Welcome to
Margaret Avenue Senior Public School
Our Vision
Believe, Achieve and Celebrate Personal Excellence
Our Mission
At Margaret Avenue Public School, we strive to provide a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment that focuses on developing our personal academic potential, positive and compassionate relationships and social responsibility.
Our Goal
Our goal is to develop excellence in the following areas:
- Academic learning
- Personal character
- Positive relationships
- Awareness of and contribution to the local and global community
Our Beliefs
In fulfilling the mission at Margaret Avenue Public School we believe:
- in a safe, respectful, positive learning environment based on acceptance, trust and dignity of all;
- that all students can achieve personal excellence through active participation in all programming, a wide variety of quality opportunities and appropriate supports for all students; and
- in the development of self-awareness and effective relationships as a primary key for achieving personal excellence.
Our Values
We are committed to the Waterloo Region District School Board’s core values of learning, caring and connecting. We are also committed to the ongoing process of developing character through modeling, teaching and inspiring our entire community. The character attributes that will lead us to achieving excellence are always showing our MAVERICK pride: Mindfulness, Accountability, Vision, Empathy, Resilience, Integrity, Collaboration, and Kindness.
DP006736 kids quote poster – outlined
Margaret Avenue was built in 1894 becoming the fourth public school in the city of Berlin. Built at a cost of $6000.00, the four classroom school was at capacity by the end of the 1896 school year. By 1903, further accommodation was needed in this quickly growing section of the city, so four more rooms were added to the original 4 room building thereby doubling the capacity of Margaret Avenue Public School.
Six years after the end of the First World War, more accommodation was necessary to serve the burgeoning population of Kitchener. The school underwent a remodeling and with the addition of 6 more classrooms, Margaret Avenue now had 14 full classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Excavation began in June of 1925 and by September 1926; the new modern school was ready for use. Basements were placed under the entire building and the peaked roof was removed and replaced with a flat version, thereby changing the entire architectural design of the original school. During this year of construction, all our pupils attended King Edward Public School by staggering classes for both schools.
In 1959, four more classrooms and a gymnasium were added. In 1963, another change was seen at Margaret Avenue, as we became a senior school with only Grades 7 and 8 in attendance. The final addition in long line of construction was seen in 1968 as a new full double gymnasium was built and the old gym was converted into the office complex and a music room.
Throughout its history, Margaret Avenue has been a school of firsts. It was the first school in Kitchener to have a flagpole and the first Kindergarten to have a piano. We were the first school to hold a field day for sports and the first to hold regular fire drills. Finally, we were the first senior school (Grades 7 and 8) in the WRDSB. We are also the only school in the board where one has to go upstairs to get to the basement. Margaret Avenue Senior Public School turned 125 years old in 2020!
Presently, Margaret Avenue Senior Public School is the home of the Mighty Mavericks. We serve approximately 350 students in Grades 7 and 8. Every year we welcome our Grade 7’s from King Edward Public School, Prueter Public School, Lexington Public School, Bridgeport Public School and Suddaby Public School. Margaret Avenue currently runs on a full rotary system over a 5-day cycle. We offer a diverse range of extracurricular opportunities and encourage our students to become involved in all areas of school life (clubs, athletics, music, service and academics) throughout their 2-year tenure, in order to have the most rewarding experience possible while at Margaret Avenue.