Vancouver Technical Secondary School
| Vancouver Technical Secondary School | |
 Ever Upwards |
|
| Location | |
| Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 1Y5, Canada | |
| Information | |
| School number | 03939011 |
| School board | School District 39 Vancouver |
| Superintendent | Steve Cardwell |
| Principal | Brenda Burroughs |
| School type | Secondary school |
| Grades | 8-12 |
| Language | English, French immersion |
| Area | Mount Pleasant Grandview-Woodland Nootka Elementary Hastings-Sunrise Renfrew-Collingwood |
| Mascot | Talisman (Wiki Tiki Tribe Member) |
| Team name | Van Tech Talismen (Girls Ice Hockey team - Taliswomen) |
| Colours | Emerald and Gold |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Enrolment | 1660 Students |
| Homepage | http://vantech.vsb.bc.ca/ |
Vancouver Technical Secondary School, often referred to as Van Tech, is located on the East Side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Contents |
[edit] History
The school originally opened in 1916, for boys only, in the Fairview neighbourhood. It then moved Downtown until 1928 when it moved to its present location in east Vancouver. In 1940, girls were admitted.
[edit] Current School Profile
Vancouver Technical is the third largest secondary school in Vancouver after Churchill and Killarney and is attended by over 1700 students. The population is ethnically diverse; over fifty-two languages are spoken in students’ homes. This diversity was noted by Globe and Mail columnist Stephen Hume, who described Vancouver Technical as “one of the most ethnically diverse schools in Canada” (Globe and Mail, December 2003). Van Tech is also home to the second-largest population of First Nations students in Vancouver. The school’s efforts to meet the needs of its diverse population led the Canadian Education Association to place it on its 1995 list of twenty-five exemplary Canadian schools. Van Tech has a staff of approximately 130 and the administrative staff consists of a principal and two vice-principals. One famous tradition of VanTech is the TECHNIVAL. It is similar to a carnival however, it is only open to VanTech students.
[edit] Geography/Building
Vancouver Technical is one of the largest secondary schools in the Lower Mainland. This school features one asphalt 400-metre oval track, a grass field, a $1-million FIFA turf field paid for by the city through a random draw and basketball courts. Excavation for a swimming pool was stopped due to a lack of funds. The area was filled with cement and now serves as a weight training/fitness room.
Vancouver Technical is made up of several buildings. The main building is four floors high with one basement floor. An auditorium is attached to the main building. The "Girls' Wing" is attached to the main building. It currently houses Home Economics classrooms, but is to be demolished at the end of an earthquake-proofing project. There is also a Technology Building, which houses Graphics, Drafting, Electronics, Woodworks, Metalworks,automotive, Hairdressing and French classrooms. According to the seismic upgrade plans, Home Economics is moved to the top floor of the main building. Currently, there are 6 north-south tennis courts at the NE side of school grounds.
[edit] Minischools
Vancouver Technical offers a wide range of minischool programs. Summit is a minischool program which focuses on academic courses; especially math and the sciences. The summit program offers Science 10 for the grade 9 Summit students. Flex Humanities is a minischool program which focuses on leadership abilities,cooperation humanities and the arts (its classes include art, French, historical studies, and classical studies/philosophy). The application process for the renowned Flex Humanities program is headed up by Mr. Dale Martelli and Ms. Elizabeth Vikner. In addition, Summit had an award-winning science teacher, Barbara Glick, who is currently retired. All Van Tech minischools take part in trips throughout the year (generally traveling or camping excursions).
There is also a French Immersion program at Van Tech. Students go from grade 8-12 in the French Immersion program learning their Sciences, Social Studies and Communications in French. Immersion students not only study in French, but also visit France once or twice during their five years at Van Tech.
