UCDSB Names New Brockville Public School

Brockville – The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) is excited to share that the new public school being built at 556 King St. West will be named Swift Waters Elementary School.

Swift Waters Elementary School will bring together students from Commonwealth Public School and Toniata Public School once those two locations close at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

The name comes from an area on the St. Lawrence River, near the school. There is a current between Smith Island and the mainland, just westof St. Lawrence Park, that is called Swift Waters.

Students, parents and guardians, and staff from both schools were given the opportunity to submit names for consideration to the School Naming Committee earlier this fall. The School Naming Committee was made up of parent and community representatives, as well as staff members from both schools. Having a name that reflected the community was a priority and was outlined as part of the submission process.

All 98 names submitted were evaluated against specific pre-determined criteria and scored. The top two names were then circulated with the two school communities for voting.

The name was brought forward to UCDSB Trustees during the Board of Trustees Meeting on Nov. 22 for approval and was passed.

“It’s been exciting to plan and prepare for the transition to the new school. Tania Stover, the principal at Tonita, and I have been working collaboratively with our school teams and parents to develop relationships between the students and families before they come together in one school,” explained Sarah Stone, Principal of Commonwealth Public School and principal of the new school in September. “Having a name that was created by the school community will instil a sense of pride and ownership. I’m excited about it.”

Swift Waters Elementary School is being built on a 14.3-acre parcel of land close to the Brock Trail and St. Lawrence Park. Construction started in October 2022 and is on track to be completed in time to welcome students on the first day of school in September 2024.

The school will be a single-story building and have the capacity for 504 students. The UCDSB expects to have approximately 440 students enrolled at the school on opening.

The school will feature 17 regular classrooms, four kindergarten rooms, a room dedicated to delivering special education support, a resource room, a large gym and learning commons, in addition to several green initiatives including solar panels and electric car charging stations. There will also be dedicated child care and EarlyON spaces within the school.

The project represents a $29,797,980 million investment in education and the community from the Ministry of Education and the UCDSB. Funding and approval for this project is part of the province’s capital investment program to support students with better learning spaces.

The new school has been part of a long-term vision for the school board to better serve the current and new families of Brockville. It will enhance the community’s educational and recreational infrastructure to accommodate long-term growth and sustainability.

“Swift Waters Elementary School is going to be an excellent place for students to learn. I’ve been able to attend some of the transition activities that are happening between the schools, and it’s wonderful to see everyone coming together. This is an exciting time for the UCDSB but also for students. With the naming process of this school, students and families are getting to leave their mark on the community,” says UCDSB Ward 5 Trustee Michel LaBonté.