Goderich District Collegiate Institute
Encyclopedia
Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GDCI) is the only high school in the town of Goderich, Ontario
Goderich, Ontario
Goderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town...

. It is home to the Goderich Vikings, and has a reputation for academic excellence, athletics and drama.

School history

GDCI was established as a Grammar School in 1841, and was privately run for over 30 years. In 1874, the local School Board purchased a site at the corners of Picton Street, Wellington Street and Elgin Avenue in Goderich, and opened the new GDCI in 1875. Its enrollment grew to 200 students within six years. At its peak, it has had enrollment of up to 1000 students. GDCI is now home to 600 students from around Goderich and area.

This building was expanded three times and eventually replaced in 1951 with the building on South Street that students attend today. There have been several additions, such as the West Gym which was added in 1965, along with the Technical wing and the library. The latest renovations include the science labs and geography rooms which were added in 1990, as well as a complete redesign to expand the library.

In 2010, the school will also house grades 7 and 8. This followed the merging of Victoria Public School and Robertson Public School into one, Goderich Public school, during the 2009-2010 school year.

Sports

Goderich DCI boasts a very active and successful sports team, under the name of The Vikings, often shortened to The Vikes. During home games throughout the year, nearly half the school turns out to games in what is called 'House of Blue' days where the students wear blue and paint themselves up in blue and white to intimidate their opponents.

The Vikings have excelled in boys and girls volleyball, field hockey, badminton, and girls soccer in recent years, winning OFSAA multiple times and also hosting the tournament numerous times within the last 7 years.

Valhalla Week

During a week in March the school undergoes 'Valhalla Week'. Valhalla is a mystical place in Scandinavian mythology that warriors visit in the afterlife. The week is filled with events that the school participates in and mass support for the sports team. This tradition began in 1999.

The arts

Not only does GDCI have successful sports teams, they are also very successful in the Arts.

Drama

GDCI has a very successful Drama club, having gone to the provincial level of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival five times out of the past eight years.

Teachers

Mr. Lobb is a Media Studies teacher at GDCI. In this class Mr. Lobb teaches you to understand advertising and not be fooled in to believing them. An example of his computer capabilities can be found at RandallLobb.com

Mrs. Harrison is a math techer at GDCI. She uses a hands on approach and gives you memorization techniques that you can use.

Mr. Phillips is an English teacher at GDCI. He is also involved in the volunteer fire department. Mr. Phillips participates on the Walkathon as a first aid attendant. Mr. Phillips teaches using class discussions.

Mr. McMullen is an art teacher. He exhibits the art of pun during his visual art courses. Mr. McMullen teaches with a hands on approach.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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