Caring community behind name for DSBN section of new joint Wainfleet Elementary School 

At Tuesday night’s Board Meeting, District School Board of Niagara (DBSN) Trustees approved “Marshville Public School,” as the official, new name for the consolidated William E. Brown and Winger Public Schools - the DSBN section of the joint elementary school between DSBN and Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) -  set to open September 2024.  

The Ad Hoc Naming Committee, comprised of voting and non-voting members, put forward the preferred name following a rich dialogue, driven by members’ care and investment in their community. Voting members included William E. Brown and Winger Public School Principals, school council representatives from each school, staff as well as community members. Non-voting members included the local Trustee and Board staff.  

The Committee met on October 30, 2023, to review the Board’s naming policy as well as best practices and next steps, which included information about the naming campaign. This campaign invited community members to submit suggested names, along with their rationale, through a link posted on the DSBN, William E. Brown and Winger Public School websites.  

Submissions from the community were narrowed down to 48 unique suggestions that adhere to DSBN’s criteria. For full transparency, all submissions, including a list of names that were submitted but did not meet the policy guidelines, were shared with the Naming Committee.   

Members of the Naming Committee gathered at William E. Brown Public School on November 13 to help select a preferred name for the new school. Using a multi-step voting system which included a review of all names and provided rationales, the 48 were shortlisted to 14 then to four names.  

“The dialogue was rich given the make-up of the Naming Committee,” said Kelly Pisek, Superintendent of Education. “Having a group of people who care and are deeply invested in the community where the school is being built was an incredibly important and valuable part of the process.  

Deanne MacIntosh, Trustee of West Lincoln/Wainfleet added, “The group not only offered perspectives unique to their community, they also thought about the student experience, wider community and the ongoing legacy of the school.”  

The final round of voting concluded with the selection of one preferred name. Following the policy, Principals of both William E. Brown and Winger Public Schools shared the preferred name with their school communities, informing them that it would be presented at the November Board Meeting.  

“The rationale behind the name highlighted a strong desire to honour the history and heritage of the region,” said Jen Tye, Principal of Winger Public School and incoming Principal of Marshville Public School. “The name not only pays homage to the early days in Wainfleet, it also reflects the geography of the area.” 

“Naming a school is meaningful and important work,” said Warren Hoshizaki, DSBN Director of Education. “The genuine interest, thoughtfulness, care and consideration shown by the Naming Committee throughout this process is to be commended. Marshville Public School is much more than a new building. It’s the creation of a new school community.”  

For more information: 
Milica Petkovic, Acting Senior Manager of Communications and Public Relations 
District School Board of Niagara 
Cell: 289-219-4302 | Email: milica.petkovic@dsbn.org