100 years strong: Hampstead Elementary school celebrates a century of learning

Students at Hampstead Elementary return to class Tuesday morning, as the school marks its 100th anniversary.

“Excited and nervous, all the emotions,” said Grade 6 student Winnie Spain. “It’s really like a roller-coaster of emotions.

“It’s just all the new things because every year it’s a little different than the last.”

Opened in 1925, Hampstead Elementary originally served children from the residential town of Hampstead. Today, it welcomes a diverse student population while remaining a central part of the community.

“We have diverse learners and so they continue to help us master our craft as well and bring us joy in new experiences with new initiatives that we bring out for them,” said principal Lucy Buscemi.

From the youngest to the oldest, students were thrilled to be back at school.

“I’m just starting today, going there because I like it,” said kindergartener Alexandria Bernal.

“I’m excited to meet all of my friends from fifth grade again,” said Grade 6 student Kyle Bernal.

“I’m really excited about meeting the new teachers and doing everything,” added Mason Holtzberg, also in Grade 6.

Parents who spoke to CityNews were equally delighted with the return to class.

“I love Hampstead. I love the school. The teachers are amazing and I’m kind of sad that it’s their last year here,” said Emily Love.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the school year to have them back in school. They had their fun for the summer and now it’s back to learning,” said Alicia Freeman, with a son in Grade 6.

“Making new friends,” added Jenny Akerley, whose son Landon entered Grade 4. “We’re new in the area. Yes, basically learning something different.”

A century in the making

Hampstead Elementary’s milestone 100th year was celebrated with a special event attended by EMSB chair Joe Ortona, Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, members of Hampstead town council and students.

Several prominent alumni attended, including real estate developer Jonathan Wener and Côte Saint-Luc city councillor Andee Shuster.

Wener said the school gave him “a good education, a good environment and good peer groups” that helped shape his future.

“I think the fondest memories are the friends that I made and the values that I learned here and that kept with me for most of my adult life,” he added.

Shuster recalled her Grade 5 teacher: “I have such profound, lasting memories from that class … As terrified as I was, she really made me feel at ease.”

The English Montreal School Board, created in 1998, now serves more than 35,000 students across 73 schools and centres.

The centennial celebration highlights a century of education, community involvement, and the school’s continuing impact on generations of students.

Anti-bullying policies

The school year also started as a recent report revealed that 71 per cent of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 experienced some form of bullying in the past 12 months. EMSB chair Joe Ortona says that each school has their own anti-bullying policy.

“We obviously have a zero tolerance when it comes to bullying and whenever there are incidents, because you know sometimes on rare occasions there happen to be, we make sure that they’re addressed and do whatever we can to make sure that they don’t reoccur,” Ortona told CityNews.

At Hampstead Elementary, the policy focuses on students building bonds with their fellow students, teachers and other staff to help reduce bullying.

“It’s really about building relationships and giving the students a sense of security,” said principal Buscemi. “There’s constant supervision from staff members and making sure the students feel that they can go to any adult that they would like to speak to in the building.”