Three Rivers JK-12 School in Blind River
At the January 16, 2024 Board Meeting, Algoma District School Board Trustees approved Three Rivers JK-12 School as the name for the new, ADSB JK-12 School in Blind River. The name for Three Rivers JK-12 School is inspired by the three major river watersheds within the region including the Mississaugi River, Blind River and Serpent River.
Now, we need your ideas for school colours and a mascot/team name!
Follow the link below to submit your entry!
Submissions will be accepted until 3:00pm, April 5, 2024
(Hard copy entry forms can be obtained at W.C. Eaket Secondary School or Blind River Public School)
As you're thinking about school colours and mascots for Three Rivers JK-12 School, you may want to take a look at the list of current colours and team names, shared below, being used by elementary and secondary schools in the Algoma District School Board, as well as those being used by NSSSAA (North Shore Secondary Schools Athletic Association).
Approving the new name: Three Rivers JK-12 School (January 2024)
At the January 16, 2024 Board Meeting, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) Trustees approved Three Rivers JK-12 School as the name for the new, ADSB JK-12 School in Blind River. This came out of the process which was followed by the Naming School Ad Hoc Committee which was established earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Conseil Scolaire du Grand Nord school will be named École publique des Pins Blanc. The schools will be housed jointly in one building, but will each enjoy their own unique identities.
ADSB Trustee Debbie Shamas, a member of ADSB’s Naming School Committee, provided an overview of the process. In 2017, as part of ADSB’s Capital Plan, a submission was made for a new JK-12 school in Blind River, which would be a joint-use project with Conseil Scolaire du Grand Nord. The project was approved in 2018. Delays were encountered due to the pandemic as well as several requests for re-submissions, and as such the project did not go to tender until January 2023. However, the process to name the school began in the spring of 2023 with, as per Board policy, the establishment of the Naming School Committee.
The Committee consisted of a cross section of individuals including representatives from both Blind River Public School (BRPS), WC Eaket (WCE) Secondary and community partners. The Naming School Committee included:
• two Board Appointed Trustees
• one Superintendent of Education
• two school administrators (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• two staff representatives (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• parent representative from school council (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• two students (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• one community member
• one indigenous representative
• two Board Appointed Trustees
• one Superintendent of Education
• two school administrators (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• two staff representatives (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• parent representative from school council (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• two students (one each from BRPS and WCE Secondary)
• one community member
• one indigenous representative
In October 2023, a public campaign was launched. Community members, students and staff were invited to submit name suggestions for the new ADSB school in Blind River through an online form or by submitting a hard copy entry. ADSB’s Naming Schools Policy outlines criteria for naming the school and states that names of any new ADSB school are to be chosen from:
a) the name of the street on which the school will be located
b) a feature of the district which the school serves
c) a historical name that once applied to the area
d) wording that is supportive of ADSB’s mission, vision, and values and meets the best interests of the school’s students.
Forty-three school name entries were received along with the entrants’ rationale for the name and, through a public ranking system, the choices were short listed to 5 names. The short list was also reviewed and ranked by the Naming School Committee. The community and committee rankings were two sources of information which allowed the Naming School Committee to arrive at consensus of names that were forwarded to Director Reece including the recommended name.
a) the name of the street on which the school will be located
b) a feature of the district which the school serves
c) a historical name that once applied to the area
d) wording that is supportive of ADSB’s mission, vision, and values and meets the best interests of the school’s students.
Forty-three school name entries were received along with the entrants’ rationale for the name and, through a public ranking system, the choices were short listed to 5 names. The short list was also reviewed and ranked by the Naming School Committee. The community and committee rankings were two sources of information which allowed the Naming School Committee to arrive at consensus of names that were forwarded to Director Reece including the recommended name.
Trustee Shamas shared that the Committee was pleased to put forward Three Rivers JK-12 School as the top choice as the name positively represents the three rivers of the area (the Mississauga River, Blind River and Serpent River), the three languages (English, Ojibway and French) and the three communities (Iron Bridge, Blind River and Serpent River) that the school will serve. The school will include 381 JK-12 spaces, 64
childcare spaces and 72 French-language elementary spaces for families in the region.
Naming of School Process (September 2023)
Algoma District School Board continues to work in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord (CSGN) to finalize a new Blind River Joint School.
The school is to be built near Youngfox Road and Togo Street and, when completed, will feature 381 learning spaces for ADSB students in JK through to Grade 12. We recognize that the Town of Blind River is located on the Robinson Huron Territory and we also recognize Mississauga First Nation and the Métis people in the area. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Grand Nord and we will continue to provide updates to the community of Blind River.
The Naming Schools Committee for the new Blind River School received dozens of submissions over the month of October, 2023. They reviewed them all and shortlisted the entries and put forward five names for consideration. Many community and school members provided their input, ranking the five names. The committee will short list further to 3 names and bring these forward to the Algoma District School Board. Final decision on the name will be forthcoming in the next several weeks.
In accordance with our Naming of Schools Policy, the name for the new school will be chosen from:
a) the name of the street on which the school will be located;
b) a feature of the district which the school serves;
c) a historical name that once applied to the area; and/or
d) wording that is supportive of Algoma District School Board’s mission, vision and values and meets the best interests of the school’s students.
a) the name of the street on which the school will be located;
b) a feature of the district which the school serves;
c) a historical name that once applied to the area; and/or
d) wording that is supportive of Algoma District School Board’s mission, vision and values and meets the best interests of the school’s students.
For more information about our Naming of Schools Policy, please follow this link.
