Perlwin Elementary School is located in Winterton, Newfoundland, Canada,
historically a thriving fishing community, is on the Avalon Peninsula,
approximately 130
km from the capital city of St. John's. The school serves the
surrounding communities
of Heart's Content, New Perlican, Turk's Cove, Winterton, Hant's Harbour,
New
Chelsea, New Melbourne and Heart's Content is the site of the first
Trans Atlantic
Cable Communication between Europe and North America.
Winterton, which was formerly called Scilly Cove, was the site of one
of the earliest
schools in Newfoundland. During the nineteenth and most of the
twentieth century
each of the three religious denominations operated it's own separate
all-grade
school. Around 1966 high school students moved to a newly constructed
high school
at Heart's Content; the denominations combined to offer a joint service
at Winterton
which now comprised the primary and elementary grades. A new
elementary school
was opened in 1973, Perlwin Elementary. The present school has
a population of 172
with a staff of twelve teachers. In 1994 the local public library,
instituted in 1953, was
moved to the library of the school; through the cooperation of the
provincial public
library board, the local library board, the school and the school board
we are proud to
have one of the few joint public-school library services in Newfoundland.
The school
boasts of having a computer lab which is offered to the public through
the conjoint
school/public library. We believe the application of technology
at our school will help
ameliorate the isolation experienced by our teachers and students,
as well as provide
needed access for community members. To avail of the amenities
afforded by the
existing technological infrastructure trained personnel and financial
resources are
needed.
Perlwin Elementary already has the title of community school which was
attained
through a joint effort between the school and the community.
We boast of having one
of the best Resource Centres in the Province. In 1994, the Provincial
Library Board
along with the school and Avalon North Integrated School Board formed
a partnership
which combined the school and community libraries in the school.
A partnership
among the Human Resources Development of Canada, Eastern College,
Avalon
North Integrated School Board, and the school through the Community
Partners'
Network provided us with a network of computers with limited access
to the Internet.
This Community Resource Centre is frequently used by business associations,
high
school students, post secondary students, community members,
parents, in addition
to the staff and students. |
