Point Grey Secondary School

Not to be confused with West Point Grey Academy

Point Grey Secondary School is a public secondary school located in the Kerrisdale and Shaughnessy neighbourhoods of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The main building, (the original building) contains most of the school's classes. It contains a cafeteria, Foods and Sewing Room on the first floor. The Second floor, contains the office, the Library, the Auditorium, Band room, Small Gym, Boys and Girls Gym. Most Math and Art, and Tech classes are on this floor. The third floor, has classes for English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Social Studies. There is also a Science Wing which contains 7 classrooms. There is also a Drama room, Woodworks shop, and a "Math" wing, which no longer houses any math class.

History

Designed by Fred Townley and Matheson, the main building was built in 1929 in a Collegiate Gothic style.^[3] Construction of the school was commissioned by the Municipality of Point Grey prior to amalgamation with the City of Vancouver. The first students began classes in September 1929 and the building served as a junior high school until 1965 when it became a full secondary school. Point Grey Secondary was built originally as a junior high school. Also in 1965, a new wing was added with a gym, laboratories and a library. In 2006, Point Grey, in conjunction with the Parks Board, completed a new artificial turf field, and have upgraded the track surrounding it to a rubber surface. Point Grey also offers Advanced Placement courses in Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Physics, and Psychology.^[4]

In 1962 Point Grey was designated a comprehensive secondary school from grade 8 to 12, as it is today. Although the school offered a full range of courses, its focus was essentially academic. Today eighty-five per cent of Point Grey's grade 12's continue on with post-secondary education.

Feeder schools

For the most part, Point Grey Secondary School receives students from three elementary schools. These include Kerrisdale Elementary School, Quilchena Elementary School, and Southlands Elementary School. However, students also enroll from Talmud Torah, Emily Carr Elementary School, St. Augustine's Elementary School, Shaughnessy Elementary School, General Wolfe L'École Bilingue, Jules Quesnel Elementary School and also from many other private and public schools in the region and all over the Vancouver area and out of boundary.

Point Grey Mini School

Point Grey Mini School

Founded in 1979, the mini school is a district-wide program that offers students enriched learning and social experiences in addition to the regular curriculum. Unlike the main school, all students who wish to enter the mini school program must write an entrance exam (regardless of whether or not they are in the catchment zone), and out of the many who apply, only thirty individuals (15 girls and 15 boys) are chosen. Students are still considered part of the main school and take elective courses there. The head teacher position is currently shared by Mr. Paul Skarsgard and Mr. Mori Hamilton. The students go on a variety of trips listed below:

• Grade Eight: Orientation, Manning Park Ski Trip, and Bamfield Marine Station.
• Grade Nine and Ten: Orientation, Manning Park Ski Trip, Ashland Shakespeare Festival or Strathcona Park Lodge
• Grade Eleven and Twelve: Orientation, Manning Park Ski Trip (optional)

The mini school is accessible by a flight of stairs or the hill on West 37th Avenue.

Austria/Europe exchange program(Inactive)

In 2003 Point Grey established an educational/cultural exchange program with Akademisches Gymnasium, a school in Innsbruck, Austria. This program is open to students going into Grades 10, 11, and 12.

School sports

There is a wide variety of extracurricular sports are offered throughout the year such as soccer, volleyball and skiing.

Fall season

Cross country running, girls' field hockey, boys' rugby, boys' premier soccer, Junior soccer, swimming, girls' volleyball, junior and senior boys volleyball

Winter season

Wrestling, snowboard, skis, ice hockey and basketball for boys and girls.

Spring season

Girls' soccer, bantam and juvenile boys volleyball, track and field, girls' rugby, ultimate, softball, golf for boys and girls, tennis and badminton.

In popular culture

• The film Superbad was based on the experiences of the film's writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg when they attended Point Grey. The duo's production company, Point Grey Pictures is named after it.

• Fox's "Lucifer" was filmed there: the school doubled as a Korean community centre for the series. Other productions include the third adaptation of "Mostly Ghostly" TV movies: One Night In Doom House starring Corey Fogelmanis.

• Archie Comics' coming series "Riverdale" is also filmed here, on the sports field beside the schools. The crew was spotted by students filming a football scene with explosions in the background.^[5]

Notable alumni

Nick Orchard, TV Producer

References

External links

• Point Grey Secondary School website
• Vancouver School Board - Point Grey

Coordinates: 49°14′13″N 123°09′11″W / 49.2370°N 123.1530°W / 49.2370; -123.1530