Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
Birchwood School was designed in 1959 by the architectural firm of Libling Michener and Associates, taking its name from the surrounding residential development. Construction by the Roziere Construction Company began in the spring of 1959 and the school opened on 1 September 1959, with eight classes containing a total enrollment of 228 students. The school shared a Principal with Woodhaven School until 1967, having just a resident Vice-Principal until December 1961.
After the school closed, the building was used as a staff development centre by the St. James Assiniboia School Division.
Period
Principal
1959-1964
Paul Pura (1914-1999)
1964-1966
Donald Taylor “Don” McKinnon (1926-2012)
1966-1967
Ronald Edward “Ron” Littlejohn (1935-2017)
1967-1970
Walter Robert Barnes (c1930-1995)
1970-1972
Jim Friesen
1972-1973
Jack Van Den Bossche
1973-?
Merrill Dalmer Groff (1933-2023)
School Year
Teachers
1959-1960
Mrs. Ella Brown (grade 3), Miss Joyce Hill (grade 5), Mrs. Natalie Lenkewich (grade 5), Miss Maureen McGrath (grade 2), Miss Simone Monchamp (grade 4), John Neufeld (grade 6, Vice-Principal), Mrs. Ethyl Sloan (grade 1), Mrs. G. Vandenberg (grade 6)
1960-1961
Mrs. Ella Brown (grade 3), Miss Joyce Hill (grade 5), Miss M. McGrath (grade 2), Miss Simone Monchamp (grade 4), John Neufeld (grade 6, Vice-Principal), Mrs. Mary B. Pass (grade 5), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Mrs. V. Vandenberg (grade 6)
1961-1962
Mrs. Ella Brown (grade 3), Mrs. Dora Gray (grade 1), Mrs. Lois Hiebert (grade 5), Mr. Thomas Jaffray (grade 5), Miss Donna Metcalfe (grade 6), Miss Simone Monchamp (grade 4), John Neufeld (grade 6, Vice-Principal), Mrs. G. Vandenberg (grade 6), Mrs. Olive Wiebe (grade 2)
1962-1963
Mrs. Ella Brown (grade 3), Mrs. Dora Gray (grade 1), Miss Edith Harder (grade 4), Mrs. Lois Hiebert (grade 5), Mr. Thomas Jaffray (grade 5), Mr. L. Melnyk (grade 6), Mrs. G. Vandenberg (grade 6), Mrs. Olive Wiebe (grade 2)
1963-1964
Mrs. Marla-Jean Brickman (grade 2), Miss Maude Brown (grade 5), Mrs. E. A. Brown (grade 3), Mrs. Lois Hiebert (grade 4), Miss Joyce Hill (grade 5), Mr. L. Melnyk (grade 6), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Mrs. G. Vandenberg (grade 6), Mrs. Olive Wiebe (grade 2)
1964-1965
Mrs. Ella Brown (grade 3), Mrs. Wenda Engbrecht (grade 5), Mrs. Helen Friesen (grade 4), Miss Donna Hastings (grade 2), Miss Joyce Hill (grade 6), Mrs. Joanna Parisian (grade 5), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Mrs. Ethel Prefontaine (grades 1 and 2), Mr. John Somerville (grade 6)
1965-1966
Mrs. B. Armstrong (grades 1 and 2), Mrs. Helen Friesen (grade 4), Miss Donna Hastings (grade 2), Mrs. Joanna Parisian (grade 5), Mrs. R. Pratt (grades 3 and 4), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Miss Pat Rodger (grade 3), Mr. John Somerville (grade 6)
1966-1967
Mrs. Helen Friesen (grade 4), Mr. Victor Krenz (grade 6), Mrs. Patricia O’Greysick (Kindergarten), Mrs. Joanna Parisian (grade 5), Mrs. R. Pratt (grade 3), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Miss Pat Rodger (grades 2 and 3), Mrs. Rosemary Sanduliak (grades 1 and 2), Miss G. Thiele (Kindergarten)
1967-1968
Mr. Walter Barnes (grade 6), Mrs. Phyllis Digby (grade 2), Mrs. Helen Friesen (grade 4), Mrs. Patricia O’Greysick (Kindergarten), Mrs. Joanna Parisian (grade 5), Miss Phyllis Petz (grade 2), Mrs. R. Pratt (grade 3), Miss Eleanor Preece (grade 2), Mrs. D. Prefontaine (grade 1), Mrs. S. Smulan (grade 6), Mrs. Ann Topping (grade 3), Mrs. Beverley Zakaluk (Kindergarten)
1968-1969
Mr. Walter Barnes (grade 6), Mrs. Sandra Danielson (grade 1), Mrs. Helen Friesen (grade 4), Miss Sandra Madson (grade 5), Miss Linda Matheson (grade 3), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Miss Margaret Naaykens (grade 2), Mrs. Noreen Perry (grade 6), Miss Leslie Quayle (grade 3)
1969-1970
Mr. Walter Barnes (grade 6), Mrs. Sandra Danielson (grade 1), Mrs. Linea Doshen (grade 3), Mrs. Leslie Hoole (grade 4), Miss Linda Matheson (grade 4), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Mavis Munro (grade 2), Mrs. Noreen Perry (grade 6), Mrs. Sandra Toyne (grade 5)
1970-1971
Mrs. Gillian Alexander (grade 4), Miss Barbara Blackman (grade 5), Mrs. Louise Buhr (grade 3), Mrs. Sandra Danielson (grade 1), Mr. Jim Friesen (grade 6), Miss Linda Matheson (grade 3), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Mavis Munro (grade 2), Mrs. Georgia Purdy (grade 6), Mrs. Sandra Toyne (grade 5)
1971-1972
Miss Barbara Blackman (grade 3), Miss Sandra Breckman (grade 6), Mr. Jim Friesen (grade 6), Miss Sylvia Klawis (grade 2), Miss Carole Locht (grade 1), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Bonnie MeMurren (grade 4), Mrs. Georgia Purdy (grade 6), Mrs. Sandra Toyne (grade 5)
1972-1973
Miss Barbara Blackman (grade 3), Mrs. Sandra Boutelier (grade 4), Miss Carole Locht (grade 1), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Georgia Purdy (grade 6), Mrs. Sylvia Shore (grade 2), Mrs. Sandra Toyne (grade 5), Mr. Jack Van Den Bossche (grade 6)
1973-1974
Miss Barbara Blackman (grade 5), Mr. Merrill Groff (grade 6), Miss Carole Locht (grade 1), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Georgia Purdy (grade 6), Mrs. Sylvia Shore (grades 2 and 3), Mr. Earl Turko (grade 4)
1974-1975
Miss Barbara Blackman (grades 3 and 4), Mr. Merrill Groff (grade 6), Miss Carole Locht (grade 1), Mrs. Irene McAllister (Kindergarten), Mrs. Mavis Pickett (grade 5), Mrs. Sylvia Shore (grade 2), Mr. Earl Turko (grades 5 and 6)
The former Birchwood School building (October 2014)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87465, W97.26341
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Libling Michener and Associates / LM Architectural Group
History of Birchwood School, St. James Assiniboia School Division, 1974.
We thank Mari-Jean Nachtigall and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 April 2023
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