Walsh Public School

Infobox Education in Canada
name= Walsh Public School


imagesize=
motto=
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streetaddress= 933 Regional Road 3
city= Simcoe
province= Ontario
postalcode= N3Y 4K1
areacode= 519
phone= 426-3716
fax= 426-6369
email=
url= [http://schools.gedsb.net/WAL/index.htm Walsh Public School]
schoolnumber=
schoolboard= Grand Erie District School Board
affiliation=
superintendent=
trustee=
principal= Dirk Matthys
viceprincipal=
administrator=
schooltype=
grades= JK-8
language=
area=
mascot=
teamname= Whirlwinds
colours= Green and white
founded=
enrollment= 380 [ [http://www.gedsb.on.ca/docs/resources/enrolment%20elem%202005%2010%2031.pdf Grand Erie District School Board enrolment statistics 2005-10-31] ]
enrollment_as_of=
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Walsh Public School is a public elementary school that is located in the hamlet of Walsh in the municipality of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. Children of this school go to the "Thompson Auditorium" for Monday morning assemblies and special events. Prior to the Mike Harris cutbacks in education, the school had portable classrooms for extra classes. Graduates generally continue their education at Delhi District Secondary School, Port Dover Composite School, Valley Heights Secondary School or Simcoe Composite School. The school has flat terrain and the infamous Walsh Public School fog has delayed many track and field events in the past.

History

* Walsh Public School started out as a one room schoolhouse near the Walsh Cemetery just south of the current site.
* Until circa 1995, Walsh Public school allowed children to borrow Mad Magazine from the library's magazine department.
* Also established in the 1990s were the VIP program that teaches children about responsibility and peer pressure and the "Quest" program that teaches children about the teen years and social life in general during the students' high school years.
* In the year 1994, the entire school switched from archnet to ethernet which made network access faster to students who did not have to attend homeroom in a portable.
* Key Bible Club plays a role in developing the morals and principles of Walsh Public School students
* During the start of the 1995-96 school year, the library was converted into an Internet lab where seventh grade and eighth grade students used it primarily for research with the supervision of the librarian or a nearby teacher. Prior to this school year, the library only had one computer that was strictly for research purposes.
*During the summer of 2002 an addition was added to the front of the school to hold the junior kindergarten, senior kindergarten and first grade students that used to attend Lynedoch Public School. Lynedoch was shut down after the water system was damaged beyond repair.

Athletics

The name of the Walsh Public School athletic teams is the "Whirlwinds". The school competes in basketball, baseball, soccer, and track and field. The most notable Track and Field day occurred in the year 1996 when a special education student won third place at the relay.

Nature walkway

Established in the year 1995, Walsh Public School has a special walkway in the primary/junior end of the schoolyard where visitors and students who are supervised by their teachers can view nature. It is for classroom purposes only and is considered out of bounds during recess.

Walsh clap

During the 1990s, Walsh Public School had a special clap used in Monday morning assemblies that was a giant clap with the hands joining together once instead of multiple times. This was to protect the hand from the fatigue of having to clap the hands repeatedly. As of 2008, it is uncertain whether the "Big Walsh Clap" is practiced at assemblies.

External links

* [http://schools.gedsb.net/WAL/index.htm Walsh Public School official website]
* [http://www.gedsb.on.ca/page.php?catId=3&pgId=37&schoolId=68 Grand Erie District School Board - Walsh]