Monday, May 6, 2013

Naming Schools

    Since I spent 37 years as a public school teacher , I have more than a passing interest in school names. This blog is named after the school I went to from gr. 1 to 9. 

    Each school district has it's own policy about naming new schools that are being built. Sometimes the name is based on the local area and sometimes it's based on a person of note. Many schools were simply named after the town in which they were located. 

    Schools in my city have been named after the area they were built in or some prominent person. The school I taught in was called Eastview after the subdivision in which it was located . My kid's elementary school was G.W. Smith who was the first teacher in Red Deer . Most of the people who gave their names to schools had passed on before a school was named after them

    Many schools are named after famous national people. How many Winston Churchill schools are there? We have a few John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson schools. These two people were Prime Ministers. How many Jefferson or Lincoln schools are there?

   Why am I writing about this topic? We just picked a name for our next new school and it's after a friend of mine and he's not dead yet! So the next school in Red Deer will be the Barrie H. Wilson School. All the more cool, I worked with Barrie for many years. Barrie and I both came to Red Deer the same year and taught in the same school. Barrie was energetic,enthusiastic and well liked. Later he became an  administrator. I had the good fortune to have Barrie for my Principal for ten or more years. I grew professionally and personally under his watch.    Certainly some of my happiest years were when I was working with Barrie. Barrie was always tough and demanding. However, Barrie would always walk the talk.               

    So I'm happy that Barrie has a school named after him and it is a well deserved honor.

16 comments:

  1. A school near us is named "Morning Glory." It's a pretty name. I'm not sure how they came up with it...

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  2. how very cool! even better that they didn't wait until he was gone to honor him!

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  3. How cool is that.. that a school was named after your friend.

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  4. I don't think many schools here in Australia are named after people.
    Catholic schools and colleges and some C of E colleges are named after Saints, but to name schools after a person of prominence, I can't think of any.
    A couple of Universities are - Monach (WW1 General) and Curtin (PM in WW2) come to mind, maybe there are more?
    That is quite an honour to have bestowed on you.
    Colin

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  5. Oops: Monash. Not Monach.
    Here:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Monash
    Colin

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  6. Not often that people get anything named after them whilst they are still alive. Well done that man.

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  7. Princess Elizabeth was my middle school and it was officially opened by "Princess Elizabeth" - my High School, "Harbour View High", named after the view of one of our many harbour views. How nice to know your friend is appreciated and honoured with a school named after him. Congrats to him and have a wonderful day.

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  8. Congratulations to Barrie. I'm sure the honor is well deserved.

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  9. Wow, congratulations to your friend! What an honor to have a school named after you, it's fantastic that Barry is here to receive such an honor!

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  10. To be honored while still alive is very special indeed. And friend as well. The students in a nearby town voted to name their new high school after Eleanor Roosevelt. A first. And the local school board denied it for obivous politica reason. I thought it a shame....

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  11. Congrats to Barrie. That's a real honor!

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  12. How wonderful for your friend! :)

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  13. Isn't that really cool!
    An alive guy! What fun!

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  14. That is so cool that your friend is having a school named after him!!

    Hmm, I went to Iroquois Jr. PS, so named because it was built on former Iroquois lands. Then I went to Henry Kelsey Sr. PS. Then Albert Campbell C.I., named after the former mayor of Scarborough!

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  15. Congrats to Barry and I am glad you shared the memories Red.

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  16. That is cool! Most people only get things named after them after they die...to be alive is really neat!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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