Vancouver College
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| Vancouver College | |
 Forever Faithful |
|
| Address | |
| 5400 Cartier Street Vancouver, British Columbia, V6M 3A5, Canada |
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| Information | |
| School board | Catholic School Board |
| Principal | David Hardy |
| Vice principals | Mary Joy Derouin (10-12) Michel Deslauriers (7-9) Barbara Seppelt (K-6) |
| School type | Independent |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Shaugnessy, Vancouver |
| Mascot | Finnegan |
| Team name | Fighting Irish |
| Colours | Purple/gold |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Enrollment | >1000 |
| Homepage | Vancouver College website |
Vancouver College (referred to informally as VC) is an independent Catholic elementary and secondary school (K-12) located in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An all-boys university-preparatory school, VC's elementary and secondary programs have a combined population of over 1,000 students. Although its official religion is Catholic, it is open to all religions. The school participates in sporting events under the moniker of the "Fighting Irish". It is one of two all-boy schools in the Vancouver area, the other being St. George's School.
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[edit] History
Vancouver College was founded in 1922 by the Christian Brothers, a world-wide community of religious brothers of the Catholic church founded by Edmund Rice. The school prides itself on offering strong academic, athletic, and arts programs, set within the context of a deep spiritual community.
[edit] Independent school status
Vancouver College is classified as a Group 1 school under British Columbia's Independent School Act. Schools in this category receive partial funding from the Ministry of Education. As of 2006, that consists of 50% of their local school district’s per student operating grant, based on full-time equivalent (FTE) student basis. Under the Act, the school has the "freedom to approach the curriculum from their own perspectives."[1] However, Group 1 schools must:
"...employ BC certified teachers, have educational programs consistent with ministerial orders, provide a program that meets the learning outcomes of the British Columbia curriculum, meet various administrative requirements, maintain adequate educational facilities, and comply with municipal and regional district codes."[1]
[edit] Academic performance
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In the 2008 edition of the Fraser Institute's annual School report cards, Vancouver College was ranked 1st in British Columbia out of approximately 300 schools. It also shares this title with York House School, Little Flower Academy, St. George's School and Southridge School as the province's finest secondary institutions.[2]
Vancouver College's Grade twelve students write Provincial Examinations in core academic subjects and continually score above the provincial average by as much as 10%. Vancouver College students perform well in North American science, mathematics, and essay competitions, consistently placing in the top quartile. Graduates have gone on to study at reputable universities and colleges in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Vancouver College offers many accelerated courses, as well as university courses taught on campus in English 100, History 100, Classical Studies 102, Math 204, Physics 101, Biology 121, Chemistry 121, and French 122.
[edit] Sports
Athletics is a key part of the tradition and culture of Vancouver College. The school competes in many sports, including
- Badminton
- Wrestling
- Cross-country
- Downhill skiing
- Football
- Snowboarding
- Soccer
- Golf
- Swimming
- Rowing
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Track and field
- Lacrosse
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Ice hockey
- Rugby
Students are expected and encouraged to participate in these programs. The football and basketball programs traditionally rank among the top teams in British Columbia, while VC's rowing has performed well at nationals, usually ranking first or second.[citation needed] VC's teams are known as the "Fighting Irish", a slogan used as a reflection of school pride.
[edit] Extracurricular
There are many extracurricular activities in Vancouver College. They include: Student Council, Environment Club, Graduation Committee, Edmundians, Human Rights Conference, Lettermen, Debate, Yearbook, Social Justice, Science Club (STRINGS), School Newspaper, The Voice, Reach for the Top, Pro-Life, Vancouver College Humane Society, One World One Heart, and Model United Nations. Vancouver College's Reach for the Top team placed 5th in the province in the 2007 Provincial Tournament
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Angus Reid - Centre, BC Lions
- Bryan Chiu - Centre, Montreal Alouettes
- Sean Fleming - Kicker/Punter, Edmonton Eskimos
- Rob LeBlanc - Slotback, Edmonton Eskimos
- Kevin Eiben - Linebacker, Toronto Argonauts
- Jamie Boreham - Kicker/Punter, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Bob Ackles - President, BC Lions
- Raymond Sawada - Hockey Prospect, Dallas Stars
- Tony Gallagher - Columnist, Vancouver Province
- Ryan Hayden - Track star, Road runner, Kajaks
- Peter Dyakowski - Offensive Lineman, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Jacob Lensky - soccer player, Feyenoord
- Henk Luyten - High School Biology Teacher, phD, and made the 1997 discovery of a rare tropical fish.
[edit] New Wing
On November 2nd, 2007 Vancouver College officially opened the Holler Family Science Centre and the new South Gym. The facilities were blessed by The Most Rev. R. Roussin, SM, The Archbishop of Vancouver. On January 30, 2008 Vancouver College opened the new High Performance Fitness Centre. The final phase of this expansion will include a theatre/lecture hall, a super-lab, offices and new change rooms. These facilities are expected to open early in the 2008/2009 school year.
[edit] Uniform
For Winter dress, Vancouver College students wear grey dress pants, long-sleeved white dress shirt, and the school tie. Students in the 12th Grade may wear suit quality creased dress pants, whether they be khaki, black, pinstriped, etc. Students must always wear black socks with grey Oxford-style shoes. In cases of inclement weather, students may choose to wear one of four school sweaters: The traditional winter sweater, the traditional Varsity Letterman sweater, the tradition Edmundian sweater, or the Student Council sweater. Students may also opt to wear the school Monogrammed Bomber jacket, or the traditional Varsity Lettermans jacket. For Summer dress, Vancouver College students wear the VC Fighting Irish Polo Shirt, along with the Fighting Irish beige coloured shorts. Students may wear different polo's as a status of which club or sport they may belong. For example, a student may choose to wear the Vancouver College "Golf" polo, as a sign of participation.
[edit] Notes
- Vancouver College's "sister" school is Little Flower Academy; it also has well-established relationships with other Catholic and private schools in the Vancouver area, such as Crofton House School and York House School.
- The school has an on going rivalry with St. George's School, and are competitive between each other.
- The school is a popular shooting spot for television and film productions, including Smallville, 21 Jump Street, X-Files, Final Destination 3, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Walking Tall, Saving Silverman, "Angels in the Endzone", "Intelligence" and She's the Man.
