A Year In Review
As 2014 comes to a close, we are given a chance to reflect on the memorable events of the past 12 months. For Collingwood, 2014 was truly an exceptional year, so it is only fitting that Ad Verum highlights the numerous successes of our school in all its four strands: service, arts, athletics and academics.
In 2014, Collingwood continued its strong commitment to helping our community, both locally and internationally. In Vancouver, the Backpack Buddies committee distributed backpacks full of food to young children in the lower mainland.
Additionally, Round Square continued their fundraisers for both local and international charities. Oceans away, Collingwood sent a keen group of service-minded students to Rajasthan, India, lead by Ms. Hobson and Mr. Fox. These students helped build the foundation for a school to help provide education for the underprivileged children in that area. Overall, Collingwood upheld its reputation for being an exemplary generous institution.
Continuing the excellence, Collingwood saw no boundaries in the arts this year. Annually, our school has the pleasure of producing and attending some really impressive showcases of talent. The dance department shone in their annual production, this year titled “Studies in Contrast”, where each piece depicted contrasting elements. The music department performed in the “Sounds of Spring” concert, and sounded beautiful. It was at Kay Meek and featured the choral and band students for both middle and senior school. The school play in the spring, Witness for the Prosecution, was a really astounding show that intrigued and impressed audiences. The play ran for three days, including four matinees and three evening performances. During the November production of “The Crucible”, however, the drama department displayed its dazzling talents and utilized the school’s new theatre space, the Darlene S. Howard theatre. Moreover, the visual art department also provided the school with beautiful masterpieces throughout the year as well as their annual showcase. Overall, Collingwood displayed its incredible artistic talents yet again.
In athletics, Collingwood never disappointed its fans. With so many diverse teams, it is difficult to keep track of all the successes. The schools most notable achievements include: the Senior Girls soccer team winning the ISA’s undefeated- a Collingwood first-, golfers bringing home the North Shore Championship banner, the Boys ski team winning the BC championship, Madison Mailey and Bryn Danvers winning the Girls rowing AA finals, Grace Thompson and Emma Rastad winning gold at Provincials for track and field, the Senior Boys rugby team finishing second at Provincials, and last, but not least, the Senior tennis team winning their seventh consecutive AA Provincial Championships, all while going undefeated in their season. Collingwood had a truly remarkable year in the athletics.
Academically speaking, Collingwood is known to have strong results. Our school continued its excellence in this strand, with impressive results on our AP exams: all students who register for AP courses are required to write the exam for that course, and 75% of those students scored a 4 or higher, which is quite impressive and really speaks to our school’s value of academic enrichment. The graduating class of 2014 enrolled in a multitude of universities in Canada, the US, and the UK. This diversity accurately reflects the academic strength of that group of students, who chose to pursue very rigorous studies at excellent institutions.
Last, but certainly not least, the new building officially opened its doors this year. Amidst all the construction, our school body remained unphased. Their patience has proven to be for good reason: the school is absolutely breathtaking. With sky-high ceilings and the incredible buzz of the student body, the Atrium on its own is an incredible feature of the building. The new facilities have already allowed our students to grow and thrive, and time can only tell what we will be able to accomplish in this incredible building.
Of course, the new building would not be the same without the amazing people in it. When our faculty, staff, and students all come together, there is no better combination. The teachers at Collingwood allow our students to pursue their wildest dreams, and this is something that students are so appreciative of. With the hard work of absolutely everyone at Collingwood, our school really has become a remarkable place to work, study, and thrive.