Ashbury College
| Ashbury College | |
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| Address | |
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362 Mariposa Avenue , , K1M 0T3 | |
| Information | |
| School type | Independent Day and boarding |
| Motto | Probitas, Virtus, Comitas (Honesty, Courage, Kindness) |
| Established | 1891 |
| Faculty | 70 |
| Grades | 4 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 510 Upper School, 150 Junior School |
| Campus | Rockliffe Park, Ontario |
| Colour(s) | Maroon and Green |
| Mascot | Colts |
| Endowment | $7,000,000 CAD[1] |
| Affiliation | Anglican Church of Canada |
| Website | www.ashbury.ca |
Ashbury College is an independent day and boarding school located in Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Canada. It was founded in 1891 and moved to its current venue in 1910.[2] Previously, it occupied what now houses Canadian Senate offices. It is an International Baccalaureate World School, a member of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools, and a member of Round Square. The school currently enrolls 490 senior (grades 9-12) and 160 junior (grades 4-8) students.[2] The current headmaster
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is Tam Matthews, with the Head of the Junior School being Brian Storosko, former assistant director of the Junior School. The Senior School has three Assistant Headmasters: Daily Life, Peter Ostrom; Academics, Malcolm Mousseau; Planning and Technology, Tim Putt.
Ashbury College is an independent private school which offers a joint Ontario High School Diploma and Ashbury College Diploma, as well as the International Baccalaureate Diploma and International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma. Ashbury only began accepting girls in 1982. Currently, the male/female student proportion of the Senior School is 55%/45%, but is becoming increasingly equal. The campus is 12 acres (48,562.277 m2) in Rockcliffe Park. Tuition fees for the 2009-2010 school year are $18,250 for day students and $42,250 for boarding students.[3] There are about 80 boarders yearly from approximately 30 countries throughout the world.
Alumni include Ben Barry '01, founder of the modeling agency Ben Barry Agency Inc.[4] Other notable alumni include John Turner, Canada's seventeenth Prime Minister;[5] Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP currently the Federal Minister of International Trade; Alan Beddoe, the actor Matthew Perry; and Adrian Harewood, current host of television show "CBC News: Late Night" in Ottawa, who graduated as the School Captain in 1989.
History
Ashbury College was founded in 1891 by George Penrose Woollcombe, an Oxford University graduate and a new Canadian, who served as Ashbury's Headmaster for 42 years.
The three-room school for boys was originally located on Wellington Street in Ottawa, but soon moved to bigger quarters also on Wellington Street and then on Argyle Street near the present Museum of Nature in 1900. In 1910, the school - called Ashbury College after Woollcombe's English home - moved to its current location on 12 acres in the village of Rockcliffe Park. With the support of Ottawa benefactors, a new building was constructed for the 115 students, 48 of whom were boarders. Ashbury was originally an all-boys institution but began admitting women for grades 9-12 in 1982 and then admitted girls for the first time into third grade in 2010. The institution is divided between the Senior School and the Junior School.
Senior School
The Senior School’s Philosophy of Education
Ashbury College offers the traditional Ontario Secondary School Diploma but also the International Baccalaureate Diploma, otherwise known as the IB. Students will traditionally take six academic subjects each year and the Senior School program is grades nine through twelve. Ashbury follows a traditional approach to education in the liberal arts and requires participation in athletics and volunteering/community service in order to graduate. Approximately 20% of the students are considered international students. Each graduating class is approximately 120 students.
House System & Prefects
Ashbury students are divided into four houses upon entering in ninth grade. Each house has roughly 30 students per grade and 120 in each house during any academic year with the exception of Wollocombe House that has roughly 80. Students with older siblings or alumni parents are put in their "family" house and others are randomly assigned. Houses are permanent from 9th grade until graduation and identification is often through the house-specific neck-tie or commonly worn house t-shirts during P.E., house events or after 4 pm when No. 3 (casual) uniform can be worn. The houses compete for the "Wilson Shield" which is awarded at the end of the academic year. The houses are:
- Woollcombe House (Blue)
- New House (Green)
- Connaught House (Red)
- Alexander House (Yellow)
Each house is led by prefects, graduating students chosen for their dedication to the cause, involvement in school life and strong academic standing. Prefects are easily identified by their burgundy blazers.
Core Values
- Academic Excellence
- Community
- Ethical and Spiritual Development
- Personal Growth
- International Understanding
University Placement
Ashbury College offers the International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma program and has a university placement rate of 100% for the past ten years.[6] Graduates often matriculate to colleges and universities in Canada, the USA, and around the globe. For a number of years, the students of the graduating class have received 100% university placement.[6] Recent graduates have matriculated to University of Toronto, McGill University, Queen's University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Cambridge, King's College London, University of Oxford, Johns Hopkins University, University of St. Andrew's, Duke University, Wake Forest University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, New York University, University of Western Ontario, Bishop's University, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Vermont, University of Virginia and the University of Chicago.
