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Bur Oak Secondary School

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School type
  
Public, high school

Superintendent
  
Ruth Lambert

School number
  
933346

Province
  
Founded
  
2007

Area trustee
  
Allan Tam

Phone
  
+1 905-202-1234

Mascot
  
Biggie the Bulldog

Bur Oak Secondary School

Principal
  
Kadri Mereweather (2007-2012)George Voumvakis (2012-Present)

Address
  
933 Bur Oak Ave, Markham, ON L6E 1G4, Canada

Similar
  
Markville Secondary School, Unionville High School, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Bayview Secondary School, St Brother André Catholic

Bur Oak Secondary School (BOSS) is a public secondary school in Markham, Ontario, Canada established in 2007, and is part of the York Region District School Board. The school was named after the road which it is built on. As of 2015, the school has a student population of approximately 1700.

Contents

Bur oak secondary school friday


History

Bur Oak Secondary School opened in September 2007 with only two grades (9 & 10). Bur Oak held its "official opening" ceremony on May 1, 2008 followed by an open house. The school now boasts a student population of upwards of 1,500 students in all four grades. The school's official colours consist of royal blue, gold, white, and black. Bur Oak's mascot is the bulldog, hence the representative name for teams, the "Bur Oak Bulldogs".

Academics

Bur Oak Secondary School is noted for its strong academic performance. According to the 2015 ranking of Ontario secondary schools, Bur Oak ranks 10th out of 676 schools in the province.

The school offers a unique four-year core French program with intensive focus is placed on global French culture, music and history, in addition to grammar and structure.

The school also offers a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. As of the 2015-2016 school year, the program is offered in five specializations:

  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Energy
  • Health & Wellness
  • Non-Profit
  • The program provides students with valuable skills and certifications related to their specialization and career path, and is completed in the final two years of high school.

    Awards ceremony

    At its annual awards ceremony in September, the school recognizes the academic achievement of students with the following awards:

    1. Honour Roll: These recipients have earned an overall average of at least 80%.
    2. Subject Award: These recipients have shown initiative in a specific course. However, unlike the vast majority of schools that give the award to the student earning the highest mark and the strongest performance, BOSS requires a mark of at least 75%.
    3. Principal's Award: This award is given to the three students earning the highest academic average in each grade.

    As of the 2011-12 school year, only subject awards are given each semester; the Honour Roll and Principal's Award recipients are currently determined based on their marks from throughout the whole school year instead of the previously established semester marking.

    Extracurricular activities

    Bur Oak Secondary School boasts a variety of student-led organizations and clubs and holds several student events throughout the year. Notably, it holds an annual back-to-school barbeque, Bossilicious in September, and a Summer Carnival in late May. In addition, the school also hosts dances, movie nights, and coffeehouses that are organizations by Student Activity Council, satellite councils, academic departments, or student clubs.

    Student Activity Council

    Many student events are coordinated by Student Activity Council (SAC). Student Activity Council is an umbrella organization that derives its membership from the Co-Directors of the seven satellite councils:

  • Student Events Council
  • Athletic Council
  • Business Council
  • Equity Council
  • Music Council
  • Community Council
  • Global Action Council
  • International Student Association
  • Student Activity Council is led by two Co-Presidents that are elected popularly by students in the preceding school year.

    Satellite councils are led by two Co-Directors and an Executive team that are selected at the end of the preceding school year. Each of the satellite councils different interests within the school, some, like Music and Business Councils, serving extracurricular activities related to academic departments, while others, like Community and Global Action are more focused on student engagement in community service and social justice.

    Student organizations & clubs

    Student clubs and organizations active within the school as of the 2015-2016 school year include:

  • Announcement Team
  • Anime Club
  • Art Club
  • Badminton Team
  • Cricket Team
  • Improv Team
  • Drama Club
  • K-Pop Club
  • Break Dance Club
  • PRISM (Gay-Straight Alliance)
  • Peer Tutoring Club
  • White Pine Readers,
  • Science Club,
  • Stock and Investments Club
  • DECA
  • Mathematics Club
  • Model United Nations
  • Computer Club
  • Zero Footprint
  • Red Cross Club
  • Feeder schools

    The following elementary schools are part of the Bur Oak S.S feeder schools:

  • Black Walnut Public School
  • Cornell Village Public School
  • Donald Cousens Public School
  • Fred Varley Public School
  • Greensborough Public School
  • John McCrae Public School
  • Little Rouge Public School
  • Mount Joy Public School
  • Wismer Public School
  • School bus

    As per the criteria of Student Transportation Service (joint school bus service for YRDSB and YCDSB), students from grade 9-12 in the YRDSB are eligible for school bus transportation if they are:

  • 1. Living more than 3.2 km from the school (measured along safe walkways)
  • and

  • 2. Living in a non-transit served area. (A transit served area means that a person can get to and from school using the YRT/Viva in less than an hour, needs to walk no more than 1 km to/from the stop, and needs to take a maximum of 3 buses each way).
  • Students in a special needs program (excluding gifted), are exempt from the policy and receive it based on a separate criteria.

    Public transit

    The YRT routes which stop at or near the school are:

  • 18 - Bur Oak. Westbound to Angus Glen Community Centre and Library. Eastbound to Markham-Stouffville Hospital
  • 402 - Bur Oak/Pierre Elliot Trudeau High School Special. Westbound to Angus Glen Community Centre and Library. Eastbound to Markham-Stouffville Hospital. Operates only during the morning and afternoon on school days.
  • 45 - Mingay. Northbound to Major Mackenzie Drive East. Southbound to Markville Mall.
  • 102D - Markham Road. Northbound to Major Mackenzie Drive East then Southbound to Warden Station (Subway), extra TTC fare required when travelling south of Steeles.
  • 129A - McCowan North (Operated by the TTC). Northbound to Major Mackenzie Drive East. Southbound to Scarboorugh Centre Station (Mall connecting to LRT), extra TTC fare required when travelling south of Steeles.
  • Effective July 1st, 2016, YRT fares are $4.00 in cash for a two-hour pass. Ten student tickets (valid for 2 hours) are $27.00 and a monthly pass is $105.00.

    Trivia

    In May 2016, the location was using in the filming of the 2017 movie Downsizing.

    Notable alumni

  • Tremaine Harris - 2012 Olympic Sprinter
  • References

    Bur Oak Secondary School Wikipedia


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