CORNWALL, Ontario – The votes are in and the name of the new Cornwall elementary school has been decided – Bridgewood Public School.
Upper Canada District School Board trustees voted Wednesday night to accept Bridgewood as the new name, after it was recommended by both a student vote and a school naming committee established to give the school its identity. Set to open in the fall of 2016, Bridgewood is under construction at the corner of Marleau Avenue and Nick Kaneb Drive. With capacity for 579 students, it will replace the aging East Front and Gladstone public schools.
The name was approved by trustees because it represents the bridging of the two school communities, while also recognizing Cornwall’s iconic Seaway International Bridge – a common symbol to both schools. The name suggests strength and stability, as well as bridging of the past and future in education. “Wood” is a tribute to the school’s location on a beautiful woodlot, the board said.
“The name really fits,” said Cornwall trustee David McDonald, who sat on the naming committee. “What we are doing is bringing two schools together and allowing for a new environment to exist for our students. We want to be respectful of the past, but bringing these two school communities together is very important.
“The name suits the needs of our community and it will be the kind of school Cornwall will be proud of for many years to come. I’m excited to get it open.”
The name was proposed to the board in a presentation by Kelty Grant, principal of East Front Public School and chair of the Cornwall Public School Naming Committee.
“I love the name,” said Grant in an interview after her presentation. “And what’s great about it is the student body feels included in the process and invested in the outcome. We gave the students who are going to make the new school home a chance to take ownership and get involved in the naming process, and there was consistency between the first choice of the naming committee and our students, so it really was a unanimous recommendation.”
Comprised of Superintendent Tim Mills, McDonald, principals of both current schools, local historians, teachers and parent council members, the committee held meetings between April and November. Members accepted potential names from the community at public meetings, as well as those that were submitted in person, through social media and by email.
The committee voted to select the top three names in November. Bridgewood was tied for first with Bridgewater Public School, while the committee’s second choice was Sir John Johnson Public School.
The top three names were later presented to students at both East Front and Gladstone, who voted to select Bridgewood as their name choice for the new school.
The new 50,667 square-foot, air-conditioned building will feature five kindergarten classrooms, 19 regular classrooms, a multi-function resource space with a stage, project/resource rooms adjacent to classrooms, and environmental site design focused on tree conservation.
