West Toronto Collegiate (WTC) is a former public high school in the Dufferin Grove

Dufferin Grove

Dufferin Grove is a neighbourhood located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bordered by Bloor Street West to the north, Ossington Ave to the east, College Street to the south, and Dufferin Street to the west.-Character:...

 neighbourhood in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada 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 is located at 330 Lansdowne Avenue, just north of College Street

College Street (Toronto)

College Street is a principal arterial thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, connecting former streetcar suburbs in the west with the city centre. The street is home to an ethnically diverse population in the western residential reaches, and institutions like the Ontario Legislature and the University...

. It is owned by the Toronto District School Board

Toronto District School Board

Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...

, which will sell the building to the Conseil scolaire district catholique Centre-Sud for $20.5 million and lease the top floor for continuing education programs.

History

The school was constructed and opened in 1972. The school was built on the former southern section of MacGregor Park. The football field is the former location of a lumber yard. The construction of the school necessitated the closing of the section alongside the school of St. Helen's Avenue. The siding of the building on the east and west sides of the building is unique. It was installed as "raw" steel and allowed to rust to reach the intended brown colour, then preserved. The school was originally named in 1972, by its students as West Toronto Secondary School. This was subsequently changed.

In 1992, the school, along with Monarch Park Collegiate, started its 'Steps to University' program to encourage the entry of high school students into university. Students could earn both high school and university credits in sociology while attending West Toronto.

In July 2009, it was announced that the grade nine classes for the 2009-10 school year were cancelled due to a lack of students applying to the school. The school, facing a decline in enrollment since 2004, has had to cancel programs and courses. The operation of the school and its programs are under review. In August 2009, George Brown College

George Brown College

George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...

expressed interest in leasing a floor of the school.

On October 1, 2009, teacher Maria Campodonico was named the winner of the first-ever Toronto Star Teacher Award. Campodonico came to Canada from Ecuador when she was 13. She later graduated from York and the University of Western Ontario's faculty of education, and was the president of the board of directors of the Spanish-Speaking Education Network for four months. When she arrived at West Toronto four years ago, she immediately got to work on implementing what would become an award-winning breakfast program after seeing the number of kids who went hungry. She knocked on the doors of local businesses, including local supermarkets, soliciting food and donations. It also became a vehicle for teens to start collecting perishable items to send to impoverished nations.

In November 2009, the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) recommended the permanent closure of West Toronto Collegiate effective August 31, 2010. The committee further recommends that the building remain in the possession of the school board for education purposes. As a result, current West Toronto students would have to transfer to other schools for the 2010-11 school year. The special needs students may remain if no suitable accommodation is available at other schools.

Program

West TO offers grades 9 through 12.

Special Programs:

• Monthly Social Justice Student Conferences throughout the school year involving the entire student body. These conferences are led by school and community members and focus on specific social justice themes.
• "Head Start" Course - English and Math preparation course for Grade 9 students to ensure strong literacy and numeracy skills in high school.
• Steps to University - a specialized course that allows students to earn a University of Toronto Sociology Credit (1st Year). The course is team taught by a West Toronto teacher and University of Toronto Sociology Professor.
• W-Pod - a self-directed learning program, facilitated by a West Toronto teacher, which allows students to use computers to complete courses independently and at their own pace.
• Technology Courses/Programs in: Business, Carpentry, and Culinary Arts and Hospitality (delivered in a newly renovated food preparation facility).

Sports

West T.O. has 20 sports teams, including volleyball, basketball and soccer.

Clubs

• Asian Club
• Tibetan Club