Leamington District Secondary School - Phoebus Yearbook (Leamington, Ontario Canada)

Page 29 text:

C7 z£ of tfiz Jlzamuicjton ( J i±hict cJ-ficjH JScfiooC From a small four-roomed school, revamped from an old house, has grown one of Ontario ' s most modem, and beautiful schools in both structure and equipment. The history of this school is most interesting, from the very first letter requesting John Elliott to accept the position of principal in the remodeled school, to the last brick of the new building finished in 1953. On September 9, 1895, the president of the Post Printing Company, printers of the Leamington Post, J. C. Johnson wrote to John Elliott of Walkerton asking him to consider the position of principal of Leaming¬ ton High School. The letter read: We have pur¬ chased for three thousand dollars, two acres of the finest grounds in Ontario and we want the best school west of London. L. H. S. opened formally January 7, 1896 with John Elliott, B.A., as principal. He remained prin¬ cipal until 1906, with Nellie Decou, B.A., and Lennie M. Scratch, B.A., as the assistant teaching staff. There were one hundred and five students enrolled, fifty from Leamington, fifteen from Gosfield South, eighteen from Mersea, twelve from Kingsville and one from South Colchester. The report of the school inspector ' s first visit in 1898 stated: Accommodations far too limited, class rooms far too small, but for a school so recently established, has made excellent progress. As history continues, the Friday afternoon of November 4, 1902 brought the first school sports which proved quite successful. The prizes were furnished by friends of the school. Also in 1902 the first At Home was held in the school. In 1908 four additional class rooms were added. Then, as further additions were made, we find from the historical beginning in a 1924 edition of our Phoebus”, then called The Moon , the following: In 1922, the original building purchased from Lewis Wigle was taken down and replaced by the present commodious and up-to-date structure which so well meets our modern needs. There are six new class¬ rooms besides a fine gymnasium. Commercial classes were first organized in Sep¬ tember 1923 with an attendance of thirty-seven. Now this department has grown so considerably that a commercial teaching staff of six teachers is neces¬ sary. In 1931, music was introduced into the curricu¬ lum. Seven years later home economics and shop- work accommodations were added. Our comparatively new and very successful House System was begun in 1940. This system supplies the school with keen competition among the students. An increased enrolment made the addition of three temporary rooms necessary in 1945 and caused the School Board to purchase ten acres of land for improvements in 1946. Also in this year they signed a contract to transport two hundred rural students to and from school each day. The year 1947 brought plans for a new building to accommodate four to five hundred students, since the school building then was showing signs of crowdedness. In 1949 the area of bus routes was enlarged to include the village of Wheatley and a portion of the township of Romney. Plans were continued for the new high schcol until in 1950 they had to be re-drafted to accommodate the increased enrolment. These plans, as the final drafts, were approved by the municipalities and the Department of Education in 1951. Then in March 1952 construction was started by the Foundation Company of Canada. Premier Leslie Frost laid the comer-stone that same year. In 1951 the cadets became affiliated with the R.C.A.F. under the direction of Mr. R. M. Nicholson. A pipe band was established in 1952 with fifteen members, directed by Mr. Jock Copland. Classes began for the first time in the new build¬ ing this September 1953 with a great deal of success. We, the students of Leamington District High School are proud of our past name and history, but we aim in the future to surpass even our previous achievements. —BARBARA BASTION

Page 31 text:

Compliments of Metropolitan Stores Ltd. ☆ ☆ Talbot Street West Leamington Mill Bar Mill Street West ☆ ☆ Home Made Ice Cream, Candy and Lunch ☆ ☆ Telephone 142-J Save Time and Bother ☆ ☆ ☆ Telephone MORAN ' S