Glenlyon Norfolk School
| Glenlyon Norfolk School | |
|---|---|
 "Veritate Valorum Optime Agis" Do your best through truth and courage'. | |
| Address | |
|
801 Bank St. Victoria, British Columbia, V8S 4A8, Canada | |
| Information | |
| Headmaster | Simon Bruce-Lockhart |
| School type | Independent |
| Grades | JK-12 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Junior Campus: Oak Bay, Senior Campus: Victoria |
| Mascot | Gryphon |
| Team name | Gryphons |
| Colours | Blue and Green |
| Founded |
1932 (Glenlyon School) 1913 (Norfolk House) 1986 (amalgamation) |
| Enrollment | 679 |
| Homepage | www.mygns.ca |
Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS) is an independent, co-ed, university preparatory day school in Victoria and Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed in 1986 with the amalgamation of Glenlyon School and Norfolk House. The school offers instruction from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. The school 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.[1] Of the 1,687 schools that participate in the IB program in North America and the Caribbean, Glenlyon Norfolk School is one of only 25 schools that offer the program at all three levels.[2]
GNS is a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization, Round Square, the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC), and National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
The present Headmaster is Mr. Simon Bruce-Lockhart.
History
The traditional values that make up the GNS motto—Do your best through truth and courage—have well-established roots at the school. In 1913, a pair of enterprising British women founded Norfolk House School, an all-girls school on what is now our Pemberton Woods Campus. Miss Atkins and Miss McDermott were dedicated to a rigorous education in academics, arts, and values. Some 20 years later, Glenlyon Preparatory School for boys was established on the location of our Beach Campus by an equally committed and gifted educator, Major Ian Simpson. In 1986, the schools joined together to share their philosophies and resources in a cohesive approach to fostering the futures of their students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. In 2013, GNS celebrated 100 years of education to Victoria’s future leaders.
GNS's nearly 700 students occupy two campuses: the picturesque Beach Drive campus, and the Pemberton Woods Campus. The Beach Drive Campus is located near Willows Beach in Oak Bay and is home to students in Junior Kindergarten through to Grade Five. The campus is focused around the former home of Sir Francis Rattenbury. 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.
The Pemberton Woods Campus, home to students Grades 6 through to 12, combines the old Norfolk House Campus with a number of new buildings built after the amalgamation.
Each Campus has its own Principal (Ms. Jean Bigelow 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, Mr. Simon Bruce-Lockhart.
In June 2007, the Board of Directors approved a plan for comprehensive campus transformation. In 2009, an artificial turf field was installed. In the spring of 2013 the Hall, seating over 350, was completed.
Debate
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.
Athletics
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.
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, '11), Boys Soccer (’05,'07,'09,'10,'11,'12,'13), Boys Basketball (’07), Golf (’07, ’08)
References
- ↑ Glenlyon Norfolk School, International Baccalaureate, accessed May 14, 2007.
- ↑ IB World School statistics: Number of schools by programme combination and region, International Baccalaureate, accessed May 19, 2012.