Welcome to James Hillier Public School

James Hillier School is located in Brantford Ontario. It currently has approximately 300 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, New Visions (Autism) and Woodview classes. James Hillier School was opened in 1950 and recently celebrated its 65th anniversary. The school is named after Dr. James Hillier.

About Dr. James Hillier

Dr. James Hillier

Dr. Hillier, the son of British immigrants, was one of Canada’s greatest scientists and inventors. He earned three degrees at the University of Toronto, a B.A. in mathematics and physics, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in physics. Later the University of Toronto awarded him an honorary D.Sc. He wrote over 150 papers on technical subjects and research management. He held 41 patents for his inventions and was awarded many honours and awards for his work.

Dr. Hillier was recognized as an early pioneer in electron microscopy, having built the first successful instrument in North America. He designed the first mass produced instrument and invented many techniques that extended the application of the electron microscope to a broad spectrum of sciences. The electron microscope has revolutionized science by increasing useful magnification to over 400,000 times from the earlier limit of 1,000 times, thus revealing all natural structures down to atoms. Dr. Hillier also invented electron microprobe analysis which added chemical analyses to electron microscope images.

Among the many benefits that Dr. Hillier’s microscopes have provided are numerous historic advances in medicine. There is no doubt that many people are alive today who would not be, was it not for Dr. Hillier’s inventions.

Dr. Hillier had a Brantford school named in his honour, and along with Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, was named one of the early inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame which is now in Akron, Ohio.

Dr. Hillier was presented with the Order of Canada on Nov. 5th, 1997 and he was inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame on Nov. 28th, 2002.

Educational Links

Raz-Kids
Online access to Raz-Kids reading program. Please login to the site with the information sent home by your child(ren)'s classroom teacher(s)

Prodigy

Online access to the Prodigy math games program. Please login to the site with the information sent home by your child(ren)'s classroom teacher(s)

Sumdog

Online access to Sumdog math games program. Please login to the site with the information sent home by your child(ren)'s classroom teacher(s)

ABCya

Online access to free educational kids computer games and activities for elementary students to learn on the web

PBSkids

Online access to PBSkids games

Discovery Kids

Online access to Discovery Kids educational games and research

FunBrain

Online access to free educational games, online books, and comics. Funbrain, created for kids ages preschool through grade 8, offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy.