Kitsilano Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Kitsilano Secondary School is a secondary school in the Kitsilano
neighbourhood of Vancouver
, Canada
. The school has several district programs including French immersion
, on-site pre-employment. Advanced Placement courses are also offered.
of one of their teachers); the first Latin
classes chose "Fiat Lux" (Let there be light) as the school motto
. The original school crest was designed by Mr. S. P. Judge, the first art teacher at Kitsilano, and although the crest has undergone some slight changes over the decades, it still proudly displays the colours and motto.
The school is particularly well-known for the numerous television and film productions which have been filmed on location. Most recently, Juno
, Superbad and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine
" were shot at Kitsilano. The school also counts a number of former alumni who went on to careers in film and television, notably Ryan Reynolds
and Joshua Jackson
.
The school song "Hail Kitsilano" http://kitsilano.vsb.bc.ca/Library/KITSsong.htm was composed in 1936. Written bt Mr. Parfitt.
The main foyer is home to a portrait of Chief August Jack Khatsahlano
, the school's namesake. The auditorium houses a Tanu totem pole
, carved by Don Yeomans in 1986 in honour of Vancouver's centennial anniversary.
In 2008, the senior soccer team won the City and District Championships and reached the second place in the provincials.
The cheerleading team was named the small senior varsity international champions at the Sea to Sky International Cheer & Dance Championships in 2010.
The senior girls hockey team has met with Killarney in the city finals the past three years, winning it in 2008 and 2010.
Kitsilanos "mascot" is the Blue Demon.
Kitsilano
Kitsilano is an upmarket neighbourhood on the West Side of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Known colloquially as "Kits", this neighborhood is home to many yuppies, young families and students as well as yoga studios, organic markets, cafes and Vancouver's Greektown. The primary...
neighbourhood of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, 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...
. The school has several district programs including French immersion
French immersion
French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which a child who does not speak French as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French...
, on-site pre-employment. Advanced Placement courses are also offered.
Other
The students selected royal blue and gold as the school colours, based on those at Aberdeen University (the Alma MaterAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of one of their teachers); the first Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
classes chose "Fiat Lux" (Let there be light) as the school motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
. The original school crest was designed by Mr. S. P. Judge, the first art teacher at Kitsilano, and although the crest has undergone some slight changes over the decades, it still proudly displays the colours and motto.
The school is particularly well-known for the numerous television and film productions which have been filmed on location. Most recently, Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
, Superbad and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
" were shot at Kitsilano. The school also counts a number of former alumni who went on to careers in film and television, notably Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
and Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
.
The school song "Hail Kitsilano" http://kitsilano.vsb.bc.ca/Library/KITSsong.htm was composed in 1936. Written bt Mr. Parfitt.
The main foyer is home to a portrait of Chief August Jack Khatsahlano
August Jack Khatsahlano
August Jack was an Indigenous/Aboriginal chief of the Sḵwxwú7mesh. He was born in the village of Xwayxway on the peninsula that is now Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In his later years, he lived in multiple Sḵwxwú7mesh villages including Xwemelch'stn, Sta7mes, and, most...
, the school's namesake. The auditorium houses a Tanu totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
, carved by Don Yeomans in 1986 in honour of Vancouver's centennial anniversary.
Kits Sports
In addition to its distinguished academic record, Kitsilano has been highly successful in a number of sports, most prominently, basketball, rugby and ice-hockey. It won provincial basketball championships in 1997, were the City and District Champions and went to the Provincial finals in 1977, and more recently the HSBC Vancouver basketball tournament in 2007.In 2008, the senior soccer team won the City and District Championships and reached the second place in the provincials.
The cheerleading team was named the small senior varsity international champions at the Sea to Sky International Cheer & Dance Championships in 2010.
The senior girls hockey team has met with Killarney in the city finals the past three years, winning it in 2008 and 2010.
Kitsilanos "mascot" is the Blue Demon.
Notable alumni
- Tony BuzanTony BuzanAnthony "Tony" Peter Buzan is an author and educational consultant. He is a proponent of the techniques of Mind Mapping and mental literacy. He claims to have worked with "corporate entities and businesses all over the world; academics; Olympic athletes; children of all ages; governments; and...
, class of 1960, is the originator of mind mapping and coined the term mental literacyMental literacyMental literacy is a pseudoscientific and popular psychological term coined by Tony Buzan.-Origins:Tony Buzan, the "mind map guru" originated the term mental literacy. The term is directly derived from the computer literacy metaphor and used to infer how the brain can be used as a "super...
. - Hayden ChristensenHayden ChristensenHayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
, television/movie actor - Severn Cullis-SuzukiSevern Cullis-SuzukiSevern Cullis-Suzuki is a Canadian environmental activist, speaker, television host and author. She has spoken around the world about environmental issues, urging listeners to define their values, act with the future in mind, and take individual responsibility.-Biography:Cullis-Suzuki was born and...
, environmental activist, daughter of David SuzukiDavid SuzukiDavid Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001... - Scott Douglas, Canadian TV and movie actor
- Kathleen HeddleKathleen HeddleKathleen Joan Heddle, is a Canadian rower. Heddle and her long-time rowing partner Marnie McBean were the first Canadians to win three Olympic Gold medals....
, Olympic rower, 3-time Gold medallist - Joshua JacksonJoshua JacksonJoshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
, television/movie actor - Levon KendallLevon KendallLevon Maxwell Simon Kendall is a Canadian professional basketball player. He plays at both power forward and center. He is 2.09 m in height. He currently plays for the ACB league in Obradoiro CAB...
, professional basketball player, currently playing with Panionios BC (Greece) - Fred Latremouille, class of 1963, well known Vancouver Broadcaster. Co-host of the Latremornings show on CKCL-FMCKCL-FMCFUN-FM is a Canadian radio station. Officially licenced to Chilliwack, British Columbia and operating at 107.5 FM and 640 watts in that city, the station's main studios and listening area are in Metro Vancouver, where its rebroadcasting transmitter operates at 104.9 FM on 31,000 watts of power...
with his wife Cathy - David Y. H. Lui, Vancouver impresario and Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - Justin Mensah-CokerJustin Mensah-CokerJustin Mensah-Coker is a Canadian rugby union player who plays internationally with the Canadian national team...
, professional rugby player, currently playing with Plymouth Albion RFC (UK) - Roy PetersonRoy PetersonRoy Eric Peterson, OC is a Canadian editorial cartoonist who drew for the Vancouver Sun from 1962 to 2009.Peterson was born in Winnipeg and studied in Vancouver at the Kitsilano Secondary School. Along with the Sun, his work often appeared in Maclean's magazine, where he would illustrate the...
, editorial cartoonist - Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
, television/movie actor - Mary Stewart (swimmer)Mary Stewart (swimmer)Mary Stewart-McIlwaine is a retired freestyle swimmer from Canada, who twice broke the world record in the women's 100m butterfly in the early 1960s. She represented her native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1960 in Rome, Italy.-References:* * *...
, class of 1963, World Record holder of 100m Butterfly 1:07.3 on 28 July 1962, member (inducted 1966) of BC Sports Hall of FameBC Sports Hall of FameFor over 40 years, the community has entrusted the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum with the responsibility to collect, preserve, study, and interpret materials that relate to British Columbia’s rich sport history... - "Jimmy" James Henry Whalen, WWII ace