Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
Encyclopedia
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI) is the largest school operated by Lethbridge School District No. 51
. The public high school is one of four in Lethbridge
, Alberta, Canada, that serve grades nine through twelve. Entry into LCI is loosely based on resident location in either south or west Lethbridge. LCI was the first school in Lethbridge designated only for secondary students. It opened at its current location in 1950, but was founded in a smaller, adjacent building in 1928. Since its 1950 opening, several additions and layout changes have been made at the school. In August 2010, Chinook High School opened in West Lethbridge
with over 700 students enrolled. As a result, LCI's enrollment decreased by a substantial 35% for the 2010–2011 school year. Those that entered grade 11 in 2009 at LCI were permitted to complete their graduating year at LCI, but west Lethbridge students are now encouraged to attend the new high school, which was being built in conjunction with a western campus of Catholic Central High School, recreational facilities, and a public library.
A relatively extensive academic program is offered, including automotives
, construction
and communication technology, fashion studies, and four language studies
programs. An Advanced Placement Program
is offered in several key subject areas, including mathematics, language arts, and the sciences. Respected instrumental music, choir, and dance programs have helped LCI become well known in Southern Alberta
for offering balanced opportunities to students in both academics and extracurricular activities. Athletic teams from LCI carry the names Rams, Clippers, Colts, and Schooners, although the latter two have fallen into disuse.
were named with reference to their location. Built in 1891, fifteen years prior to the incorporation
of the City of Lethbridge, the first was Central School. The small school was the only one that served secondary students in the Lethbridge area. In 1909, Central School closed and secondary education classes moved into a vacated building on 5 Avenue. The school became too crowded in the mid-1920s, and a struggle began between the school board and the city to have a new school constructed.
In February 1928, construction work began on Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
at the corner of 4 Avenue and 15 Street South. The institution would become the city's first combined junior high and high school. The site had previously been used for aviation activities in the city, until the opening of Kenyon Field (now Lethbridge County Airport
) south of Six-Mile Coulee in the summer of 1939. Construction of the school at the site finished in October 1928, but a fire in the spring of 1929 ravaged the new building. Classes had to be moved to other local schools until later that year.
When LCI became too small for the city's growing population in 1950, a new building was constructed on the same block just east of the old one. Due to southern Alberta's booming population, twenty-one schools were constructed in Lethbridge between 1946 and 1965. Grades 10–12 were moved to the new building while grades 7–9 remained at their present location. The new junior high was renamed Lethbridge Junior High School, but kept the name for less than a year. In the latter part of 1950, the junior high adopted its new name, Hamilton Junior High School (named after a former teacher, principal, and superintendent, William Alfred Hamilton). The school kept the name for over half a century until its relocation to the rapidly expanding area of West Lethbridge
as G.S. Lakie Middle School in 2003.
Next door, classes commenced on November 22, 1950 at the new LCI. With increases in student population, new sections of the building were added in 1955, 1957, 1970, and 1986. Today, a section of Hamilton's old building houses Allan Watson High School. While the high school is not operated by district 51, the building is also being renovated to house the headquarters of Lethbridge School District 51.
". With the middle school enrolling students for grades 6–8, the term "high school" was redefined to include grades 9–12. The changes created minor inconveniences for staff and other areas of the school. At LCI, it brought more students into a building already near capacity.
Community members believed the restructuring by the government was targeted specifically at the City of Lethbridge, a move made to force the province to build an additional Lethbridge high school. Such a project had been anticipated for at least a decade. As expected, the announcement for the new school came in 2005. Enrollment at LCI exceeded 1,600 students. In an effort to reduce numbers, students living on the City's north side who attend LCI must be enrolled in a course not offered at Winston Churchill High School
.
LCI's enrollment peaked in 2005. The population of the city has steadily increased. The graduating class of 2007 was the first to complete all four years of learning at the school since its founding. The convocation
in May, with the day's ceremonies at the ENMAX Centre
, was centred around the a theme noting the historical fact that it was the first class to spend all four years of their secondary education at LCl.
Its exact words were undisclosed, but school officials described it as "a student's intention to shoot others, as well as possibly taking their own life, on December 20." A district official responded, "at this point in time we're not planning to install metal detectors. We feel that we're taking the precautions by having a police presence." Extra staff members and local police officers patrolled the school's hallways for the week of December 17–21. Only days earlier, the words "December 18, 2007 Massacre" were found in a washroom at Paul Kane High School in St. Albert, Alberta
. Officials at that school said "extraordinary security measures" were to be taken, but it was believed to be a hoax. It is unknown if the LCI incident was simply a copycat
of the Paul Kane incident, but school officials in both cities requested that the perpetrators step forward; neither has done so. Both schools also made counseling staff available for any students who felt apprehensive about their safety.
