St. Andrew's College, Aurora

St. Andrew's College (SAC) is an independent boarding and day school founded in 1899 and located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is a university-preparatory school for boys in grades 5 to 12, with a focus on academic achievement, athletics, and leadership development. It is accredited by the Canadian Educational Standards Institute and is affiliated with other associations, including CAIS, CASE, NAIS and the International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC). The school's coat of arms was registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on August 15, 2006.[3]

This article is about the school in Ontario. For other similarly named institutions, see St. Andrew's College (disambiguation).
St. Andrew's College
Address
15800 Yonge Street

Aurora
,
Ontario
,
L4G 3H7

Canada
Coordinates44.011599°N 79.476600°W / 44.011599; -79.476600
Information
School typeIndependent boarding and day
MottoQuit ye like men, be strong
Religious affiliation(s)Non-denominational Christianity
Established1899 (1899)
FounderThe Rev. Dr. George Bruce
Sister schoolSt. Anne's School, Aurora
CEEB code826019 [1]
Head of schoolKevin McHenry
Faculty77
Grades5 to 12
GenderBoys
Enrolment659
Campus size126 acres
Colour(s)Red and white   
MascotBraveheart[2]
Team nameSaints
PublicationThe Andrean
YearbookThe Review
Websitewww.sac.on.ca

History

St. Andrew's College was first situated at the northeast corner of Yonge Street and Roxborough Avenue in the Toronto neighbourhood of Rosedale, in a house named Chestnut Park that was previously owned by Sir David Macpherson. The college opened on September 10, 1899 under the direction of Headmaster Rev. George Bruce and the first student to enroll was Douglas W. Fraser (‘06). By the end of the first school year there were 56 students, 13 being boarders.[4]

SAC campus in Chestnut Park, 1899-1905

Rev. Bruce was succeeded by D. Bruce Macdonald as Headmaster in 1900, and in 1901 the school published its first yearbook: The Review. The Old Boys Association, still active presently, was founded in 1903.

In 1905, due to the increasing size of the student body, the school moved to a new campus within Rosedale, west of MacLennan Avenue, from Summerhill Avenue to Douglas Drive just north of Rosedale Field, in a large Collegiate Gothic structure. The Rosedale Campus was designed to serve 150 boarders, 300 day boys, and 9 masters.

SAC campus in Aurora, 2016

By 1909, the college had students from Canada, Jamaica, the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, China, and Bermuda. In 1911, the college became a corporation under the control of a Board of Governors.

Over 600 Old Boys fought in the First World War, and 104 lost their lives along with 2 masters. From 1918 to 1920, the college temporarily moved to Knox College, as the Rosedale Campus served as a military hospital for wounded soldiers from the First World War.[5]

The school made its final move in 1926 to Aurora, where the current campus occupies a 126-acre (0.51 km2) site in a suburban environment. Its Georgian Revival architecture is built around the traditional quadrangle form. The Memorial Gateway entrance was completed in 1928.

Over 600 Old Boys served during the Second World War with 45 losing their lives, plaques listing their names are displayed within the memorial chapel.

1956, the school newsletter The Andrean was created and has been published since.

There are four boarding houses on campus, which is home to approximately half of the 651 boys. Many members of the faculty also live on-campus.

It was the Aurora campus that was featured in the filming of Cadet Kelly and the 5th episode of the Netflix mini-series The Queen's Gambit.

Cadet Corps

St. Andrew's is also home to Canada's second largest Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps. Established in 1905, the #142 St. Andrew's College Highland Cadet Corps is now a multi-year leadership program, but still culminates in an annual inspection and parade in May. The cadet program focuses on developing leadership and teamwork skills in the boys.

SAC cadets marching in the annual Church Parade, 2019

The cadet corps was raised in the fall of 1905 under the direction of schoolteacher Grant Cooper, following the model of military training offered at Upper Canada College and Trinity College School. 70 boys initially joined the corps as only a limited number of uniforms were available. The first Cadet Inspection was held at the Rosedale Campus on May 14, 1906, under the Command of Captain Cooper, and the first student cadet commander was First Lieutenant Vincent Massey. On April 24, 1906, the corps made its first public appearance at Queen’s Park where it was reviewed by the Duke of Connaught, and on May 18 it participated in training drills with the 48th Highlanders. The cadet corps provided a guard of honour during the Royal Tour of 1939.

