Vaughan Road Academy

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Vaughan Road Academy

In Medium Quaesita Reponunt
(They lay up in store for common use whatever they have gained)
Address
529 Vaughan Rd
Toronto, Ontario, M6C 2P7, Canada
Information
School board Toronto District School Board
School type High school
Grades 9-12
Language English
Mascot Viper
Team name Vaughan Road Viper
Colours Blue, Red, and Gold             
Founded 1927
Homepage http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/vaughanroad/

Vaughan Road Academy (VRA) is a Toronto District School Board International Baccalaureate school. It is located in the Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood of the York district of Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Vaughan Road is situated at the Vaughan Road and Winona Drive intersection close to Oakwood Avenue and southwest of Forest Hill. It works in partnership with 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.

The school principal is Cynthia ("Cindy") Zwicker-Reston, and the vice principals are Janet Allen and Keith Johnson. The IB coordinator is Paul Corner and INTERACT coordinator is Susan Slack-Miller.

School programs

International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program was adopted by Vaughan Road Academy in July 1998.[1] 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 universities worldwide greatly.

INTERACT

The INTERACT program is for students in the school who are heavily involved in the arts or athletics program outside of school. These students are located in the West end of the school in a privatized area. The students in the program are required to wear the school uniform shirt, but in recent years, they have been able to wear custom sweaters from the INTERACT program. Other students in less privileged programs are not restricted in these areas, but seldom interact with INTERACT students due to conflicting schedules. Interact enables students to have flexible schedules to accommodate their auditions, rehearsals, performances, competitions, etc. 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 when the student is interested in music). Notable alumni of the INTERACT program include Drake, Ellen Page, Alison Pill and Mark Rendall.

Co-operative education

Co-operative education or Co-op is a structured method of combining academic education with practical work experience. It is a four credit semester program[2] 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.[2] 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.[3]

Empowered Student Partnership

Empowered Student Partnership or ESP 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 student-driven initiatives.[4]

Being in ESP 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 take the steps 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.

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 and field and volleyball and knuckeballs.[3][5]

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]

In 2012, the Vaughan Road Vipers basketball team won the OFSAA 'AA' Provincial Championships. In 2004, the Vipers came second in the OFSAA 'AA' Provincial Championships.

Vaughan Vox

Vaughan Road Academy has a school newspaper known as the "Vaughan Vox", sometimes simply called the "Vox". Typically released four times a year, it is usually eight pages long and covers a range of school activities and issues. As of 2012-2013, the Vaughan Vox is edited by the senior editors Meerah Haq, Aidan Flynn, and the junior editors Ria Perrault, James Wu and Billie Zidel and with the help of two teacher advisors.

Past Editors

  • 2011-2012: Marta Canneri, Levi Cassidy and Jacob Wojnas

Gay-Straight Alliance

Vaughan Road Academy has a large and active Gay-Straight Alliance. Founded first in 2006 by a small group of grade 12 students, it reemerged in 2010 and has been very active in combatting homophobia in the school. They have hosted guest speakers such as Farrah Khan and Rev. Brent Hawkes.

Recognition for other activities

Vaughan Road students have participated in competitions such as the annual Sears Ontario Drama Festival, where several of the top awards for 2006 went to VRA students,[6] and the International Olympiad in Informatics, where a VRA student received a gold medal in 2005 and silver medals in 2004 and 2006.[7]

History

Founding

Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute was the first High School built in York Township, the forerunner of the Borough of York.

Construction of VRCI began in July 1926 and the cornerstone was laid by the Lieutenant-Governor Col. Henry Cockshutt on September 1926. George Evans, the first principal, served from the beginning in 1926, until 1957.

In April 1927 the students moved into the school from temporary quarters in portables at Rawlinson Public School.

http://www.thestar.com/article/415469

School Motto

In Medium Quaesita Reponunt
The English Translation: They lay up in store for common use whatever they have gained

The motto suggests Vaughan Road students are in the school for the purpose of searching for and acquiring the knowledge and skills which may be used for the benefit of the community at large. The word "Quaesita" suggests effort sustained over a long period of time and also the application of the 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.

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. In 1960-1963, the words in the song were Vaughan Collegiate and V.C.I. respectively)

School architecture

VRA, or Vaughan as it is affectionately known, 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.

The first wing of the school was built in 1926, the second in 1931, and the third, which closed the"L" and turned it into a triangle, in 1967.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vaughan Road Academy, International Baccalaureate Organization. Accessed August 7, 2007.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 VRA Co-Operative Education
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Student Planner, Vaughan Road Academy. Accessed August 8, 2007.
  4. ↑ Empowered Student Partnerships Feature Program: Vaughan Road Academy
  5. ↑ Vaughan Road Academy Sports
  6. ↑ Sears Ontario Drama Festival, 2006 Showcase Awards
  7. ↑ Canada at the International Olympiad in Informatics
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vaughan Road Academy Hall of Fame, Vaughan Road Academy. Accessed August 7, 2007.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 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."
  10. ↑ 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."
  11. ↑ 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)."
  12. ↑ http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/decor/interiors/article/1061655--artist-in-residence-charles-pachter-s-chinatown-oasis

External links

Coordinates: 43°41′27″N 79°26′12″W / 43.690786°N 79.436678°W / 43.690786; -79.436678

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