Empire Public School is located in Waterloo. The school opened in 1954.
The community of staff, students, parents and volunteers at Empire is committed to providing a safe, supportive environment in which every child:
- strives for excellence and reaches his/her full potential,
- becomes a responsible, productive citizen dedicated to life-long learning,
- shows care and respect for all members of the diverse community.
An active School Council meets throughout the school year and supports staff and students in their endeavours.
Facilities and Resources
Empire PS is located in the Westmount area of Waterloo and is surrounded by quiet streets and suburban homes. The school is comprised of a main single-story building, augmented by portable classrooms. As of the summer of 2013, there is a new double gym, five new kindergarten rooms, a newly renovated library and a fully networked computer lab.
Empire has a large playground with a variety of activity areas for students in engage in many different varieties of outdoor play.
We are very proud of our beautiful Outdoor Learning Circle, which was constructed in 2004 as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations.
Our Students
Empire PS has a diverse population with over 600 students. When students complete grade 6 they move on to attend either Centennial PS or MacGregor PS for grades 7 and 8. Empire students either attend Waterloo CI or Kitchener-Waterloo C & VS (KCI) for their secondary school education.
Parents and Community
Empire PS has a dynamic School Council that meets every month. School Council strives to enhance communication between parents, teachers, children, and administrators, and to address current educational issues and trends. In addition to being an advisory group to the administration, School Council organizes a variety of fundraising initiatives. Council has funded many enhancements to Empire’s academic program.
Empire Public School is blessed to have many hard-working volunteers. Many parents and community members participate in school activities, helping students with reading, organizing fund-raising events and accompanying students on field trips. Volunteers are always welcome in the school!
Academic Programs
Regular English instruction is provided to all students from junior kindergarten to grade 6. Core French is provided to students from grades 1 to 6. A partial French Immersion program is available and begins in grade 1. Empire has a congregated ABLE classroom that provides intense literacy and numeracy instruction for English Language Learners.
A Special Education School-Based Team of classroom and resource teachers works at Empire and is dedicated to assessing and providing modified programs for children with special needs.
Clubs and Activities
In past years, teachers and other staff members have volunteered their personal time (before school, during nutrition breaks and after school) to offer extra-curricular activities to students.
Activities vary from year to year and are at the discretion of individual teachers and other staff members.