Dr. David R. Williams Public School in Oakville recently celebrated its official opening with the school’s namesake, Canadian astronaut David Williams, who visited to help commemorate the special evening.
Located at 3199 Post Rd., the Kindergarten-Grade 8 school has been open since September 2020 but the pandemic prevented an official opening event. On June 9, families, dignitaries and various officials were invited to help the school celebrate. Among those attending was Dr. David Williams, who was proud to be able to meet families and students in person.
“It’s an amazing honour; it’s an absolutely incredible facility,” he says. “Now, here we are, finally at the grand opening. It’s just a remarkable moment for me and I'm thrilled to be able to share my thoughts with the students, teachers and staff and to look at the incredible things happening in the school. The enthusiasm, passion and excitement has been vibrant the whole two years this school has been open.”
Dr. Williams spent time talking to families and signing autographs before helping cut the ribbon on the school’s opening.
Parent Nik Raja, with children in Grade 2 and 5, says the family’s experience at Dr. David R. Williams PS has been great.
“We’re very excited to be here, it’s a beautiful school, and we’ve had a really good reception from the teachers, principal and staff,” he says. “We are very proud to have our kids coming here. Our kids are really enjoying their education and classes.”
Principal Janet Ricciardelli says it was “wonderful” to be able to celebrate the new school in person with families and the broader community.
“We have accomplished a lot since we opened our doors in September of 2020, and we should all be extremely proud of the amazing school community that we have become,” she says. “Through our engaging process of developing our School Mission statement and our School Mascot contest, we have established ourselves as an inclusive community of learners who uphold the values of empowering, affirming and inspiring others.”