Garibaldi Secondary School is a grade 8-12 school located in Maple Ridge

Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The school presently has about 1040 students, and 62 teachers.

International Baccalaureate

Garibaldi Secondary School (GSS) is an International Baccalaureate World School for the IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...

 since October 2007. The first International Baccalaureate diploma classes started in 2008. Garibaldi is the only school in Maple Ridge to offer the IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...

. The school also offers courses in the junior grades to help prepare students for the IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...

.

Other Programs

In addition to its academic programs Garibaldi is known for its Fine Arts program (Drama, Video Editing, Music and Art), its Technical program (Automotive, Woodwork and Drafting)and its Business and Information Technology program (Accounting, Economics, Business Computer Applications, Desktop Publishing, Marketing, Tourism and Information Technology).

Online Learning

The school has been involved from the start in the District's Distance Learning Program the Connected Learning Community(CLC) which offers courses online to students all over British Columbia. Several teachers conduct online courses using various programs including Moodle and recently Second Life.

History

The original school was built in 1956 when it was named after Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located in British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres north of Vancouver. The park is located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres...

 which was just to the North of the school. Later this part of the park became a separate park known as Golden Ears Provincial Park

Golden Ears Provincial Park

Golden Ears Provincial Park is a Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada at 555.9 km². It is named after the prominent twin peaks which are commonly referred to as Golden Ears...

 but the school kept the name Garibaldi Secondary School, so it is also named after Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...

. The school has completed its building program with new classrooms, science labs and computer labs.