Port Williams Elementary School
In June 1991 our school won the "Work and Well Being" Title from the provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). In the category of Small Employer, Port Williams became the first school in the history of the provincial competition to win this award.
In the September 1996 issue of Today's Parent magazine, Port Williams Elementary received national recognition when it was profiled as one of the top five great schools in Canada.
Evangeline Middle School
After graduating from PWES, students go the Middle School located in nearby New Minas.
"Evangeline Middle School is a Grade 6, 7, 8 school with an enrollment of approximately 340 students. Our academic programs are enhanced by daily physical activity, instrumental music, literacy support, computer instruction and extracurriculars such as drama, art and athletics. Reading Advancement, Positive Participation, Exploratory activities, Adventure Education, School-Wide trips, and the Grade 8 Entrepreneurship Interdisciplinary Unit are unique educational opportunities provided by the EMS staff in an inclusive learning environment."
Horton High School
Students complete their secondary education (grades 9-12) at this P3 school in Greenwich (just across the dyke).
"Horton High School sits on a 42-acre hillside site overlooking the Minas Basin and the farms and orchards of Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. The 1000-student facility features leading-edge technology and has been called the "finest secondary school in the province and country." It was built in 1998, using public-private sector partnering and the involvement of the community to create a state-of-the-art facility.
Teachers, staff, students and the community helped develop visions for the school's design, and technological literacy and the integration of the curriculum with technology became a priority. Learning and instruction are enhanced by the excellence of the students, the teachers and all support staff and resources available. Horton High School provides academic advantages to its students with modern instructional areas, art studios, technology and science laboratories, numerous computer studios and a computer-to-student ratio of 1:1.9.
Home of the Horton Griffins, the campus features a double-sized gymnasium, three athletic fields, an outdoor recreational area and a modern fitness centre. The performing arts are served with a 500-seat, fully equipped theatre, and music, dance and drama facilities, as well as an outdoor amphitheatre. Students have a modern mall-style cafeteria with sound, digital and visual capabilities, an art gallery, student organization offices, and numerous support facilities for counseling, career research, mediation, tutoring etc. There is even a daycare facility on the premises.
Always proud of its long tradition of producing outstanding students— academically, artistically, athletically—Horton continues to excel with some of the finest facilities anywhere."
Booker School
The Booker School is an independent, non-profit non-denominational, Pre-K to Grade 8 school situated in beautiful Port Williams. Founded in 2012 by parents, it embraces the values of the International Baccalaureate and provides a high-quality education for all its students. The school firmly believes in inquiry as the vehicle for learning through a concept-driven curriculum that embraces individual learners and real world issues. The Booker School believes that the curriculum and style of learning can be embraced by all and offers a chance to the local community to democratise education.
Throughout their time at our school, students are encouraged to find the love of learning. During the year, each class goes through six units of transdisciplinary learning, exploring themes such as who we are, where we are in place and time and how the world works. Core subjects such as literacy and mathematics are interwoven with units of inquiry for students to see the purpose and use of the skills they are developing. Students are given choice and responsibility in balance with structure and support to help them become successful members of our society.
Action is a seen as the final component of learning by the International Baccalaureate. Our students are given the opportunity to act on their learning and make a difference to those around them, those in the wider community and those around the world. Our youngest students see this in many forms, such as helping each other out in the classroom, or looking after the plants and birds that come to our gardens. Our eldest cohort shall experience a student led unit for their fifth unit of the year, where they explore a global issue or concern based on their own interests and experiences. This concludes in a public presentation of their learning journey and a display of the action they have taken.
The Booker School offers a community as well as an education. With small class sizes, experienced and enthusiastic teachers, and a campus that encourages a family feel, The Booker School is able to offer an opportunity for all its students to realise their full potential.
Scholarships for Port Williams Residents
Students from the Port Williams area who will be graduating from Grade 12 this June are reminded that May 31st is the deadline for the receipt of applications for the Laurie W. Turner Lions Memorial Bursary ($750) and the Port Williams and District Lions Club Bursary ($600). Applications can be obtained from, and are to be returned to, the guidance counsellor at Horton High School.
Students from the Port Williams area who are attending Northeast Kings Education Centre are also eligible to apply for the Laurie W. Turner Lions Memorial Bursary and should contact their guidance counsellor.
The Port Williams JAM Scholastic Award ($1540) is available annually to a Canadian citizen who has been a resident in the village of Port Williams for at least five years. The recipient will have exhibited scholastic merit, and will be able to demonstrate financial need, and have made a positive contribution to community life and church affairs. The application dossier must include: a letter of application, a high school transcript, a statement of career plans, a resume of community and church involvement and contributions, details of financial resources for the first year of university study at Acadia and names and addresses of two referees. The application deadline is May 31. Additional details may be obtained from the guidance counselor at one's school.
