Brockville Collegiate Institute
Encyclopedia
Brockville Collegiate Institute (BCI) is a public high school located in Brockville
, Ontario
.
BCI houses approximately seven hundred students and follows the Ontario High School Curriculum. The school has consistently ranked among the best in provincial testing. The vast majority of graduates pursue post-secondary studies at college or university.
The Arts are a major focus at BCI. Their French Immersion program and Extended Core French involve approximately 125 students in grades 9 - 12. Business, mathematics, computers, science, liberal arts and communication programs have produced many graduates who have gone on to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, law, computer technology and business.
BCI's athletic program enjoys high levels of success locally and provincially. In recent years it's Junior and Senior Boys football teams have been prolific, capturing the Brockville Bowl as well as Eastern Ontario Championships and in 2009, became the first BCI squad to advance to the National Capital Bowl.
Brockville Collegiate draws from ten public elementary schools, one separate elementary school and one French catholic elementary school and represent a variety of ethno-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. BCI has a high level of student leadership and participation in many school activities including: Athletic Association, Student Council, Yearbook, Sound and Lighting Crew and the Arts Programs. Ninety per cent of the student body pursue studies at the post-secondary level.
BCI's long withstanding motto is "Excellence in Academics, Arts & Athletics"
A number of school partnerships are linked to the co-operative education program; each year 50 - 60 students are placed with employers in the Brockville community.
Students benefit from community participation and support in band boosters club, football alumni group, and BCI alumni. These groups raise considerable amounts of money which contributes to the football program, the purchase of musical instruments, auditorium renovations and more than $30,000 annually in scholarships.
The school facilities (Auditorium and Gymnasium) are utilized by many community groups. BCI students are also involved in volunteering with community organizations and elementary schools.
The school comprised the basement with cloakrooms for pupils and a furnace room, the main floor with office and library in a shallow extension at the front and three classrooms on the north. The second floor held a laboratory above the office, and an assembly room and one classroom; the third floor with two gyms for boys and girls.
John McMullen, the author of A History of Canada and editor of The Brockville Monitor was head of the building committee. The citizens felt that at last they had a splendid school - one that would serve the town for ages. The new school evidently attracted more pupils, and in a short time, a small classroom was partitioned off the assembly room. Soon the later was required for classes.
In 1908, a north wing was added, containing the gymnasium on the ground floor, above that a laboratory and classroom, and on the second floor, a large assembly hall. But this too proved quite inadequate for the growing numbers, and the assembly hall was divided by means of temporary partitions into three classrooms. The two gymnasiums of the original building had long been used for very unsatisfactory classrooms.
It burned down on March 8, 1929 but re-opened two years later.
Twenty-seven alumni were killed serving in World War I and forty-six in World War II.
(UCDSB). Its feeder public elementary schools in the area include Commonwealth, Front of Yonge, Lyn, Maynard, Meadowview, Prince of Wales, Thousand Islands Elementary School, Toniata, Pineview, Westminster, and Vanier.
The student population currently sits at approximately 550. Approximately 60% of these students reach the school by bus.
with the provincial average at 84%.
In November 2006 BCI became accredited to offer the prestigious, internationally recognized International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
The school offers French immersion
and extended core French programs which boast approximately 125 students.
Through its cooperative education
courses 50 - 70 students have work study placements in the community.
In addition to these programs and its core curriculum it also offers students courses in such subjects as music theatre, food and nutrition, English media, multimedia, music, art, photography, drama, leadership and peer support.
School teams compete in badminton, basketball, cross country running, football, baseball, hockey, rowing (through an association with the Brockville Rowing Club), rugby, soccer, track and field, and volleyball.
Building on its strong arts courses the school consistently produces successful musical theatre productions, concert bands, stage bands, instrumental groups and choirs.
Other extracurricular opportunites include a Student Council
, a Yearbook Club, the Sound and Lighting Crew, Reach for the Top
teams (which have placed as high as fourth provincially), the Rambotics Robotics Club, Math teams, the Envirothon Club, and a Grad Club.
