Killarney Secondary School

Infobox_Education_in_Canada
name=Killarney Secondary School


imagesize=120px
motto="Semper Fidelis"
motto_translation=(Latin:"Always Faithful")
streetaddress=6454 Killarney Street
city=Vancouver
province=British Columbia
postalcode=V5S 2X7
areacode=604
phone=713-8950
fax=713-8949
email=
url= [http://www.killarneysecondary.com/ www.killarneysecondary.com]
schoolnumber=03939016
schoolboard=School District 39 Vancouver
superintendent=Gary Little
trustee=Eleanor Gregory
affiliation=
principal=Jill Phillipchuk
viceprincipal=Doris Sandri-Welsh
Greg Marr
Jon Bruneau
administrator=
custodian=
schooltype=Secondary school
grades=8-12
language=English
area=Killarney
mascot=Cougar
teamname=Cougars
colours=Green or Grey
emblem=The Shamrock
founded=1957
enrollment=2000 [http://www.vsb.bc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/F4CC82AB-7655-4240-B8BD-1C35CF67054A/0/ReadyRefcondensedversionrevisedjan.pdf Ready Reference March 2008] ]
enrollment_as_of=March 2008

Killarney Secondary School is a Public high school in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The school is named for the area in which it resides. It is the largest public secondary school in the city (both in enrollment and area).

Mission statement

"To provide an environment within which all learners can be successful."

History

Killarney (A and C-Wings) opened in September 1957 with 1,260 students from grades 7 to 10. The teaching staff consisted of 52 members under the direction of principal Tom Alsbury. Grade 11's were added the following year and Grade 12's another year after with the first class of senior students graduating as the class of 1960.

At the time of the opening, the school was surrounded by vacant land as the areas to the east and south were just beginning to see development. Killarney continued to grow especially as the area south of 49th Avenue matured. November 1961 saw the addition of a new wing to the building which included an auditorium and stage (B-Wing). Just over six years later in December 1967, D-Wing, which greatly expanded and improved upon the existing science and industrial education facilities, was completed. In the 1970s, seven portable classrooms were placed on the grounds to accommodate the more than 1,700 students enrolled by that time (construction of a neighbouring secondary school had been delayed). Within a decade, enrollment would reach 2,000 and has remained around this level ever since then. The most recent addition was a new wing containing a new facade/main entrance/foyer, 21 classrooms, a new band-room and a state of the art music lab.

Overview

Killarney Secondary is a comprehensive school currently with over 2,000 students in grades 8 to 12 with 110 teaching staff. It features an academic program which accommodates both enrichment activities and modification to ensure that students reach their potential. Extra-curricular activities are abundant with more than 35 clubs and a full inter-high school sports program. Killarney has one of the highest enrollments in the district in the senior Math and Sciences. In addition, it is also renowned locally for its Fine Arts Program. The school has enjoyed a multicultural population for many years and includes students from over 35 different countries with a similar number of languages spoken at home.

Fine Arts

Killarney has Vancouver's largest and most varied Fine Arts Program, featuring an internationally recognized music program in Band, Choral and Strings, and award winning programs in Art/Graphics and Drama. More than half the students at the school are involved in this area.

Athletics

A large commitment from staff has produced a premier athletic program involving both female and male athletes from all grade levels. Killarney was awarded "Top School" in B.C. by B.C. High School Sports. This year both Killarney's Junior Boys Rugby and Junior Badminton teams have won the City Championships and the Premier Boys Soccer team has entered the Provincial Playoffs. Also the Bantam Boys became the 2007 city champions. Killarney also produced a few great runners out of their track program. Scott Kent, who in 1982 finished fifth, as a freshman, in the 800m Provincial Championships at Empire Stadium, and went on to become one of BC's top middle distance runners. At UBC he became an All Canadian placing 6th at their indoor Nationals in the 1000m with a time of 2:27. He has held a canadian record in the 4 x 800m and won gold for BC at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in the 4 x 400m Race. Charles Davis, also a freshman, who in 1977 during an inter school track meet ran 4:11 for the 1500m. Still a school record. Charles Later went on to win the Seatle Marathon in a time of 2:19:56.

Achievements

The University of British Columbia Mathematics Department has been releasing a specific annual study of B.C. secondary schools since at least 1987. It is a school-by-school study based on final standings in each December for the various UBC First Year Calculus Courses for students who graduated from secondary schools in British Columbia. Killarney Secondary School ranked in the top third for 13 consecutive years from 1991 to 2003, dropped down the list to 12th (of 21 schools) in 2004, and returned to the top third (5th out of 23 schools) the following year in 2005. [cite web|title=First Year Calculus Results|publisher=Mathematics Department at UBC|url=http://www.math.ubc.ca/Schools/FirstYearCalculus/|accessdate=2007-02-13]

Killarney Secondary School received a rating of 7.2 out of 10 in the 2007 edition of The Fraser Institute's Report Card on Secondary Schools in British Columbia and Yukon.It ranked 80th out of the 291 schools ranked in the report card. [cite web|title=Report Card on Secondary Schools in British Columbia and Yukon|url=http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/reportcards/schoolperformance/britishcolumbia.htm|accessdate=2007-09-20]

Notable alumni

*Milan Lucic, professional hockey player for the NHL's Boston Bruins [cite web | last = Chong | first = Andrew | title=Lucic Steps Up Again And Again | publisher = Hockey Now BC Edition | url=http://www.bchockey.com/story.aspx?c=20&id=761 | accessdate=2008-05-09]
*Colin Mochrie, improv comedian on 'Whose Line is it Anyway', currently on tour on the 'Colin and Brad Show' Fact|date=May 2008
*Blaine "a.k.a. Jin Kazama" Myric Voice actor for Jin Kazama in the popular Tekken game series

References

External links

* [http://www.killarneysecondary.com/ Killarney Official Website]
* [http://killarney.vsb.bc.ca/ Killarney Secondary School]
* [http://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/Secondaryschools/03939016/default.htm Vancouver School Board - Killarney]

chool Reports - Ministry of Education

* [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/class_size/03939016.pdf Class Size]
* [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/sat_survey/2005/03939016.pdf Satisfaction Survey]
* [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/school_perf/03939016.pdf School Performance]
* [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reports/pdfs/fsa/03939016.pdf Skills Assessment]