| Glenlyon Norfolk School | |
| "Veritate Valorum Optime Agis" Do thy best with truth and courage. |
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| Address | |
| 801 Bank St. Victoria, British Columbia, V8S 4A8, Canada |
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| Information | |
| Headmaster | Simon Bruce-Lockhart |
| School type | Independent Day |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Language | English |
| Mascot | Gryphon |
| Team name | Gryphons |
| Colours | Blue and Green |
| Founded | 1932 (Glenlyon School) 1913 (Norfolk House) 1986 (amalgamation) |
| Enrolment | 679 |
| Homepage | www.glenloynnorfolk.bc.ca |
Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS) is an independent, co-ed, university preparatory school in Victoria, British Columbia. It was formed in 1986 with the amalgamation of Glenlyon School and Norfolk House. The school offers instruction from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and teaches according to the traditional BC curriculum. The school also offers the International Baccalaureate at all three levels: the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and, at the high school level, offers the IB Diploma Programme as an option.[1] Of the 1,013 schools that participate in the IB program in North America and the Caribbean, Glenlyon Norfolk School is one of only seven schools that offer the program at all three levels, and the only one in British Columbia to do so.[2]
GNS is a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization, The Round Square, the CAIS, the ISABC, and the NAIS.
The Present Headmaster is Mr Simon Bruce-Lockhart.
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GNS's nearly 700 students occupy two campuses in Victoria: the picturesque Beach Drive campus, located near Willows Beach, is home to Junior Kindergarten through Grade Five. The campus is focused around the former home of Sir Francis Rattenbury, though most classes are held in other buildings than the original house. Until 2003, the Beach Drive Campus was known as the Junior Boys Campus, reserved for boys from Kindergarten to Grade Seven. In 2003 the school restructured its approach to co-ed learning, and the Beach Drive Campus saw female students for the first time. Although the campus is now shared, boys and girls remain in separate classrooms for lessons.
The Pemberton Woods campus, home to students Grades 6-12, combines the old Norfolk House campus with a number of new buildings built after the amalgamation. Before the restructuring the Pemberton Woods Campus was divided into the Junior Girls and Senior Campus: today, although officially one campus, students in Grades 6-8 generally attend classes in the old Junior Girls buildings, while Grades 9-12 use the newer buildings. All grades at the PW campus are co-ed but all of the Beach Drive classes are single sex.
Each Campus has its own Principal (Ms. Jean Bigalow in the Junior School, Mr. Jake Burnett in the Middle School & Mr. Richard Calderwood in the Senior School), while the entire school is administered by the Headmaster.
In June 2007 the Board of Director's approved a plan for comprehensive campus transformation. Construction at Beach Drive is targeted to begin in June 2009, taking approximately fifteen months. The plan calls for the site's historic buildings to be completely renovated and restored, and the newer buildings be completely replaced. Construction at Pemberton Woods will take longer, and involves the building of several new buildings including a 385-seat Performing Arts Centre and the renovation of existing structures. The plan also calls for the installation of an artificial turf field, which is now completed.
Glenlyon Norfolk identifies three girls sports and three boys sports as the ‘major’ sports of the School: Girls Field Hockey, Basketball, and Soccer; Boys Rugby, Basketball, and Soccer. In these 6 sports the school provides a fully supported program at all age levels, with the explicit goal of being competitive at the Provincial level.
Other sports are encouraged and supported, but affected by changes in the availability of coaches or the enthusiasm and ability of a particular group of students. The goal for these sports is to be competitive at local and Island level, though higher aspirations are encouraged.
Since 1986 (the year of amalgamation) the Gryphons have won Vancouver Island Championships and Independent School Championships 38 times in 14 different sports and Provincial Championships as follows: Boys Rugby (‘95), Tennis (’98, ’03), Climbing (’99), Girls Soccer (’03, ’05, '10), Boys Soccer (’05,'07,'09,'10), Boys Basketball (’07), Golf (’07, ’08)
GNS's Senior Campus is known for a large debate program, with one in seven students belonging to the Debate Club. The school occasionally sends debaters to the Worlds and regularly sends students to the Junior and Senior National debate tournaments and seminars. Last school year, for the first time in more than five years, the school sent three debaters to the Nationals: two Grade 9 debaters to the Junior Nationals in Montreal, and one Grade 12 debater to the Senior Nationals in Ontario. Glenlyon Norfolk debaters also regularly win tournaments both provincially and on Vancouver Island. They are the current Provincial Champions for Junior Class.