Celebrating 100 years of learning
[attach]1272[/attach]It’s been 100 years since the school bell first rung at Brown Junior PS.
And that’s a reason to celebrate.
The school, named after Charles Albert Beaumont Brown, a member of the Toronto Board of Education from 1882 to 1920, opened in 1910, with 333 pupils. A new building was constructed in 1972, a few metres away from the original at 454 Avenue Rd.
Throughout the coming months, students will be researching and learning what it was like being a student of Brown during different time periods of the last century.
“We want them to understand how the school has changed over the years, what is was like being a Brown student in various points of time, and to discover how not much different it is today,” said Yvonne Harding, co-chair of Brown’s anniversary committee.
Staff and students began their year of celebration with cake, music and vignettes on Jan. 15.
The party will continue with the annual Garden Fete, Brown’s spring fair, which started in 1960. The event consists of two parties — one for the students and another for alumni.
Harding said the event has changed from 50 years ago but they’ve found ways to stay current so the students have fun.
“Once upon a time there were pony rides, parades and tea parties,” Harding said. “Now, it evolved into our version of what we call Brownstock, where kids audition to perform on stage. Now, we have rides, face paintings and cupcake decorating … all the usual fun and games.”
Jane Giuliani, principal of Brown Junior Public School said the children had a great time participating in opening of the centennial
celebration.
“It was amazing,” said Giuliani. “The children had wrote what they loved about the school and we taped it on 100 balloons and released them into the gym. It’s something of a tradition that started many years ago.”
Although times may have changed over the last 100 years the core values of Brown remain the same said Giuliani.
“We have a really great history of helping others in the community,” said Giuliani.
