AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Stratford Schools Announce Team Names, Logos and Colours

Earlier this spring, the Stratford schools' transformation project took a monumental step forward when the Board of Trustees announced the names for the intermediate and secondary sites. Stratford Intermediate School (Stratford Intermediate) is the new name for the intermediate school for the 7/8 students in the City of Stratford, and Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) is the new name for the secondary school for grade 9 to 12 students in Stratford and surrounding area. 

The most recent step in the process was to create an identity for the two schools with the development and selection of logos, team names and colours. Over the last several weeks, branding committees for both schools have been collecting ideas from student, staff, parent and community stakeholders, narrowing down the options using a list of criteria (click here for the list of criteria, see page 3), and asking the various stakeholders to vote for their favourite option. 

The new school branding is a reflection of the school communities' desire for a fresh start and the chance to develop an identity in the new grade 7 to 12 configuration. It also demonstrates a connection between the schools since they are operating under a "one school, two campuses" model. The main colours of gold and black connect the schools and enable the students moving from the intermediate campus to feel more connected to the secondary campus. 

The Board recognizes the rich history of both schools and plans to acknowledge and celebrate that history with community celebrations (when it is safe to do so). 

"The new school colours, team names and logos reflect the desire of the current (and soon to be new) school communities. We understand the pride, fond memories and resulting nostalgia that many local residents feel for Stratford Central and Northwestern. Plans are underway to celebrate and recognize the contributions of these schools to the education of so many in our community. We must, however, look to the future and move forward in a positive and supportive way. The students of today and tomorrow deserve a chance to come together for a new beginning. We are very excited and see this branding as a step in that direction" said Jane Morris, Superintendent of Education. 

Construction continues on the Stratford Intermediate site and at this time, is on track for fall opening. Upgrades to the SDSS site will begin this summer as improvements are made in order to accommodate breadth of programming.

Stratford Intermediate School

Stratford District Secondary School