In 2007 the BCI Red Rams Junior Football team became the first BCI team to capture the Eastern Ontario championship by defeating Arnprior. The team was led by captains Brodie Mazurek, Ben Harkness, Coleman Bak, Jesse Greenwell, Cole Jackson, and Chadwick Harvey.
In November 2009 the Senior Football team defeated Smith Falls 12-0 to win the EOSSAA championship, while doing so they became the first BCI squad to advance to the National Capital Bowl, held at Trent University in Peterborough. The Rams faced Adam Scott of Peterborough and were defeated, yet this marked a milestone for BCI Football and athletics in general.
Mary Beacock Fryer, historian and author.
John Bracken
, former Manitoba
Premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
.
George E. Smith, former president of Beatrice Foods
Canada. Lieutenant-Colonel Thain Wendell MacDowell
, recipient of the Victoria Cross
and Distinguished Service Order
.
Also as of September 2009, the office administrator is, Colleen Lukassen.
Brockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
, 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....
.
BCI houses approximately seven hundred students and follows the Ontario High School Curriculum. The school has consistently ranked among the best in provincial testing. The vast majority of graduates pursue post-secondary studies at college or university.
The Arts are a major focus at BCI. Their French Immersion program and Extended Core French involve approximately 125 students in grades 9 - 12. Business, mathematics, computers, science, liberal arts and communication programs have produced many graduates who have gone on to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, law, computer technology and business.
BCI's athletic program enjoys high levels of success locally and provincially. In recent years it's Junior and Senior Boys football teams have been prolific, capturing the Brockville Bowl as well as Eastern Ontario Championships and in 2009, became the first BCI squad to advance to the National Capital Bowl.
Brockville Collegiate draws from ten public elementary schools, one separate elementary school and one French catholic elementary school and represent a variety of ethno-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. BCI has a high level of student leadership and participation in many school activities including: Athletic Association, Student Council, Yearbook, Sound and Lighting Crew and the Arts Programs. Ninety per cent of the student body pursue studies at the post-secondary level.
BCI's long withstanding motto is "Excellence in Academics, Arts & Athletics"
A number of school partnerships are linked to the co-operative education program; each year 50 - 60 students are placed with employers in the Brockville community.
Students benefit from community participation and support in band boosters club, football alumni group, and BCI alumni. These groups raise considerable amounts of money which contributes to the football program, the purchase of musical instruments, auditorium renovations and more than $30,000 annually in scholarships.
The school facilities (Auditorium and Gymnasium) are utilized by many community groups. BCI students are also involved in volunteering with community organizations and elementary schools.
History
Brockville Collegiate Institute was built on the present site in 1889, and was formally opened for the Fall term in September of that year. It was originally known as Brockville High School before changing its name to Brockville Collegiate Institute The grey stone building of simple and dignified architecture stood near the centre of the block between Orchard St. and Ormond St. facing Pearl St. on the south. A beautiful lawn in front extended the length of the block and was terraced to the playgrounds of the boys and girls at the rear.The school comprised the basement with cloakrooms for pupils and a furnace room, the main floor with office and library in a shallow extension at the front and three classrooms on the north. The second floor held a laboratory above the office, and an assembly room and one classroom; the third floor with two gyms for boys and girls.
John McMullen, the author of A History of Canada and editor of The Brockville Monitor was head of the building committee. The citizens felt that at last they had a splendid school - one that would serve the town for ages. The new school evidently attracted more pupils, and in a short time, a small classroom was partitioned off the assembly room. Soon the later was required for classes.
In 1908, a north wing was added, containing the gymnasium on the ground floor, above that a laboratory and classroom, and on the second floor, a large assembly hall. But this too proved quite inadequate for the growing numbers, and the assembly hall was divided by means of temporary partitions into three classrooms. The two gymnasiums of the original building had long been used for very unsatisfactory classrooms.
It burned down on March 8, 1929 but re-opened two years later.
Twenty-seven alumni were killed serving in World War I and forty-six in World War II.
