Call out for new name for Pictou school

Suggestions are being collected for renaming of Pictou Elementary School.

Frank McNeill, principal of the current elementary school, said since the school will house grades primary to 8 in the fall, it was felt a new name was needed to reflect all the students.

“Pictou Elementary doesn’t reflect the new student body,” he said. “Grades seven and eight are not elementary students so we have to find a new name for the facility.”

The Chignecto-Central Regional School Board announced in early April as part of school review that Pictou Elementary would become a P-8 school and grades 9-12 would go to Dr. Thomas McCulloch, which is to be renamed Pictou Academy.

It was suggested at the school board meeting that Pictou Elementary be renamed Dr. Thomas McCulloch since he was an important historic figure in the Town of Pictou. However, the board’s lawyer said it has a renaming policy that has to be followed so a committee was struck to take suggestions.

The policy doesn’t apply to Pictou Academy because provincial legislation states that there must always be a Pictou Academy in the town so the name was automatically transferred to the junior high building.

The renaming committee includes representatives from school advisories, parents, staff, students and community members. Submissions will be accepted at the elementary school until Friday and the committee will make its recommendation to the school board’s operations department on May 18. The school board is expected to announce the new name at its June meeting.

“If we don’t get it done now, we might have to wait until the fall,” said McNeill. “We would like the new name in place when the kids come in the fall because it will be something that reflects all of the students.”

He said some of the submissions do include the name Dr. Thomas McCulloch but there are others names as well.

“The committee will consider everything,” he said.

In September, students will be invited to participate in a process of choosing school colours and a school mascot.

He said elementary school staff are working to identify what rooms will be used as classrooms next year. He said he expects the classrooms to be moved around since the school will need to accommodate five new classes.

“They have to clean out their rooms so there is a lot of moving and shifting,” he said, adding that is a beneficial process because it provides everyone an opportunity to do some spring cleaning.

Anyone wanting to submit a new name for consideration can do so by Friday, May 5. They are asked to submit a name and give a reason why this name was chosen.

Submissions can be sent to Frank McNeill at mcneillfa@gnspes.ca.