School type Elementary school Area trustee Janet Fraser Principal John Cortens Total enrollment 421 (Mar 2008) District Vancouver School Board | Founded 1896 School number 03939030 Grades K-7 Phone +1 604-713-4810 Mascot Eagle | |
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Address 3250 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5K4, Canada Similar George T Cunningh Elementa, Captain James Cook Ele, Sir Sandford Fleming, John Norquay Elementa, Renfrew Elementary School | ||
Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School (commonly referred to as Carleton) is an elementary school situated in the Collingwood neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The school is a part of School District 39 Vancouver.
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History
The school is located next to the intersection of Kingsway and Joyce Street and the original schoolhouse was central to the Collingwood community since its completion in 1896. It is the oldest school in British Columbia and is ranked an "A" category heritage building in Vancouver's Heritage Register. Originally named the Vancouver East School, its name was changed to Collingwood Heights in 1908, and then to its present name in 1911. The school is named after Guy Carleton, the lieutenant-governor of Quebec during the late 18th century.
2008 schoolhouse fire
At around midnight on March 2nd, 2008, the original schoolhouse was set ablaze by arsonists. The kindergarten classes that were taught in the schoolhouse had to be temporarily relocated due to the fire. After the fire, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) considered demolishing the charred building; however, the idea was met with heavy protest, and the idea was later scrapped.
In 2012, Green Thumb Theatre entered into a lease agreement with the VSB, restoring the two outbuildings. Construction was completed in early 2013, and one of the buildings became the administrative office for Green Thumb Theatre, while the other houses a theatre.
2016 brick building fire
On August 19th, 2016, at around 7:15 PM, a fire began on the third floor of the main brick building, which quickly spread and was subsequently upgraded to a four-alarm blaze. The flames reach the building's attic, where the fire was contained. The source of the fire remains unclear.
Current
Carleton has grown from a small one-room schoolhouse, and have added three buildings to the school over the decades: a two-room schoolhouse (now leased by Green Thumb Theatre), a two-story Edwardian-style building, and a large red brick building. Carleton now houses 13 classes from Kindergarten to Grade 7 and educates around 305 students every year. Most graduates of the school will enroll at either Killarney Secondary School or Windermere Secondary School.
The school also provides a variety of athletic opportunities for its students, with many different athletic teams and programs, including a basketball, soccer, and badminton team.
Closure
In June 2016, the VSB announced plans to close down Carleton, along with Graham D. Bruce Elementary School and Gladstone Secondary School, due to the VSB's failure to cut operating costs. In October 2016 however, the VSB "indefinitely" suspended their plans for school closures.