Though attendance was down significantly at Paul Kane on December 18 and only 300 students attended LCI on December 20, regular classes proceeded without incident.
On December 20, a similar note was found in a bathroom at W. R. Myers High School
in nearby Taber, Alberta, indicating a student's intent to do harm on December 21. With a student attendance of roughly 20%, classes proceeded without incident. In 1999, a student opened fire
at W. R. Myers, killing one student and seriously wounding another. In 2000, LCI was locked down
after two youths were arrested and two firearms were seized.
The school building is land-locked and bounded by surrounding buildings. Allan Watson High School resides to the west of LCI. Businesses are to the north of the school. A church and residential homes are across the street to the south of the LCI building. The Catholic Central High School is across the street to the east.
The current layout has the campus divided into sections, seven of which are in the main building. The "A" wing, with the cafeteria and a small, secondary gymnasium, is the western most portion of the building. The "B" wing, a newer component of the building, contains mostly the English and Mathematics
departments. The bottom floor of the large, southern "C" wing holds the library and two lecture
theatres. The upper floors contain computer, biology
, chemistry
, and physics
laboratories
as well as several classrooms. The main "D" wing contains administrator offices, science, and social studies
classrooms. The main gym and counselling department technically make up the "E" wing, though it is hardly referred to by that name. Construction technology
, automotives
, and the LCI Performing Arts Centre north of the main gym are the "F" wing, while a small, third floor section containing home economics
is the "H" wing. Underneath the home economics area is a fitness centre housing various exercise equipment
. The single-storey, peripheral "G" wing, a linear building separated by a 15 metre lane from the main building, houses a communication technology lab, electronic equipment, autobody
, and an art room. The total floor area at LCI exceeds that of all the other schools in the district combined.
A concession booth
close to the main gymnasium provides various snacks that can be purchased during the day and at evening sporting events. The cafeteria at the west end of the building sells food for lunch. Students are also free to leave the campus for lunch as several fast food restaurants are within walking distance. In another effort to reduce congestion, LCI lunch period is almost entirely offset from that of nearby Catholic Central High School. The school also has problems with internal overcrowding. Hundreds of students are bussed from the city's west side daily.
A lane north of the school is restricted to busses only. Students traverse the staff parking lot in the morning and afternoon to reach 13 busses, the majority of which carry students to and from West Lethbridge. Although a parking lot for staff with over 100 parking spaces is provided, no parking is officially designated for students. Competing with students from the other two area high schools also trying to park their vehicles, Lethbridge students must park their vehicles on 5 Avenue, or south on 17 Street or 18 Street.
Packed on two city block
s with five other schools, the surrounding narrow streets are difficult to navigate for parents and students with cars during the morning and afternoon rush.
In preparation for Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) at the end of the year, grade nine students operate on a similar system to that of the local middle schools. All courses run from September until June with the exception of option courses which are semestered
. This is contrary to grades ten through twelve, where nearly all classes are semester long and students receive 5 credits per course. 100 credits are needed to graduate, per Alberta Learning requirements. Each credit signifies approximately 125 hours of classroom instruction. Of their final sixteen high school modules (4 in grade eleven and 4 in grade twelve), students are permitted to take three spare modules with a general restriction of one per year in grade eleven and one per semester in grade twelve.
Due to the high enrollment, several teachers have had their classrooms segregated from their main department. In recent years, the teachers were left without classrooms and had to make use of whatever rooms were available during a particular module. As a result, the building is now much less departmentalized than was originally planned.
Numerous scholarships are offered annually for students. For some students, applying for a scholarship is not necessary; grade 11 or 12 students with an overall average above 80% are eligible to receive $400 via Rutherford Scholarships. Entry into the National Honor Society
is also offered to them, requiring students to complete a minimum of 10 hours community service over the course of the year. The Society participates in directing annual functions such as "Parent-Teacher Evening". In the community, the group assists at the Chinook Regional Hospital and at Salvation Army
functions, such as bell ringing.
LCI students are encouraged to remain within the city for their post-secondary students and attend the University of Lethbridge
by representatives from that school. Accordingly, it is easier for local students to be rewarded with scholarships, and several are only available for students who attended high school in Southern Alberta. A high number of students also go on to attend the Universities of Calgary
and Alberta
, as well as Lethbridge College. In a 2009 Fraser Institute
report, which was conducted from the previous school year, LCI was ranked 162nd among Alberta high school schools, down significantly from a rank of 102nd in the previous 5 years. More promising is the fact that the number of students dropping out of school before completion has steadily decreased, on average, provincewide. While data is not available for individual institutions, the number of students completing school has also increased districtwide.
s and newsletter
s, is done in sessions. Advisors also make mid-semester phone-home reports to parents. Most students do not have their advisor as a classroom instructor. In most circumstances, students will have the same advisor for all four years of high school.
consists of a president, four vice presidents (one elected from each grade), a secretary, a treasurer, a Spirit Coordinator, and an Activity Coordinator. Members of the council perform administrative duties such as the organization of assemblies and school functions. The vice presidential positions are intended to provide student representation with a closer connection to the administration within respective grades, but they have been criticised for being simply symbolic.
