Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute (equally known to as Sir John A. Macdonald CI, SJAMCI, Sir John A. Macdonald or Mac simply), originally known as O'Sullivan Secondary School,[1] is a secondary school located in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario at 2300 Pharmacy Avenue in Ward 20. It is owned by the Scarborough Board of Education with the latter board assimilated with the Toronto District School Board. The motto is "Prudentia et Scientia" (Vision and knowledge).
| Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute | |
|---|---|
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 The front entrance of Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute. | |
| Address | |
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2300 Pharmacy Avenue , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 43.786858°N 79.323848°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public High School |
| Motto | Prudentia et Scientia (Vision and Knowledge) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Secular |
| Founded | 1964 |
| School board | Toronto District School Board (Scarborough Board of Education) |
| Superintendent | Ian Alison LN10 |
| Area trustee | Manna Wong Ward 20 |
| School number | 4154 / 941948 |
| Administrator | Patty Bowman |
| Principal | Helen Vokas |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1106 (2018-19) |
| Language | English |
| Campus size | 18.14 acres |
| Colour(s) | Red, Purple, and Black |
| Mascot | Black Scot |
| Team name | MacDonald Black Scots |
| Feeder schools | J.B. Tyrell Sr. Public School Pleasant View Jr. High School |
| Website | schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/johnamacdonald |
History
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute was designed by the architectural firm, Gordon S. Adamson and Associates. The school building, originally named O'Sullivan Secondary School, was constructed in 1963 and opened in the fall of 1964 when there was only farmland around it, and as the population in the area grew, so did the school. During construction, O'Sullivan was renamed to Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute, after Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, in which the colors red, black, white and purple were chosen, with the latter color taken from the $10 Canadian banknote.
As its eleventh collegiate, the school's main building was then extended to have more classrooms, along with larger rooms used for music, art, and autoshop. MacDonald celebrated its 50th year on September 26, 2014.
Overview
Academics and clubs
There are clubs for science, math, and computers. Students regularly participate in academic competitions, such as the University of Waterloo's mathematics (Pascal, Cayley, Fermat, and Euclid), chemistry (Avogadro and Chem 13), and physics (Sir Isaac Newton) exams, University of Toronto's engineering exam (DaVinci Engineering Competition), and several American exams.
Music ensembles include Jazz band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Strings, and Choir, along with junior band and strings. Each year these groups compete in regional, provincial, and occasionally international competitions, and have trips internationally to perform.
School crest, colours, and motto
The crest contains a map of Canada and the symbols of the clan of Sir John A. Macdonald: a white coronet, a mailed fist, and crossed crosslets. Red, Purple, and White, which predominate in the tartan of Sir John A. Macdonald's family clan, Clanranald, are the official school colours. The school motto is "Prudentia et Scientia" (Vision and knowledge).
Athletics
In the 2011–2012 school year, The senior boys' soccer team won the TDSSAA City Championship. In the 2012–2013 school year, the varsity field hockey won the City Championship. In 2012–2013, the junior boys' volleyball team won City Championship. In 2012–2013, the track team won East Region Overall.
Notable alumni
- Mike Johnson, retired NHL Hockey player (with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues)
- David Furnish, filmmaker/director/producer and husband of Elton John
- Eric McCormack, actor, producer and musician, star of TV series Will and Grace
- Mike Myers, comedian and Hollywood movie actor (attended Macdonald, but graduated from Stephen Leacock C.I.)
- Duff Gibson, 2006 Winter Olympics gold medalist in singles skeleton; firefighter with Calgary International Airport
- William Blair, former Chief of Police of the Toronto Police Service and Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
- Shaun Chen, former Toronto District School Board Trustee (Ward 21) and current Member of Parliament for Scarborough North
- Michelle MacPherson, 1984 Summer Olympics bronze medalist, 1982 Commonwealth Games double bronze medallist and gold medal relay, swimming
- Brad Park, retired NHL player (with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings), member of the Hockey Hall of Fame; briefly coach with the Red Wings
- Barbara Gowdy, novelist and short story author
- Michael Rudder, Canadian stage, film and voice actor, survived shooting in Mumbai, India
- Mike Levine, bass player for Triumph
- Sherko Haji Rasouli, football player for the BC Lions
- Rod Connop, CFL All-Star and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee
- John Anderson, retired NHL hockey player (with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers)