Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute
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| Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute | |
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| File:Logomac2.jpg | |
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| Address | |
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2300 Pharmacy Avenue , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 43°47′13″N 79°19′26″W / 43.786858°N 79.323848°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public High School |
| Motto | Prudentia et Scientia (Vision and Knowledge) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Secular |
| Founded | 1964 |
| School board | Toronto District School Board (Scarborough Board of Education) |
| Superintendent | Beth Veale |
| Area trustee | Manna Wong |
| School number | 4154 / 941948 |
| Administrator | Patty Bowman |
| Principal | Richard Tarasuk |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1056 (2015-16) |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 18.14 acres |
| Colour(s) | Red, Purple, and Black |
| Mascot | Black Scot |
| Team name | MacDonald Black Scots |
| Feeder schools | J.B. Tyrell Sr. Public School Pleasant View Jr. High School |
| Website | schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/johnamacdonald |
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute (equally known to as Sir John A. Macdonald CI, SJAMCI, Sir John A. Macdonald or Mac simply) is a secondary school located in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario at 2300 Pharmacy Avenue in Ward 20. It is owned by the Scarborough Board of Education with the latter board assimilated with the Toronto District School Board. The motto is "Prudentia et Scientia" (Vision and knowledge).
History
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute was designed by the architectural firm, Gordon S. Adamson and Associates. The school building was constructed in 1963 and opened in the fall of 1964 when there was only farmland around it, and as the population in the area grew, so did the school. As its eleventh collegiate, the school's main building was then extended to have more classrooms, along with larger rooms used for music, art, and autoshop. MacDonald celebrated its 50th year on September 26, 2014.
Overview
Academics and clubs
The school has an academic level named "Medallion" where exceptional students are encouraged to enrich themselves through an in-depth coverage of topics taught in regular classes. Students in the "Medallion" program are also taught topics that are not found in the curriculum, and are encouraged to write an academic competition related to their subject. Sir John A. Macdonald also has an excellent reputation for its music program. With dedicated teachers, students, and parents, the many ensembles at the school raise funds through fundraisers and performances (gigs in the case of the jazz bands).
There are clubs for science, math, and computers. Students regularly participate in academic competitions, such as the University of Waterloo's mathematics (Pascal, Cayley, Fermat, and Euclid), chemistry (Avogadro and Chem 13), and physics (Sir Isaac Newton) exams, University of Toronto's engineering exam (DaVinci Engineering Competition), and several American ones.
Music ensembles include Jazz band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Strings, and Choir, along with junior band and strings. Each year these groups compete in regional, provincial, and occasionally international competitions, and have trips internationally to perform.
School crest, colours, and motto
The official school crest, colours and motto were selected to reflect the life and work Sir John. The crest contains a map of Canada and the symbols of the Macdonald clan: a white coronet, a mailed fist, and crossed crosslets. Red, Royal Purple, and White, which predominate in the tartan of Sir John's family clan, Clanranald, were selected as official school colours. It is hoped that the school motto, "Prudentia et Scientia" (Vision and knowledge), will continue to encourage future students to emulate these qualities which were possessed to a high degree by Sir John A. Macdonald.
Athletics
In the 2011–2012 school year, The senior boys soccer team was crowned TDSSAA City Champions. In the 2012–2013 school year, the varsity field hockey was also crowned City Champions. In 2012–2013, the Junior Boys Volleyball team were crowned City Champions as well. In 2012–2013, the track team won East Region Overall.
Notable alumni
- Mike Johnson, retired NHL Hockey player (with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues)
- David Furnish, filmmaker/director/producer and husband of Elton John
- Eric McCormack, actor, producer and musician, star of TV series Will and Grace
- Mike Myers, comedian and Hollywood movie actor (attended Macdonald, but graduated from Stephen Leacock C.I.)
- Duff Gibson, 2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist in singles skeleton; firefighter with Calgary International Airport
- William Blair, Chief of Police of the Toronto Police Service
- Ted Grand, co-founder/co-owner of Moksha Yoga in Canada and Modo Yoga in the US, Australia and Europe
- Shaun Chen, Toronto District School Board Trustee (Ward 21)
- Michelle MacPherson, 1984 Summer Olympics bronze medalist, 1982 Commonwealth Games double bronze medallist and gold medal relay, swimming
- Brad Park, retired NHL player (with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings), member of the Hockey Hall of Fame; briefly coach with the Red Wings
- Barbara Gowdy, novelist and short story author
- Michael Rudder, Canadian stage, film and voice actor, survived shooting in Mumbai, India
- Mike Levine, bass player for Triumph
- Sherko Haji Rasouli, football player for the BC Lions
- Rod Connop, CFL All-Star and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee
- John Anderson, retired NHL hockey player (with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers)