School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British Columbia. It is the largest school district in British Columbia with 71,974 students during the 2012/2013 school year. District 36 includes 101 elementary schools, 19 secondary schools, and 5 learning centres. The first school in Surrey opened in 1882. The district is Surrey’s largest employer, with 9,653 employees, including almost 5,500 teachers.AdministrationThe Surrey School District's administration hub is the District Education Centre and was officially opened on September 11, 2011.SchoolsElementary schoolsChimney Hill Elementary School Chimney Hill Elementary School, at 14755 74 Avenue, is a K-7 school. As of September 20, 2011, the school has 708 students, with 29 divisions, out of which 25 are from Grade 1 to 7, and 4 are kindergarten classes. The Principal is C. S. Baldry, and Vice Principal is K. Addie.Chimney Hill was built in 2000 as a result of the development in the area.Discovery Elementary School Discovery Elementary School, at 13104 109 Avenue, was a K-7 school with 133 students as of 16 January 2006. The Principal was C. Graham.Discovery was founded about forty years ago by parents and teachers and was based on the Adlarian philosophy. In its early days, the school had strong parent involvement in learning, and students often learned in alternative environments including field trips and museums. Doctoral-level educators were sometimes brought in. The classroom setting at Discovery had no desks; instead, students sat in a circle on the floor, to give a sense of equality and to facilitate eye contact and communication. There were, however, chairs in the computer room and sofas in the library.
