School Name History
Location
31321 Blueridge Drive, Abbotsford, BC
Opened
1992
The School
While the school was under construction, Abbotsford was growing rapidly. The school was built for four hundred students, but an addition was being planned even before the building was finished. It was designed to be low maintenance by having a brick exterior that would not require painting and a sloped metal roof that would require fewer roof repairs than the older schools. It had outside roll-down shutters to improve security and reduce vandalism. Inside, in addition to the classrooms, it provided a multi-purpose room, computer room, gym, and library.
Harry Sayers came to the school on opening day in 1992. Over the following years, he came to many school events and affectionately referred to the students as “my children.”
Harry Sayers Elementary became a middle school in the early 2000s, when middle schools were introduced to the district. It has required uniforms since about the year 2000. The school states on its website that its mission is “to inspire in students a love of learning, a quest for knowledge and respect for themselves and others.” The motto of Harry Sayers Elementary is “R.E.A.C.H. for the Stars” (Respect, Effort, Attitude, Cooperation, Honesty).”
Origin of the Name
The school was named after Harry Sayers, who was an educational leader in Abbotsford. He was the Superintendent of Schools from 1978 to 1988. This was a particularly turbulent time as there were provincial funding cutbacks during a time of huge growth in Abbotsford schools. The district grew from eight thousand to twelve thousand students under his leadership.
Harry Sayers (1929-1996)
Harry was born near Edinburgh, Scotland in 1929 to parents who valued education and encouraged their children to become lifelong learners. After graduating from secondary school, he did two years of national service in the army. When he left the army, he got a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh, and then obtained his teaching certificate in 1952. He taught mathematics for four years at a secondary school in Scotland.
He became interested in the idea of working overseas. He emigrated to Canada in 1956, settling in Revelstoke and teaching at Revelstoke Secondary. In 1968, he moved to the Cranbrook School District where, in 1970, he became a principal, eventually serving as principal of three different elementary schools. In 1973, he was appointed Superintendent of the Cranbrook School District. He came to Abbotsford in 1978 to serve as the Superintendent.
Harry was an active community volunteer. He was president of the Abbotsford Rotary Club in 1993-4 and a B. C. Summer Games Committee member. A frequent visitor to the school named in his honour, he took a special interest in its students. He believed that all children should be given the best education so they could be as successful as possible.
Harry Sayers died March 8, 1996, at the age of 67.
The Abbotsford School District graciously acknowledges the Abbotsford Retired Teachers Association for collecting the histories and stories of our schools as part of their "What's in a name?" 50th-anniversary project.