The budget
designated to the council is low. The activities, for which members through their campaign promises were initially voted to organize, seldom happen. The president, with help from other council members, will normally "emcee
" pep rallies
geared toward increasing school spirit and promoting the fine arts. Until 2006, elections for all positions were held in late September or early October. Now, elections for all positions (except for the grade nine vice-president) are held in June for the elected to take office in the following year.
(AP) at LCI is a program highly promoted at feeder schools, locally compared to the International Baccalaureate program (IB) offered at Winston Churchill
. In grade 8 classes at middle school, students must achieve a final average above 80% to enter AP classes in grade 9. The program is intended to give students an opportunity to learn in subjects beyond the basic curriculum. Some graduates of the AP program have stated that the material learned was similar to first-year university courses. The program consists of advanced courses in mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, English, and social studies.
More extracurricular activities and "more peaceful" classrooms are among the praises for the program. However, for the majority of the courses, little to no extra work is completed in the advanced stream versus the regular courses. Unlike the IB program, Alberta Learning states that students may not switch between the lowest streams and Advanced Placement in grades 11 and 12; but they can switch between the various streams in grades 9 and 10. Both AP and IB programs are presented based on their different strengths and weaknesses, and students are encouraged to select their high school based on other factors such as their location in Lethbridge. Annually, LCI students take provincial advanced placement exams in various subjects, including World History
, literature and physics
, in grade 12.
The main gymnasium has a large "Wall of Champions" along the east and south wall, timelining provincial athletic victories since the move to the new building. Several hallways are lined with framed photographs of past LCI athletic teams, choirs, and councils that date back to the early 1980s. The "L.C.I. Wall of Distinction" profiles dozens of notable graduates. Two or three members are inducted each year in a prominent school assembly, usually with the inductees, as well as the city's mayor, in attendance.
program that regularly produces future Canadian Football League
as well as Division I
players in the United States. The latest is Jon Gott, a 2004 graduate who went on to Boise State University
. In 2008, the LCI football team did an exchange with Crestwood High School in Peterborough, Ontario
.
team.
Elsewhere, a former LCI student and rugby union
player, Ashley Patzer, was named CIS
player of the year for 2006. She was also later named the University of Lethbridge Female Athlete of the Year. As of 2007, track and field, baseball, basketball, badminton, curling
, golf, softball
, volleyball, and girls slowpitch are also played at LCI.
several years ago. Nonetheless, the song is as follows (sung to the tune of "Anchors Aweigh
"):
To our dear LCI
We will be true
We'll hold our colours high
Cause LCI we're all for you.
We will fight all the way
To spread your fame
Our banners will not sway
Cause Green and Gold
Will put the rest to shame.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
in 2007. After a brief revival in 2005–06, the 'Chess
Club' was again put to rest at the beginning of the current school year. Also notable is a group called the Association to Kill Apathy (AKA), which does community as well as environmental work. On Remembrance Day
of 2006, the group dedicated "peace poles", in association with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
, garnering local media attention.
The Collegian Column is a weekly school bulletin produced by faculty, which appeals primarily to older students interested in scholarship information. The LCI Journal, the school newspaper, has not been active for a number of years. Concerning defunct clubs and media, the school leaves it to faculty to decide if a project is to be revived, pending student interest.
, located a few blocks to the west of the school. LCI has won several competitions in the local spring high school one act competition.
LCI is well known for its student exchange programs. The most advertised is the exchange Japan; LCI regularly exchanges students with Sapporo Commercial High School, an institution which has also been informally twinned with LCI in a program implemented by Alberta Education. LCI students made the trip to Japan in early July 2007. In the 2006/07 year, the school also took part in an exchange program with a high school in Spain; several Spanish students arrived in the fall of 2006, and several LCI students departed for Spain in the spring of 2007.
The LCI dance program is rapidly expanding and features numerous styles, including jazz
, modern
, and hip hop
. All programs are under the direction of Betty Poulsen. Usually, sometimes several times a semester, professional dancers and choreographers from Calgary
are offered residency to work at the school for as long as three weeks. The program's feature event, Summerdance, is held in the spring at the Yates Memorial Centre.
In early April 2007, a group of LCI students travelled to Vimy Ridge
with students from Winston Churchill and more than 3,600 students from across Canada. All of the students participate in events dedicated to the ninetieth anniversary of Canadian
military victory
during World War I.
