Our School
Wismer Public School officially opened in September of 2003, as the first school in the Wismer Commons subdivision. We are quite proud to be a part in building this community as we have been a holding school for John McRae Public School as well as Donald Cousens Public School. Building and supporting community is something we work towards within our larger community, in our school community and among our students and staff. We have a thriving and inclusive school where students' strengths, interests and needs are supported, nurtured and celebrated. We encourage students to question, inquire and challenge thinking as they develop their voice as learners in school and throughout their lives.
History
After the deaths of both David and Lydia Wismer in 1856, the Wismer Family continued to donate property to various community organizations, including the land for the construction of the first school in this area. This original one-room schoolhouse, located near the south west corner of Sixteenth Avenue and Highway #48, was replaced around the year 1864, with a new school to the north, where the present Markham Museum now stands.
In honour of our tenth anniversary, we have redesigned our school logo. Below you can see the original 2003 logo, followed by the 2009 logo and now our 2013 logo all sporting our mascot, the Wismer Wolverine. Whether in school or in the community, our Wismer Wolverines make us proud as students who support one another, take responsibility for their actions and have a fierce commitment to making a difference for social justice.
A busy place...
As Wismer has grown over the years there have been many changes. Our school had an addition in the summer of 2013 to add Full Day Kindergarten to the school as well as adding more classrooms to support our growing population. We not only have a strong academic history but also an avid commitment to student well-being. Partnering with the City of Markham for children’s programs, Youth Assisting Youth for a tutoring program, working with York Regional Police in the VIP program, as well as encouraging our graduates to return to Wismer for community hours, are just a few ways we bring our community together.
At Wismer, we have many exciting opportunities beyond our excellence in academics to support students’ interests and talents.
In the past, we have had a thriving arts program with extracurricular opportunities in: Visual Arts Club, Dance Clubs, Bucket Drumming, Spoken Word, Choir, Bell Choir, Concert Band, Glee Club and a Sign Language Club.
Athletic teams throughout the years have included: Cross Country, Girls’ Running Club, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Track and Field and Soccer.
We also have many opportunities for students to develop their leadership including: Student Council for Intermediate students, Peace Tree Ambassadors, Healthy School Champions, ECOLeague, Our Student Run Writing Club and Student Ambassadors.
Our students and staff also have a passion for supporting local and global communities through charitable initiatives including: Fighting Cancer (Childhood Cancer, Movember, Breast Cancer Awareness), Helping Hands campaign supporting communities who have suffered after natural disasters (2011 Tsunami Relief for Japan and 2013 Typhoon Relief in the Philippines), Food Drives for local communities, and Habitat for Humanity which has become an annual goal for our staff.
