Killarney Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Killarney Secondary School is a public high school
in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. The school is named for the area in which it resides. It is the largest public secondary school in the city by area.
Killarney (A and C-Wings) opened in September 1957 with students from grades 8 to 12. The teaching staff consisted of 52 members under the direction of principal Tom Alsbury. Grade 11 was added the following year, and Grade 12 the year after that, with the first class of senior students graduating as the class of 1960.
At the time of the opening, the school was surrounded by vacant land as the areas to the east and south were just beginning to see development. Killarney continued to grow especially as the area south of 49th Avenue matured. November 1961 saw the addition of a new wing to the building which included an auditorium and stage (B-Wing). Just over six years later in December 1967, D-Wing was completed, which greatly expanded and improved upon the existing science and industrial education facilities. In the 1970s, seven portable classrooms were placed on the grounds to accommodate the more than 1,700 students enrolled by that time (construction of a neighbouring secondary school had been delayed). Within a decade, enrollment would reach 2,000 and has remained around this level ever since then. The most recent addition was a new wing containing a new facade/main entrance/foyer, 21 classrooms, a new band-room and a state of the art music lab.
Mathematics Department has been releasing a specific annual study of B.C. secondary schools since at least 1987. It is a school-by-school study based on final standings in each December for the various UBC First Year Calculus Courses for students who graduated from secondary schools in British Columbia. Killarney Secondary School ranked in the top third for 13 consecutive years from 1991 to 2003, dropped down the list to 12th (of 21 schools) in 2004, and returned to the top third (5th out of 23 schools) the following year in 2005.
Killarney Secondary School received a rating of 7.2 out of 10 in the 2007 edition of The Fraser Institute's Report Card on Secondary Schools in British Columbia and Yukon. It ranked 80th out of the 291 schools ranked in the report card.
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 Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, 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 is named for the area in which it resides. It is the largest public secondary school in the city by area.
History
At the time of the opening, the school was surrounded by vacant land as the areas to the east and south were just beginning to see development. Killarney continued to grow especially as the area south of 49th Avenue matured. November 1961 saw the addition of a new wing to the building which included an auditorium and stage (B-Wing). Just over six years later in December 1967, D-Wing was completed, which greatly expanded and improved upon the existing science and industrial education facilities. In the 1970s, seven portable classrooms were placed on the grounds to accommodate the more than 1,700 students enrolled by that time (construction of a neighbouring secondary school had been delayed). Within a decade, enrollment would reach 2,000 and has remained around this level ever since then. The most recent addition was a new wing containing a new facade/main entrance/foyer, 21 classrooms, a new band-room and a state of the art music lab.
Overview
Killarney Secondary is the largest secondary school in Vancouver, and a comprehensive school currently with 2,115 approximate students in grades 8 to 12 with 150 teaching staff. Extra-curricular activities are abundant with more than 35 clubs and a full inter-high school sports program. Killarney has one of the highest enrollments in the district in the senior maths and sciences. The school has enjoyed a multicultural population for many years and includes students from over 35 different countries with a similar number of languages spoken at home.Fine arts
Killarney has Vancouver's largest and most varied Fine Arts Program, featuring an internationally recognized music program in band, choral and strings, and award winning programs in art/graphics and drama. The Killarney Secondary Band, Choir and Strings programs have performed world-wide.Athletics
Killarney was awarded "Top School" in B.C. by B.C. High School Sports in 2006.Achievements
The University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
Mathematics Department has been releasing a specific annual study of B.C. secondary schools since at least 1987. It is a school-by-school study based on final standings in each December for the various UBC First Year Calculus Courses for students who graduated from secondary schools in British Columbia. Killarney Secondary School ranked in the top third for 13 consecutive years from 1991 to 2003, dropped down the list to 12th (of 21 schools) in 2004, and returned to the top third (5th out of 23 schools) the following year in 2005.
Killarney Secondary School received a rating of 7.2 out of 10 in the 2007 edition of The Fraser Institute's Report Card on Secondary Schools in British Columbia and Yukon. It ranked 80th out of the 291 schools ranked in the report card.
Notable alumni
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. - Milan LucicMilan LucicMilan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger of Serbian origin currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League for three seasons and captured a Memorial Cup, while being named...
, professional hockey player for the NHL's Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... - Colin MochrieColin MochrieColin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish Canadian actor and improvisational comedian, most famous for his appearances on the British and US versions of television improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.-Early life:...
, improv comedian on 'Whose Line is it Anyway', currently on tour on the 'Colin and Brad Show' - Wai YoungWai YoungWai Young is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of Vancouver South as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.-Early life:...
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.