The History of Fairview Heights Elementary School
Before 1969, the community of Fairview was part of Halifax County and not part of Halifax City. Fairview School (Titus Smith) was built around 1948 on Main Avenue as a replacement for a school that had burnt down. This school became known as Titus Smith school and operated until the early 1990's when the city had it demolished. After this the Titus Smith students attended either Duc d'Anville or Burton Ettinger.
In 1967 Titus Smith School on Main Avenue in Fairview was overcrowded and some staff and students were moved to the new Fairview Heights School (which is now located on 210 Coronation Avenue (Main Building) and 141 Rufus Street (Annex Building). Central Armdale School (now Burton Ettinger) on Central Avenue in Fairview also sent some staff and students to Fairview Heights in 1967.
Both Fairview School (Titus Smith) and Central Armdale (Burton Ettinger) were very overcrowded in the 1960's. By 1966 both schools had classes in crush areas and in the gymnasium. Primary classes were taught in morning-afternoon shifts. The upper part of Fairview was beginning to grow and as a result Fairview Heights School was built. Fairview Heights was slated to open in September 1967 but didn't open until October 3, 1967. After staff and students moved into the new school, the makeshift timetable and use of the gym and crush areas at other schools were no longer necessary.
Mr. Scott Cameron was the first principal of Fairview Heights. There were fourteen classrooms in the new building. Only two Primary classes were schedule for the first year, but each class had over forty students so a third class was created. Two Primary classrooms were on the "Office" level, and three teachers worked split shift teaching three classes. The school was crowded from the beginning. Within the first three years there was a portable classroom in front of the building facing what is now Gesner Street.
On January 1, 1969, the Fairview area was annexed to the City of Halifax. In 1968 Bill Stone became the principal. Mr. Cameron stayed with the county school system.
By September 1973 Fairview Heights was extremely overcrowded and grades Primary, One and Two moved to Fairview Heights Annex Building. The Annex Building had been opened in September 1960 by the Sisters of Charity. It was a parochial school named Saint Pius X School, with an enrollment of 215 students in grades 4 to 8. Later grade 9 was included in the school. After Fairview amalgamated with the City of Halifax, the City bought the Pius X School building from the Catholic church. The city used this building for the upper elementary grades and junior high. At this time students from Fairview School (Titus Smith) on Main Avenue, Central Armdale (Burton Ettinger) and children on the west side of Dutch Village Road went to what is now the Annex Building for junior high.
In 1973, the new Fairview Junior High was opened and the Annex building was vacant. Therefore, the lower elementary grades from Fairview Heights moved to the Annex. These classes were located at the Annex because the staff felt that the upper elementary grades would make better use of the gymnasium and library facilities at the Main Building. There was no library at the Annex in 1973. The altar and confessionals were still in the area that is today used as a gym, library and staff room. During the 1960's the Annex building had been used as both school and church. This continued until St. Pius X Church was built in the early 1970's. On Sundays, folding doors were opened, and the back of the gym became an altar for church services. Some items of furniture and bookcases that were once part of the church's furnishings are still used as bookcases and closets in the Annex classrooms in 2000.
In 1973 there were supposed to be five classes at the Annex, with room for possibly a daycare center. However, the large population of students necessitated having a sixth class. Around 1977 a portable classroom was added to the Annex; therefore there were seven classes. A second portable was added in 1982 when a large grade 2 class was split midway through the school year. Then there were 8 classes at the Annex. Around this time the population of Fairview Heights grew to 535 students, with three classes of each grade from Primary to 6. Through the 1980's and 1990's the population fluctuated so there were sometimes three and other times two classes in different grade levels.
Principals:
- Scott Cameron (1967-1969)
- Bill Stone (1969-1991)
- Sheila Connelly (1991-1998)
- Lynn Moody (1997-1998)
- Sharon Hill (1998-2003)
- Leanne Coveyduc (2003-2005)
- David DeVan (2005-2011)
- Mary-Lou Donnelly (2011-2012)
- Emily Quigley (2012)
- Sara Walker (2012-2017)
- Lynn Kazamel-Boudreau (2017 - 2022)
- Amy Hunt (2022 - Secunded to PSAANS)
- Shauna MacMullin (2023 -)
Vice Principals:
- Don Willett
- Mike Cummings
- Myles McCormick
- Barb Coady
- Pat Leger
- Leanne Coveyduc (2001-2003)
- Mary Jane Scott (2003-2006)
- Lisa Ward (2006-2009)
- Emily Quigley (2009-2012)
- Carrie McBay (2012-2014)
- Terry Barro (2014-2019)
- Tracey Quinn (2019)
- Mike Corbett (2020 - 2023)
- Chris Heisler (2023 - )