Lakefield College School
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Lakefield College School (LCS or sometimes 'The Grove') is a coeducational boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
The school's motto is Mens Sana In Corpore Sano ("A sound mind in a sound body"). It was the first Canadian member of the international affiliation of schools called Round Square.
History
LCS was founded in 1879 as Sparham Sheldrake's Preparatory School for Boys or The Grove and was later named Lakefield Preparatory School. The current name was given following the Second World War. In 1989 it became coeducational, after much disagreement among its alumni, Board of Govenors, and trustees.
It was historically the training grounds for the Family Compact and its successors, including the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario that held power in Ontario. By contrast, the Liberals were predominantly Catholic. However, the alumni show more range in their political affiliations today and are representative of the Canadian spectrum. In fact one notable alumnus includes Jim Harris, leader of the Green Party of Canada.
Timeline
- 1879 - The Grove - Preparatory School for Boys was founded by Sam Strickland and Sparham Sheldrake in Strickland's home. It was initially located on 25 acres land consisted of a large farmhouse with several rooms, a shed, and a kitchen; enough room to accommodate about 15 boys.
- 1895 - Reverend Alexander Mackenzie, teacher at the school, bought the school from Sheldrake. Dr. Mackenzie, who would remain as Headmaster until 1938, established the school's educational philosophy of combining a rigorous academic curriculum with a full and enriching program of sports, arts and outdoor education. During his time at the school, new classrooms, dormitories and dining room were added.
- 1924 - A Chapel was built at the school.
- 1938 - Mackenzie died and his son Kenneth became the school's third Headmaster—a position he held until joining the navy two years later.
- 1940 - Gordon Winder Smith, a master at the school, was appointed Headmaster in 1940. The school was faced with a mounting debt, buildings in poor condition and very little property surrounding the school. Working closely with the school's Board of Governors, Winder Smith or "Boodie" as he was known, worked diligently to retire the debt. He then embarked on a program of upgrading the facilities and adding new buildings and residences.
- 1964 - Mr. Smith retired and Winder Smith Dining Hall was opened in his honour. Jack Matthews was appointed as Headmaster and over the next 7 years the school expanded in numbers and in international acclaim.
- 1966 - The school was renamed Lakefield College School to better reflect its mission.
- 1969 - The Duke of Edinburgh visited in 1969 and the school became the first Canadian member of the Round Square Conference of Schools—an international association of schools with similar values and beliefs.
- 1970 - The funds for a new theatre were donated and construction began.
- 1971 - Mr. Matthews went on to found Lester B. Pearson College in British Columbia. Terry Guest was appointed Lakefield's next Headmaster and during his tenure the school continued to grow. Ashelworth House and a considerable amount of property surrounding the school were purchased, extending the campus considerably.
- 1978 - Prince Andrew attended the school for a term as an exchange student from Gordonstoun School, starting a long lasting relationship that continues to this day.
- 1979 - LCS celebrated its centennial.
- 1985 - Current Head of School David Hadden took over, initiating major changes.
- 1989 - LCS' went co-educational, responding to changing times and enrollment and financial pressures
- 1990-present - The school's academic program began to emphasize information technology. Construction projects totally changed the campus, adding a new library, theatre, outdoor ice rink, music and art classrooms, three residences, a Chapel and an academic building and making extensive renovations to all other buildings.
Campus
LCS has a 155-acre wooded, waterfront, campus on the east shore of Lake Katchewanooka in rural Ontario. It is just north of the village of Lakefield, an hour and a half north of Toronto.It contains ten boarding houses, with an average of just over 20 students per house. The main building contains a chapel, dining hall, modern theatre, music room, art room, day student locker rooms, science labs, large library, computer lab, and classrooms.
An outdoor artificial ice surface has been operational since November of 2005. A boathouse at the waterfront contains sailboats, kayaks, and canoes. Other buildings contain the dance studio and weightroom.
Students
As of 2005, LCS enrolls 365 students; 232 in boarding (grades 9–12) and 133 in day (grades 7–12) status.The boarding students are divided into houses, each with an adult 'Head of House' who acts as a parent and a 'don' who acts like an older brother or sister while the student is away from home. There are five boys' boarding houses and five girls' boarding houses which contain student dormitories, washrooms, common areas, a Head of House apartment, and a Don apartment. Each has an average of 23 students and 2 adults.
The day students are also divided into houses, however with no actual physical building. There are two senior houses (grades 9-12) and one junior (grades 7 and 8) house, each with a 'Head of House'. These students get together for social events and the Head of House acts as a mentor and liaison between the students and administrative aspect of the school.
All students also have an academic advisor, who helps with course selection, university admission, and arranging extra help (including tutoring) if necessary.
Extracurricular Activities
As part of the "education of the whole person", Lakefield College School offers Co-Curricular activities such as a wide range of sports, community service opportunities, choir, band, theatre and different student groups.Curriculum
Lakefield College School offers a wide range of Arts, Languages, Math, Science, Technology and Social Science courses to its students.Notable alumni
- Prince Andrew, Duke of York
- Felipe, Prince of Asturias
- James R.M. Harris, current leader of the Green Party of Canada (since 2003)
- Nick Wright, current leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia (since 2006)
- David Miller, current mayor of Toronto (since 2003)
- Paul Desmarais, Jr., chairman and co-chief executive officer of Power Corporation of Canada
- Emilio Azcárraga Jean, CEO of Televisa, the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world.
External link
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