Island Public/Natural Science School

Island Public/Natural Science School
Address
30 Centre Island Park
Toronto Islands, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2E9
Canada
Information
School type Public Elementary school
Established 1960
School board Toronto District School Board
(Toronto Board of Education)
Superintendent Jane Phillips Long
Area trustee Chris Moise
School number 5236 / 278793
Principal Mr. Woolford
Grades JK-6
Enrollment 235 (2016-17)
Language English
Website schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/island/Home.aspx

The Island Public/Natural Science School (also called Island PNSS, IPNSS or Island) is a primary school located on Centre Island in the Toronto Islands in the Old Toronto region of Toronto, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto District School Board. Prior to 1998, the Toronto Board of Education operated the school.

As of 2013, the school has 179 students. 15% of the student population originates from Algonquin and Ward islands and about 85% of the students live in the city and take ferry transportation to school.[1]

History

The school was established sometime after 1895.[2] A fire during Victoria Day in the early 1900s destroyed the first school building in the Toronto Islands. Jim Coyle of the Toronto Star wrote that the burning schoolhouse firework "supposedly" originated from this event.[3] In 1954 736 students attended the Toronto Island school.[4] The TBE established the Toronto Island Natural Science School in 1960. The TBE arranged for 5th and 6th grade students from the main area of Toronto to stay at the school's forms for one week each, where they had nature-oriented programs.[5] The first principal of the natural science school was Chuck Hopkins.[6] In 1963 the island school had 141 students. 17 classrooms in the island school were used for the natural science program, which was a year-round program.[4]

At some time after 1985 TBE and the Metropolitan Toronto council had a conflict over whether the Toronto Island Public and Natural Science School should be kept in a southwestern section of Centre Island, which was secluded.[7] The school's location at the time was on a leased area of parkland owned by the Metropolitan government and the Metro Council and the TBE were disputing whether the school should remain there.[8] In 1989 Lynne Ainsworth of the Toronto Star wrote that the Toronto Island School was "in dire need of repair".[9]

On May 16 of 1989 the Metropolitan Toronto School Board was scheduled to consider a three-year renovation program for the Toronto Island School and some other schools.[9] In August 1992 Alan Tonks, the chairperson of Metropolitan Toronto, advocated for allowing the school to rebuild in an area near its current site.[8] An October 1992 editorial argued that the Metropolitan Toronto Parks Committee should not try to have the school moved to residential areas on Algonquin or Ward islands because area students, parents, and teachers believe that the location on the western tip of Toronto Island is "ideal".[10] In November 1992 the Metropolitan Toronto council approved a proposed site for the new Toronto Island School.[11] Robert Bundy, the parks commissioner of the metropolitan government, argued that it would establish a negative precedent for usage of parkland controlled by the metropolitan government.[12]

In 1995 a Metro Toronto council approved a new proposed site, pending the Metro Council's approval. That year, Jane Armstrong of the Toronto Star wrote that the Toronto Islands school was "popular".[7] In April of that year the Metropolitan school board approved of the proposed site, which has about 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) of space.[2] The Toronto Island Public School and the Toronto Island Natural Science School moved into a single new facility on Centre Island on February 1, 1999.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Home." Island Public/Natural Science School. Retrieved on October 1, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Swainson, Gail. "Island school gets Metro's blessing." Toronto Star. April 6, 1995. News p. A6. Retrieved on October 2, 2013. "The century-old Toronto Islands public school finally has a new home after 10 years of wrangling between Metro and the Toronto school board."
  3. ↑ Coyle, Jim. "Toronto Island school was a hinterland in city." Toronto Star. November 23, 2002. News p. A28. Retrieved on October 2, 2013. "Did we know that the first island school had been destroyed by fire in the early 1900s around Victoria Day and that's where the burning schoolhouse firework we loved so much supposedly came from? Did we know the place was haunted by the ghost of a lighthouse keeper who'd disappeared there in 1815?"
  4. 1 2 "LOOK what they've done to Toronto's island." The Montreal Gazette. August 24, 1963. Canadian Weekly, p. 5. Retrieved on Google News (41 of 50) on October 2, 2013. "There's a water filtration plant for the city of Toronto, and the Island school, with an attendance of 141 children. There were 736 in 1954 now 17 of the rooms are[...]"
  5. 1 2 "Welcome." Island Natural Science School. Retrieved on October 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ Smith, Cameron. "Empty school mocks Toronto's green pledges." Toronto Star. Saturday April 12, 2008. Retrieved on October 2, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Armstrong, Jane. "Good news for Island school Committee okays new location." Toronto Star. March 8, 1995. News p. A7. Retrieved on October 2, 2013. " The popular but decaying Toronto Islands public school is one step closer to landing a new home following a Metro committee's approval of a new site for the century-old institution. If approved by Metro Council, the new plan would mark the end of a near decade-long struggle by the Toronto Board of Education to keep the Toronto Island Public and Natural Science School on a secluded southwestern section of Centre Island. "
  8. 1 2 Walker, Susan. "Rebuild rotting island school near present site, Tonks says." Toronto Star. August 28, 1992. News p. A24. Retrieved on October 2, 2013. "The Toronto Island Public and Natural Science School should be allowed to rebuild near its present location, Metro Chairman Alan Tonks says. [Alan Tonks] is seeking a settlement to a dispute between Metro Council and the Toronto Board of Education over renewal of the school's lease on Metro parkland."
  9. 1 2 Ainsworth, Lynne. "Metro's cash-starved school boards are looking for innovative ways to raise money to rebuild or renovate crumbling buildings." Toronto Star. May 16, 1989. Insight p. A20. Retrieved on October 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Island idiocy." (editorial) Toronto Star. October 14, 1992. Editorial p. A18. Retrieved on October 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ Duffy, Andrew. "Rebuilt island school okayed for current site." Toronto Star. November 13, 1992. News p. A7. Retrieved on October 2, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Panel backs rebuilding island school." Toronto Star. November 4, 1992. News p. A4. Retrieved on October 2, 2013.

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