Ursula Franklin Academy
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| Ursula Franklin Academy | |
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| Address | |
| 146 Glendonwynne Road Toronto, Ontario, M6P 3E3, Canada |
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| Information | |
| School number | 1504 |
| School board | Toronto District School Board |
| Superintendent | Karen Falconer |
| Area trustee | Irene Atkinson |
| Principal | Tito Faria |
| Vice principal | Barbara Wagner-Heim |
| Administrator | Heather Woodtke |
| School type | Public Alternative High school |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Language | English |
| Mascot | Flame |
| Team name | Flames |
| Colours | Navy Blue, Hunter Green, Burgundy, Snow White |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Enrolment | Approx. 562 |
| Homepage | http://www.ufacademy.org |
Ursula Franklin Academy (UFA) is a high school located in the High Park North neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. Originally located in the Dufferin-Bloor area at 90 Croatia Street, UFA moved in 2002 to share a building with Western Technical-Commercial School and The Student School. Students can attend UFA from anywhere in the Toronto District School Board. Founded in 1995, Ursula Franklin Academy's style of teaching is a doctrine of Dr. Ursula Franklin's work in the field of education.
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[edit] School values
UFA's school values are closely tied to the mindset and societal perception of its namesake, Dr. Ursula Franklin.
Ursula Franklin Academy is a small community of learners which offers integrated liberal arts packages, in addition to the general fundamental courses of T.D.S.B curriculum, preparing students for academic programs at the post-secondary level.
In addition to Ursula Franklin's values, UFA can be considered to have an effective academic program. It was considered in 2010 to have the highest academic rating in the TDSB.[1]
[edit] Uniform
Students generally wear a navy blue uniform, although variations of uniform style do exist. The existing variations include white and navy blue polo, Oxford shirts and T shirts, and rugby shirts sporting the school colours. Students alter their uniform to improve the already existing requirements. Initiatives are currently going on in order to reform the uniform.
[edit] School colours
When the school opened in 1995, Dr. Ursula Franklin chose the official school colours as navy blue, hunter green and burgundy. These colours were chosen because in combination, they do not represent the flag of any nation-state. This was intended to create an atmosphere of global citizenship for students at UFA. Students, Teachers and the Administration are working on adding different colour combinations to the uniform. The uniform will still not represent the flag of any nation-state.
[edit] Schedule
At Ursula Franklin Academy students go through a four day rotation. Unique to the school is the Enriched Wednesday program. Through Wednesdays students get to explore interests that may not be offered as part of the regular curriculum. Each month, students sign up for sessions that can include anything from skiing all day to beach volleyball to rock climbing to exploring neuro-science. Some typical Wednesday sessions that our offered almost every block are: student council, guitar jam sessions, fashion class, study halls, remedial tutorials, yearbook preparation, jazz appreciation, films of nature, etc. Students are encouraged to run their own Wednesday sessions with a supervising teacher or staff member.
[edit] Extracurricular activities
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UFA offers a range of clubs and organizations for students ranging from co-curricular endeavors like the science club, The Franklin (newspaper), economics club, radio club, and Model UN to a student council, improv team, and S.A.S.S (Students Against Stereotyping Sexuality). UFA Robotics club won a silver medal in City wide high school robotics competition.[2]
[edit] Sports
Although UFA is a rather small school, many of its students and teachers pride in UFA's sports teams. Aside from the usual High School teams (boy's soccer, baseball, swim team), UFA offers some unusual sports. The Dragonboat Team and the Ultimate Team (a.k.a. the Ultimate Frisbee Team) are exemplary highlights. Although many teams are coached by teachers and/or "community coaches", some teams are coached and managed by UFA students (e.g. the Ultimate Team). Like many schools, the annual Athletic Banquet is a major event for many staff and students. In the past year, the number of sports teams in the school has been reduced to about half, eliminating competitive hockey and soccer (among many others).
[edit] Virtual UFA (VUFA)
Virtual UFA is an internal BBS powered by First Class. It allows students, parents, and staff to communicate with one another via the Internet. For example, it allows students to post their ideas, questions, or concerns in a variety of online conferences including Student Issues, Student Lounge, and Student Council; ask teachers for help through instant messaging, or read important announcements. New students are given an account of their own at the beginning of the school year.
[edit] References
- ^ [1], Fraser Institute, Report Card on Ontario’s Secondary Schools 2011
- ^ Ursula Franklin Academy. "Clubs". Clubs. http://www.ufacademy.org/v5/school/clubs.php. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
[edit] External links
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