Vaughan Road Academy
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| Vaughan Road Academy | |
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| Motto: | In Medium Quaesita Reponunt (They lay up in store for common use whatever they have gained) |
| Established: | 1927 |
| Type: | Public (Toronto District School Board) |
| Principal: | Joe Santalucia[1] |
| Students: | 780 |
| Location: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Colours: | Blue, Red, and Gold |
| Mascot: | Vaughan Road Viper |
| Website: | http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/vaughanroad/ |
Vaughan Road Academy (VRA) is an International Baccalaureate school in the Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood of Toronto. Vaughan Road is situated at the Vaughan Road and Winona Drive intersection close to Oakwood Avenue and southwest of Forest Hill. It offers the IB Middle Years Programme and works in partnership with Arlington Middle School, J.R. Wilcox and Cedarvale Community Schools, and also offers the IB Diploma Programme for students in grades 11 and 12. In addition to the International Baccalaureate, it also has Cooperative Education and INTERACT programs. Vaughan Road Academy has started to make a name for itself by its diverse range of academic and non-academic programs. It is committed to creating a school community that will enable students to learn, to strive for excellence, and to participate as responsible citizens in a pluralistic society.[citation needed]
The school's current principal is Joe Santalucia and current vice principals are Tim Brethour and Rita Betro. The IB coordinator is Tony Masciello and INTERACT coordinator is Kim Janzen.
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[edit] School programs
[edit] International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, originated from Geneva, Switzerland is an internationally recognized program for over thirty years. It was adopted by Vaughan Road Academy in July 1998.[2] When earning the IB Diploma, students also earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (O.S.S.D.) which increases a student's chance of acceptance into prestigious universities world-wide greatly.
[edit] INTERACT
The INTERACT program is for students in the school who are heavily involved in the arts or athletics. The program enables students to have flexible schedules to accommodate their auditions, rehearsals, performances, competitions, etc. It lets the student pursue their interests but also keep up in their academics. The program is mostly done in small group settings and whenever possible, the teachers can design assignments that incorporate the student's interest in it as well (such as a history assignment researching on the music of a certain historical era because the student is interested in music).
[edit] Co-operative education
Co-operative education or Co-op is a structured method of combining academic education with practical work experience. It's a 4 credit semester program[3] and at Vaughan Road, it is offered in: World of Work (3) and Business English (1). The program is open to all students who are 16 years old and have completed sixteen credits.[3] This program offers youth a chance to "try out" a career while they can still afford the chance to explore, gain and develop good work habits and experience for the future, and test their skills and knowledge learnt at school in the work place.[4]
[edit] Empowered Student Partnership
Empowered Student Partnership or E.S.P. was launched in October 2002. Since then 110 greater Toronto area high schools have joined, including Vaughan Road Academy. It challenges schools citywide to make a difference in their community and tackles issues through many creative, student-driven initiatives.[5]
Being in E.S.P. means that students along with the Toronto Police Service, the Canadian Safe School Network, ProAction, the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, and Conseil scolaire de district Catholique Centre-Sud work together to execute a safe schools initiative in their local schools and communities. Students are empowered to take the necessary steps or actions to solve problems specific to their school with the option of utilizing programs or guest speakers, available to them through the Police Coordinator at Community Programs, Youth Services. It has made Vaughan Road Academy less susceptible to violence and encouraged students to promote safety within their school and community at large.
[edit] Athletics
Vaughan Road Academy has interscholastic and intramural teams for Badminton, Ball Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket, Cross Country Running, Flag Football, Hockey, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field and Volleyball.[4][6]
Vaughan Road competes in TDSSAA and Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) as the Vaughan Vipers, which is not to be confused with a similarly named junior hockey team in Vaughan, Ontario.[citation needed]
[edit] Recognition for other activities
Vaughan Road students have achieved significant recognition in competitions such as the annual Sears Ontario Drama Festival, where several of the top awards for 2006 went to VRA students [7], and the International Olympiad in Informatics, where a VRA student received a gold medal in 2005 and silver medals in 2004 and 2006.[8]
[edit] History
The following is from the Vaughan Road Alumni Association website:
[edit] Founding
Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute was the first High School built in York Township, the forerunner of the Borough of York.