Lethbridge School District No. 51
Lethbridge School District No. 51 is the public school board in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-Size:Lethbridge School District No. 51 operates 19 schools covering grades ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Enrolment for 2007/2008 was 7,800 students. As well, the school district operates six...
. The public high school is one of four in Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, Alberta, Canada, that serve grades nine through twelve. Entry into LCI is loosely based on resident location in either south or west Lethbridge. LCI was the first school in Lethbridge designated only for secondary students. It opened at its current location in 1950, but was founded in a smaller, adjacent building in 1928. Since its 1950 opening, several additions and layout changes have been made at the school. In August 2010, Chinook High School opened in West Lethbridge
West Lethbridge
West Lethbridge , is one of three geographical areas in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the newest and the fastest growing...
with over 700 students enrolled. As a result, LCI's enrollment decreased by a substantial 35% for the 2010–2011 school year. Those that entered grade 11 in 2009 at LCI were permitted to complete their graduating year at LCI, but west Lethbridge students are now encouraged to attend the new high school, which was being built in conjunction with a western campus of Catholic Central High School, recreational facilities, and a public library.
A relatively extensive academic program is offered, including automotives
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
, construction
Industrial arts
Industrial Arts is an umbrella term originally conceived in the late 19th century to describe educational programs which featured fabrication of objects in wood and/or metal using a variety of hand, power, or machine tools...
and communication technology, fashion studies, and four language studies
Language education
Language education is the teaching and learning of a foreign or second language. Language education is a branch of applied linguistics.- Need for language education :...
programs. An Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
is offered in several key subject areas, including mathematics, language arts, and the sciences. Respected instrumental music, choir, and dance programs have helped LCI become well known in Southern Alberta
Southern Alberta
Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...
for offering balanced opportunities to students in both academics and extracurricular activities. Athletic teams from LCI carry the names Rams, Clippers, Colts, and Schooners, although the latter two have fallen into disuse.
Early years
In the early 1900s, two schools near downtown LethbridgeDowntown Lethbridge
Downtown Lethbridge is the commercial centre of Lethbridge, Alberta, hosting most of the city's banks and several accounting and law practices, including national firms.-Boundaries:...
were named with reference to their location. Built in 1891, fifteen years prior to the incorporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
of the City of Lethbridge, the first was Central School. The small school was the only one that served secondary students in the Lethbridge area. In 1909, Central School closed and secondary education classes moved into a vacated building on 5 Avenue. The school became too crowded in the mid-1920s, and a struggle began between the school board and the city to have a new school constructed.
In February 1928, construction work began on Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
Collegiate institute
A collegiate institute is a term that can refer to a school either of secondary education or of higher education. It has a complex definition that varies regionally, and has been largely unused outside of Canada since the early 20th century.-Canada:...
at the corner of 4 Avenue and 15 Street South. The institution would become the city's first combined junior high and high school. The site had previously been used for aviation activities in the city, until the opening of Kenyon Field (now Lethbridge County Airport
Lethbridge County Airport
Lethbridge County Airport or Lethbridge Airport, , is located south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10-15 driving minutes from the downtown area and has scheduled service to the Alberta cities of Calgary and Edmonton. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA...
) south of Six-Mile Coulee in the summer of 1939. Construction of the school at the site finished in October 1928, but a fire in the spring of 1929 ravaged the new building. Classes had to be moved to other local schools until later that year.
West Lethbridge
West Lethbridge , is one of three geographical areas in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the newest and the fastest growing...
as G.S. Lakie Middle School in 2003.
Next door, classes commenced on November 22, 1950 at the new LCI. With increases in student population, new sections of the building were added in 1955, 1957, 1970, and 1986. Today, a section of Hamilton's old building houses Allan Watson High School. While the high school is not operated by district 51, the building is also being renovated to house the headquarters of Lethbridge School District 51.
A new grade
In accordance with a grade reconfiguration in many public schools across Alberta, Grade 9 students began attending the school in the fall of 2003. Teachers, textbooks, and other classroom materials were brought in from local middle schools. The changes introduced a new term to the area: "middle schoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
". With the middle school enrolling students for grades 6–8, the term "high school" was redefined to include grades 9–12. The changes created minor inconveniences for staff and other areas of the school. At LCI, it brought more students into a building already near capacity.
Community members believed the restructuring by the government was targeted specifically at the City of Lethbridge, a move made to force the province to build an additional Lethbridge high school. Such a project had been anticipated for at least a decade. As expected, the announcement for the new school came in 2005. Enrollment at LCI exceeded 1,600 students. In an effort to reduce numbers, students living on the City's north side who attend LCI must be enrolled in a course not offered at Winston Churchill High School
Winston Churchill High School (Lethbridge)
Winston Churchill High School is the smaller of two public secondary schools in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, serving grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Entry is loosely based on location in north Lethbridge.Locally, Winston Churchill High School is often referred to by one of two...
