous, but I'm excited because (I’m moving on to) high school.”
For younger students, the day was just as poignant. Amelia, Olivia, and Emberley — students in Grade 5 — said they were both excited and sad to be moving on.
“I’m probably going to be sad because we’re not going to have Mrs. Veroba as our health teacher anymore,” said Olivia. Mrs. Veroba taught from Grade 1 through Grade 5, but at the new joint-use school these students will be introduced to a new teacher in the fall.
All three said they were looking forward to the new school’s modern facilities and a chance to reunite with friends — and for Amelia, the promise of a much shorter walk each morning. “I’m sad, but I can finally walk to school next year,” she said, noting that the joint-use school is closer to her home.
Still, leaving behind Westmount — and the friendships built within its walls — was no small thing.
“I’m going to miss this school,” Emberley said. “I’ve been here for two years, and I’ll be upset, but I guess we have to move.”
Some students were already wondering what would become of the building, while others were focused on soaking in their last few memories at a school that had shaped them. For many, the hardest part was saying goodbye to close friends — some of whom will attend different schools in the fall — and facing the uncertainty of making new ones in unfamiliar hallways.
When the final bell rang throughout Westmount, Mrs. Alexander, the school’s principal, saw students off with a wave and a few hugs as buses pulled up and parents arrived to pick up their children. A few final photos, selfies, and goodbyes completed the scene. As the last footsteps faded and the last cars rolled away, the weight of the moment settled softly over an empty schoolyard.
The new joint-use school, , is located at 1700 Vermont Road and is set to open on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
