Toronto District Christian High School
Encyclopedia
Toronto District Christian High School (TDChristian) is an independent Christian
secondary school
located in Woodbridge
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was founded in 1960 and began classes in 1963. TDCH currently has an enrollment of about 450 students. TDCH is a member of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools
.
, several Christian
elementary schools were founded in the Greater Toronto Area
. Eventually, many of the members of this community began to look ahead to Christian secondary schooling.
In 1960, the Toronto District Association for Christian Secondary Education was founded, and planning for a Christian high school began. In 1963 forty-nine grade nine and ten students began classes in Second Christian Reformed Church of Toronto. Eventually, a fundraising campaign raised $30,000, which was used to help buy a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) site in Woodbridge; a second campaign in 1964 generated $115,000 of the $150,000 needed for a building on the site. In 1965, the school building opened, with eight classrooms and a gym
, and enrolment had risen to 130 students.
The school grew rapidly, beginning with expansions in 1970, 1974, and 1986, adding a library
, staff room, auditorium, art room, and additional offices and classrooms. By 1991, the school was filled to its capacity of about 400 students.
In 1994, Ren Siebenga became principal, and the community came together to begin what would be called "Project 2000", with a mission to expand and renew the school's facilities. From 1999 through 2003, the pre-1980s section of the building was renovated, and improvements were made to the school, including the addition of a performance centre, hallway computers, additional classrooms, a fitness centre, and additional parking lot space. Enrollment rose to the current capacity of roughly 450 students.
, but also has basketball
, badminton
, hockey
, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and cross country
teams.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Ontario
Woodbridge is a large suburban community in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto in Southern Ontario. It was once an independent town before being amalgamated with nearby communities to form the city in 1971. Its traditional downtown core is the Woodbridge Ave...
, 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....
, 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...
. It was founded in 1960 and began classes in 1963. TDCH currently has an enrollment of about 450 students. TDCH is a member of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools
Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools
The Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools represents a Christian education community in Eastern Canada made up of 79 schools and 14,000 students...
.
History
In the 1950s, after a relatively large wave of Dutch immigration to OntarioOntario
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....
, several Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
elementary schools were founded in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
. Eventually, many of the members of this community began to look ahead to Christian secondary schooling.
In 1960, the Toronto District Association for Christian Secondary Education was founded, and planning for a Christian high school began. In 1963 forty-nine grade nine and ten students began classes in Second Christian Reformed Church of Toronto. Eventually, a fundraising campaign raised $30,000, which was used to help buy a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) site in Woodbridge; a second campaign in 1964 generated $115,000 of the $150,000 needed for a building on the site. In 1965, the school building opened, with eight classrooms and a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, and enrolment had risen to 130 students.
The school grew rapidly, beginning with expansions in 1970, 1974, and 1986, adding a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, staff room, auditorium, art room, and additional offices and classrooms. By 1991, the school was filled to its capacity of about 400 students.
In 1994, Ren Siebenga became principal, and the community came together to begin what would be called "Project 2000", with a mission to expand and renew the school's facilities. From 1999 through 2003, the pre-1980s section of the building was renovated, and improvements were made to the school, including the addition of a performance centre, hallway computers, additional classrooms, a fitness centre, and additional parking lot space. Enrollment rose to the current capacity of roughly 450 students.
Athletics
TDCH's sports teams are called the Falcons, and the school colors are green and black. The school is known best for its skill in both men's and women's volleyballVolleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, but also has basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
teams.
Notable alumni
- Jim VeltmanJim VeltmanJim "Scoop" Veltman is a former lacrosse player who played for the Toronto Rock, the Ontario Raiders, and the Buffalo Bandits in the National Lacrosse League...
, the former captain (1999–2008) of the Toronto RockToronto RockThe Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
lacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team in the National Lacrosse LeagueNational Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
.