November 13, 2014 

New School Name Emphasizes Greatness 

 With a name for their new school, students in the Town of Fort Erie can continue building on the momentum established in September when the Ministry of Education announced it would provide over $20 million dollars to fund construction of the school. On October 28, the DSBN Board of Trustees voted to name the soon-to-be-built school “Greater Fort Erie Secondary School.” 

 “With this new name we are emphasizing that there is greatness in having students come together to form one unified school community,” said Dave Schaubel, Trustee for Fort Erie/Port Colborne. “With a new name, students can continue looking forward to making this school their own. I look forward to hearing students collaborate on other important markers for the school, such as a new mascot.” 

The Trustees’ vote was the culmination of a month long process to name the school. Students, staff and the public were all invited to submit suggestions for the name. A naming committee made up of local students, parents, staff and community members narrowed the list to three names, which were presented to Trustees.   

Helen McGregor, Superintendent of Education, credited the naming committee for working in a positive and collaborative fashion to create the final list for Trustees to choose from. “Students clearly expressed a desire to come together with their colleagues from all parts of the Town to make new friends and form a strong school community in this new building.” 

The name was submitted by a variety of people, including students, parents and community members in both the Fort Erie Secondary and Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School communities. Greater Fort Erie was the consensus number one selection by the naming committee.