[edit] Technical Courses
Vancouver Technical is home to many technical courses. The school includes one of the largest technology classrooms in Secondary Schools in Vancouver, such as the Graphics, Woodworks, and Metalworks classrooms. The Graphics program is one of the most robust found in the Lower Mainland, this program involves teens working with professional level software/hardware (Adobe Photoshop CS3/IllustratorCS3/Flash CS3/After Effects CS3/Premiere Pro CS3/inDesign CS3, 22 Apple Computer Mac G5, Kimoto Direct to Plate), and also, the students are actively involved in the printing department with printing presses (2 One Colour AB Dick Presses, 1 One colour Itec Press). The Drafting/Architecture/Animation program involves teens of all grades working with Auto CAD, and Solid Edge software, as well as computer cut styrofoam models and other Adobe programs. Woodworks is also offered at Vancouver Technical, in this course; students learn to work with wood and machinery, students are taught to work with power tools. Metalworks is also offered at Vancouver Technical, where students learn to use machinery. Electronics is also another course offered at Vancouver Technical, where students learn to test and build circuits, such as a digital clock or amplifier. Auto Mechanics, Home economics, Hair Dressing, Photography, and a Film Production course, taught by an ex-National Film Board director, are also offered at Vancouver Technical.
[edit] Music
Concert Band is offered in all grades, in three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Senior. There is also Strings as an after-school course, which is also offered in all grades. Choir is a club involving music. The band will now be able to perform in the school's newly upgraded auditorium.
[edit] Sports
Vancouver Technical offers a variety of different sports for students to take part in. During the Fall students have the opportunity to join Soccer (Boys), Volleyball, Badminton, Swimming, Cross Country, and Running. In the winter, Basketball, Ice Hockey (Girls), Wrestling and Table Tennis become available to students. During the Spring students can join Track and Field, Tennis, Dragon Boat, and Soccer and Softball (Girls). Apart from the regular school sports, Vancouver Technical also offers other sports clubs such as the Ski and Snowboard Club, the VT Cycling Club, and Intramural Soccer. Vancouver Technical competes with schools all throughout Vancouver and also participates in many tournaments.
[edit] Vancouver Technical and Hollywood
Vancouver Technical Secondary stood in as Smallville High in the first season of the television series Smallville, before the filming location was moved to Templeton Secondary School. However Van Tech continued to show up in the opening credits (it shows up in the background of Allison Mack's credit) until the fourth season. However, the track/field was still used later on in the series.
Vancouver Technical Secondary was also used for the backdrop in the first Scary Movie, in the beauty contest scene, and as the school location for the movie Air Bud, in which all the classroom and indoor scenes are filmed. Students from the school were also used as extras in that film.
In the movie Paycheck with Ben Affleck, the outside of the school as well as the main hall are the locations of scenes.
Vancouver Technical Secondary was also used for the set as Cornwall High School in the movie She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes. In the second scene of the movie, after the credits in the beginning, actual students from Vancouver Technical can be seen playing basketball in the background. Everybody else playing sports on the field are extras.
In early December, 2008 and January 2009, the school was used in CW's hit show, Supernatural.
And in the 2009 Nickelodeon film Spectacular starring Victoria Justice, Van Tech's main foyer and brand new auditorium are used
Van Tech also played a role in Johnny Depp's career. An episode of 21 Jump Street was filmed on location during the mid 1980s.
Vancouver Technical Secondary School's universal gym and boys' shower room are the locations that were renovated to produce the film Jennifer's Body (2009), Starring Megan Fox.
In the movie Dairy of a Wimpy Kid, the background of the gym scene where Greg got owned in wrestling was filmed at Van Tech's small gym. The school play is also filmed there.
Many scenes from the TV series Hellcats is filmed in Vancouver Technical's big gym.
The AMC's TV series "The Killing (U.S. TV series)" was also filmed at Van Tech.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Greg Joy, Olympic medalist - track and field
- Trooper, Rock and Roll outfit
- Sam Sullivan, Former Mayor of the City of Vancouver
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Vancouver Technical Secondary School
- Vancouver School Board - Vancouver Technical Secondary
- Van Tech students playing Spanish Fever
- Van Tech Band Program website
