Trafalgar Castle School

Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario is an internationally known, independent day and boarding school for girls and young women in grades 4 through 12.[1] Boarding at the school begins in grade 7. Founded in 1874 as "Ontario Ladies' College", Trafalgar Castle School is one of the oldest independent schools in Canada and the second-oldest girls' school in Ontario.

Trafalgar Castle School
Location
Whitby, Ontario

Canada
Coordinates43.87856°N 78.93289°W / 43.87856; -78.93289
Information
Typegirls and young women Private Boarding/Day
MottoVeritas, Virtus, Venustas
Established1874
PrincipalMelissa Knight-Johnson
Gradesgrades 4 through 12
LanguageEnglish
Colour(s)    Blue Marine and White
MascotDante the Dragon
AffiliationsNon Denominational

History

The castle was built by Nelson Gilbert Reynolds, Sheriff of Ontario County, as a private residence in 1859. Reynolds was named after Lord Nelson and named his castle Trafalgar in honour of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The castle was the largest private dwelling in Canada until Casa Loma was built. It cost Reynolds $70,000, which was an exorbitant sum; a home at that time was built for $2,000, and a bank complete with vault could be built for $5,000 to $7,000. Reynolds was a colourful character and a gambling man, and indeed it was gambling losses that reportedly forced him to sell his beloved home to the Methodists in 1874 for the sum of $30,000.

The Methodists of that day were very interested in establishing higher learning institutions for young women. Rev. J. E. Sanderson convinced the Town of Whitby that this would be beneficial to its economy. James Holden, Esq. founder of the Dominion Bank, a local politician and businessman (with 5 daughters of his own) supported this idea. Sanderson and Holden were instrumental in raising the money and shares for the purchase of the castle and the establishment of Ontario Ladies' College.

Trafalgar Castle hosted its share of royalty and dignitaries through the years; both as Reynolds' residence, then as Ontario Ladies' College and now as Trafalgar Castle School.

Exterior shots of the building were used as "Collinwood" in the 2012 film Dark Shadows.[2] The building has also appeared in other films such as The Vow, starring Channing Tatum, Detroit Rock City, Strike!, The Skulls, and I Shall Never Forget.[3]

Student life

The school has approximately 240 day and boarding students; all girls from grade 4 to grade 12. Boarding students hail from many countries, including but not limited to Mexico, Korea, China, England, Spain, Nigeria, The Bahamas, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Jamaica, and Japan. While many boarders are international students, there are also domestic boarders from across Canada. The boarding program starts in grade 7. While the school was historically Methodist, students today are from all faiths and the school is considered non-denominational.

The current and 11th Head of School is Dr. Leanne Foster. She holds a BA from the University of Toronto, a B.Ed. and M.Ed. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE/UT), and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Toronto. Dr. Foster assumed the role as Head of School in August 2015.[4]

Athletics

Trafalgar has teams of various age levels in the following sports:

  • Basketball - U20 - undefeated season 2010 and 2013
  • Running Club
  • Field hockey - U20 - CISAA champions 2019
  • Ice hockey
  • Soccer
  • Rowing
  • Swimming
  • Track and Field
  • Tennis
  • Dance Pac
  • Volleyball -U16-CISAA champions 2013 undefeated

Clubs

Trafalgar offers many after school clubs such as:

  • FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1547
  • FIRST LEGO League team
  • S.M.A.T. (Science Math And Technology)
  • Art With Heart
  • Peer Mediation
  • Reading Team
  • The Castle Singers Choir
  • Band
  • Debating Society
  • ACT Club (Active Citizenship Team)
  • Eco Club
  • Instrument Ensembles
  • Archery Club
  • Swimming Club

There are also two main leadership groups in the school, the Prefects (a group of 6-10 grade 12 students hand-selected through a rigorous application process) and the Trafalgar Athletics and Spirit Council, or TASC (a group of ten grade 11 students who function as the House Leaders).

Notable faculty

See also

References
  1. "Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario: Trafalgar Castle School". www.cisontario.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  2. "Was Lyndhurst Mansion Used On The Set Of Dark Shadows?". WestchesterMagazine.com. Today Media. March 8, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  3. "Filming Location Matching "Trafalgar Castle School, Whitby, Ontario, Canada" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDB.com. IMDB. March 12, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  4. "Dr. Leanne Foster: Educator, leader, survivor". Oshawa Express. Dowellman Publishing Corp. September 10, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
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