The first cadet corps in 1905-06. Vincent Massey is in the front row, 3rd from left.

The School's cadet corps is affiliated with the 48th Highlanders of Canada and retains the same motto ("Dileas Gu Brath" - "Faithful Forever") as well as uniform (scarlet tunic and Modern Gordon tartan). In 2005, the centennial year, the Corps was granted the Freedom of the City of Aurora.

Pipes and Drums

The Pipes and Drums Band is an integral part of the St. Andrew's College Highland Cadet Corps and one of its best-known elements. The Pipes and Drums were established in 1915 under the tutelage of Pipe Major James Fraser of the 48th Highlanders, formerly of the Gordon Highlanders who had fought at Dargai and in South Africa. In 1941, a jaguar skin that had been shot by Theodore Roosevelt was donated to the college to be worn by the bass drummer.

The primary responsibility of the Pipes and Drums Band is to provide music for the Battalion when it is on the march. In this role, the Band will be front and centre at the Annual Church Parade, the Headmaster's Parade, and the Annual Inspection in May.

Internationally renowned as "North America's piping heartland" for its Piping and Drumming program, St. Andrew's College attracts hundreds of potential pipers each year to its summer "Ontario School of Piping and Drumming at St. Andrew’s College" camp.[6] In June 2019, the decision was made to field a competitive band in grade 3 alongside the existing band, which competed in grade 5.[7]

Headmasters
  • Reverend George Bruce (1899–1900)
  • Reverend Bruce Macdonald (1900–1935)
  • Kenneth Ketchum (1935–1942, 1945–1958)
  • J.C. Garret - Acting Head (1942–1945)
  • Dr. Joseph Robert Coulter (1958–1974)
  • Dr. Thomas Hockin (1974–1981)
  • Robert Bédard (1981–1997)
  • E.G. (Ted) Staunton (1997–2009)
  • Kevin McHenry (2009–present)

Academics
St. Andrew's College in Rosedale, Toronto, circa 1910s, prior to the move to Aurora, Ontario

The School's mission statement is Dedicating ourselves to the development of the complete man, the well-rounded citizen. Every classroom and common area at St. Andrew's College is covered by a wireless network.[8] The faculty is divided into 12 departments, those being Business, Computer Science and Engineering, Drama, English, Guidance and Career Education, Health and Physical Education, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Music, Science, Visual Arts, and World Studies.[9]

The students have a broad selection of courses to choose from, from the fine arts, to the humanities and social sciences, to science and engineering. Many AP examinations are also offered, examples being AP Chemistry, AP Capstone, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Economics, AP Biology, AP Computer science, among others. SAC has a 100% university acceptance rate and graduates move on to post-secondary education around the world, including Canadian, American and British universities.

Athletics

Sports are considered an essential part of school life and culture; 72 teams across 22 sports are offered by the School. St. Andrew's College is one of the original members of Ontario's “Little Big Four” (the others being Ridley College, Trinity College School, and Upper Canada College). The photographs of each year's representative teams line the walls along the first and second floors of the Bedard Athletic Centre. Sports are mandatory — all Upper School boys must participate in two out of three sports terms during the year, while Middle School students must participate in all three terms.

