Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
| Rockway Mennonite Collegiate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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110 Doon Road , , Canada | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private School |
| Motto | Together we shape great lives through learning, opportunity, caring and faith. |
| Established | 1945 |
| School district | Waterloo Region |
| Principal | Ann Schultz |
| Faculty | 40 (As of 2012-2013 year) |
| Grades | 7-12 |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Mascot | Supa Hawt Fiya |
| Yearbook | Lighthouse |
| Affiliation | Mennonite Church Eastern Canada |
| Website | http://www.Rockway.ca |
 The front-view of the school's main building. | |
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate (RMC) is an independent Mennonite high school located in Kitchener, Ontario. It offers academic programs for grade 7–12 students, various cross-cultural exchanges, as well as numerous arts and athletics programs. Throughout the course of the past few years, it has developed numerous scholarships and awards presented to students graduating from this school.
Despite its name, approximately 40% of its 300-student population are typically Mennonite, coming from the modern Canadian Mennonite church, rather than Old Order Mennonites.[1] Although the school name refers to "Mennonite", Rockway accepts students from all types of religions. It offers renowned religious studies courses that allow students to explore all areas of faith, religion, and belief.
History
The school was created by Swiss Mennonites living in Waterloo, upset with the increasing military influence on wartime schools in Canada. They raised $50,000 and purchased a farmhouse on Doon Road to convert into their first school building.
Exchange program
The school has a strong exchange program with China, hosting dozens of Chinese students annually, and supporting a number of senior Rockway students who travel to China. There is also an exchange to France and Germany available to students after completing Grade 11. Recently, the Grade 12 class has been offered the chance to go on an exchange to Guatemala. Due to the many exchange programs Rockway offers, there are also many language courses. Rockway is one of the few schools in Waterloo region to offer Mandarin as one of its language courses.
Rockway also attracts students from Germany, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and the United States, with roughly 15% of its student body coming from outside of Canada. The school arranges host families for them to live with, has an international students club, and offers English as a second language classes.
Arts program
Rockway is widely known for its Arts Program. The school offers Visual Arts and Music (Theory, History, Instrumental and Choral) to all students in the school. Students in the high school are offered a wider range of Arts courses, which includes Dramatic Arts, and a more extensive Visual Arts and Music program.
The school's music program is highly regarded, participating in many choral festivals and hosting two concerts every year. In 2009, the Senior Choir participated in the Ontario Vocal Festival, held at Galt Collegiate Institute. As a result of their excellent performance, the choir had been invited to the national showcase, MusicFest Canada in May.
Each year, the school's drama department puts on a variety of productions. Every three years, the school puts on a musical (the most recent of which was Seussical in 2014).
Once every year, the Visual Arts committee hosts a public art show, featuring pieces submitted by the students who are currently attending the school. The show usually runs for one night only.
Athletics
Rockway has a variety of sports and competitive teams available to the student population. These include basketball, golf, cross-country, badminton, soccer, chess, wrestling and volleyball. Though the school has a variety of sports, the focus sports are volleyball and basketball (sports with which the school excels). Rockway remains a competitive school with many of the larger schools in the region. For example, Rockway had been the District 8 Champions for Senior Girls Volleyball (2009) recently.[2] In the last four years Rockway has medaled four times at "A" OFSAA Basketball. 2005 Silver, 2006 Gold, 2007 Silver, 2008 Bronze. In 2008, the girls senior basketball team won the gold at OFSAA and coach Bernie Burnett became the first coach to receive a gold medal for both the senior girls and boys basketball team.
Rockway is a member of the eight team District 8 Athletic Association
Community service
Rockway has a history of service in the community. One of their largest fundraisers is the Food Drive. In a description taken from the website, they say that:
"For more than two decades, students from Rockway Mennonite Collegiate have undertaken a food drive in late November and early December as part of the school's Christmas celebrations. Many students purchase food with their own money while others seek support from the community by collecting food from door-to-door...All collected food is donated to the House of Friendship Christmas Hamper Program, a partner with the Waterloo Region Food Bank...Over the past few years, Rockway has averaged over 30,000 food items per year!" [3]
Notable alumni
- Carl Zehr, Former Mayor of the City of Kitchener
- Brad Schlegel, Former NHL hockey player
- Kristin Booth, Gemini Award and Genie Award winner
References
- ^ Epp, Frank H. "Mennonites in Canada, 1939-1970", 1996. p. 247
- ^ District 8 Athletic Association, Direct Quote.
- ^ Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Direct Quote.