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A. Y. Jackson Secondary School (Ottawa)
Encyclopedia
A. Y. Jackson Secondary School is a community high school
in the Glen Cairn
neighbourhood of Kanata
, a suburb in the west end of Ottawa
, Ontario
. It is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
and was first opened in 1976. The school was named after A. Y. Jackson
, the famous Canadian painter, and one of the founders of the Group of Seven
.
AYJ has approximately 800 students attending its program. The majority of students come from W.O. Mitchell Elementary School, Bridlewood Community Elementary School
, or Glen Cairn Public School, its three feeder schools.
. This designation is a reflection of the international and global citizenship focus of the school, in both the in-class curriculum and extracurricular activities.
The school runs two major international exchanges each year with partner schools in Zaragoza
, Spain
and Suzhou
, China
. As well, each year there are trips to destinations in the United States as well as other international trips such as a tour of the Canadian battlefields of Europe
and concert band tours of Italy
and Austria
.
The school also hosts an annual Beyond Our Walls Conference where students from across Ottawa
come to learn about opportunities to volunteer in their communities and around the world. As well, AYJ has formed a major partnership with the Lwak Girls' High School
in the Rarieda area of Kenya
, providing much needed fundraising for the Kenyan school as well as creating positive collaborations between the students in both countries. In 2009, AYJ hosted the first annual Run for Kenya fundraising run. Several elite Kenyan long distance runners visited AYJ to show their support.
AYJ was the first school in Ottawa to participate in the Engineers in Schools program providing direct links between local engineers and students.
" won in the Critic's Favourite Musical category at the annual Cappies Gala and, in 2011, they won the Critic's Favourite Play category with the Ottawa Cappies for their production of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite
".
AYJ has recently added the novel The Book of Negroes by Canadian author Lawrence Hill
, winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
, to its grade 12 English curriculum. The author himself visited the school in October 2009 to meet with students and read from his bestselling novel.
high school to win a provincial basketball championship in 59 years. In 2009, the varsity boys non-contact hockey team won the city championship. The Snowboard & Ski Club is the largest club at the school with regular excursions during the winter months.
They also have a successful soccer Program including boys and girls varsity teams.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Glen Cairn
Glen Cairn, Ontario
Glen Cairn is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in the community of Kanata, Ontario. It is located in South Kanata, about west of Downtown Ottawa. It was one of the original neighbourhoods in Kanata....
neighbourhood of Kanata
Kanata, Ontario
Situated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....
, a suburb in the west end of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refers to both the institution responsible for the operation of all English public schools in the city of Ottawa, Ontario and its governing body. Like most school boards, the OCDSB is administered by a group of elected trustees and one director selected...
and was first opened in 1976. The school was named after A. Y. Jackson
A. Y. Jackson
Alexander Young Jackson, was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven.- Early life and training :...
, the famous Canadian painter, and one of the founders of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
.
AYJ has approximately 800 students attending its program. The majority of students come from W.O. Mitchell Elementary School, Bridlewood Community Elementary School
Bridlewood Community Elementary School
Bridlewood Community Elementary School is an elementary and middle school located on 63 Bluegrass Drive, in Ottawa, Canada. Operated by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, it is situated in the Zone 2 school board district with Cathy Curry as its trustee, in the Kanata neighbourhood of...
, or Glen Cairn Public School, its three feeder schools.
Global citizenship
In 2006, AYJ became the first school internationally to be recognized as a Global Learning Centre by the International School ConnectionInternational School Connection
The International School Connection is an non-profit education organization based in Tampa, FL of the United States of America. It has an international Board of Directors, Officers, and Regional Hub coordinators that represent 15 countries on four continents...
. This designation is a reflection of the international and global citizenship focus of the school, in both the in-class curriculum and extracurricular activities.
The school runs two major international exchanges each year with partner schools in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. As well, each year there are trips to destinations in the United States as well as other international trips such as a tour of the Canadian battlefields of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and concert band tours of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The school also hosts an annual Beyond Our Walls Conference where students from across Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
come to learn about opportunities to volunteer in their communities and around the world. As well, AYJ has formed a major partnership with the Lwak Girls' High School
Lwak Girls' High School
Lwak Girls High School is one of the oldest girls' high schools in Kenya. The school was built in the 1960s , expanded to c. 860, and now has around 800 girls. It is located in Rarieda District, Nyanza province in western Kenya....
in the Rarieda area of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, providing much needed fundraising for the Kenyan school as well as creating positive collaborations between the students in both countries. In 2009, AYJ hosted the first annual Run for Kenya fundraising run. Several elite Kenyan long distance runners visited AYJ to show their support.
Science and technology
AYJ has an in-house closed-circuit television station known as JTV, that produces a daily news and information program, replacing the traditional audio announcements via the Public Address system. It began being offered as a technology credit course in 2004 and the station earned several students the 2005 OCRI High School IT Entrepreneur of The Year Award.AYJ was the first school in Ottawa to participate in the Engineers in Schools program providing direct links between local engineers and students.
Arts
On the evening of Oct. 20, 2009, AYJ drama teacher Illona Henkelman and the cast of A Few Good Men were honoured with awards at the Arts Advisory Committee Awards Ceremony. Mrs. Henkelman won the Secondary School Drama Teacher of the Year (2008–2009) award and the AYJ play A Few Good Men won an award for ' Outstanding Event of the Year'. In 2010, their production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1936 British film produced and directed by George King.-Plot:The film features Tod Slaughter in one of his most famous roles as barber Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was wrongly sentenced to life in prison. After his release 15 years later, he begins...
" won in the Critic's Favourite Musical category at the annual Cappies Gala and, in 2011, they won the Critic's Favourite Play category with the Ottawa Cappies for their production of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...
".
AYJ has recently added the novel The Book of Negroes by Canadian author Lawrence Hill
Lawrence Hill
Lawrence Hill is an award-winning Canadian novelist and memoirist. He is best known for the 2001 memoir Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada and the 2007 novel The Book of Negroes....
, winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
, to its grade 12 English curriculum. The author himself visited the school in October 2009 to meet with students and read from his bestselling novel.
Athletics
AYJ offers a wide variety of sports at both the varsity, intramural and club levels. The school has achieved many successes in the past decade including two city NCSSAA championships for the junior boys rugby program. In 2008, the senior boys basketball team won the provincial OFSAA AA championship, the first OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
high school to win a provincial basketball championship in 59 years. In 2009, the varsity boys non-contact hockey team won the city championship. The Snowboard & Ski Club is the largest club at the school with regular excursions during the winter months.
They also have a successful soccer Program including boys and girls varsity teams.