Jón Bjarnason Academy - 01.05.1931, Page 10

FOREWORD
I. T IS to the Rev. Dr. Jon Bjo.rna.son, for more than a quarter
of a century 'pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg,
that our school oives its origin and its name. It was he who
first conceived the idea of establishing an Icelandic Lutheran
school with the twofold purpose of inculcating in its students
Christian principles, and of providing, particularly for Ice-
landic students, facilities for studying the language and litera-
ture of Iceland. His continued, advocacy of the project was
substantiated by liberal donations to a fund formed in its aid.
The way having been thus prepared, the Icelandic Lutheran
Synod founded the Jon Bjarnason Academy in the year 1913.
At his death, a year later, Dr. Bjarnason bequeathed to the
library of the school a valuable collection of books in the
English, Icelandic and Scandinavian languages.
The school offers the regular academic courses of the
High School curriculum of the Province of Manitoba in Grades
IX to XII inclusive, together with regular instruction in re-
ligion in each grade as ivell as Icelandic language and liter-
ature.
Although Icelandic in origin, the academy is thoroughly
Canadian in spirit, and welcomes students of all nationalities.
In the last four years the enrolment shows a steady increase,
and this year the school is filled to capacity having seventy
seven students in actual attendance. Three teachers handle
the work of the four grades.
In accordance with the principles laid down by the founder
of the school we aim in our daily work to develop in our stu-
dents habits of industry and scholarship, but most of all to
mould character by maintaining an atmosphere of Christian
influence. And as we believe that the education of our Icelandic
young people is incomplete without some knowledge of the
language and literature of their forefathers, we consider that
our institution,, by putting such knowledge within their reach,
is filling a real need among our people.
SALOME HALLDORSON,
Dean of Jon Bjarnason Academy.