The average SAT score from Ashbury College is 1338/1600, (1998/2400) or the 90th percentile of all test takers. Further, the average IB Diploma score is 33, 4 points of the global average of 29.[7] Eighty-two percent of students were admitted to their first choice university [6] For the Class of 2010, the most popular university choice was McGill University (26 students), followed by Queen's University (19 students), and then the University of Toronto (13 students).
Student Life
Students in grade 9 and 10 are required to participate in co-curricular activities in all three terms. Grade 11 students must participate in co-curricular activities in two terms and grade 12’s in one term. In addition, all graduating Ashburian’s complete a minimum of 40 Community Service Hours. Most notably, Ashbury offers co-curricular programs in Bilingual Debate, Drama & Theatre, Model United Nations, the Yearbook Committee, and the 'Blazer' (Literary Magazine). Additionally, Ashbury students can compete for the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Athletics
Ashbury College is a member of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the Ottawa Independent Schools Athletic Association (OISAA), the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic Intermediate Athletic Association (OCCIAA), the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA) and the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA). Ashbury is recognized for exceptional athletics programs and in 2010, the Men's Basketball team won the Ontario provincial championship (OFSAA) for the first time by defeating Ridley College [8] while the Boys Hockey Team also won the Ontario Provincial Championship over St. Charles College. Women's Basketball were provincial champions in 2003 and 2007.[9] Women's Rugby has won the provincial championships three times (2002, 2003, 2007).
Ashbury maintains teams for the following sports:
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At the end of the 2006/2007 school year, Ashbury College was ranked 48th in Ontario for high school sports by the Ottawa Citizen.[citation needed]
Junior School
The Junior School is a division of Ashbury College for male (co-educational from 2010 onwards) students from grade four to grade eight. Unlike the Senior School's blue colors, Junior School uses green as its dominant color which is prevalent in many locations including the website and uniforms, for example. Junior School students all wear the same tie with maroon, grey, and green strips, while Senior School students wear a different school tie on Mondays and wear an appropriate tie of choice on other days of the week. Senior School students also have the option of wearing a house tie. Like the Senior School, Junior School students are placed into one of four houses upon their arrival:
These houses come from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Houses compete extensively throughout the academic year in athletic (e.g. Track and Field Day), artistic (e.g. House Music Competition, Shakespeare Reading Contest), academic (e.g. Scholar Roll), and social (e.g. Honour Board) activities and house points are accumulated throughout the year. Students are identified by house in many situations, primarily athletic, where everyone sports a house shirt with varying colours for physical education activities. Students are also assigned a "home form", where there are presently one for each of grades four, five, and six, and three for both grades seven and eight.
Since 2003, the Junior School also features a leadership program called L.E.E.D. The program's goal is to develop leadership qualities in students. Students in grade 4 and 5 are introduced to the program at a young age. In grades 7 and 8, house captains, who are elected by the student body, serve as leaders and role models for the house. They are responsible for organizing activities and initiatives. For example, responsibilities include organizing inter-house sport activities and fund-raising for charities, with the ultimate goal of driving their house to win the annual competition. The arts programme is another area of focus of the Junior School. In the Junior school, classes of art, music and dramatic arts are offered to students. One of these courses is optional for students in grade 8. The arts program is very diverse and includes school play productions, inter-house music competitions, and the creation of personal artwork. Junior School students have participated in Theatre Ashbury production, and former Junior School students have often played major roles. Recently, the Junior School has presented musicals, beginning with "Rana's Pond" (2002), and continuing with two original productions. These were "News", produced in 2004, directed by Ingrid Boyd, with words by Ingrid Boyd and David Polk, music by John Merritt and set by Elisabeth Arbuckle and another original production ("Artifacts!") produced in 2006 by Alex Menzies with words by David Polk and music based on established scores, and set design once again by Elisabeth Arbuckle. This production has been re-presented in Spring 2007. The Junior School is proud of the high level of professionalism that its Drama, Music, and Art Departments have shown in these productions.
Junior School Philosophy
It is the aim of the Junior School to enable every student to develop to their fullest potential in academic, athletic and social skills. The school provides clear standards and guidelines in work, dress and behaviour.
Staff members play an important role in this process by: expecting the students to do their best in work; by giving the necessary encouragement and stimulus in the area of study; by actively encouraging excellence and effort in all activities; by themselves conforming to the school's code of dress and behaviour; and, as important as any of these, by developing relationships based on mutual politeness and respect.
