Ridgedale Village School District #4507

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On March 15, 1921 a 1etter was written to the Department of Education, asking that a school be built in the Village of Ridgedale, as there were thirteen children ages five to thirteen, and the nearest school was four miles away, with roads that were impassable at times.

By the beginning of 1922 there were sixty children in the village. School was held in the old Printing Office, located about four lots west of the Post Office, for eighty-two days. The first teacher was Mrs. Janet Hayes. This school was closed and all equipment was removed from the village. The trustees felt that they could not bear the expense to keep a school unless a larger territory could be secured from the adjoining districts.


On Sept. 6, 1922 a representative from the Department of Education went to the Ridgedale School No. 2523 located on SW 7-47-15, which was later known as Ridgedale Rural School. He met with the trustees from Ridgedale School No. 2523, Riverstone School No. 4205, and Preston School No. 2550, and a delegation from the Village Board of Trade. At this meeting all school districts agreed to extend the Ridgedale Village District so they could apply for a school to be built.

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On Dec. 14, 1922 a meeting was called to organize the lands into the Village School District and to elect trustees. The first trustees were John Healey, John Warren, and Edward Rictor.

On Dec.20, 1922 a letter was written by the Department of Education informing the Village that a school could be erected and would be known as Ridgedale Village School District No. 4507. The Board to proceeded with the issuing of debentures for the purpose of securing funds to build and equip a school. School was opened on January 28, 1923 in the Orange Hall which had earlier been moved in to the village from the Old Ridgedale District. A two-room school was completed in 1924 of brick and tile. There were also two rooms in the basement which were used as classrooms.

In 1950 debentures were sold, and two additional rooms of frame and stucco construction were added on the north and south ends of the original building. These also had a basement, and doorways had to be blasted with dynamite through the basement walls of the old building into the new additions.


The larger school unit was formed in 1952, and centralization began in the Ridgedale area. In 1959 with the closing of Leather River, Preston, Riverstone and Ridgedale Rural Schools, the four rooms in Ridgedale were not enough. The Riverstone and Armley Schools were moved into Ridgedale to provide additional classrooms. The Orange Hall was again brought into use. This made a total of six classrooms, and a Home Economics room.


In 1960 with the closing of Armley and Henderson schools, a new four-room school was built adjoining the existing four rooms at a cost of $74,600. This new building was of masonry construction with concrete slab floor. Automatic oil heat and modern plumbing were installed, as well as new plumbing in the old school. A sewage disposal mound served both buildings. In 1961 Sandwell School closed and the children were bussed to Ridgedale, and in 1962 Manlius and Waterfield Schools closed with some of the children coming to Ridgedale. In 1964 three more classrooms and a science laboratory were added to the east of the school, with a hallway joining the buildings. The home economics room was renovated in 1982.
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In 1985 a major addition was made to the school at a cost of $904,943. The original brick school was torn down and replaced with an approximately 725 square metre steel-framed, brick- exterior addition. This included a combined kindergarten and music room, a well-stocked library which is open to both school children and adults, a dental laboratory, a home economics room, washrooms, and a gymnasium. In the past, students had to go to the low-ceilinged Centennial Hall for indoor sports activities; but now with the new gymnasium the children were able to enjoy volley-ball, badminton, floor hockey, and other activities. The Ridgedale Curling Rink and Skating Rink were also widely used by the students of Ridgedale School. The official opening of this addition was on February 27, 1986 with Marianne Hancock, local board secretary, cutting the ribbon. Diane Rorke, the present librarian, cut the ribbon to officially open the Wapiti Regional Library. Past librarians have been Joanne Sparrowhawk, Shirley Surman, and Margaret Schreiner.

Since the larger school unit came into effect the children from Manlius, Sandwell, Waterfield, Armley, Riverstone, Preston, Henderson and Ridgedale Rural School Districts have been bussed into Ridgedale by the following bus.drivers: Ken Wilson, Jim Taylor, Hugh Wright, Ivan McCullough, Jake Schreiner. Ted and Ella Clapson, John Hayward, Bev Morgan, Barb Boyarchuk,, Allan Breadner, Curtis Sturby, and Margie McCullough. Janitors over the years have been Bob Green, Cora Allen (about 15 years), Hugh and Edna Wright (for 24 years), Bob and Donna Edwards ,(for three years), and Jasper and Edith Stene.


Beginning in the fall of 1997 the High School students were bussed to either Gronlid or Tisdale, leaving the elementary grades for one more year. The school was closed in 1998.


Since kindergarten was begun in 1974, the teacher aides have been Sharon Goddard, Linda Galenzoski, Regina McPhaden, Gail Galenzoski, Shelley Meier, Marlene Healey, and Margie McCullough. Sub-Unit trustees for the Ridgedale area have been Jim Dorward, Joe Barber, Dale Healey and Bud Healey. Noon Hour Supervision came into effect in 1982. Gwen Reimer, Gail Galenzoski, Heather McLean, Shelley Meier, Elna Fish, Marlene Healey, and Margie McCullough have provided this service.


