The new elementary school now under construction in Kingston East will be named École Sir John A. Macdonald Public School when it opens later this fall. Trustees with the Limestone District School Board decided on the name at its regular board meeting February 8.
Sir John A. Macdonald was chosen from a short list of four names provided to trustees by the Kingston East Integration Committee. The final four names – Butternut Creek Elementary School, Greenwood Park Elementary School, Molly Brant Public School and Sir John A. Macdonald Public School – were selected from suggestions provided by the community.
“There were some wonderful suggestions that were brought forward and any one of the names would have been an excellent choice but Sir John A. Macdonald is what resonated with the majority of the trustees,” said Elaine Crawford, the trustee who represents the area where the new school is located. “Trustees were conscious to choose a name that reflects our city and our school communities and we have it.”
The naming process was overseen by the Transitions Advisory Group, or TAG, a subcommittee of the integration committee. The advisory group was established to gather input from the communities of École Lundy’s Lane and J.E. Horton public schools and provide recommendations for a new name, new school crest and any traditions and artifacts that should be included in the setup of the new school now under construction in the Greenwood Park subdivision.
The advisory group, which is made up of students, teaching and non-teaching staff and parents from school councils, initially received 128 suggestions following an open call to students, parents, guardians and the community. The group narrowed the suggestions to a field of 12 possible names that best represented the diversity and commonalities amongst all suggestions, and those which best aligned with the Board’s Naming of New Schools procedure. The public was then invited to vote for their favourite online. Almost 1,000 votes were cast during the week-long vote in late January.
“It’s very exciting to finally have a name for our new school,” said École Lundy’s Lane School Principal Steve Hedderson, who will preside over the new École Sir John A. Macdonald Public School. “Kingston is well known as home to Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, one of Canada’s most historically significant figures. It’s very fitting that the founding father of a united Canada will now forever be part of our new united school community in Kingston East.”
Now, work begins on a new school crest, colours and other items that the school communities would like to see preserved from either Lundy’s Lane or J.E. Horton. A decision on these is expected over the next few months, before the new school year.
Meanwhile, the naming process for the new school now being constructed in Greater Napanee is underway. Students and staff of H.H. Langford and Westdale Park public schools and residents were asked to submit their suggestions for the new school by February 3. A subcommittee is now reviewing the submissions and will make its recommendations to the Board in early March.
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Release source: Limestone District School Board
