For recently retired teacher Larry Stewart, home for the last nine years has been Central Fort George Traditional school.
"Grade 7 was my world," said Stewart, who ended his career in June. "It was just fantastic and I loved it there."
Central Fort George elementary became a traditional school in 1998 and closed at the end of this school year, the building will officially close August 31, 2011 and the choice school program will continue at Spruceland elementary in September.
"It's really hard to put your finger on what exactly it means to be a traditional program," said Stewart. "The whole program was established and yet it still had to fit under the umbrella of a public neighbourhood school."
Linda Picton, principal of the Central Fort George Traditional school for the last four years, will make the move over to Spruceland in September. The difference between traditional program and other schools lies in the feeling people get when they are in a school.
Many parents have told Stewart they liked the uniform, pointing a sense of equality that eliminates socio-economic disparity apparent from the clothes students wear.
"The uniform is a huge thing and a lot of parents love that. I'm not sure exactly why but it might be reminiscent of what a lot of the public thinks of the image -- it's stepping back in to the 50s or something."
Singing O Canada, wearing a uniform, greeting each other with good morning and good afternoon, and the strong sense of community while doing good works in your surroundings are all pieces of the traditional program.
"It's about the community, the city and the world," Picton said.
The school has a foster child, and each month a different division fundraises for support of the child and as well as contributing to a local cause as well.
Being a big fan of dogs and horses, Stewart always suggested his students raise funds for the local SPCA.
All elementary school teachers focus on the virtues to lead a good life, including things like honesty, loyalty, and citizenship but in the traditional program there is a specific virtue featured as a monthly theme of the school year to be taught by each teacher.
"Every class has children recognized for working towards those particular goals or doing something outstanding depicting that month's theme," said Stewart.
Spruceland Traditional School is a public elementary school with a traditional focus.
"We get to take the best of two great schools and combine them," said Picton. "We've done brainstorming with parents, students and staff to do that, taking the best and making it better."
The Spruceland staff and the Central Fort George staff have worked together to avoid an "us" and "them" mentality and foster "we," Picton explained. The year it took before the school closed was used to make an easy transition. The traditional school children also visited Spruceland at the end of the last school year to give them a feel for what it will be like in September.
Moving to Spruceland elementary doesn't change the traditional program's three rules - work hard, play safe and be a friend - and school motto - with hard work comes wisdom.