.
LCI's enrollment peaked in 2005. The population of the city has steadily increased. The graduating class of 2007 was the first to complete all four years of learning at the school since its founding. The convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
in May, with the day's ceremonies at the ENMAX Centre
ENMAX Centre
The ENMAX Centre is a 5,479-seat multi-purpose arena, in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.It features a full-size ice rink, a running track, racquetball courts and squash courts. An outdoor sports field, with capacity for 2,000 people, is adjacent to the centre...
, was centred around the a theme noting the historical fact that it was the first class to spend all four years of their secondary education at LCl.
December 2007 shooting scare
On December 13, 2007, a note was found handwritten in a washroom stall.Its exact words were undisclosed, but school officials described it as "a student's intention to shoot others, as well as possibly taking their own life, on December 20." A district official responded, "at this point in time we're not planning to install metal detectors. We feel that we're taking the precautions by having a police presence." Extra staff members and local police officers patrolled the school's hallways for the week of December 17–21. Only days earlier, the words "December 18, 2007 Massacre" were found in a washroom at Paul Kane High School in St. Albert, Alberta
St. Albert, Alberta
St. Albert is a suburban city in Alberta, located northwest of Edmonton, on the Sturgeon River. It was originally settled as a Métis community, and is now the second largest city in the Edmonton area. St...
. Officials at that school said "extraordinary security measures" were to be taken, but it was believed to be a hoax. It is unknown if the LCI incident was simply a copycat
Copycat crimes
A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modelled or inspired by a previous crime that has been reported in the media or described in fiction.-Copycat effect:...
of the Paul Kane incident, but school officials in both cities requested that the perpetrators step forward; neither has done so. Both schools also made counseling staff available for any students who felt apprehensive about their safety.
Though attendance was down significantly at Paul Kane on December 18 and only 300 students attended LCI on December 20, regular classes proceeded without incident.
On December 20, a similar note was found in a bathroom at W. R. Myers High School
W. R. Myers High School
W. R. Myers High School is located in Taber, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1950, it is the town's only public high school. Students at W.R. Myers range from grade 9 to grade 12. Taber's middle school, D.A. Ferguson, shares a Cafeteria and a band room with W.R. Myers. The school has about 480...
in nearby Taber, Alberta, indicating a student's intent to do harm on December 21. With a student attendance of roughly 20%, classes proceeded without incident. In 1999, a student opened fire
W. R. Myers High School shooting
The W. R. Myers High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred on April 28, 1999, at W. R. Myers High School in Taber, Alberta, Canada. The gunman, 14-year-old Todd Cameron Smith, walked into his school and began firing at three students in a hallway, killing one student and wounding...
at W. R. Myers, killing one student and seriously wounding another. In 2000, LCI was locked down
Lockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
after two youths were arrested and two firearms were seized.
Campus
The current layout has the campus divided into sections, seven of which are in the main building. The "A" wing, with the cafeteria and a small, secondary gymnasium, is the western most portion of the building. The "B" wing, a newer component of the building, contains mostly the English and Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
departments. The bottom floor of the large, southern "C" wing holds the library and two lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
theatres. The upper floors contain computer, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
laboratories
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
as well as several classrooms. The main "D" wing contains administrator offices, science, and social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
classrooms. The main gym and counselling department technically make up the "E" wing, though it is hardly referred to by that name. Construction technology
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, automotives
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
, and the LCI Performing Arts Centre north of the main gym are the "F" wing, while a small, third floor section containing home economics
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
is the "H" wing. Underneath the home economics area is a fitness centre housing various exercise equipment
Exercise equipment
An apparatus or device used in any given physical activity for shaping and forming muscle groups for specific areas of the body. A mechanism or machine that is intended to promote health and fitness by using motion with varying degrees of resistance either fixed or adjustable.-Exercise...
. The single-storey, peripheral "G" wing, a linear building separated by a 15 metre lane from the main building, houses a communication technology lab, electronic equipment, autobody
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
, and an art room. The total floor area at LCI exceeds that of all the other schools in the district combined.
A concession booth
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
close to the main gymnasium provides various snacks that can be purchased during the day and at evening sporting events. The cafeteria at the west end of the building sells food for lunch. Students are also free to leave the campus for lunch as several fast food restaurants are within walking distance. In another effort to reduce congestion, LCI lunch period is almost entirely offset from that of nearby Catholic Central High School. The school also has problems with internal overcrowding. Hundreds of students are bussed from the city's west side daily.
A lane north of the school is restricted to busses only. Students traverse the staff parking lot in the morning and afternoon to reach 13 busses, the majority of which carry students to and from West Lethbridge. Although a parking lot for staff with over 100 parking spaces is provided, no parking is officially designated for students. Competing with students from the other two area high schools also trying to park their vehicles, Lethbridge students must park their vehicles on 5 Avenue, or south on 17 Street or 18 Street.