St. Andrew's has a tradition of sporting, as shown by its participation in both private and public school leagues and associations:

  • Private schools competition
  • Little Big Four (L.B.F.) 1899-1968
  • Independent School League (I.S.L.) 1968-1982
  • Independent Schools Athletic Association (I.S.A.A.) 1982-1993
  • Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (C.I.S.A.A.)1993–present
  • Canadian Association of Independent Schools (C.A.I.S.) 1981–present
  • Public schools competition
  • York Region Secondary Schools Athletic Association (Y.R.S.S.A.A.) 1971-1995
  • Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Athletic Association (G.B.S.S.A.A.) 1973-1986
  • Durham-York Secondary Schools Athletic Association (D.Y.S.S.A.A.) 1986-1995
  • York Region Athletic Association (Y.R.A.A.) 1995-2004
  • Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (O.F.S.A.A.) 1948–present

St. Andrew's College has representative teams for the following sports, in addition to multiple intramural options:

Fall

Winter

Spring

School events

Each year, St. Andrew's hosts' certain events that are special only to the School. Some of these activities and events involve the School's entire student body, while others invite alumni and their friends and families. These events serve different purposes, some of which are integral to the School's identity while others are used for fundraising causes.

Picture of the School's first cadet corps in 1905.
  • Annual Cadet Inspection - the annual Cadet Inspection is mandatory for the entire student body at St. Andrew's. The Inspection is usually held in May and invites prominent representatives from all across Canada to inspect the School's Cadet Corps. A tradition that finds its root since 1906, the annual inspection is integral to the School's identity and preserving both the School's Scottish background, and the history of the Cadet Corps.
  • An Andrean Christmas - The annual Andrean Christmas is held at Roy Thompson Hall in December and showcases the School's musicians and singers. The Hall holds over 2,000 people and is generally filled to capacity. Like the annual Cadet Inspection, the Andrean Christmas is mandatory and everybody from the student body must attend. It replaces the tradition of an annual Carol Service in the holiday season.
  • Focus Festival of the Arts - This program is a three-day festival of plays, a film festival, visual arts, music and social events for students, parents and guests. Boys who have never been involved in drama or on the stage before are encouraged to participate by writing their own plays, directing, producing or acting in performances large and small.
  • Annual Fall Play - An annual Broadway-level play put on for parents, students, and staff during the month of November in the Wirth Theatre. Generally a Musical.
  • Celtic Concert - This musical concert showcases the School's Pipes and Drums and feature many school bands, plus outstanding soloists, percussionists and dancers. It highlights traditional Celtic music, military band music, and some show tunes.
  • Homecoming - an annual gathering of all St. Andrew's alumni to return to St. Andrew's in September. Held in conjunction with the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 reunion dinners, this annual gathering is for the entire Andrean community. The Homecoming celebration includes games for the children in the Quad and in the Great Hall, and various sports competitions, culminating in the annual 1st Football match against rivals UCC, Yuill Turf Field. For Upper School students, the Homecoming event usually includes the annual Homecoming dance on Saturday evening.
  • MacPherson Tournament - an annual hockey event where the St. Andrew's varsity hockey team competes with hockey teams from other top schools for the MacPherson Cup. The cup is named after three Andreans: Lloyd MacPherson, Jim Hamilton and Bob Meagher, all of whom loved hockey with passion and contributed greatly to the St. Andrew's hockey team. The tournament has a North American flavour, hosting schools from Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Quebec, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, New York, Nova Scotia and Michigan as well as a variety of regions in Ontario.[10]
  • Prize Day - Prize Day is the culmination of the School's academic year, and features many awards and prizes earned by the School's students. There are two ceremonies, one for the Middle School and one for the Upper School. Prize Day takes place after exams, which are usually completed by early June.
  • St. Andrew's Luncheon - every November, a traditional St. Andrew's Luncheon is held, complete with Haggis. All students must attend, wearing their kilts for this special occasion. Like the annual Cadet Inspection, the St. Andrew's Luncheon has taken place since the inception of the School and is integral to the preservation of the School's Scottish traditions.
  • Spring Smash - every May, the senior business classes organize a carnival of sorts, where both Middle School and Upper School students are provided a variety of fun activities such as water slides, bouncy castles, a dunk tank for dunking teachers in, and much more. There are also mandatory sports tournaments for house points, and students are given a choice between ball hockey, basketball, soccer, among others. Upper School participates in sports prior to an outdoor BBQ and then the carnival, whereas the Middle School participates in the carnival before their outdoor BBQ and sports

Students

St. Andrew's College is divided into the Middle School (grades 5-8), and the Upper School (grades 9-12). More than half the students from over 29 countries attending St. Andrew's College live in boarding. Upper School day boys from York Region and the surrounding area, are a part of the four day houses: Ramsey, Laidlaw, Smith or Perrier. Macdonald House is the home to all grade 5-9 boarders, and some select grade 11's who are designated house captains and act as 'big brothers'. Macdonald House is named after the MacDonald family (J. K. MacDonald and J. K. MacDonald II both served as Board Chair and Bruce MacDonald was Headmaster).