Construction of VRCI was commenced July 2, 1926 and the cornerstone laid by the Lieutenant-Governor Col. Henry Cockshutt on Saturday September 18.,1926. George Evans, the first principal, served from the beginning in 1926 until 1957. His ability to select and manage outstanding teachers was legendary. His vision of VRCI was un-interrupted throughout his tenure but above all, under a stern staid facade there beat the heart of an athlete, a scholar and a wonderfully warm human being.
On April 25, 1927 the students moved into the school from temporary quarters in portables at Rawlinson Public School. ACTA STUDENTIUM reported the school to be “lavish”.
[edit] War Time & Depression
During the early development of the school great moments of history intervened to assist in building the school spirit and character. The early twenties, the period soon after the First World War had robbed the world of thousands of young men saw a new hope for civilization. The relative boom period of growth produced newly affluent families with dreams of a better life. Many of whose hopes were dashed by the Stock Market Crash of 1929 . The thirties saw Vaughan Road Collegiate struggle and grow in stature, both academic and athletic and as the economy started to turn around yet again hopes for a rosy future again grew. In 1939 these were dashed as the War commenced and the flower of Vaughan’s youth rushed to enroll in the services.
If the character and lives of Vaughan Roaders had been shaped by the hardships of the Great Depression, the Second World War produced another crop of young aspiring citizens, intent on helping the war effort at home.
With many teachers leaving for war duties, qualified replacements produced regular classroom activities. Much was the same: daily class periods, frequent exams, tea dances in the gym, Friday football games against hated Runnymede, East York Collegiate Institute, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and York Memorial Collegiate Institute teams. And, during these troubled times, the Vaughan Road teams were very good, as both Seniors and Juniors won TDIAA titles. War or no war, daily school life went on.
But the War brought major changes... The many paper and aluminum drives led by the irrepressible Mr. Cunningham; the sombre assemblies with the dramatic reading of the names of missing, or Killed in Action; the many Vaughan girls donating their time to The Christie Street Hospital, or dancing with the handsome Norwegians at Little Norway, on the Lakeshore; the appearance of past students at the school in uniform, usually just before they were sent overseas; almost all of the girls knitting balaclavas, mitts, socks, and scarves for The Red Cross. Additionally, a major benefit of those times was that because of all the war related activities, there was a much greater feeling of closeness and comradery between the students and teachers.
[edit] School Motto
In Medium Quaesita Reponunt
The English Translation: They lay up in store for common use whatever they have gained
The Latin motto comes from Virgil's Georgics, in the book in which he describes the Commonwealth of Bees. The bees are wandering widely over field and stream, searching for the sweet juices of plants which they may extract and bring back to the hive for storage. They are searching for these juices not only that they may have food for themselves, but also that they may contribute equally towards the common support. Drones who do not work nor gather honey are not allowed in the hive. All are busy in search of honey, and ultimately, all share in what has been collected.
Applied to students, the motto suggests Vaughan Road students are in the school for the purpose of searching for and acquiring the knowledge and skills which may ultimately be used for the benefit of the community at large. They study subjects such as English, Mathematics, Sciences, Social Sciences, the Languages, and Business, so that in the future their skills may be used in service to society. The word "Quaesita" suggests effort sustained over a long period of time and also the application of all powers of mind towards the attainment of a purpose. The words "In Medium" show that the purpose is not a selfish one, that students are aiming to prepare themselves for service to society.
[edit] School Song
Colours red and blue and gold
Vaughan Road Academy we hail
For your honour we uphold
The torch and we'll never fail
Raise your glorious banners high
And forever let them fly
Cheer, cheer all cheer
Shout for all your might V.R.A.!
(Originally, the words Vaughan Road Academy and V.R.A. were Vaughan Road C.I. and V.R.C.I., respectively. They rhymed, then.)
