Oakwood Collegiate Institute

Oakwood Collegiate Institute
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Address
991 St. Clair Ave West Toronto, Ontario, M6E 1A3, Canada
Information
School board	Toronto District School Board
Principal	Deddy
School type	Public High School
Grades	9-12
Mascot	Barons
Colours	Blue and Gold
Established	1908
Enrolment	793 (Spring 2008)
Homepage	http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/OakwoodCI/

Oakwood Collegiate Institute (known to students as OCI) is a public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

History & Alumni

Oakwood was founded in 1908. Originally built above King Edward Public School (Jr. & Sr.), it has since moved to its present location at the corner of St. Clair Ave. West and Oakwood Ave. Oakwood celebrated its 100th anniversary in May 2008 through the co-operation of the school and the Oakwood Collegiate Alumni Association (OCAA).Among its distinguished alumni: Writer and television star Patrick Watson, writer Michael Hornyanski, CBC Children's Television executives Fred Rainsberry and John Kennedy, R&B singer Jully Black, jazz musician Jane Bunnett, Bob Ezrin, producer of Pink Floyd's Pink Floyd's The Wall, and Stephen Lewis, former leader of the NDP, broadcaster and diplomat.

Layout

Oakwood's population studies in a 3 storey building but has a gym, pool and art department located in the basement. The "centre" of the building is the school's auditorium, and can be accessed from the first and second floors. Two wings jut out from the main building, one in a westerly direction (towards Dufferin St.), and one in a southerly direction (towards Davenport Rd.)

The basement houses the departments of Visual Arts and Technological Design, as well as the school's athletic facilities: two gyms, a smaller "games room" used for intramural sports, a pool with a viewing gallery, and a weight room.

During the last stretch of the Ontario New Democratic Party government of Bob Rae, Oakwood was next on the list of schools to be renovated, directly after Riverdale Collegiate Institute. After Rae had lost the 1995 provincial elections to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario under Mike Harris, the plans for renovation were scrapped. Among them were plans for a re-orientation of the auditorium (which would face east, not south), and an orchestra pit.

Diversity

Oakwood has a multicultural student body with many students from the BLACK PEOEPLE Somali, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese,Homosexuals and Caribbean communities.

Schedule

Contrary to an increasing number of schools in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the school remains non-semestered; in other words, a course runs for a full year. Oakwood follows a four-day "block" cycle, although due to its status as a non-semestered school, classes are shorter and occur more frequently. Each period lasts approximately 75 minutes during a regularly scheduled day. Days that do not fit the regular pattern have modified period starting and ending times.

Extracurricular activities

Oakwood is home to a wide number of clubs and services available to students

The Acorn

The Acorn is Oakwood's student newspaper. Articles, as well as stories, poetry, and comics, are submitted by student writers to be published in the paper. Various departmental newsletters exist to inform students of developments in each departments. Messages from the school's administration are handed out in a student's homeform class.

Athletics

Oakwood is home to the Barons and the Lady Barons sports teams. The school has traditionally performed in soccer, rugby, hockey basketball, field hockey, synchronized swimming, competitive swimming, and archery. The school is home to several intramural leagues (i.e. students against students), including basketball and floor hockey. Athletic teams are managed by the department of Physical Education, the Girls' Athletic Association (GAA) and the Boys' Athletic Association (BAA). The two gyms provide sufficient, yet limited use for games between Oakwood and other high schools. Intramural league games are held in a third gymnasium named the "Games Room"; a weight room is available to students during regular school hours.

Student government

Government is provided by the student organization Caput (Latin for "Head"). There are six positions available: The President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Social Convenor are all elected by students in the spring. The five elected students are responsible for electing a sixth student to the position of Executive Member.

The 2011/2012 members are:

President: Mahad Farah Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Social Convenor: Executive Member:

Concerts

Music students put on several performances a year: two main ones in November and April, jazz concerts throughout the year, and a Chamber Concert for senior students who perform concerti on their instrument. This is also an opportunity for senior students to organize and perform their own musical acts. Concerts traditionally end with a singing of the school song.

Musicals

Every year the Oakwood Drama Society puts on a major production. Usually a musical, these are attended by family, friends, and many from the community. This year Oakwood performed three performances of the 1998 Broadway revival musical "Cabaret", music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. It had one of the largest casts Oakwood has ever had. It was enjoyed by many and held up the standards of Oakwood productions.

Trips

Various departments co-ordinate trips to international locations in order to enhance students' knowledge of the subject they are studying. Previous locations have included Beijing, China; Los Angeles, California; Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Athens, Greece; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; New York City, New York; and Chicago, Illinois. Particularly within the Music Department, teachers keep the location of trips a well-guarded secret until it has been largely planned.

Notable alumni

• Jully Black, R&B artist
• Kardinal Offishall, Rapper
• Ivan Reitman, film director and film producer
• Bob Ezrin, Producer

External links

• Oakwood CI - Official TDSB webpage for Oakwood CI.
• Oakwood CI Official Webpage - School-maintained website.
• OCI Course Charts - List of courses offered at Oakwood CI (Adobe PDF)
• OCI School Profile - Background information and EQAO Results
• Oakwood's 100th Anniversity Information - Schedule of events.

Coordinates: 43°40′43″N 79°26′11″W / 43.678621°N 79.436420°W / 43.678621; -79.436420