Administration
The school is a member of the Upper Canada District School BoardUpper Canada District School Board
The Upper Canada District School Board is one of the largest public school boards in Ontario in terms of geographical area. It encompasses the counties in the easternmost portion of the province, including the cities of Brockville, Clarence-Rockland, Carleton Place, Cornwall, and Akwesasne.The...
(UCDSB). Its feeder public elementary schools in the area include Commonwealth, Front of Yonge, Lyn, Maynard, Meadowview, Prince of Wales, Thousand Islands Elementary School, Toniata, Pineview, Westminster, and Vanier.
The student population currently sits at approximately 550. Approximately 60% of these students reach the school by bus.
Academics
BCI performs well in provincial academic testing and an estimated 90% of its graduates continue on to post-secondary education. In March 2007 it became the first school in the UCDSB to score 100% on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy TestOntario Secondary School Literacy Test
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test is a compulsory standardized test for high school students in Ontario who wish to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. It was established in 2001 by the Conservative government...
with the provincial average at 84%.
In November 2006 BCI became accredited to offer the prestigious, internationally recognized International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
The school offers French immersion
French immersion
French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which a child who does not speak French as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French...
and extended core French programs which boast approximately 125 students.
Through its cooperative education
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
courses 50 - 70 students have work study placements in the community.
In addition to these programs and its core curriculum it also offers students courses in such subjects as music theatre, food and nutrition, English media, multimedia, music, art, photography, drama, leadership and peer support.
Extra-Curricular activities
The school also offers its students a wide range of extracurricular activities in athletics, arts programs, and service clubs.School teams compete in badminton, basketball, cross country running, football, baseball, hockey, rowing (through an association with the Brockville Rowing Club), rugby, soccer, track and field, and volleyball.
Building on its strong arts courses the school consistently produces successful musical theatre productions, concert bands, stage bands, instrumental groups and choirs.
Other extracurricular opportunites include a Student Council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, a Yearbook Club, the Sound and Lighting Crew, Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top is a Canadian game show in which teams of high school students participate in local, provincial and eventually national trivia tournaments...
teams (which have placed as high as fourth provincially), the Rambotics Robotics Club, Math teams, the Envirothon Club, and a Grad Club.
In 2007 the BCI Red Rams Junior Football team became the first BCI team to capture the Eastern Ontario championship by defeating Arnprior. The team was led by captains Brodie Mazurek, Ben Harkness, Coleman Bak, Jesse Greenwell, Cole Jackson, and Chadwick Harvey.
In November 2009 the Senior Football team defeated Smith Falls 12-0 to win the EOSSAA championship, while doing so they became the first BCI squad to advance to the National Capital Bowl, held at Trent University in Peterborough. The Rams faced Adam Scott of Peterborough and were defeated, yet this marked a milestone for BCI Football and athletics in general.
Notable alumni
Some notable former students of the school:Mary Beacock Fryer, historian and author.
John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
, former Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
Premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
.
George E. Smith, former president of Beatrice Foods
Beatrice Foods
Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company. In 1987, its smaller international food operations were sold to Reginald Lewis, a corporate attorney creating TLC Beatrice International, after which the majority of its domestic brands and assets were acquired by Kohlberg,...
Canada. Lieutenant-Colonel Thain Wendell MacDowell
Thain Wendell MacDowell
Thain Wendell MacDowell, VC , DSO , was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
Recent Changes
Alan Perry is no longer the vice principal. As of February 2010, Jolleen Bauder is the Vice PrincipalAlso as of September 2009, the office administrator is, Colleen Lukassen.
Sources
- http://dmgrant.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/the-old-brockville-collegiate-1889-1929/
- https://eqaoweb.eqao.com/
- http://www.ucdsb.on.ca/Schools/School+Directory/Secondary/BCI
- http://www.brockvillemuseum.com
- http://www.ibo.com
- http://www.alumni.utoronto.ca/groups/Soldiers/macdowell.htm
- http://www.brockvillefire.ca