Lakefield College School

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Lakefield College School
Address
4391 County Rd.#29
Lakefield, Ontario, K0L 2H0, Canada
Information
School number 705-652-3324
Religious affiliation Non Denominational
School type Private Day/Boarding Co-Ed
Grades 7 to 12
Language English
Area 155-acre (0.63 km²) Waterfront Campus, 160 - acre Northcote Campus (Donated in 2007)
Motto Mens Sana In Corpore Sano
A sound mind in a sound body
Colours Red & Green
Founded 1879
Enrollment 365 (2007)
Graduates Accepted to University 100%
Laptop Computers Grades 9 to 12
Homepage http://www.lcs.on.ca/

Lakefield College School (LCS or sometimes 'The Grove') is a coeducational boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.

The school's motto is Mens Sana In Corpore Sano ("A sound mind in a sound body"). It was the first Canadian member of the international affiliation of schools called Round Square.

Lakefield College School is under the royal patronage of Prince Andrew, Duke of York (a former student), as a member of the Canadian Royal Family. He also serves as patron of the Friends of Lakefield College School.[1]

In 2007 the current Headmaster, David Hadden, announced that the 2007-2008 school year would be his last at the school. In early 2008, David Thompson, the cureent Principal of Greenwood College School and current Lakefiled trustee, was appointed as his successor.

Contents

[edit] History

LCS was founded in 1879 as Sparham Sheldrake's Preparatory School for Boys or The Grove and was later named Lakefield Preparatory School. The current name was given following the Second World War. In 1989 it became coeducational, after much disagreement among its alumni, Board of Governors, and trustees.

[edit] Timeline

  • 1879 - The Grove - Preparatory School for Boys was founded by Sam Strickland and Sparham Sheldrake in Strickland's home. It was initially located on 25 acres land consisted of a large farmhouse with several rooms, a shed, and a kitchen; enough room to accommodate about 15 boys.
  • 1895 - Reverend Alexander Mackenzie, teacher at the school, bought the school from Sheldrake. Dr. Mackenzie, who would remain as Headmaster until 1938, established the school's educational philosophy of combining a rigorous academic curriculum with a full and enriching program of sports, arts and outdoor education. During his time at the school, new classrooms, dormitories and dining room were added.
  • 1924 - A Chapel was built at the school.
  • 1938 - Mackenzie died and his son Kenneth became the school's third Headmaster—a position he held until joining the navy two years later.
  • 1940 - Gordon Winder Smith, a master at the school, was appointed Headmaster in 1940. The school was faced with a mounting debt, buildings in poor condition and very little property surrounding the school. Working closely with the school's Board of Governors, Winder Smith or "Boodie" as he was known, worked diligently to retire the debt. He then embarked on a program of upgrading the facilities and adding new buildings and residences.
  • 1964 - Mr. Smith retired and Winder Smith Dining Hall was opened in his honour. Jack Matthews was appointed as Headmaster and over the next seven years the school expanded in numbers and in international acclaim.
  • 1966 - The school was renamed Lakefield College School to better reflect its mission.
  • 1969 - The Duke of Edinburgh visited in 1969 and the school became the first Canadian member of the Round Square Conference of Schools, an international association of schools with similar values and beliefs.
  • 1970 - The funds for a new theatre were donated and construction began.
  • 1971 - Mr. Matthews went on to found Lester B. Pearson College in British Columbia. Terry Guest was appointed Lakefield's next Headmaster and during his tenure the school continued to grow. Ashelworth House and a considerable amount of property surrounding the school were purchased, extending the campus considerably.
  • 1978 - Prince Andrew attended the school for a term as an exchange student from Gordonstoun School, starting a longlasting relationship that continues to this day.
  • 1979 - LCS celebrated its centennial.
  • 1985 - Current Head of School David Hadden took over, initiating major changes.
  • 1989 - LCS went co-educational, responding to changing times and enrollment and financial pressures
  • 1989 - LCS accepted female students for the first time in its history.
  • 1997 - LCS built a brand new chapel
  • 2005 - A brand new artificial ice outdoor hockey rink was built and named in memory of Bob Armstrong
  • 2007 - Construction has begun to build the 12.5 million dollar gymnasium.
  • 2007 - Addition of the Northcote Campus.

[edit] Campus

LCS has a 155-acre (0.63 km²) wooded, waterfront, campus on the east shore of Lake Katchewanooka in rural Ontario. It is just north of the village of Lakefield, an hour and a half north-east of Toronto by road.

It contains ten boarding houses, with an average of just over 20 students per house. The main building contains a chapel, dining hall, modern theatre, music room, art room, day student locker rooms, science labs, large library, computer lab, and classrooms.

An outdoor artificial ice surface has been operational since November of 2005. A boathouse at the waterfront contains sailboats, kayaks, and canoes. Other buildings contain the dance studio and weight room.

LCS has just begun the process of building a new 12.5 million dollar gymnasium. This is the first of its kind at the school. It should be completed by September of 2008.

Recently, 160 acres (0.65 km²) of land was donated to LCS through the Gastle family. The 'Northcote' campus officially became part of the LCS community on October 27, 2007.

[edit] Students

As of 2007, LCS enrolls 365 students; 232 in boarding (grades 9–12) and 133 in day (grades 7–12) status.

The boarding students are divided into 10 houses, (Grove, Ondaatje, Memorial, Rashleigh, Upper Colebrook, Lower Colebrook, Susannah Moodie, Matthews, Wadsworth, Ryder), each with an adult 'Head of House' who acts as a parent and a 'don' who acts like an older brother or sister while the student is away from home. There are five boys' boarding houses and five girls' boarding houses which contain student dormitories, washrooms, common areas, a Head of House apartment, and a Don apartment. Each has an average of 23 students and two adults.

The day students are also divided into house however with no actual physical building. There are two senior houses (grades 9-12, Armstrong & Brown) and one junior (grades 7 and 8, Marling) house, each with a 'Head of House'. These students get together for social events and the Head of House acts as a mentor and liaison between the students and administrative aspect of the school.

All students also have an academic advisor, who helps with course selection, university admission, and arranging extra help (including tutoring) if necessary.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

As part of the "education of the whole person", Lakefield College School offers Co-Curricular activities such as a wide range of sports, community service opportunities, choir, band, theatre and different student groups.

[edit] Curriculum

Lakefield College School offers a wide range of Arts, Languages, Math, Science, Technology and Social Science courses to its students. Students must engage in three sports a year, one a term, with the exception of grads, who can choose to take one 'term off'.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Buckingham Palace: Canadian organizations under royal patronage

[edit] External links