Maclaren Hall (Great Hall)
The Great Hall is Ashbury's cafeteria. Opened in 2004, the Great Hall now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for boarders and lunch for day students (Junior and Senior school alike). It is open from 7 am to 7 pm. The Great Hall offers selections for vegetarians as well as those with other needs. Ashbury is working towards becoming a "nut-free environment". Parents are welcome to join students for lunch. In addition to cash being tendered, many students are able to use a "SwipeCard". Parents place money onto the SwipeCard as needed and students swipe this card to purchase items in the marché.
The Great Hall is only a part of the new addition to the College that was completed in 2004. Other parts include a new double gymnasium, four new classrooms (equipped with SmartBoards), a student common area, a staff room, and some offices. The increase in square footage has added more than 20% of usable space to the school.
The Great Hall was re-named in 2006 as the Maclaren Hall in honour of Alumnus Don Maclaren.
Memorial Windows
In 1952, a War Memorial window with the "Sir Galahad" theme by Robert McCausland Limited was installed.
Technology
Ashbury College is a technologically advanced institution and is recognised[citation needed] for its incorporation of technology into the classroom wherever possible. Technology used at Ashbury includes:
- Microsoft Exchange e-mail system with one account for all students, faculty, and staff
- Flexcard system - card used to purchase lunch in the Marché style cafeteria, to open certain doors to the building locked during school hours for security, and as a library card
- Smart Board technology in most Senior School classrooms and one in the Junior School
- Full wireless internet network covering the whole school with the exception of the boys locker area
- Projectors in most Junior and Senior School classrooms, with portable projectors available for all rooms
- Use of Dell laptop computers for use within the library when all desktop computers have been taken or when a teacher has reserved them in advance
- Digital camera and camcorder rental for school use
- Computer labs in both Junior and Senior school with most recent equipment overhaul in September 2007
- Use of network printers, including new environmentally friendly double-sided printer (limit of 15 sheets per student per month to reduce paper use), with access to colour laser printers in the library
- Use of Maplewood system for attendance, student records, and course selection
- IT Department for resolving technology related problems and maintaining equipment
School Captains
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Notable Ashbury College alumni
- John Turner, Canadian Prime Minster
- Stockwell Day, Member of House of Commons
- Ben Barry Entrepreneur
- John Emilius Fauquier Royal Canadian Air Force Commodore
- Matthew Perry, A-list actor best known for his role as Chandler on the hit TV show 'Friends'
- Ryan Semple, 2006, 2010 Olympian, Skiing.
- Donald Steven, composer
- Stewart Johnston, President - TSN; The Sports Network (wire service), Canada's leading Sports Channel
- Adrian Harewood, CBC news journalist[10]
- Chris Murray (property), co-founder and Managing Director or Ridgeford Properties
Lawsuit
A former student at Ashbury College received four years' probation from a Boston judge. Criminal charges were laid against the former Ashbury students who committed a violent act against a fellow student during a history field trip in Boston in 2007. The young men pleaded guilty in a Boston courtroom to charges. One student also faces a charge of indecent assault, which will be dropped if he completes his probation successfully: he has been attending school in Switzerland since he was immediately expelled after the violation. During his probation, he is prohibited from contacting the victim or the victim's family except during court proceedings connected to a civil suit filed in Ottawa court. Ashbury is scheduled to defend the allegations against the school and its teachers.
One of the perpetrators has pleaded guilty to assault and battery and has been sentenced to four years probation. He apologized to the victim and his family saying he was pulling a common prank.[11] The victim, his parents and sister all submitted victim impact statements detailing the effect the event had on their family.[12] A second perpetrator will face trial in Boston in September 2010.
The allegations are have not been proven in a court of law as of November 2010 and Ashbury has yet to respond to the charges. The lawsuit is pending.
Picture gallery
References
- ^ http://www.boardingschoolwizard.com/ashbury-college
- ^ a b http://www.ashbury.ca/podium/default.aspx?t=44815
- ^ http://www.ashbury.ca/podium/default.aspx?t=49226
- ^ http://google.com/search?q=cache:a3E9GM1mIZgJ:www.business.umt.edu/faculty/shay/LSEWEB/Sample_Plans/ben%2520barry.pdf+ben+barry+ashbury+college&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
- ^ http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/government/turner.html
- ^ a b c http://www.ashbury.ca/ftpimages/266/download/2009-10%20School%20Profile.pdf
- ^ http://news.ashbury.ca/downloads/School_Profile2010-11.pdf
- ^ http://www.fatdog.ca/web/id/4912212CAAB3488CA4BF8B542E48719C/news.php
- ^ http://www.ofsaa.on.ca/site/index.cfm?DSP=Chapter&ID=3633
- ^ Adrian Harewood biography from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/ottawa-student-pleads-guilty-to-us-sex-assault/article1662037/?cmpid=rss1
- ^ http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Victim+Impact+Statements/3359959/story.html
