Pictou Academy

Pictou Academy
Address
88 Patterson Street Pictou , Nova Scotia , B0K 1H0
Information
School type	Secondary School
Motto	Concordia Salus (Well being through harmony)
Founded	1816
School board	Chignecto - Central Regional School Board
Superintendent	Dr. Noel Hurley
Area trustee	Vivian Farrell
Administrator	James Ryan
Principal	James Ryan
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	196 (September 2006)
Language	English
Colour(s)	Red and White
Mascot	Pitbull
Team name	Pictou Academy Pitbulls
Website	Pictou Academy
Last updated: December 20 2006

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 funds to the school. The current student council executives are Marc-Andre MacLeod, president, and Amy McKenzie, vice-president.

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.

A long standing characteristic of Pictou Academy is it's continued tradition of superior academia; particularly in comparison to its rival schools, Northumberland Regional High School and North Nova Education Centre. With emphasis on the sciences and language, graduates of Pictou Academy regularly enjoy successes normally reserved for students of highly funded private institutions.

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.

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: is a well-known Canadian author and English Professor. He became the Academy's first Rhodes Scholar

Mottos

Pictou Academy's motto, Concordia Salus, is listed above as meaning "Well being through harmony". That is a more modern translation of the original latin. It motto, although it's not certain, probably came about from The Act of 1845. It's original meaning was "Salvation through Harmony" and so may be considered by some the proper motto.

Unofficially, 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.

References

• "Concordia University". The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2006.
• Sherwood, Roland (1973). Pictou Pioneers: A story of the first hundred years in the history of Pictou town. Hantsport, Nova Scotia: Lancelot Press.
• "Judges of the Court". Supreme Court of Canada Official Autobiography. 2004.