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1st Day Of Classes At A Brand New School For Huron-area Students With Region's Catholic Board

Vice principal Tracy Freitas (left) and principal Dave Lynch stand outside the newly constructed St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary School in the Huron area. (Carmen Groleau/CBC)

It's the first day for students with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, and some were on their way to a brand new school Tuesday morning.

St. Josephine Bhakita Elementary Catholic School is the board's most recent addition in nine years. The school is opening close to capacity with roughly 600 students.

"I'm excited. The school is absolutely incredible. We have some finishing touches that need to be done, but it's going to be that much more incredible once those have been completed," Dave Lynch, who is the principal at the new school told CBC KW's The Morning Edition.

Lynch said the school has been built to improve the student learning experience, with a learning commons room and learning hubs to get students out of the classroom.

"It increases the flexibility for teachers and educators in using different teaching and learning strategies, to allow for small group instruction and collaborative practices," he said, adding it gives teachers the ability to work one-on-one with students.

The board received funding in 2019 to build a new elementary school in the area. Construction started in 2021 and trustees with the board selected the name for the new school this past February while the school was still being built. 

Lynch said students attending St. Josephine Bakhita are primarily coming from elementary schools like, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Our Lady of Grace, Blessed Sacrament and John Sweeney. 

"We also have a large number of students that live in the area who have chosen to come here, some parents have made that decision," Lynch said.

"We also have a lot of new comers to the region and to Canada, so we have a very diverse community."

The Huron area has seen large growth within the last decade. Last year, The Waterloo Region District School Board open the doors to a new elementary school in the area with almost 600 students attending.

The Morning Edition - K-W5:29First day of school and a brand new school for Huron area students with Catholic board

Students in the Huron area with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board are starting their first day of school at a brand new school. Principal of St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary School, Dave Lynch says this school is the board's most recent addition in nine years.

A Brand New Day: U.S. Open Junior Champ Kayla Day Is As Confident As She Is Talented

Just 16, the American has a very level head and a very dangerous

NEW YORK—On the same day Serena Williams lost her grip on the No. 1 spot, an American 18 years younger than her ascended to the top of the junior rankings. Last week, Kayla Day became the first American girl to win a junior Grand Slam since Samantha Crawford at the 2012 U.S. Open, snapping a 15-major streak of non-American champions.

Other than being a lefty, the most telling quality that sets Day apart from the other countless juniors vying for future greatness is her confidence. You can even see it in the way she walks—be it on court, around the grounds or in the pressroom.

The Santa Barbara resident captured her first major title in dominating fashion, defeating Viktoria Kuzmova, 6-3, 6-2, in the final. The 16-year-old had to rely heavily on her confidence and mental game to keep herself together. Partnered with Caroline Dolehide, she had suffered an emotional defeat the night before in the doubles final, double faulting on match point in a 13-11 deciding tiebreaker loss to fellow Americans Jada Hart and Ena Shibahara.

But Day managed to put that tearful night behind her the very next day when she returned to the court.

"I think I was really able to mentally set aside what had happened and just move on," Day said, "because I knew I had a really important match."

Managing her emotions was crucial to her success over the three weeks in New York, because the teen also had to separate her pro U.S. Open experience from her junior one.

"I think, mentally, it was a little bit hard, just because it's such a long time being here," Day said after the final. "I have been here for, I think, over three weeks. But my coach told me I needed to separate the two tournaments, to really make sure when I come back to play juniors, I'm coming to play a new tournament."

Day won the USTA Girls' 18s National Championship to earn a wild card into the women's main draw. She faced Madison Brengle in the first round, and benefited from a retirement while leading 6-2, 4-2. The lefty then lost to world No. 9 Madison Keys, 6-1, 6-1.

"Yeah, I definitely think we'll see her around," Keys said. "I think she has a great serve and a really solid forehand. No doubt that she'll be around."

Though the scoreline was one-sided, the experience was unforgettable for Day.

"I think my favorite part was playing against Keys on Louie [Armstrong Stadium], a night match at the U.S. Open," Day said just a few days before winning the junior title. "I feel like I gained confidence off it. I got to know the courts even better. More matches and competition beforehand helped me to come into the juniors."

Day doesn't lack in support, either, as she gets set to make some big decisions in her career. Her coach, Henner Nehles, is a German-born former UNLV star who has worked with both Jelena Jankovic and Sam Querrey. He's since begun working for the USTA, and currently trains a handful of 16-year-old girls.

"We always try to help the top prospects in that age group," Nehles said. "And Kayla, right now, is doing quite well."

Quite well is an understatement. Day turns 17 later this month, and she's already ranked No. 269 on the WTA tour.

But Nehles has far loftier expectations for his student.

