Walkerville Collegiate Institute
| Walkerville Collegiate Institute | |
|---|---|
|
"Nil Sine Labore" "Nothing without work" | |
| Address | |
|
2100 Richmond Street Windsor, Ontario, N8Y 1L4 Canada | |
| Coordinates | 42°19′02″N 83°00′25″W / 42.31715°N 83.00691°WCoordinates: 42°19′02″N 83°00′25″W / 42.31715°N 83.00691°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Collegiate Institute |
| Founded | 1922 (By a Lumberjack named Nikolaus) |
| School board | GECDSB |
| Principal | Mr. D. Garlick |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 1000 |
| Language | English |
| Colour(s) | Blue and White |
| Team name | Tartans |
| Website |
publicboard |
Walkerville Collegiate Institute (W.C.I) is a secondary school (grades 9 through 12) located in the olde Walkerville area of Windsor, Ontario, and managed by the Greater Essex County District School Board. It is the home of the Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts, which has arts programs in Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, Media, and Vocal. All of the WCCA courses require students to audition to get into the program. Walkerville hosts one of three Community Living (STEPS Programs) in the district, which serves more than 30 developmentally challenged students. Walkerville also has sports teams including basketball, hockey, swimming, soccer, and curling.
Walkerville's feeder schools include:
- King Edward
- Hugh Beaton
- Prince Edward
- Begley
- Gordon McGregor (by proximity, not actually a feeder school)
History
Walkerville Collegiate Institute officially opened its doors to the public on September 2, 1922. Located in the Olde Walkerville area, named for Hiram Walker, it is across the street from Willistead Park, the former estate of Edward Chandler Walker, the second son of Hiram Walker.
The school started with one hundred and ninety five students and a staff of ten with Mr. Robert Meade as Principal. Initially there were twenty-two classrooms, an area for manual training for the boys, a cooking and sewing area for the girls, a wood paneled library, a gymnasium, "The Plunge"pool, and auditorium.
In 1929, Walkerville's kilted cadet Corps was formed and the Pipe Band was recognized through competition as the best in the province.
Major renovations were completed in 1957 with the addition of a new gymnasium, cafeteria, rifle range and quartermaster stores and a new music room. The main office was renovated in 1966, new classrooms were added along with an improved change area for the girls' physical education classes.
In 1986 the Community living program was added. In 1989, Walkerville was selected as the home for the Walkerville Center for the Creative Arts and facilities expanded again to meet the needs of Vocal and Instrumental Music, Art and Dance as well as painting, printmaking and sculpture programs.
Today there are over eight hundred students and a staff of seventy. Nil sine labore (Nothing Without Work) remains the school motto.
WCCA
WCCA (Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts), is an art program including drama, dance, visual arts, media arts, vocal and instrumental music. All students must audition to be accepted into the programs. Teachers and small group tutors specializing in a particular arts program collaborate to improve the artistic students in their work.
Visual arts program
The WCCA visual arts program includes painting, sculpture and drawing. The students begin with fundamental principles of design in drawing. Twice every year, the students of WCCA visual arts and media put together an art show at the local gallery Art Speak. Students have exhibited artwork at Windsor's Art in the Park, and have been included in many other local shows.
Music program
The largest section in the music program is the band program. Within the band is another section, known as Wind Ensemble or Senior band. This much smaller group is composed of senior or advanced level band students, and the Wind Ensemble has its own series of performances that run in tandem with the full concert band. Followed by the band program is the Pit Orchestra. Pit Orchestra is, depending on the year and amount of students, smaller than Wind Ensemble and typically occurs once a year, with one major performance.
Drama program
In 2009, WCCA drama participated in the Sears Drama Festival and advanced to the Provincials Showcase level with the play "The Insanity of Mary Girard." The following year, they performed again in the Sears Festival, with the original play "The Holding Room" moving onto the Provincials as well. The play was based on the murder of Reena Virk.
In August 2010, a group of 30 students from the WCCA drama program were invited to Edinburgh, Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. While there, they performed the comedy musical, The Drowsy Chaperone.
In August 2014, A number of students from the WCCA drama program returned to Edinburgh, Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. While they were there, they performed In the Heights.
Sears productions
Every Year, WCCA drama enters a play into the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. Recent plays have included:
- 2007/2008: Tuesdays and Sundays
- 2008/2009: The Insanity of Mary Girard
- 2009/2010: The Holding Room (Original Play written by John-Anthony Nabben and students)
- 2010/2011: The Shape of Sarah (Original Play written by John-Anthony Nabben and students)
- 2012/2013: It's an Art Thing (Original Play written by John-Anthony Nabben and students)
- 2013/2014: This Is for you Anna
- 2014/2015: Dracula Abridged
Past productions
Most years, Walkerville has the honor of performing two major shows per school year, a straight-drama and a musical - with music provided by the WCCA Student Orchestra.
Notable graduates
- Tamia Hill (formerly Tamia Washington) is a Grammy-nominated R&B singer and actress.
- Steve Bacic, actor, appeared in Andromeda, 21 Jump Street, Street Justice, The Commish, Highlander, Call of the Wild, Stargate:SG-1 and The X-Files.