Vancouver Technical Secondary School
| Vancouver Technical Secondary School | |
|---|---|
|
"Semper Sursum" Ever Upwards | |
| Location | |
| Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 1Y5, Canada | |
| Public transit access | 9, 7, 16, Millennium Line (Skytrain), 27, 99 |
| Information | |
| School number | 03939011 |
| School board | School District 39 Vancouver |
| Superintendent | Steve Cardwell |
| Area trustee | Mike Lombardi |
| Principal | Beverly Seed |
| School type | Secondary school |
| Grades | 8-12 |
| Language | English, French immersion |
| Area |
Mount Pleasant Grandview-Woodland Nootka Elementary Hastings-Sunrise Renfrew-Collingwood |
| Mascot | Talisman (Wiki Tiki Tribe Member) |
| Team name | Van Tech Talismen (Girls Ice Hockey team - Taliswomen) |
| Colours | Emerald and Gold |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Enrollment | 1660 Students |
| Homepage | http://vantech.vsb.bc.ca/ |
Vancouver Technical Secondary School, often referred to as Van Tech, is a public secondary school located on the East Side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
History
The school originally opened in 1916, for boys only, in the Fairview neighbourhood. It then moved Downtown until 1928 when it moved to its present location in east Vancouver. In 1940, girls were admitted.
Current school profile
Vancouver Technical is attended by approximately 1700 students, has a staff of approximately 130 with administrative staff consisting of a principal and two vice-principals.
Geography/building
The school features one asphalt 400-metre oval track, a grass field, a $1-million FIFA turf field paid for by the city through a random draw and basketball courts.
The main unit is a is four storey building high with a basement and an attached auditorium and "Girls' Wing". It currently houses Home Economics classrooms, but is to be demolished at the end of an earthquake-proofing project. There is also a Technology Building, which houses Graphics, Drafting, Electronics, Woodworks, Metalworks, automotive, Hairdressing and French classrooms. Currently, there are 6 north-south tennis courts at the NE side of school grounds.
Minischools
Vancouver Technical offers a wide range of minischool programs. Summit is a 3-year minischool program which focuses on enriching the four academic courses: Math, Science, Social Studies and English. The summit program offers accelerated sciences and mathematics, with students completing Chemistry 11 and Pre-Calculus 11 by grade 10. Many extra-curricular activities are part of the program. Students in the Summit program engage in many extra-curricular activities including a 4-day camp at the beginning of the school year, and a week-long horseback riding camp in their 10th grade year. Students also work to obtain the Duke of Edinburgh's Award at the end of the program.[1]
Flex Humanities is a minischool program which focuses on leadership abilities, cooperation humanities and the arts (its classes include art, Spanish, historical studies, and classical studies/philosophy).
There is also a French Immersion program at Van Tech. Students go from grade 8-12 in the French Immersion program learning their Sciences, Social Studies and Communications in French. Immersion students not only study in French, but also visit France once or twice during their five years at Van Tech.
Technical courses
The technical program involves students working with professional level software/hardware, and also, the students are actively involved in the printing department with printing presses. The Drafting/Architecture/Animation program involves students of all grades. Woodwork and metalwork are also offered at Vancouver Technical, where students learn to use machinery. Electronics is also another course where students learn to test and build circuits. Auto Mechanics, Home economics, Hair Dressing, Drama, Photography, and a film production course are also offered.
Music
The VanTech Music Program is home to more than 500 students, approximately 1/3 of the school's population, and has grown substantially over the past decade. Concert Band is a course offered in three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Senior. Orchestra an after-school course separated into two levels; Junior and Senior. VT has a Choir program consisting of Concert Choir, Chamber Choir and Vocal Ensemble. VanTech also offers both Junior Symphony Orchestra and Senior Symphony Orchestra which are after-school ensembles. All ensembles go on tour to different destinations each year towards the end of the school year. The music program has been the recipient of a MusiCounts BandAid grant, and is part of the VSO connects program.
Sports
During the Fall students have the opportunity to join Soccer (Boys), Volleyball, Badminton, Swimming, Cross Country, and Running. In the winter, Basketball, Ice Hockey (Girls), Wrestling and Table Tennis become available to students. During the Spring students can join Track and Field, Tennis, Dragon Boat, and Soccer and Softball (Girls). Apart from the regular school sports, Vancouver Technical also offers other sports clubs such as the Ski and Snowboard Club, the VT Cycling Club, and Intramural Soccer. Vancouver Technical competes with schools all throughout Vancouver and also participates in many tournaments.
Vancouver Technical and Hollywood
Vancouver Technical Secondary stood in as Smallville High in the first season of the television series Smallville, before the filming location was moved to Templeton Secondary School. However Van Tech continued to show up in the opening credits (it shows up in the background of Allison Mack's credit) until the fourth season. However, the track/field was still used later on in the series.
Vancouver Technical Secondary was also used for the backdrop in the first Scary Movie, in the beauty contest scene, and as the school location for the movie Air Bud, in which all the classroom and indoor scenes are filmed. Students from the school were also used as extras in that film.
In the movie Paycheck with Ben Affleck, the outside of the school as well as the main hall are the locations of scenes.
Vancouver Technical Secondary was also used for the set as Cornwall High School in the movie She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes. In the second scene of the movie, after the credits in the beginning, actual students from Vancouver Technical can be seen playing basketball in the background. Everybody else playing sports on the field are extras.
In early December 2008 and January 2009, the school was used in CW's hit show, Supernatural.
In the 2009 Nickelodeon film Spectacular! starring Victoria Justice, Van Tech's main foyer and brand new auditorium are used.
Van Tech also played a role in Johnny Depp's career. An episode of 21 Jump Street was filmed on location during the mid-1980s.
Vancouver Technical Secondary School's universal gym and boys' shower room are the locations that were renovated to produce the film Jennifer's Body (2009), Starring Megan Fox.
In the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the background of the gym scene where Greg got owned in wrestling was filmed at Van Tech's small gym.
Many scenes from the TV series Hellcats is filmed in Vancouver Technical's big gym.
The AMC's TV series The Killing was also filmed at Van Tech. More than 300 students were extras in the "assembly" scene.
More recently a TV show called Fairly Legal was filmed at Tech, temporarily turning it into a prison.
Scenes from episode 7 in the TV series The Tomorrow People was filmed in the Van Tech's main gymnasium. There were students from the school who were used as extras.
The cafeteria was used briefly for a scene in the 2003 film Elysium.
Notable alumni
- Greg Joy, Olympic medalist - track and field
- Sam Sullivan, former mayor of the city of Vancouver
- John Ferguson (1938–2007), NHL player/coach
References
External links
- Vancouver Technical Secondary School
- Vancouver School Board - Vancouver Technical Secondary
- Van Tech students playing Spanish Fever
- Van Tech Music Program website
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