[edit] School architecture
VRA, or Vaughan as it is affectionately known, is unique in the architectural design of the edifice that houses it; which from above appears as a near-isosceles right angle triangle with enclosed courtyard (in which a daycare for Vaughan students' children operates) of the same shape; the overall aerial view's reminiscence of The Pentagon lending the building the moniker "The Triagon". While the school letter is predictably "V" as chosen from the Latin alphabet, the lesser-known Greek school letter, Delta, is derived from the building's shape; as in the sciences Delta denotes change, this choice reflects the schools always-progressive attitude towards education.
[edit] Alumni
Some of Vaughan Road Academy's notable alumni include:
- Gord Ash (1951-), general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1995 to 2001.
- Sarah Barrable-Tishauer - Portrays "Liberty Van Zandt" on the Canadian Hit Degrassi: The Next Generation. Class of 2006.
- Michael Eben, Football player Toronto Argonauts, Professor and coach York University, teacher, UCC.[9]
- Don Harron - Actor, Author, Broadcaster.[10]
- William Hutt (actor) (1920-2007), Actor, Director, Companion of the Order of Canada (1969), Order of Ontario (1992), First recipient of the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award, English Stage (1992), Shakespeare Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Award for most outstanding contribution to the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre (1998).[11]
- Bob Kaplan (1936-), former MP who was Solicitor General of Canada from 1980 to 1984.
- Monte Kwinter (1931-), member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1985.
- Anne Michaels (1958-), Author, winner of the Trillium Prize, the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Beatrice and Martin Fischer Award and the Orange Prize
- Alison Pill (1985-), actress who has appeared on TV in the drama The Book of Daniel, and nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
- Dr. Arthur Leonard Schawlow (1921-1999), Research Scientist, Educator, Nobel Laureate (1981), Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Stanford University[12]
- Siluck Saysanasy, (1974-), Laotian-Canadian television actor best known for playing Yick Yu, a character from the Degrassi series.
- Al Waxman, Actor, Broadcaster, Author, philanthropist,Order of Ontario (1996), Order of Canada (1997).[13][10]
- Ellen Page (1987-), Best known for her role in the film Juno. She attended VRA in the Interact program for 2 years.
[edit] References
- ^ Directory, Vaughan Road Academy. Accessed August 8, 2007.
- ^ Vaughan Road Academy, International Baccalaureate Organization. Accessed August 7, 2007.
- ^ a b VRA Co-Operative Education
- ^ a b Student Planner, Vaughan Road Academy. Accessed August 8, 2007.
- ^ Empowered Student Partnerships Feature Program: Vaughan Road Academy
- ^ Vaughan Road Academy Sports
- ^ Sears Ontario Drama Festival, 2006 Showcase Awards
- ^ Canada at the International Olympiad in Informatics
- ^ Michael Eben profile, Toronto Argonauts. Accessed August 7, 2007. "When he started high school at Toronto's Vaughan Road Collegiate Mike surprisingly didn't try out for the football team."
- ^ a b Hutt, William (1920-2007), Canadian Communications Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2007. "Born in Toronto on May 2nd 1920, William Hutt was educated at Vaughan Road Collegiate - whose other alumni included Al Waxman and Don Harron - and obtained his B.A. from Trinity College at U. of T. in 1948."
- ^ Ouzounian, Richard. "William Hutt, 87: Renowned stage actor", Toronto Star, June 27, 2007. Accessed August 7, 2007. "Hutt was born in Toronto in 1920 and took part in amateur theatrics during his time at Vaughan Road and North Toronto Collegiates, but then served with distinction with the Canadian ambulance corps on the European front during World War II, being decorated for bravery in combat."
- ^ Arthur L. Schawlow: The Nobel Prize in Physics 1981, Nobelprize.org. Accessed August 7, 2007. "I attended public schools there, Winchester elementary school, the Normal Model School attached to the teacher's college, and Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute (high school)."
- ^ Vaughan Road Academy Hall of Fame, Vaughan Road Academy. Accessed August 7, 2007.
