Windermere Secondary School is a

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secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

located on the east side of

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British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

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Current

Leadership program

The school offers a special program called the ''Leadership Program'', where students develop leadership skills, are involved around the community, and set goals for the future. The leadership program focuses on academics, health and fitness, volunteering and outdoor education. In academics, throughout grades 8 to 12, there is a focus on reading, where students read a variety of books as part of the Social Studies curriculum. The program also teaches about the environment, as well as social and personal responsibility. The health and fitness aspect of the program focuses on personal diet and health choices. Outdoor activities are regarded as one of the most important parts of the program; students train for various outdoor activities in preparation for camping trips that take place once a year throughout grades 8 to 12. Activities during camping trips include hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking, and winter sports. Students will also have a chance to take a course for CPR in grades 9 and 12. Volunteering is a large part of the program, as there are plenty of opportunities where students can assist and engage with the community. In Grade 11, students take what they have learned and apply them via collaborating with neighboring elementary schools, to develop projects regarding sustainability. Students in Grade 11 also organize the school's Climate Change Conference in the fall and the annual Earth Day Parade & Festival in April. The parade runs along Commercial Drive in Vancouver and has attracted thousands of participants. Environmental activists such as

David Suzuki David Takayoshi Suzuki (born March 24, 1936) is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department at th ...

and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip have supported and spoken at the festival. Environmental advocacy groups such as

Wilderness Committee The Western Canada Wilderness Committee (often shortened to Wilderness Committee) is a non-profit environmental education organization that aims to protect Canada's wild spaces and species. Paul George, along with Richard Krieger, were the founding ...

have also supported the Earth Day Celebration in various ways.

Mini-school

A second mini-school, the Athena Arts program, was added to Windermere in 2008. The program previously ran through Grades 8 to 12; however, in 2010 it was changed to run for Grades 8 to 10 only. Since the early 2000s, Windermere has prepared a "Link Crew program" every summer. The goal of this program is to prepare new grade 8 students for secondary school under the leadership of grade 11 and 12 students.

Notable alumni

Raymond Louie Raymond Louie (; born January 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician. He is a five-term Vancouver City Councillor. Formerly a member of Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Louie broke away and was re-elected in 2005, and again in 2008, ...

— Canadian politician and

Vancouver City Council Vancouver City Council is the governing body of Vancouver, British Columbia. The council consists of a mayor and ten councillors elected to serve a four-year term. Monthly, a deputy mayor is appointed from among the councillors. The current may ...

lor (2002–2018)

References

{{VancouverSchools High schools in Vancouver Educational institutions established in 1961 1961 establishments in British Columbia