Home Economics teachers have been: Joyce Newcomb, 1960-1964, 1965-1969; Marjorie Currie, 1964-1965, Shirley Burtman, 1969-1971, Hazel Wrigley, 1971-1972, Joanne Reeves, 1972-1974, Sylvia Dion, 1974-75,Marion Button, 1975-1980, Lois Caskey, 1980-1989 and Judy Reimer, 1989- 1991.


Agriculture teachers have been: Lorne Sparling, 1960-1963; Dennis Allen, 1963-1969; Robert Stiles, 1969-1970; Doug Southam, 1970-1971; Wayne Fehr, 1971-1973; Tom Guidinger, 1973-1975; Ed Wicks, 1975-1976; Marion Button, 1976-1980; Garry Mutch, 1980-1986 and Dwain Drew, 1986- 1991.


The Teachers:
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Janet Hayes

1922-23

L. B. Kennedy 

1923-24

Miss E. V. Head

1924-25

Vera Frazer

1924-26

W. A. Frazer

1925-26

Mr. Rae

1926

Charlotte Eastman

1926

Teresa Maloney

1926-27

N. Hughes

1927-30

Winnifred Smith

1928-34

E. W. Wilson

1929-30

G. M. Burroughs

1930-41

Reuben R. Molberg

1931-32

Thelma Burroughs,

1935-41

Reuben R. Molberg

1937-41



G. H. West

1937-38

Mr. Rear

1939-40

Mr. Remple 

1940-42

S. R. Carter

1940-42

Julia May Laurence

1940-41

Kathleen I. Beatty

1941-42

Rena May 

1941-62

R. G. Sinnamon

1941-43

Margaret C. MacKay

1941-42

Hrefna Gislason

1942-43

Helen L. Hahn

1942-43

Frances M. Arnett

1943-44

Edward D. James

1943-45

Florence L. Rusk

1944-45

Leanna L. Bowbyes

1944-45

Margaret L. Currie

1945-46

Annie L. Orton

1945-49

A. T. Swindlehurst 

1945-56

Mary A. Sawasy

1946-47

Arlene L. Lloyd

1945-56

Olga Hority

1947-48

Evelyn Kindrat

1948-49

John A. Hammond

1949-50

Joseph E. Smith

1950-51

Gaynor L. McDonald

1950-51

Vivian I. Dunham (substitute)

1950-51

Joan V. Rosen

1951-52

W. L. Schell

1951-52

Colin A. Thomson

1952-53

Garner M. Leach

1952-53

Alma M. Renner

1953-58

Doreen Jean Eppen Wilkes

1953-54

Louis C. Auriat

1954-55

Eunice O'Byrne

1955-56

Helen Lawrence

1955-56

Ella M. Perkins

1957-58

Mathew Coates

1958-59

Joyce Newcomb

1958-69



Joyce Newcomb

1974-75

Edith N. Barber

1959-72

Dorothy Thomas

1959-60

Morris  Sadlowski

1959-60

Robert Foster

1960-63

Reginald M. Johnston

1961-62

August Michalko

1962-65

Inez Svare

1962-69

William Batty

1963-64

Edith  Batty

1963-64

Florence Hennings

1963-65

Harry Bourne

1964-68

John Elliott

1964-65

Frank Elberg

1965-69

Evelyn Bourne

1965-66

John  M.  Gillissie

1965-66

Donald Sterzuk

1965-67

Elaine Panchuk

1965-67

Louis Domotor

1966-67

Audrey Tkachuk

1966-71

Maryann S. Domotor

1966-67

Ivan Hollingshead

1967-69

Mary D. Drake

1967-68

Margaret J.  Lindsay

1967-68

Larry Chalifour

1967-69

Kathryn Jones 

1968-69

David R. Jones

1968-69

Geraldine G. Cowell

1968-69

Elmer J. Gibson

1968-70

Edmund Borsa

1969-71

Beatrice R. Neale

1969-70

Jane A. Allan

1969-70

Robert A. Allan

1969-70

Allan Brown

1969-97

Robert H. Wardhaugh

1969-71

Bernard T. Friesen

1970-71

Brian H. Paine

1970-74

David Panio

1971-72

Barbara A. Smith

1971-73

Coreen McKeith

1971-74

Randy Bergman

1972-98

Audrey H. Meacham Adelman

1972-80

Linda E. Phillips

1972-73

Garry Mutch

1973-75

Bob Fulford

1973-74

Marlene I. York

1974-75

Cheryl Form

1974-75

Robert D. Duke

1975-79

Betty J. Mutch

1975-97

Linda Wilson

1976-97

Darlene McRae

1975-79

Jeanette Bittman

1979-82

Gerry Riou

1975-76

Marion Button

1975-80

Lillian Jenner Hunchak

1980-98

Lois Caskey 

1980-89

Judy Reimer

1982-97

Karen Scammell

1983-84

Dwain Drew

1985-

Cynthia Fulton

1986-91

Germain Dauk (substitute)

1988

Sandra Stobbe

1989-91

Warren Jacobson

1995-97

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