West Point Grey Academy

West Point Grey Academy is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory school founded in 1996. Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada it delivers the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Infobox Education in Canada

name= West Point Grey Academy


imagesize= 250px
motto= Progredimini Confidenter
motto_translation=Go Forth with Confidence
streetaddress= 4125 West 8th Avenue
city= Vancouver
province= British Columbia
postalcode= V6R 4P9
schoolnumber=
schoolboard=
superintendent=
trustee=
affiliation= None
principal= Clive Austin
principal_label= Headmaster
viceprincipal=
viceprincipal_label=
administrator=
schooltype= Independent
grades= PreK-12
language= English
area=
mascot= Wolf, Wally the
teamname= Grey Wolves
colours= Green, Grey
founded= 1996
enrollment= 880
homepage= http://www.wpga.ca

History

In 1996 West Point Grey Academy began its course with just over 300 students and 24 teachers. Programmes were offered from pre-school to Grade 8 in a co-educational, non-denominational environment.

The school has since grown: with over 880 students and 100 faculty members, it offers schooling from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. Seven graduating classes have graduated from WPGA.

Mission statement

In the 2004/2005 school year WPGA completed an academic advancement plan and launched a new mission statement, embarking on a new voyage: a Journey of the Imagination: "At West Point Grey Academy we are a community of Renaissance learners. By igniting the spirit of inquiry, creativity, and exploration, we challenge our students to develop a passion for excellence." This educational philosophy is in addition to the schools motto - "Progredimini Confidenter: Go Forth With Confidence" - and stresses a four pillar approach to education: Academics, Athletics, Fine and Performing Arts, and Community Service.

Academics

West Point Grey Academy boasts a commitment to academic excellence. Its programme is designed to challenge students to reach their academic potential by adhering to certain guiding principles. The school emphasizes the value of learning which is centered on the child, and recognizes that each child differs not only in learning style but also in learning strengths. Its programme is described as tailored to encourage students to think critically, by teaching children to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; while learning for life, by encouraging students to pursue inquiry, embrace creativity and explore the world around them; and developing a sense integrity and social responsibility, because students are global citizens who must recognize the importance of ethical behavior. Each year the Fraser Institute produces a report ranking all schools in the province; at both the elementary and secondary levels, West Point Grey Academy continues to be ranked first academically along with a few other schools in British Columbia.

Athletics

West Point Grey Academy Physical Education and Athletic programs are designed to foster an active lifestyle among the student body. All students from Pre-K to grade 12 are enrolled in Physical Education classes. The WPGA campus features a large double gymnasium, pool, fitness centre, tennis courts, and multi-sport fields. Main sports include soccer, basketball, volleyball, cross-country swimming and track and field.

The program's mandate is to expose Physical Education students to a wide variety of athletic activities while encouraging students to set and reach personal fitness goals. The program is renowned for being inclusive, and works to ensure that as many students as possible to participate in various sporting activities, both in-school and community or club-based.

WPGA fields a variety of athletic teams from grade 5 through grade 12 competing as members of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools. School teams also compete in local city and independent school leagues and are also registered in the 'A' division of the BC School Sports Provincial Championships.

WPGA is currently home to the BC Elementary Schools Track and Field Champions.

WPGA is now working with Strength & Conditioning coach Julien Emery to improve the fitness level of the students currently attending West Point Grey Academy. He has very high goals for the Senior Students at the school and hopes to soon bring home championship trophies for Soccer, Basketball, Track & Field, and Volleyball.

Fine and Performing Arts

West Point Grey Academy's Fine and Performing Arts faculty, which is hosted in a dedicated Arts Wing (made up of several visual arts studios, a ceramics room, band room, choir room, recording studio, and wood-shop) strives to inspire student's achievement of personal excellence in their creative endeavors. The program offers a supportive and enriched climate, which aids students in learning the value of the arts.

Since 1997 the school's drama program has annually produced a large scale production with ticket sales open to the Greater Vancouver community. In 2005 the school produced its first musical, "The Sound of Music," and has since strived to produce a musical every other year. In 2007 it put on "The Wizard of Oz" at the Richmond Gateway Theatre.

The school's band and strings program is quickly growing, regularly performing in the community. In April 2007 the school's concert band and choirs undertook their first international band trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Every May the school hosts a week long celebration of the arts where students embrace the artistic nature of their school. During this week, classes are shortened to allow for artistic workshops and guest artists to give presentations. The evenings also feature large scale musical productions, including Coffee House Night and Cabaret Night.

Community service

The school and its student body continually stress the importance of community stewardship. The school hosts groups which regularly volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission as well as other local community based initiatives. In March 2006, six students and two teachers joined a Canadian team to travel to Tanzania to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in order to raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. They worked to generate HIV/AIDS Awareness in schools around the Lower Mainland, and succeeded in raising over $40,000 for charity. West Point Grey Academy was also responsible for reinstating the Vancouver Independent Schools' Charity Ball in February 2005, and in July 2007 successfully completed a school-building service trip to Ecuador. During the 2006-2007 school year, a number of WPGA students collaborated to plan, organize, and run Urban Aid, a benefit concert to raise money for Covenant House Vancouver. The concert showcased a number of Vancouver independent groups and artists, and was attended by over 300 high school students from around the Lower Mainland. The event was a great success, raised over $5,000 for charity.

Debate and public speaking

West Point Grey Academy is renowned for having one of the strongest speech and debate programs in Canada. Coached by Ms. Tracey Lee, the team has competed throughout Canada, the United States, England, Germany, South Africa, and South Korea. Of particularly notable acclaim, WPGA debate alumnus Andrew Rusk placed fifth at the World Individual Public Speaking Championships in both 2006 & 2007, was the top Canadian Speaker at the International Independent School Public Speaking Championships in both 2005 & 2006, and was the team Captain of the Canadian National Team in the 2006/2007 school year.

The school's Model UN team has competed at a number of international competitions including the National High School MUN (New York), Harvard Model UN (Boston), SSUNS McGill and Harvard Model Congress in Athens, Greece. In addition to receiving a number of delegate awards, the team has also received notable acclamation as the Top International Delegation at the Harvard Model United Nations in both 2005 and 2006. The school's Model UN program hosts their own conference, - the Vancouver Youth Model United Nations (VYMUN) - every October starting 2006.

Exam Scandal

In early 2007, students were reported to have hacked into the school system to steal the mid-year exams. This issue received Canada-wide media attention. The issue was resolved through the usage of severe punishments.

References

* http://www.wpga.ca/ourschool.asp, West Point Grey Academy
* http://www.canadaedunews.com/news/photo/ , CanadaEduNews

External links

* [http://www.wpga.ca Official site]