Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute

Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute
Faciendo Discimus
Location
Toronto, Ontario, M4J 4B7, Canada
Information
School board	Toronto District School Board
Religious affiliation	None
Superintendent	Mike Gallagher
Area trustee	Cathy Dandy
Principal	Denise Martins
Vice principal	John Klym Jenna Greenfield Catherine Carson
School type	High school
Grades	9-12
Language	English, French, ASL , Spanish
Team name	Red Hawks
Colours	Black, Red and White
Founded	1923
Enrolment	1,253
Homepage	http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/danforthcti/

Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute is a secondary school in east Toronto, situated to the east of the city's Greek neighbourhood and between the Greenwood and Donlands subway stations. As the name suggests, it is set up as a technical school, with trades training and special shops for auto repair, carpentry etc. Danforth was built as a specialist technical school in 1922, so it has a number of specialist areas and a fair stock of equipment.

However, with other schools nearby, Danforth does not attract nearly as many students as it is capable of holding, because of other secondary schools such as East York Collegiate Institute and Riverdale Collegiate Institute causing DCTI (abbreviated) to be in between them (longitudinally) so a number of specialist programs are also held there, including the Gifted and Enriched programs, special classes for students with disabilities (including a special program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) and a number of specialist technical courses, such as the Math, Science, and Technology ("MaST") program. As a result, Danforth draws students from a wider area of the city than most other secondary schools^{[citation needed]}

History

The building has been added to many times since it was founded, and there are sections of the school built in almost every decade of the twentieth century. Danforth has a reputation for its maze-like basement and general complexity. At least one basement level is permanently sealed to students creating a number of rumours about what might be down there (including a connection to the subway that runs under the school, a rifle range, and a bomb shelter). The sub basement does in fact host the school's active Cadet Corps and National Defence course. According to the current principal the range is still mostly intact. The school has three gyms, which is remarkable in a Toronto public school, and a large 1920s auditorium which is occasionally used in films. Additional facilities include a weight room, and a now closed swimming pool.

Danforth is known for having sent more of its students and staff to the Second World War than any other school in CanadaTemplate:Http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/danforthcti/alumni.html, and has a large stained-glass window in the library to act as its war memorial.

Events

One of the most common and famous events is the Science Fair, into which each Danforth student including the Enriched / Gifted / MaST student enters their Science Project. Danforth students have gone on to win countless medals at the Metro Toronto Science Fair and the Canada Wide Science Fair.

Danforth's Student Council also holds an annual Grade 9 Day, a fun filled day planned for the incoming grade 9's, at the beginning of the year. Grade 9 Day often consists of 9 stations, each hosted by one of the 9 Student Council members. Games at the 2007-2008 Grade 9 Day include: Gagga Ball, Who Am I?, Relay Races, and many more.

One of the more famous events held by Danforth Collegiate is the Winter Holiday Show and Market Place happening usually the week before the winter break. Danforth's different departments often make cute little holiday presents, and sell it as a fundraiser. Then after the Market Place, the Drama, Music and Dance department put on the fantastic Holiday Show. The Show is so amazing that it often leaves the audience asking for encores. Every year the Holiday Show and Market Place has been a huge success.

Logos, Mottos, Symbols

This school is represented with the logo (left). The book on the top of the "shield" represents academics. The art utensils on the top 2 boxes in the logo represent the school's art and cosmetics programs. The gear represents the technical/engineering programs and the whistle represents athletics. For the DCTI (abbreviated) Athletics, they wear a uniform with a picture of a hawk and the name of the school on it which also represents the DCTI school.

The school's motto is "Faciendo Discimus," which means "We learn by doing."

External links

• Official Website
• Danforth C & TI at the Toronto District School Board website
• MaST at DCTI