Construction of Blacklock Elementary School at 5100 206 Street on 5.22 acres of land began in September, 1972, and the original south wing involving two floors was completed the following January.
The property on which the school is built belonged to the farming family of Dr. Blacklock, a physician. The farm was run by Ken, Harold, Allen, and Collin.
The school housed children from grades one to four and had no library, gymnasium, or offices. It also had no playground, but the school struck a deal with Langley City and used the neighbouring City Park for that purpose.
The first principal of Blacklock School was Mr. Al Angrignon, who said that during wet weather, the City Park was unuseable, creating quite a problem at recess and noon hour. The short lunch breaks were likely caused by the perpetual in-days.
The end of the mud came a few years later when an adventure playground was built on the school grounds, but the use of City Park continued in fair weather.
In September, 1973, the school was enlarged enough to add grades five and six and Kindergarten classes, previously held in the Pentacostal Church because of lack of space. Grade seven students were added to Blacklock School in 1974.
Because of cramped quarters, students in the intermediate grades attended school in shifts until a new gymnasium, library, office space, learning assistance room kindergarten, and staff room were completed. A resource room was set aside for two blind students. These students were fully integrated with classes at their own grade levels. A late French Immersion program was also instituted at the school for grade 6 and 7 pupils, but was relocated to Belmont Elementary in 2002.
In 2002 the school housed thirteen divisions with a staff of eighteen, with a total of 377 pupils. Between 2002 and 2004, the school’s population dropped to 270.
The Board of Trustees established an elementary Fine Arts program (grades 1 – 7) at Blacklock beginning in September, 2004 and running in conjunction with the existing neighbourhood program (grades K – 7). Neighbourhood families have first priority for placement in the Fine Arts program. The combined total of students for 2004 is 366. The Fine Arts program is attracting students from within the district, as well as from out of district and private schools.
In 2003-4, the students confirmed “The Thunderbird” as their team name and a new stylized Thunderbird head was adopted as the school’s new logo.
Blacklock Elementary, by Merv Grigg
Several years ago while teaching PE to a class of intermediate students, I had the class sit on the gym floor while I issued the necessary instructions for the ensuing activity. When I was finished, I gave them the green light to stand to begin the activity. Everyone got up, with the exception of one boy. I suggested that it was time to get up, but he said, “I can’t”. I, of course, said , “Why?” He replied, “I’m stuck”. “What do you mean, stuck? How can you possibly be stuck?” “My finger is stuck in a hole,” he answered. Sure enough, during the instructions he had found a hole in the floor that was used to secure wall apparatus when it was in use. I guess he had tried to get it out but managed instead to get his finger lodged securely in the metal-lined hole in the floor. My first impulse was to treat the whole incident rather lightly, but one look at his panic-stricken face made me realize that action, not laughter, was necessary. So I sent one of the other students to the staff room for liquid detergent. A few squirts of this miracle liquid later, the finger and the boy were extricated and class continued as usual.