The remaining Upper School boarders live in the remaining 3 boarding houses:

  • Memorial House — named after the soldiers who died during World War I and World War II.
  • Flavelle House — named after Sir Joseph Flavelle.
  • Sifton House — named after the School's prolific alumni and donors, the Sifton family, descended from Sir Clifford Sifton.

Upper School Clans:

  • MacPherson Clan, Flavelle House
  • Buchanan Clan, Memorial House
  • Chattan Clan, Smith House
  • Ramsay Clan, Ramsey House
  • Robertson Clan, Laidlaw House
  • Stewart Clan, Sifton House
  • Craig Clan, Perrier House
  • MacDonald Clan, MacDonald House

The programs for Middle School students are generally independent of those for Upper School. Each Middle School student is also part of a clan, where they participate in various activities to earn Clan Points. The clans are Douglas, Montrose, Wallace, and Bruce.

In addition, St. Andrew's students hail from an array of different backgrounds. Half of the School's student body are boarders and nearly 50% of the boarding community is international, coming from such countries and regions as Bermuda, Korea, Bahamas, Mexico, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Germany, Indonesia, Spain, Bermuda, China, Nepal and the United States to name a few. The remaining half are from various provinces across Canada.

Facilities

Early 2000's Expansion

In 1999 the architectural firm KPMB headed a project which consisted of planning for a new middle school and parking lot on the established campus.[11] From 2000 to 2003, the same architectural firm had an additional project which included the addition of a middle school wing onto an existing building, a parking lot and outdoor spaces and alterations to the existing college, originally constructed in 1926.[12]

McLaughlin Hall Renovation

In late 2019, The Dalton Company executed a project which saw the complete internal-reconstruction of all 3 floors within the McLaughlin Hall science building. Covering a total area around 26,000 sq ft of space. The original facility was constructed in 1970, also by The Dalton Company and they were invited back 50 years later to renovate the building. Within the CAD $10 million project, the entire interior of the building was reduced back to the core structure, and introduced state of the art facilities for science and technology, university level labs for chemistry and biology, as well as a two-story maker space and robotics/computer science classrooms.[13] The newly renovated McLaughlin Hall also houses a Foucault Pendulum on display which spans vertically through all 3 stories of the building. The pendulum was originally added in 1971 as it was donated following the death of a young student and was re-fitted to the new building.[14]

La Brier Family Arena

The La Brier Family Arena is a multi-purpose hockey arena which also houses fitness facilities located on the St. Andrews College campus. It began construction in 2013 after a CAD $5 million donation from the La Brier Family of which it is named after.[15] It was completed in 2014 and was officially opened on September 20, 2014,[16] and will go on to serve as the home base for the school's hockey team, the Saints.[17] [18]

Academic facilities

Coulter Hall - A three-floor classroom building opened in 1962[19]—the second and third floor is designated for use by the Math and English departments, respectively. The first floor (or basement) houses the office for the mathematics faculty, while also serving as a link between the north end of the Staunton Gallery, and the basements of Dunlap Hall and the CLIP building.

McLaughlin Hall - A three-story wing connecting the Bedard Athletic Centre, Coulter Hall, and Rogers Hall, originally opened in 1971, it underwent a massive renovation between 2019 and 2021 and serves as the science building featuring state of the art, university level facilities for chemistry, physics, biology, with a 2 story maker space and computer science classes.[20]

The Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Performance (CLIP) - A fairly new 3-level addition to the campus (2015), which is home to the Business, Geography, Drama, and Music classrooms. The main music classroom/band room is the rehearsal space for the School's Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band, along with the Upper School music classes. All of the school plays are held in the Wirth Theatre, which is modelled after Stratford's Festival Theatre. The Reininger Rehearsal space is situated under the Wirth Theatre, and is where the drama classes are held in addition to playing a supporting role for the School's Fall Play, and being used as a performance venue during the FOCUS Festival of the Arts.

