Pictou Academy

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Pictou Academy
Concordia Salus (Harmony and Good Health)
Address
88 Patterson Street Pictou, Nova Scotia, B0K 1H0, Canada
Information
School board	Chignecto - Central Regional School Board
Superintendent	Dr. Noel Hurley
Area trustee	Vivian Farrell
Principal	James Ryan
Vice principal	Don Hill
Administrator	James Ryan
School type	Secondary School
Grades	9-12
Language	English
Mascot	Pitbull
Team name	Pictou Academy Pitbulls
Colours	Red and White
Founded	1816
Enrollment	196 (September 2006)
Homepage	Pictou Academy

Pictou Academy (PA), founded in 1816 by Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a private school for boys, but is now a public school, teaching grades 9-12. Pictou Academy's current principal is James Ryan. The Pictou Academy Educational Foundation, established in 1916, provides additional funds to the school. The current(2006-7) student council executives are Marc-Andre MacLeod, president, and Amy McKenzie, vice-president.

Contents 1 History 2 Traditions 3 Sports 4 Notable Graduates 5 References

[edit] History

When Pictou Academy was founded, it was located in a building in downtown Pictou, Nova Scotia. This school was moved to a new building "Up On The Hill". This second building later burned down, and was replaced by a third. This third building also burned, and to replace it, the fourth and current building for Pictou Academy was built in 1938.

[edit] Traditions

• The Breakup: One of Pictou Academy's oldests traditions is The Breakup. Unlike other secondary/high schools PA doesn't have a prom but celebrate The Breakup instead. It's a time when all the graduates come together for their final dance as a class. Although other grade levels (ten and eleven) are allowed to attend the night is designed for the grade twelves.

• The Grand March: Closly tied to The Breakup is The Grand March. All of those couples who will be attending The Breakup arrive in the late afternoon, early evening and line up outside The DeCoste Centre in Pictou. They all move down the walkway arm in arm into the theatre. It's a large event, drawing quite a crowd every year.

[edit] Sports

The students of Pictou Academy are locally renouned as sports enthusiasts. The school has over twenty different teams, all of which are funded by the school.

• Soccer: The senior girls soccer team has had an especially proud history, winning multiple provincial championships since the 1960's. The senior boys soccer team has adopted the motto,"We don't rebuild, we just reload." taken from a pep talk by then-coach Eric Daley.

[edit] Notable Graduates

• Sir William Dawson was a notable geologist and educator
• Sir W. J. Ritchie later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Dr. Frank Parker Day was a well-known Canadian author and English Professor. He became the Academy's first Rhodes Scholar
• Ada Brownrigg received the first Arts degree awarded to a woman in Canada

[edit] References

• (2006) "Concordia University". The Canadian Encyclopedia. 
• (2004) "Judges of the Court". Supreme Court of Canada Official Autobiography. 
• (2003) "Frank Parker Day". Presidents of Union College. 
• (2000) "Dawson, Sir John William". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. 
• Wood, Anne (1997). Pictou Academy in the nineteenth century. Pictou, Nova Scotia: Author. 
• Whitelaw, Marjory (1985). Thomas McCulloch: His life and times. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia Museum. 
• Sherwood, Roland (1973). Pictou Pioneers: A story of the first hundred years in the history of Pictou town.. Hantsport, Nova Scotia: Lancelot Press. 
• Patterson, George (1972). A history of the County of Pictou, Nova Scotia, 1824-1897. Belleville, Ontario: Mika Studio. 
• MacLaren, George (1954). The Pictou book: Stories of our past. New Glassgow, Nova Scotia: Hector Pub. 
• MacPhie, J. P. (1914). Pictonians at home and abroad: Sketches of professional men and women of Pictou County -- its history and institutions. Boston, Massachusetts: Pinkham Press.