Henderson Avenue Public School in Thornhill, Ontario was built in 1952 and opened on October 20, 1953. From 1953-1961, the school consisted of a hall and 7 classrooms. In 1962, the school had 13 rooms added to it, bringing it to a total of 20 classrooms.The school's mascot was originally the Henderson Hornets, but then was later changed to the Henderson Hawks. The school stood until July 16, 1998. The school was being renovated when fire broke out in the South Hall and burned down the whole school with nothing left but a stained glass window and a few bricks.
The rest of the school had been left with nothing but the burnt steel frame in a few cases. Eventually, the school was rebuilt with funding from the York Region District School Board, the local newspaper and parents living near the school. The new school consisted of 15 classrooms, a gym and a library; this building was built in a U shape and opened on March 23, 2000. 500 bricks were taken from the wreckage and have been built into a wall across from the office with a commemoration to the fire and old building. The students at the school finished moving back in from Bayview Fairways P.S. and Bayview Glen P.S. the following week. Today, the school houses 18 classes in 16 classrooms and 3 portables (Music, 4/5, and 3/4) from Kindergarten to Grade 8 including 5 gifted classes. The school is currently located at 66 Henderson Avenue and is served by the YRT Bus Routes 2 as well as the TTC routes 53, 60, 97, 98, Viva Blue, Viva Pink, and the YRT Routes 1, 5, 23, 77, 88, 91 and 99 all within a 15-minute walk.
Read more about Henderson Avenue Public School: 1987 Tragedy, 1989 Fire, 1994 Bomb Threat, 1998 Fire, The Gifted Program, School Buses, Trivia
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