Packed on two city block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s with five other schools, the surrounding narrow streets are difficult to navigate for parents and students with cars during the morning and afternoon rush.
Academics
From Monday to Thursday, the school operates from 7:55 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon with five 69 minute classes. Grade ten, eleven and twelve students have four different modules with one doubled on each day of the week (e.g. module 3 is doubled on Wednesday). On Fridays, classes begin slightly later, running from 7:55 to 12:38 with four 62 minute classes and no lunch period. From Monday to Thursday, the lunch period begins at 11:49. The peculiar times are partly due to the district's school busses, which are also needed for elementary and middle schools which have later start and end times.In preparation for Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) at the end of the year, grade nine students operate on a similar system to that of the local middle schools. All courses run from September until June with the exception of option courses which are semestered
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
. This is contrary to grades ten through twelve, where nearly all classes are semester long and students receive 5 credits per course. 100 credits are needed to graduate, per Alberta Learning requirements. Each credit signifies approximately 125 hours of classroom instruction. Of their final sixteen high school modules (4 in grade eleven and 4 in grade twelve), students are permitted to take three spare modules with a general restriction of one per year in grade eleven and one per semester in grade twelve.
| Diploma High school diploma A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:... Exam Results (2009/2010) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Students | Avg (%) | Trend | ||
| Prov | 2008/09 | WCHS Winston Churchill High School (Lethbridge) Winston Churchill High School is the smaller of two public secondary schools in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, serving grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Entry is loosely based on location in north Lethbridge.Locally, Winston Churchill High School is often referred to by one of two... |
|||
| Biology 30 | 218 | 63.6 | |||
| Chemistry 30 | 109 | 68.7 | |||
| English 30–1 | 204 | 66.3 | |||
| English 30–2 | 123 | 70.0 | |||
| Physics 30 | 105 | 57.7 | |||
| Pure Math 30 | 152 | 68.1 | |||
| Social Studies 30–1 | 226 | 67.0 | |||
| Social Studies 30–2 | 96 | 66.6 | |||
Due to the high enrollment, several teachers have had their classrooms segregated from their main department. In recent years, the teachers were left without classrooms and had to make use of whatever rooms were available during a particular module. As a result, the building is now much less departmentalized than was originally planned.
Numerous scholarships are offered annually for students. For some students, applying for a scholarship is not necessary; grade 11 or 12 students with an overall average above 80% are eligible to receive $400 via Rutherford Scholarships. Entry into the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
is also offered to them, requiring students to complete a minimum of 10 hours community service over the course of the year. The Society participates in directing annual functions such as "Parent-Teacher Evening". In the community, the group assists at the Chinook Regional Hospital and at Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
functions, such as bell ringing.
LCI students are encouraged to remain within the city for their post-secondary students and attend the University of Lethbridge
University of Lethbridge
The University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
by representatives from that school. Accordingly, it is easier for local students to be rewarded with scholarships, and several are only available for students who attended high school in Southern Alberta. A high number of students also go on to attend the Universities of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
and Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, as well as Lethbridge College. In a 2009 Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
report, which was conducted from the previous school year, LCI was ranked 162nd among Alberta high school schools, down significantly from a rank of 102nd in the previous 5 years. More promising is the fact that the number of students dropping out of school before completion has steadily decreased, on average, provincewide. While data is not available for individual institutions, the number of students completing school has also increased districtwide.
Advisor Program
Similar to a long running program in place at Winston Churchill High School, an advisor program was introduced in the fall of 2006. The program consists of an 8-minute session between the first two periods during which students of all grades meet with a teacher to whom they were randomly assigned at the beginning of the year. More personal than that of the counselling department, the program offers the opportunity for students to seek advice from an influential adult. Administrative duties, such as public announcements and the handing out of report cardReport card
A report card communicates a student's performance. In most places, the report card is issued by the school to the student or the student's parents twice or four times yearly. A typical report card uses a grading scale to determine the quality of a student's school work...
s and newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
s, is done in sessions. Advisors also make mid-semester phone-home reports to parents. Most students do not have their advisor as a classroom instructor. In most circumstances, students will have the same advisor for all four years of high school.
Student council
The Student CouncilStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
consists of a president, four vice presidents (one elected from each grade), a secretary, a treasurer, a Spirit Coordinator, and an Activity Coordinator. Members of the council perform administrative duties such as the organization of assemblies and school functions. The vice presidential positions are intended to provide student representation with a closer connection to the administration within respective grades, but they have been criticised for being simply symbolic.
The budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
designated to the council is low. The activities, for which members through their campaign promises were initially voted to organize, seldom happen. The president, with help from other council members, will normally "emcee
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
" pep rallies
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
geared toward increasing school spirit and promoting the fine arts. Until 2006, elections for all positions were held in late September or early October. Now, elections for all positions (except for the grade nine vice-president) are held in June for the elected to take office in the following year.
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement ProgramAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
(AP) at LCI is a program highly promoted at feeder schools, locally compared to the International Baccalaureate program (IB) offered at Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill High School (Lethbridge)
Winston Churchill High School is the smaller of two public secondary schools in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, serving grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Entry is loosely based on location in north Lethbridge.Locally, Winston Churchill High School is often referred to by one of two...
. In grade 8 classes at middle school, students must achieve a final average above 80% to enter AP classes in grade 9. The program is intended to give students an opportunity to learn in subjects beyond the basic curriculum. Some graduates of the AP program have stated that the material learned was similar to first-year university courses. The program consists of advanced courses in mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, English, and social studies.
More extracurricular activities and "more peaceful" classrooms are among the praises for the program. However, for the majority of the courses, little to no extra work is completed in the advanced stream versus the regular courses. Unlike the IB program, Alberta Learning states that students may not switch between the lowest streams and Advanced Placement in grades 11 and 12; but they can switch between the various streams in grades 9 and 10. Both AP and IB programs are presented based on their different strengths and weaknesses, and students are encouraged to select their high school based on other factors such as their location in Lethbridge. Annually, LCI students take provincial advanced placement exams in various subjects, including World History
World History
World History, Global History or Transnational history is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. It examines history from a global perspective...
, literature and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, in grade 12.
Extracurricular activities
| LCI Athletic Provincial Championships (since 2000) | ||||||
| Year | Sport | Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | Golf | 3A/4A Boys Team | ||||
| 2003/04 | Golf | Boys Individual | ||||
| Girls Individual | ||||||
| 2004/05 | Golf | 3A/4A Boys Team | ||||
| 2005/06 | Wrestling (Rural) |
Boys 90 and 108 kg | ||||
| 2006/07 | Wrestling (Rural) |
Boys 4A Team | ||||
| Girls 4A Team | ||||||
| Boys 50, 59 and 72 kg | ||||||
| Girls 57 kg | ||||||
| Rugby | Tier I Girls | |||||
| 2007/08 | Volleyball | 4A Boys | ||||
| Wrestling (Rural) |
Boys 4A Team | |||||
| Girls 4A Team | ||||||
| Boys 90 and 120 kg | ||||||
| Girls 57 kg | ||||||
| Rugby | Tier I Girls | |||||
| 2008/09 | Wrestling (Rural) |
Boys 4A Team | ||||
| Girls 4A Team | ||||||
| 2009/10 | Wrestling (Provincial) |
Boys 120 kg | ||||
| Wrestling (Rural) |
Boys 62 and 120 kg | |||||
The main gymnasium has a large "Wall of Champions" along the east and south wall, timelining provincial athletic victories since the move to the new building. Several hallways are lined with framed photographs of past LCI athletic teams, choirs, and councils that date back to the early 1980s. The "L.C.I. Wall of Distinction" profiles dozens of notable graduates. Two or three members are inducted each year in a prominent school assembly, usually with the inductees, as well as the city's mayor, in attendance.
Football
LCI has an active Canadian footballCanadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
program that regularly produces future Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as well as Division I
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
players in the United States. The latest is Jon Gott, a 2004 graduate who went on to Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
. In 2008, the LCI football team did an exchange with Crestwood High School in Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
.
Other sports
With several members winning various awards at provincial competitions, the 2006–07 year was promising for the LCI wrestlingScholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
team.
Elsewhere, a former LCI student and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, Ashley Patzer, was named CIS
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
player of the year for 2006. She was also later named the University of Lethbridge Female Athlete of the Year. As of 2007, track and field, baseball, basketball, badminton, curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, golf, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, volleyball, and girls slowpitch are also played at LCI.
School song
The song is no longer used or promoted at school athletic events, mostly because of the elimination of cheerleadingCheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
several years ago. Nonetheless, the song is as follows (sung to the tune of "Anchors Aweigh
Anchors Aweigh
"Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy, and strongly associated with the United States Navy, composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmerman with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. Zimmerman was at the time a Lieutenant, and had been bandmaster of the United States Naval Academy...
"):
To our dear LCI
We will be true
We'll hold our colours high
Cause LCI we're all for you.
