Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School, commonly called Kitchener Collegiate Institute or KCI, is a publicsecondary school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It is a member of the Waterloo Region District School Board. The school dates from 1855, making it one of the oldest high schools in Kitchener and Waterloo. Its sports teams are known as the Raiders.
The school opened on April 2, 1855, as the Berlin Senior Boys' Grammar School. It was initially located at the corner of King and Eby streets in the downtown area; tuition was five shillings per month. From 1857 to 1871, it occupied space in the Berlin Central School (now Suddaby Public School) on Frederick Street. Girls were admitted to the school in 1866. With increasing numbers at the Central School, the school moved to the former Swedenborgian Church on Church Street.
In 1874, $650 was spent to purchase land at the school's current location on King Street West, closer to the Waterloo border. The building cost $5,804 and opened in 1876. It was now called Berlin High School (Ontario legislation passed in 1871 renamed grammar schools "high schools").
In 1876, science teacher David Forsyth pioneered laboratory experiments. By 1891, the curriculum had grown to include commercial subjects, music, manual training, and athletics.
Many of the school's eleven additions are visible in this photograph of the back of the school. The 1903-04 addition is the centre right with the peaked roof.
In 1903, building commenced on the first of ten additions to the school. [2] During construction, some classes were moved to the Kitchener City Hall and Carnegie library. On November 30, 1904, a Provincial-Order-in-Council raised the school to the status of a collegiate institute, and the school was renamed the Berlin Collegiate Institute. By 1905 the new building was in use. The school's name changed to Kitchener Collegiate Institute, along with the city, in 1916 during the First World War.
By 1919, office and other rooms were being used as classrooms. As the Dominion and Provincial governments had recently announced a policy to assist with school funding, the municipality eventually approved an expansion plan in 1921. The plan called for demolishing the 1876 building, modernizing the 1903-04 building, which still stands, and placing in front of it a new gymnasium, auditorium, front hall, and classrooms, including a classroom east wing. Construction started on July 2, 1922, and the new school opened on September 4, 1923. At the formal opening on April 4, 1924, the school received its current name, Kitchener Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
The 1924 enrolment of 550 students had increased to 1,418 students by 1932. Because of cramped conditions, grade 9 classes were held in downtown Victoria Public School and in neighbouring King Edward Public School from 1933 to 1951, when the west-wing addition was completed.[3]
In 1948, KCI introduced driver education, one of the first schools to do so.
In 1955, KCI celebrated its 100th anniversary, the only public high school in Kitchener and Waterloo. However, in 1956, Eastwood Collegiate Institute opened, the first of seven additional high schools built in the following 20 years. Several of their principals were former KCI teachers.
In the 1970s, the City of Kitchener designated the school foyer as a heritage structure under the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act.
At the school's 125th anniversary celebrations on the weekend of May 16–18, 1980, more than 6,000 former students took part.
In 2003, public outcry ensued when the WRDSB proposed closing KCI in order to open Huron Heights Secondary School in southwest Kitchener, as required under the provincial funding model of the time. Critics of this proposal noted that KCI had a significant history and a unique culture among regional secondary schools, including its diverse student body. Further financial analysis of the financial situation by trustees determined that no need for a Kitchener school closure, and the WRDSB decided to update KCI's aging infrastructure. Regardless of the enormous job and associated costs, [4]
In 2004, football coach Ed Dietrich was selected runner-up "NFL/CFL High School Coach of the Year".[5]
In 2005, the school celebrated its 150th anniversary reunion from May 27–29.
In 2006, the school underwent extensive renovations, funded by the provincial government. Some students are concerned that there is still no air conditioning.
Building facade, 2005
In March 2017, KCI opened its renovated main office. The space now includes a new meeting room, staff mailbox area and unisex washrooms; construction used wood reclaimed from the original office.
Traditions
The school colours are red, yellow, and black (adopted from the flag of Germany because of the city's German heritage), and its motto is Veritas Vincat (Latin, May Truth Prevail); until 1916 the motto was Höher Hinauf (German, To the Heights). At various points since his introduction, there have been contentious debates about the propriety of the former school mascot, a First Nations raider named Rodney. Citing the issue of racism and pressure from special interest groups, the school changed the mascot to a pirate while maintaining the "Raider" name.
Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Waterloo is situated about 94 km (58 mi) west-southwest of Toronto, but it is not considered to be part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Due to the close proximity of the city of Kitchener to Waterloo, the two together are often referred to as "Kitchener–Waterloo", "K-W", or "The Twin Cities".
Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about 100 km (62 mi) west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a 1916 referendum changed its name. The city covers an area of 136.86 km2, and had a population of 256,885 at the time of the 2021 Canadian census.
Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers. The city had a population of 138,479 as of the 2021 census. Along with Kitchener and Waterloo, Cambridge is one of the three core cities of Canada's tenth-largest metropolitan area.
Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute (KCVI) was a secondary school in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1792 by Reverend John Stuart based upon a grant for secondary education in the colony of Upper Canada, it moved to its location at 235 Frontenac Street in 1892. It is considered the oldest public secondary school in Ontario and the second oldest in Canada. The site and remaining buildings were purchased by Queen's University in 2021.
The Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute is a public high school in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The school is the oldest continuously operating public high school in Guelph, and the third oldest in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Eastwood Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1956. The school teams are known as the "Lions". Eastwood is known for its Provincially ranked soccer teams, as well as its Integrated Arts Program. Its motto is Ex Oriente Lux.
Bluevale Collegiate Institute is a secondary school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, run by the Waterloo Region District School Board. As of the 2019–2020 school year, Bluevale has an enrollment of 1,240 students. The school opened in 1972 under the direction of principal Robert Chilton, and vice-principal Charlie Wilson, initially with grades 9 through 11, adding grades 12, and then 13 in subsequent years. Bluevale's new school boundary took in students previously registered at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener–Waterloo Collegiate, and Waterloo Collegiate Institute. As of 2022, the principal is Deborah Tyrrell.
Waterloo Region District School Board is the public school board for the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It operates 105 elementary schools, 16 secondary schools, and other facilities, serving more than 64,000 students in the Region of Waterloo. It has approximately 6,800 staff and a budget of $675 million. It is the largest public sector employer in the Region and the second-largest employer overall. In early 2018, the director of education is John Bryant.
Southwood Secondary School is a high school in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, for students in West Galt and North Dumfries.
Laurel Heights Secondary School is a high school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). It opened in September 2004 and provides both academic and vocational programs. The school had 1,500 students as of the 2020–21 school year. Each year, around 450 new grade 9 students are enrolled from the following elementary schools: Centennial Public School, Edna Staebler Public School, Laurelwood Public School, and Vista Hills Public School The school is located on 650 Laurelwood Drive in northwest Waterloo. It was originally named after Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada; in 2022, it was renamed to Laurel Heights Secondary School (LHSS).
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate (RMC) is an independent Mennonite high school located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It offers academic programs for grade 7–12 students, various cross-cultural exchanges, as well as arts, athletics and tech programs.
Waterloo Collegiate Institute (WCI) is a secondary school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school is run by the Waterloo Region District School Board. During the 2019–2020 school year, 1,475 students were enrolled at the school. It has magnet programs including English as a Second Language (E.S.L.), Extended French, Geography and Strings instruments. On June 4, 2010, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Elizabeth Ziegler Public School is an elementary school located in Waterloo, Ontario, at 90 Moore Avenue South, roughly one kilometre east of Waterloo's city centre. As of 2009, the school serves junior kindergarten through grade 6. Its principal is currently Ms. Susan Marchiori, and it has a vice principal, Ms. MacNeill. The school also currently hosts one mixed grade 5&6 enrichment class for gifted students. In 2005 the school was ranked 971st out of 2,850 elementary schools in Ontario by the Fraser Institute, based on the results of grade 3 and 6 students on province-wide standardized tests.
Forest Heights Collegiate Institute (FHCI), shortened as Forest Heights or simply Forest, is a high school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada that was established in 1964. It is run by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). As of the 2019–2020 school year, Forest Heights has 1,110 students.
Suddaby Public School, originally known as Central School, is a public elementary school in Kitchener, Ontario. It is located at 171 Frederick Street, in the city's downtown. It serves grades Junior Kindergarten (JK) through grade 6.
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Weston Collegiate Institute is a Grade 9 to 12 public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was formerly known by its previous names of Weston Grammar School, Weston High School, Weston High and Vocational School and Weston Collegiate and Vocational School. It is located in the York South-Weston area. It is the second oldest high school in Toronto, after Jarvis Collegiate Institute. Weston CI is located on 100 Pine Street and has a student population of about 1043.
Edward R. Good was a Canadian politician, who represented Waterloo North (1967–1977) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1975 as a Liberal member. He was first elected in the general election in 1967 and was re-elected in the elections in 1971 and 1975. He retired from politics in 1977.
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Brown, H.W., B.A. (1927). "The Kitchener and Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School: Its History". Fifteenth Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society. 15: 268–284.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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