Eastwood Collegiate Institute is a public
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located at 760 Weber Street East in
Kitchener, OntarioThe City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was established in 1956. The school teams are known as the "Rebels". Eastwood is known for its Provincially ranked soccer teams, as well as its Integrated Arts Program. Its motto is
Ex Oriente Lux.
Construction
The school was built in 1956, located on what was then the recently extended East Avenue (now
Weber StreetWeber Street , or Waterloo Regional Road 8, is a major roadway in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The street is likely named for early German immigrants from Pennsylvania that migrated of the region...
). The
architectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
for the building was the company of Barnett & Rieder. Most of the school consists of a long
classroomA classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
block that runs parallel to Weber Street. There is a large entrance stair at the south side of the classroom block, with the school offices to the north and the
gymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, whose walls are of ribbed brick, to the south. The architecture of the school received international attention when it opened.
Crest
The School's crest was designed by Former Eastwood Student Doug Rickert in 1957. Designed to reveal both the school's name but also the components of its life blood. According to the 1956-1957 Eastwood Yearbook, CHIPS, "The rising sun...denotes not only 'East', but also the light given by our leadership to other schools and the community around us. The maple leaves provide the 'wood', and in addition signify our pride in holding a place in the educational system of Canada. The open book signifies the great store of knowledge readily available, and the desire to receive it, both present in our school. The motto...has also been included in the attractive crest which is a suitable emblem of our school".
The Auditorium and Tech Crew
Eastwood Collegiate Institute is currently the only school in the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) that boasts an industry-standard auditorium facility. The auditorium seats just under 500 people. It is also equipped with a custom-installed hemp rope system (named for the type of rope once used) with over 20 bars. The lighting inventory is also the largest in the region's school board. The aud is run and maintained by ECI's Tech Crew. Tech Crew is responsible for shows in and outside of the auditorium, totaling over 15 major shows each year. These may include seasonal Dance Shows and Music Shows, the annual arts program Gala, the semiannual Musical Production, the Commencement ceremonies, School Dances and the annual Spring playday ('Spring Thing'). Hours contributed by the ETC gross 5000 annually
The Mascot
The school's original mascot,
Johnny RebelJohnny Reb or Johnny Rebel is the national personification of the Southern states of the United States. The latter part of his name is derived from Rebellion. Patriots used Johnny Reb and his Union counterpart Billy Yank to symbolize the lost souls in the American Civil War of the 1860s.Johnny Reb...
, was chosen to represent Eastwood's original rebellious spirit (many of the original teachers had left
KCIKitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School, sometimes shortened to Kitchener Collegiate Institute and often abbreviated as KCI, is a public secondary school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It is a member of the Waterloo Region District School Board. The school dates from 1855, making it...
to come to Eastwood). In 1999, it was decided that Johnny Rebel no longer personified what it meant to be a Rebel due to the fact that he was perceived to be a symbol of white bigotry (the Confederate flag was a prominent feature of his costume, and a version of the flag could be seen on the previous cafeteria mural, with Canadian Maple-Leaves replacing the stars). This led to a contest being held among the students and staff to design a new mascot. Eventually, it was decided that two lions (one male and one female, wearing a football jersey and a basketball jersey respectively) would be used to reflect the school's "Rebel Pride". In 2007, another contest was held for another overhaul of the mascot, with students and staff again submitting designs. Ultimately, a design by former Eastwood art teacher David Okum was selected. The "Rebel Lion" combines both old and new - a lion in an updated soldier's uniform. The name was chosen so that when the words were pushed together, the word "Rebellion" was formed.
Waterloo Region Integrated Arts Program
Eastwood is particularly noted for its specialized arts program, known as the "Integrated Arts Program". The Arts Program offers courses in Drama, Dance, Music: Instrumental, Strings, Vocal, and Visual arts. Talented students come to Eastwood from all over Waterloo Region and beyond just to be an Arts Program student. Keeping to its integrated nature, academics are incredibly important and necessary for all students. Success in academics as well as arts to attain a high-school diploma is mandatory.
The Specialist High Skills Major: Arts & Culture
This new program complements the already successful IAP.
This program is newly developed and brings the technical side of the arts to the students. Programs in lighting, sound, stage managing, stage and set design, costume design and creation, are just a few of the offerings. Supported in part by members of Waterloo Region's Arts Community, the program began in the 2008-2009 school year.
Huron Heights controversy
In 2004, while the
Waterloo Region District School BoardWaterloo Region District School Board is the public school board for the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It operates 103 elementary schools, 16 secondary schools, and other facilities, serving 60,000 students in the Region of Waterloo. It has approximately 5500 staff and a budget of $675...
was planning to build
Huron HeightsHuron Heights Secondary School is the newest high school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It serves the rapidly-growing southwest end of the city, located at the intersection of Strasburg and Huron Road. It opened on September 5, 2006...
in Southwest
KitchenerThe City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, the school was supposedly better suited for closure when at a meeting regarding the pending closure of
Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolKitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School, sometimes shortened to Kitchener Collegiate Institute and often abbreviated as KCI, is a public secondary school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It is a member of the Waterloo Region District School Board. The school dates from 1855, making it...
(KCI) a delegate from KCI stated that the Eastwood students and community had not rallied around their school as had KCI and
Southwood Secondary SchoolSouthwood Secondary School is a high school in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, for students in West Galt and North Dumfries.-History:Southwood was founded in 1962. Although it has one of the lower student enrollments in the region, that does not seem to affect performance...
, another school scheduled for closure. After a brief investigation by the District School Board, the decision was not to close any of the schools at all.
Renovations
In recent years the school has had a number of much needed renovations. A new library, dance studio, front steps, elevator, a re-vitalized woodworking shop, a (recently demolished) costume room, and a brand new sprinkler system completed in 2005 to bring the school up to fire code.
Beginning March 2007, a massive renovation began at the school, which includes new windows for the whole building, new ventilation system, new boiler system, and hiding the sprinkler pipes installed 2 years prior. Air conditioning is being installed, but will not be available to the whole school, only certain special parts will have it (such as computer labs) but the average classroom will not.
Special events
- Eastwood Collegiate celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.
- They received a special visit from former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
in 2006.
Notable alumni
- Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
- retired NHL hockey player (Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, St. Louis Blues) NHL Hockey Hall Of Fame 2007
- Mike Stevens - retired NHL hockey player (Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
)
- Markus Koch
Markus Koch is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Boise State University and played high school football at the Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario...
- Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
- Charity Brown
Charity Brown is a Canadian film actress, singer, and voice artist for television animation shorts. She is one of Eastwood Collegiate Institute's notable alumni.-Biography:...
- Recording Artist
External links