Puneet Varma (Editor)

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School (Ottawa)

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Superintendent
  
Neil Yorke-Slader

Principal
  
Nancy Girozan

Enrollment
  
1020 (October 2015)

Phone
  
+1 613-834-4500

Motto
  
We Strive for the Highest

Area trustee
  
Keith Penny

Grades
  
9-12

Campus
  
Suburban

Number of students
  
1,020 (October 2015)

Address
  
1515 Tenth Line Rd, Orléans, ON K1E 3E8, Canada

School board
  
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

District
  
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Similar
  
Cairine Wilson Secondar, Colonel By Secondary School, Maple Ridge Elementa, St Peter High School, St Matthew High School

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and it is located in the neighbourhood of Fallingbrook, in the suburb of Orleans, in Ottawa Ontario, Canada. The school's current principal is Nancy Girozan. Acting as a community hub, the school is connected to ray Friel Recreational Complex, the Ottawa Public Library, Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre, and the River Heights Children Centre; giving students exposing students to a variety of opportunities.

Contents

The school's motto is "We Strive for the Highest" and it's mission statement includes respect for self, respect for others, and respect for property and environment.

As of 2016, 960 students attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School. Fifty-one percent of the 2016 graduating class was accepted to university, twenty-five percent accepted into college institution, twenty-four percent went directly into the workforce, and forty-eight percent of all the graduating class were Ontario Scholars, thus offered some form of scholarship. Currently, the school employees eighty-five staff members.

Each school day consists of four seventy-five minute periods. The school hosts a number of special academic opportunities for students, such as a co-operative education program, special skills majors, and duel course with Algonquin College. The school also offers special education for students who needed added support. This includes in-class IEP, as well as specialty trained teachers to help those who are in need for extra attention.

History

Sir Wilfrid Laurier was originally located on Carson Road in western Gloucester. The original students came primarily from the Carson Road and Pineview neighbourhoods. During the 80s and early 90s, students from Fallingbrook in Orleans were bussed to the school. Eventually, the entire school was home to students bussed from Orleans while a new campus was built at its current location on Tenth Line Road. After moving to the new location, students from Pineview/Carson Road attended Gloucester High School and the building was eventually purchased by the French Catholic school board as the new home for Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest.

School layout

Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a two-story school. It includes a full resource library, and number of computer labs which hosts classes and individual work. The gym can be split into three different division, creating space to host multiple activities or host larger sports games. Close to the gymnasium is a weight room which includes treadmills, bench press and a variety of machines. There is also a track at the back of the school and a outdoor basketball net. With the connection to the Ray Friel Recreational Complex, gym classes are able to access the swimming pool, skating rink, and public library. The school also has a broadcasting lab which is used for the broadcasting program that is run.

Extra-curricular activities

Sir Wilfrid Laurier is one of the schools that broadcasts its morning announcements on television, formerly called "WilTV", and now called "Laurier Live!" In 2011 the school conducted a trip for students to Las Vegas to attend the National Association of Broadcasters convention.

Throughout the year, Sir Wilfrid Laurier offers a variety of clubs to their students. Anime, board game, and skating are a few of the clubs offered, as well as a student council which involves students in the decisions around campus. The school also has a theatre club and puts on one or more plays a year for the students and community. Most recently, they performed the play Annie which received high praise.

The school also participates in a wide range of sports for both males and females. The fall sports include: golf, football, cross-country running, basketball (girls), soccer, volleyball (boys), tennis, ultimate frisbee, and rugby (7's). Winter sports include: badminton, basketball (boys), hockey, cross-country skiing, curling, ski/snowboarding, volleyball (girls), and swimming. Sports that occur in the spring season include: rugby, touch football, track and field, baseball, and soft ball. The faculty has a two-sport policy in place, meaning that a single student cannot participate in more than two sports at a time and must seek agreement on practice schedule from coaches of both sports.

Annual events/fundraiser

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School holds multiple fundraising events annually which support a variety of campaigns and charities. The school engages the entire student body as well as the Orleans community to raise awareness for honourable causes.

The Walk for Water event raises money to support Free the Children's Adopt-A-Village campaign. Students walk for the school to Petrie Island, gather water, and walk back. The ten kilometre walk is to symbolize the struggle for people go through to find clean water.

The Toy Mountain campaign takes place during the holiday season. Students and community members collect toys to donate to children who are less fortunate. The school works with The Salivation Army to disperse the toys to family's in the Ottawa area.

The school also holds a nearly twenty-five year tradition of collecting holiday hampers to give to family's in need. The fundraiser is in partnership with Caldwell Centre. Classroom's collect items such as toiletries, clothing, food, and toys for a designated family. The tradition of this fundraising event dates back to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School's former location in Gloucester.

Relay for Life, is also held annually during the Spring time at Sir Wilfrid Laurier, where students raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Notable alumni

  • Melinda Shankar – Actress on Degrassi, and How to be Indie and other films and shows
  • Richard Adu-Bobie – A sprinter for team Canada winning a silver medal in the Pan American games as well as being an alternate athlete in the 2004 and 2008 summer olympics
  • Mark Seale – Professional Canadian football player
  • Ibrahim "Obby" Khan – Professional Canadian football player
  • Momin Khawaja – First person charged and found guilty under the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act
  • Alex Lacasse; Canadian singer and songwriter
  • Jacques Martin (ice hockey) – professional ice hockey coach and executive.
  • Brendan Gillanders – Canadian football fullback for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
  • Danny Taylor (ice hockey) – Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.
  • References

    Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School (Ottawa) Wikipedia