Towers Library - the School's library. It is named after Graham Towers, the first governor of the Bank of Canada, and an Old Boy.

Student and school facilities

Memorial Chapel - Built in 1931, it is the School's Chapel, and is dedicated to the Andreans who fought and died during World War I and World War II. The donation was made by Sir Joseph Flavelle, who also donated funds to establish Flavelle House. Morning services and special services such as the Remembrance Day Service are held in the Memorial Chapel.

St. Andrew’s College Memorial Chapel

Dunlap Hall - This is one of the original four buildings on campus. Today it houses the School's administrative facility. Dunlap Hall is separated into two floors: the first serves numerous functions including the Headmaster's office, admission office, administration office, and university counselling. It is also serves as a connection to the library. The second floor houses the alumni and advancement office and the business office. In the basement are the day boy lockers as well as a multi-faith prayer room.

Staunton Gallery - A now-converted outdoor courtyard, it is a main part of the School where many students congregate, and was dedicated to departing Headmaster Ted Staunton. It has connections to the Wirth Art Gallery, Dunlap Hall, Ketchum Auditorium, Coulter Hall, CLIP, McLaughlin Hall, and Rogers Hall.

Bedard Athletic Centre - This building, opened in 1979 (with an addition in 1990) and named after the School's sixth Headmaster, Robert Bedard, is home to many of SAC's athletic needs. It houses one of the two gymnasiums on campus, as well as 6 international squash courts, a 25-metre six lane indoor swimming pool, a fitness and weight training facility, 10 locker rooms, and a fully staffed sports injury/athletic therapist clinic. The Modern Languages Department teaches French and Spanish in the second-floor classrooms of the building, with Health and Physical Education classes taking place in the gymnasium. Since September 2022, it also houses a donated golf simulator.[21]

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

St. Andrew's notable alumni, known colloquially at the school as 'Old Boys', include:

Arts

Business

Media

Military

Politics

Science

Sports

Notes
  1. "School Profile - St. Andrew's College".
  2. The Andrean, Fall 2019, St. Andrew's College, page 23.
  3. "Arms of St. Andrew's College". Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  4. "REMEMBER THIS: St. Andrew's College remains true to its Scottish traditions". 8 July 2023.
  5. "St. Andrew's College and the First World War".
  6. "Ontario School of Piping and Drumming at St. Andrew's College". Ospdsac.com. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  7. "New competition band for Ontario; McGillivray gives way to MacIsaac". www.pipesdrums.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  8. "Technology - St. Andrew's College". www.sac.on.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  9. "Academic Departments - St. Andrew's College". www.sac.on.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  10. History
  11. Canadian Centre for Architecture. "St. Andrew's College, Master Plan Study, Aurora, Ontario (1999)". www.cca.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  12. Canadian Centre for Architecture. "St. Andrew's College, Aurora, Ontario (2000-2003)". www.cca.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  13. "Delivering 26,000sqft of Science for St. Andrew's College". 8 March 2021.
  14. "As the World Turns at St. Andrew's College". 17 May 2022.
  15. "New $13M arena praised by NHLer, high school players". 20 September 2014.
  16. "The official opening of the la Brier Family Arena". YouTube.
  17. "SAC Arena Opened".
  18. "Facilities - St. Andrew's College".
  19. "Timeline - St. Andrew's College". www.sac.on.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  20. "Timeline - St. Andrew's College". www.sac.on.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  21. https://sac.myschoolapp.com/ftpimages/842/download/download_7340846.pdf
  22. "I am Andrean" "St. Andrew's College", Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  23. http://www.sac.on.ca/files/jwalsh/sac_andrean_fa08.pdf
  24. Rob McEwen profile

References
  • Scoular, William (1998): Not An Ordinary Place: A St. Andrew's Century, St. Andrew's College.
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