It didn't take long for B.C.'s education minister Don McRae to jump into the fun at James Park Elementary.

Departing from his script at the Port Coquitlam school's official opening, the minister decided to take a seat with the students and lead them on a cheer.

"It still blows my mind that you can have gyms with windows and natural light - it's pretty special," he told the students.

Thursday marked the official opening of the new school, which replaced the old James Park Elementary that stood for nearly a century.

The $14-million school actually opened its doors to students and classes in early November.

Thursday was the opportunity for dignitaries and politicians to take a tour of the new facility.

And there is very little in the new school that is old school.

The building is built to LEED Gold standards and supports the province's Wood First Initiative by having a wood roof, wood panelling in the hallways and wood trim throughout the building.

A new energy consumption dashboard near the school's main entrance indicates the building's efficiency, and provides students and community members with green tips and demos.

The classrooms all have windows leading to the hallways, which can be opened up to allow for classes to spill into the school's learning

commons space. The original James Park was built back in 1913. Principal Petra Kintzinger said both the students and staff are thrilled to be in their new digs.

"We just fell into it and it feels like we've been here forever," she said, noting the large amount of space and natural light in the new facility.

"I come in every day and I look around and I wonder how this happened."

The school has a capacity for 370 students, but with 310 already filling the classrooms, Kintzinger noted the building is already pretty full.

But ultimately, the plan is for the school to become a hub of the neighbourhood.

The school has the added space for what's called a Neighbourhood Learning Centre and a StrongStart Centre.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development, Fraser Health and the City of Port Coquitlam will all offer programming from the school starting this spring.

The school's gym is also open at night for adult sports.

The old school was originally part of the government's Seismic Mitigation Program back in 2005, but a decision was made instead to build a brand new school.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com

twitter.com/ jercoquitlamnow