Dufferin County is the home of many outstanding private, Catholic and Public Schools. My blog is going to focus on the Dufferin Family of Schools and my personal experience as a former teacher. I honestly believe that Dufferin County is a great place to raise your children because of the many outstanding schools and highly dedicated teachers.

The Dufferin Family of Schools offer extracurricular sports programs for the entire school year. There are so many opportunities for students of all ages. In the fall I attended the cross country meet which was held at the Orangeville Agricultural Centre. This event included students from grades one to eight. I was there to cheer on my granddaughter who now loves to run thanks to the opportunity provided to her by the cross country coaches at Princess Elizabeth Public School. In June, students of all ages are able to compete at the annual track and field meet which is held at Orangeville District Secondary School. I was the track and field coordinator for fifteen years so I have seen how excited children are when they win a placement ribbon.

Throughout the school year, badminton, soccer, curling, volleyball and basketball tournaments are offered. I coached girls’ volleyball and basketball during my thirty year career. For many of them it was such a thrill to wear a school team jersey and play exhibition games in other schools and at the tournament.

In a previous blog I highlighted the Outdoor Education Centre that features programs for students from grade one to eight. Every child that is in the Dufferin Family of Schools will have at least four opportunities to visit the Outdoor Education Centre which is located at Island Lake Conservation Area.

French Immersion is a popular program for students in Dufferin County. Presently, the program is being offered at Princess Elizabeth Public School, Mono Amaranth P.S. and starting in September at Centennial Hylands in Shelburne. At Princess Elizabeth Public School there are 458 students enrolled in the French Immersion program.

I asked principal, Paul Huddleston, what makes Dufferin County such a special place for students. Paul stated, “inside the buildings, staff care about kids and outside of the buildings parents care”.

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