We will fight all the way
To spread your fame
Our banners will not sway
Cause Green and Gold
Will put the rest to shame.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Choir
The choral program at LCI is prominent, and is arguably the school's most successful extracurricular program. Choir is provided as an optional course at all grades. Auditions are held annually for the school's three representative choirs:- The Chamber ChoirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
is the program's star feature and most well-known group, directed by Frank Gnandt. The group consists of usually around 40 young vocalists of extreme musical talent. The majority of their music is spiritual, but they are also known for adding music from various international languages. Near the end of every school year, the choir, through various fundraising efforts over the course of the year, takes an international trip. At the 2006 MusicFest Canada competition in OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario, the Chamber and Jazz choirs received gold awards in the choral/vocal jazz division. Past trips include visits to Japan, New York City and Hawaii. As they do every few years, the choir traveled overseas in April 2007, touring and performing in Western Europe. The 08-09 year was a special one, with the group traveling to New York City where they performed in the historic Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, singing repertoire from Mozart's Coronation Mass, as well as traveling to ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to perform at St. Peter's BasilicaSt. Peter's BasilicaThe Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
under the direction of famed choral composer Z. Randall Stroope.
- The JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ChoirVocal jazzJazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
, also led by Gnandt, consists of 13 students, all of whom are members of the Chamber Choir. They are an a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group, but also use a rhythm section with a piano, bass guitar, and drums. Their songs range from balladBalladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s to almost rock-style jazz. The choir also performs at the aforementioned Christmas and spring concerts.
- The LCI Singers consist of girls from grades 9–12, led by Karen Hudson. They perform primarily at school functions such as Remembrance DayRemembrance DayRemembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
and charity venues such as Compassion Canada to help raise money to aid new mothers in Africa. In May 2005, the group traveled to EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. LCI Singers usually take one major trip each year, using several concerts throughout the school year as fundraisers. In April 2007 they traveled to England and WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on a performing tour. In May 2008 they placed first in the Provincial competition for their class. In April 2009, the LCI Singers went on their second European tour to Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Clubs
The school has provisions for over 30 clubs, less than a third of which are currently active due to lack of student interest. The most prominent of those that are active are 'Students Alive', 'Peer Support', and 'Travel Club'; the latter of which will travel to Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in 2007. After a brief revival in 2005–06, the 'Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Club' was again put to rest at the beginning of the current school year. Also notable is a group called the Association to Kill Apathy (AKA), which does community as well as environmental work. On Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
of 2006, the group dedicated "peace poles", in association with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
, garnering local media attention.
The Collegian Column is a weekly school bulletin produced by faculty, which appeals primarily to older students interested in scholarship information. The LCI Journal, the school newspaper, has not been active for a number of years. Concerning defunct clubs and media, the school leaves it to faculty to decide if a project is to be revived, pending student interest.
Other activities
LCI has its own small theatre, which had previously been a metal shop. The room has a sound system and some theatrical lighting; it also seats nearly 100 people. There is a fall theatrical production performed entirely by students at the Genevieve E. Yates Memorial CentreGenevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre
The Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre houses two performance theatres in downtown Lethbridge, Alberta. The centre was built starting 15 August 1965 and officially opened 1 May 1966. Deane Yates, a local retailer, donated over $200,000 towards its existence and asked the centre be named Genevieve E...
, located a few blocks to the west of the school. LCI has won several competitions in the local spring high school one act competition.
LCI is well known for its student exchange programs. The most advertised is the exchange Japan; LCI regularly exchanges students with Sapporo Commercial High School, an institution which has also been informally twinned with LCI in a program implemented by Alberta Education. LCI students made the trip to Japan in early July 2007. In the 2006/07 year, the school also took part in an exchange program with a high school in Spain; several Spanish students arrived in the fall of 2006, and several LCI students departed for Spain in the spring of 2007.
The LCI dance program is rapidly expanding and features numerous styles, including jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, modern
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, and hip hop
Hip hop dance
Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s by African Americans and made popular by breaking, locking, and...
. All programs are under the direction of Betty Poulsen. Usually, sometimes several times a semester, professional dancers and choreographers from Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
are offered residency to work at the school for as long as three weeks. The program's feature event, Summerdance, is held in the spring at the Yates Memorial Centre.
In early April 2007, a group of LCI students travelled to Vimy Ridge
Vimy
Vimy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography and history:Vimy is a farming town, situated some north of Arras, at the junction of the D51 and the N17 roads....
with students from Winston Churchill and more than 3,600 students from across Canada. All of the students participate in events dedicated to the ninetieth anniversary of Canadian
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
military victory
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
during World War I.
Notable alumni
- Gavin CrawfordGavin CrawfordGavin Crawford is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for The Gavin Crawford Show and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Crawford is a graduate of the BFA Acting Program at the University of British Columbia...
, comedian and actor, best known for his role on the CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
comedy show, This Hour Has 22 MinutesThis Hour Has 22 MinutesThis Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials... - Jon GottJon GottJon Gott is a Canadian football offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Stampeders in the fifth round of the 2008 CFL Draft. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos.-External links:*...
, CFLCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
player for the Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...