Collingwood School

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Collingwood School is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory school founded in 1984. Located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada it delivers the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

[edit] History

Collingwood School was officially opened in 1984. The school occupied the buildings that formerly made up Glenmore Elementary School, which was closed the previous year along with several other schools in West Vancouver. Parents, students and teachers protested the closure of Glenmore, but were unsuccessful in keeping the school open in the face of declining enrollment and a reduced education budget.

A group of parents on the North Shore gathered to create an independent school as an alternative to the public school system at the time and one that was in close proximity. The school was named in honour after the corvette-class Her Majesty's Ship (HMS) Collingwood which was commanded by the father of one of the founding members.

[edit] Campus

Collingwood School is housed on two separate campuses. Its main is the original location built at 70 Morven Drive in the affluent British Properties of West Vancouver. The Morven campus houses Collingwood's Middle (Grades 6 - 9) and Upper Schools (Grades 10 - 12). Collingwood's second campus, officially opened as the Wentworth Campus in 1997, is located at the base of Cypress Provincial Park. The Wentworth campus houses Kindergarten through to Grade 5.

[edit] Faculty

Jim Burnett, Team USA

Collingwood is home to several notable faculty members and is renowned for its uniquely personal student-teacher relationships.

[edit] Mr. Graham Baldwin

Graham Baldwin was Collingwood's headmaster during its formative years. Baldwin developed relationships with several schools in Japan, resulting in a successful student exchange program. In the later years of his tenure at the school, accusations of misconduct with faculty surfaced. He was dismissed by the school shortly thereafter.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Mr. Jim Burnett

Jim Burnett was appointed acting Headmaster after the departure of Graham Baldwin and eventually he received the position. Jim Burnett was a member of the Team USA Track & Field team and represented the United States of America at the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City as an alternate runner for the 400 metre track and field event. He later worked for the United States State Department as a goodwill ambassador to Africa.

[edit] Mr. Rodger Wright

Rodger Wright was appointed as Headmaster of Collingwood in 2004. He previously served as the Headmaster of Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario. After a two decade tenure there, he and his wife, Louise, received a warm farewell when they left the school in June 2004. [1]== Curriculum ==

Collingwood School delivers the British Columbia Ministry of Education Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum. In addition to the Ministry of Education requirements, Collingwood also requires that students partake in the Collingwood Certificate program (and the Four Strands approach) and offers an extensive selection of Advanced Placement courses.

[edit] Four Strands

Collingwood emphasizes a concept known as the Four Strands. The Four Strands are Academics, Athletics, The Arts and Service. It is compulsory to participate in the Four Strands and many extracurricular activities are offered to fulfil the requirements. Students are recognized by awards known as grade colours and school colours if they excel in any of the four.

[edit] Collingwood Certificate program

The Collingwood Certificate program is a set of higher standards in addition to the Ministry's requirements. The Collingwood Certificate program satisfies the unique Four Strands approach at Collingwood. It also sets a higher bar with respect to participation in service, academic achievement and overall citizenship at the school.

[edit] Debating & Public Speaking

Collingwood has a highly successful debating and public speaking program which has won dozens of provincial, national and international tournaments. The program includes World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships champions Shakir Rahim and Sarah Mortazavi. It is headed by Ms. Julia Clarke. Additionally, each student (from Grade 1 to Grade 12) is required to write and present a persuasive speech, a humorous speech or a dramatic monologue each year in the school's annual public speaking competition.

[edit] Round Square

Collingwood is a member of the international Round Square network of schools. "Round Square is a worldwide association of schools, which share a commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and responsibility through service, challenge, adventure, and international understanding."

[edit] See also

• Round Square
• The Last Mimzy

[edit] External links

• Collingwood School Official Site
• Round Square Official Site

Schools in West Vancouver and Bowen Island

Secondary schools	Rockridge · Sentinel · West Vancouver
Primary or elementary schools	Bowen Island · Caulfeild · Cedardale · Chartwell · Cypress Park · Eagle Harbour · Gleneagles · Hollyburn · Irwin Park · Pauline Johnson · Ridgeview · West Bay · Westcot
Private schools	Collingwood · Horseshoe Bay Christian · Island Pacific · Mulgrave