Janet Metcalfe

1853 - 1935  (81 years)

• Name	Janet Metcalfe
  Born	9 Sep 1853	, Scotland   [1, 2]
  Gender	Female
  Residence	1861	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Free Church Presbyterian
  Residence	1871	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Presbyterian
  Residence	1935	20 Ahrens St. E., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Died	12 Apr 1935	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Honoured	2018	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	school named for her
  	Janet Metcalfe Public School, located in Southwest Kitchener at the corner of Seabrook Drive and Amand Drive is scheduled to open in September 2018 for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. The school will also be home to a child care centre. Trustees voted on Monday to name the school after Ms. Metcalfe who became the first public-school kindergarten teacher in the country at Central School, later renamed Suddaby Public School, in Kitchener 135 years ago in 1882. Records indicate that her work alongside Jeremiah Suddaby on early kindergarten education played a major role in understanding the principles and practise of education in the late 19th Century. New school named after Canadian kindergarten pioneer from Kitchener (Waterloo Region District School Board). (2017). Wrdsb.ca. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2017/11/22/new-school-named-after-canadian-kindergarten-pioneer-from-kitchener/#.Whaq80pKuUl
  Interesting	education, story, honoured
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-260887
  Buried	Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I260887	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	William Metcalfe,   b. 1823, , Banffshire, Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Isabella Roy,   b. 1825, , Morayshire, Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F230266	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  FORMER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DIES Miss Janet Metcalfe, Pioneer Kindergarten Teacher, Passes In 82nd Year One of Ontario's pioneer instructors in kindergarten work, Janet Metcalfe, a former principal of Margaret Avenue public school, passed away at her home, 20 Ahrens street east, late Friday afternoon. Miss Metcalfe, who taught in Galt and Stratford prior to coming to Kitchener, was in her 82nd year. After 31 years of educational work in Galt, Stratford and Kitchener, Miss Metcalfe retired at the conclusion of the term in 1901. She was principal of Margaret Avenue school, at the time. Nine of the 31 years were spent in Galt and Stratford. Kitchener's pioneer kindergarten teacher, Miss Metcalfe was associated with the late Mr. Suddaby at the old Central school, now Suddaby school. Surviving are two brothers, George and William Metcalfe, both of Kitchener and three sisters, Mrs. W. C. Ormiston, Los Angeles, Cal. and Misses Mary and Cathrine, Kitchener, Two brothers, Simon and Alexander and one sister, Isabella, predeceased her. The funeral will be held publicly, Monday afternoon, from Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home, at 3.30 o'clock. Remains will be interred in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rev. O. Taylor-Munro will officiate. Kitchener Daily Record 13 Apr 1935 pg 1

  
  

• Sources

  [S1885] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1861, Waterloo 1861 Dist. 2 Page 17. [S2658] aaaaWaterloo Village 1871, Sect. 1 Page 13.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 9 Sep 1853 - , Scotland Residence - Free Church Presbyterian - 1861 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 12 Apr 1935 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Honoured - school named for her - 2018 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth