About Us

Image of exterior of Rideau Public School.

Bienvenue à École Rideau Public School, home of the Rhinos. Starting in September 2018, we are excited to become Limestone's first all-French Immersion School!  We offer French Immersion for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6, with entry points at JK, SK, and grade 1.  

Rideau is one of the oldest schools in Kingston.  
The old original Rideau Public School was a two-storey school, one room up and one room down, located on the corner of Princess and Nelson Streets during the 1900s. At that time a creek ran down the front of the school, south across Victoria Street, where a wooden bridge and boardwalk were constructed. It was on the extreme western outskirts of the city. As the growth of the city expanded westward this school became obsolete and, in 1924, the school board decided that a new school was needed. 

The new Rideau Public School was constructed in the fall and winter of 1925-1926 on a block of land purchased from a Mr. Counter. This original wing was built by H.W. Watts for $106,700.00 and looks exactly the same today with the exception of the landscaping. The original building contained ten classrooms, a principal's office, staff room, furnace room, two playrooms in the basement and an auditorium on the first floor. It had a staff of eight teachers and a principal. The official opening of the school was held on September 9, 1926.

In the late 1940s, the school became crowded as residences sprung up quickly all the way to Palace Road. In 1950, it became necessary for the board to build a new wing onto the school. In 1960, Rideau achieved its largest pupil population of 640 students.

In 1986, Rideau became the first French Immersion school for the former Frontenac County Board of Education. Rideau now serves its local community as well as areas east of Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard, North Kingston, and the areas of Glenburnie, Elginburg, Harrowsmith, and Sydenham. The current student population represents the cultural diversity that makes Canada so special. 

Our staff remain focused on moving every student’s learning forward, building a stronger community between school and families, and providing opportunities for every student to thrive at Rideau, whether it is in the classroom, on the playing field, or in one of our many clubs. Rideau continues to demand excellence from staff and students living by our motto "They Can Who Think They Can; Si on veut, on peut."