"It's really hard to predict the future," he said. "I think she can achieve great things. At the beginning of the year I thought she was going to be, for sure, [a] Top 100, Top 75 player [one day]. Now, six, seven months later, I can see her being a Top 30 player down the road."

Day has proven that she has the game to reach the top of the junior world, and the mentality to do well in the big leagues. Nehles did not hesitate when asked what her greatest strength is.

"Confidence," Nehles said. "Her confidence is very high. She understands her game. She knows what she's good at and what she needs to do. That's it."

Day already had some WTA experience coming into the U.S. Open, including two qualifying victories against Top 100 opponents in New Haven. Earlier this summer, she reached the final of an International Tennis Federation Pro Circuit $25,000 tournament, beating fellow high school senior CiCi Bellis along the way.

Bellis committed early to Stanford University—she unexpectedly announced on Tuesday that she's turning pro instead—but Day is taking her time with her decision.

"It's not [about] a certain [pro] ranking," Day said. "I think it's whether I feel confident and comfortable enough to make that decision to turn pro. I just want to be confident that I make the right decision when I do."

There's that word again. Confidence has been key to Day's recent success, and it will naturally be crucial for her future.

"College is a good option, in general," Nehles said. "For Kayla, it depends on her. It's a big decision to make. If she goes to college, fine. If she doesn't go to college, fine. As long as she stands up for her decision and she owns it, either is good."

For now, though, Day is focused on what's directly in front of her.

"I think I'll play more pros," Day said, "and mainly [ITF] Pro Circuits in the U.S., stuff to build up my ranking. I'd like to [qualify] next year at the Grand Slams, and maybe I'll play a couple juniors because I can't play a full schedule yet."

No matter what path she ends up taking, Day has a second strength to fall back on.

"She loves tennis," Nehles said. "That's a very good quality to have."

This Brand New Add-on For IKEA Shelving Is A Dream If You Like To Keep Your Home Perfectly Organized

Close up of a wooden IKEA IVAR shelving unit with a felt shelving insert with different compartments

Open shelving is a storage staple, and there's nothing like a curated display of decorative objet to show off your personal style, but our shelves also serve a practical purpose, too. In their functional capacity, however, they can be notoriously difficult to keep organized.

In day-to-day life, shelving units are used for more than just books, vases, and trinkets, especially when they're in high-traffic areas like an entryway. They soon become a catchall for the likes of keys, wallets, and reading glasses - items that you're forever losing amongst your shelf clutter.

Sound familiar? If so, you'll want an effective way to organize them, and this new product from IKEA is the best buy for the job. The insert is designed to fit the ubiquitous IVAR unit, and it makes it easier than ever to make your shelves functional once more.

A wooden IKEA IVAR unit with a felt shelf organizer insert

The IVAR is the unsung hero of IKEA shelving units. While the BILLY and KALLAX might be battling it out for most popular, the simplicity of the IVAR - sold in raw pine - is the real winner in our eyes. From the untold creative possibilities as an IKEA hack to its versatile, functional form, there's a lot to love about this iconic flatpack (there's a reason the storage system has been an IKEA staple for over 50 years).

Now though, there's an IKEA IVAR hack to make it even more functional, and it doesn't require any power tools or complicated assembly! A brand new insert has hit IKEA's shelves and it's the perfect add-on for keeping your IVAR organized.

Made of felt, the shelf is designed to slot over the adjacent side panels of the IVAR unit and contains open compartments to fit all those everyday essentials that have a tendency to get lost. (We're talking accessories, reading glasses, sets of keys, and so on.) The felt material helps them to stay in place, offers a little recessed space for them to hide inside, and makes it easier to find exactly what you're after in a heartbeat.

IVAR Shelf

Price: $40Material: Felt

Measuring 33 x 12", the insert will fit all standard-sized IVAR systems and costs just $40. We recommend incorporating one into your existing IVAR if you're prone to treating your storage system as a catchall or, if your IVAR is your entryway, you could add an insert to every shelf and designate each one to a member of the family for their 'leaving the house' essentials.

'The IVAR shelves are a practical and inexpensive way to add shelving, and I love this new felt shelf addition,' notes professional organizer Melissa Gugni. 'The Ivar can feel utilitarian, which makes it great for inside a pantry but maybe less so for a living room bookshelf. This custom shelf lends both some design interest and another practical way to add storage.'

She suggests using it for organizing the like jewelry, sunglasses, or office supplies where it adds a luxe display to your home office or closet. 'I will absolutely recommend it to my clients,' she says.

Hinger organizer

Price: $30Material: Bamboo

Seagrass storage baskets

Price: $30.99Quantity: 2 pack

Woven tray organizer

Price: $15Material: Cattail Leaf

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