All about Winston Churchill Public School

On September 7, 1965 with the new Canadian flag flying on the flagpole, Winston Churchill School doors opened welcoming 262 students.

Winston Churchill School, built close to the ground of warm coloured brick on a 5.2 acre site, provided 8 classrooms plus auditorium and stage. It was the ninth public school to be built in Waterloo. The school was named in honour of Sir Winston Churchill. On the recommendation of City Council, the Trustees dropped the title “Sir” presenting a less formal approach as “Winnie” himself would probably have preferred. It was not coincidental either that the school was officially opened on Winston Churchill’s birthdate of November 30.

In the first two months of operation the school enrollment steadily increased to 289 students. By November 30, 1965 plans were already underway to construct an additional four classrooms to be ready for September 1966.

Winston Churchill School enrolment during the seventies held steady at about 350 students following a boom year in 1968 when enrolment reached 435 students. Caring community members, of the the early seventies, provided the labour and materials required to construct a creative playground located on the hillside behind the school.

The late eighties saw the addition of two portables plus lunchroom facilities, the removal of our deteriorated creative playground, the restructuring of a larger and more versatile library and the formation of the Winston Churchill Family and Teachers Association

The 25th Anniversary celebration in 1990 spanned two days. On Friday, November 30, 1990 students filled a “Time Capsule” to be opened in the year 2015 at the 50th Anniversary. Former students and staff joined together for an Open House on Saturday, December 1st for the unveiling of a mural painted by artist Bas Degroot depicting the early settlement of Waterloo County.