School type Public High School Founded 1964 Area trustee Manna Wong Phone +1 416-396-6793 Mascot Black Scot | Religious affiliation(s) Secular Superintendent Beth Veale School number 4154 / 941948 Motto Prudentia et Scientia | |
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Similar Stephen Leacock Collegiat, Victoria Park Collegiat, Woburn Collegiate Institute, Winston Churchill Collegiat, Dr Norman Bethune Collegiat | ||
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).
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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.
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.