Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Encyclopedia
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate is a 7-12 Mennonite
private school
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
.
school grounded in the Anabaptist
tradition. It is the mission of the school to provide a well-rounded education that will inspire and empower students to live as people of God. In 2002, the school’s board, staff and larger community decided that this mission statement captured the school’s past and set a direction for the challenges of the future.
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate will strive to:
The school acquired the building and grounds of the Convent of the Sacred Heart on 86 West Gate in 1964. Once a prominent private residence, an educational wing had been added earlier, so there now was room for classrooms and a girls' dorm. The property's livery stable became the "Art Barn" and the adjacent yard offered more space for outdoor sports. Now known as Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, the school continued to develop its reputation for inspired drama productions and excellent music making. Yet, indoor physical education relied on the gyms of nearby schools and churches.
A major capital project constructed a much-needed gymnasium, multi-purpose room and office space in 1978. Westgate stunned the provincial high school sports scene in that year when the Senior Boys Volleyball team captured the championship despite having a school population of 98 senior students. Unfortunately, the new gym and addition coincided with soaring interest rates, and the school needed to rely on the benevolence and commitment of long-time supporters to keep the doors open.
In time, this financial crisis subsided. Westgate continued its renown for its choral program, and a band program was added. Students could choose from a diverse extra-curricular menu that included a variety of intra- and inter- school sports, drama and musical productions, Chapel planning, outdoor education trips with the Marsh and Mountain Club, German Exchange opportunities and service and study tours to Europe
and the Middle
and Far East
. The school was now blessed with a steady enrolment and attention turned to enhancing the facilities to accommodate existing and new programs. The old "mansion" was no longer serviceable for classroom use and it had lost most of its architectural character even before it had become Westgate Mennonite Collegiate. It was replaced in 1989 with a structure that offered new classrooms, computer and science labs, student lounges and a multi-purpose room that allowed the old one to be renovated into a kitchen and cafeteria.
congregations formerly from the General Conference presently include contributions to the school in their budgets. Other funds came from the Westgate Women's auxiliary, who operated a Thrift Store until 1999, and who initiated a plethora of cheese, fruit and chocolate sales that the present day Westgate Parent Association continues. Annual events such as a banquet
, Cyclathon and Work Day also augment the funding of school operations and projects. Westgate has been blessed by this support, and continues to provide its students with the educational opportunities and school community environment envisioned by its first board members.
When Westgate considered itself at a crossroad regarding its present site, an, Exploration Committee was struck to examine solutions to some pressing needs. Enrolment was healthy and there were at times waiting lists in some grade levels. A survey revealed that there was a high degree of parent and church community satisfaction with the school at its present size where an intimate educational experience could be ensured. In response, the school's stakeholders participated in a Collective Design Process for development of Westgate. Prairie Architects Inc. designed several possibilities for the school community and neighbourhood to consider. Unfortunately, the school was not able to gain civic approval for this redevelopment.
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate's 2008-2009 academic year was significant in the school's history, a watershed of sorts. We celebrated fifty years of educating and nurturing faith of two generations of students. Homecoming week with a worship service, a collective expression of music making at a packed Choral Concert, and a Westgate community display of visual arts at the Mennonite Heritage Gallery all served to remind us how blessed we have been over the last half century.
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 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...
.
Mission Statement
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate is a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
school grounded in the Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
tradition. It is the mission of the school to provide a well-rounded education that will inspire and empower students to live as people of God. In 2002, the school’s board, staff and larger community decided that this mission statement captured the school’s past and set a direction for the challenges of the future.
Vision
As a Christian educational community within the Anabaptist Mennonite tradition, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate integrates sound academic learning with growth in character and faith, together with peacemaking and service to God and all creation. Westgate seeks to provide a quality academic education in the context of a faith community, upheld and undergirded by our Christian values. We are convinced that learning, at its best, occurs when academics are bound together with faith and positive relationships. This is the vision that has nurtured Westgate for more than 50 years.Westgate Mennonite Collegiate will strive to:
- enable students to achieve excellence in academic studies by providing wide opportunities for study and work
- nurture spiritual growth and stewardship through study and questioning within our Christian Studies courses, weekly chapels, and Spiritual Emphasis week
- provide creative opportunities in academic programs, music, student leadership, athletics, the arts, outdoor education, exchange and service programs
- create an environment in which students can grow and be exposed to their world and to prepare students for congregational involvement, Christian service and involvement in the wider world. We recognize the importance of the continued support of families and our Mennonite churches in Winnipeg in this endeavor.
History
Early Years
The school, the Mennonite Educational Institute (Mennonitisches Bildungsinstutut) was formed in 1958 to offer students an education that fostered the ideals that the supporting Mennonite community valued. The board of directors recognized that the foundations of the future was rooted in the youth of every generation, and the school needed to provide the study of sound academics, faith issues, value systems, scientific investigation, fine arts, and a critical analysis of current issues that faced students and their community. This task fell upon Ms. Anna Penner who taught Gr. 7 and 8, and the principal, Mr. Frank Neufeld, who instructed Gr. 9 through 11. Classes were first held in the educational wing of First Mennonite Church, where one student mused that they were "either a throwback to the one-room school or a forerunner of an open area school." The school then moved to a vacant church building on Edison Avenue where classes in the provincial curricula, Anabaptist history and German instruction were only compromised by the limited facilities. Physical education consisted of outdoor volleyball, ping pong and tumbling on what few mats that were available.The school acquired the building and grounds of the Convent of the Sacred Heart on 86 West Gate in 1964. Once a prominent private residence, an educational wing had been added earlier, so there now was room for classrooms and a girls' dorm. The property's livery stable became the "Art Barn" and the adjacent yard offered more space for outdoor sports. Now known as Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, the school continued to develop its reputation for inspired drama productions and excellent music making. Yet, indoor physical education relied on the gyms of nearby schools and churches.
A major capital project constructed a much-needed gymnasium, multi-purpose room and office space in 1978. Westgate stunned the provincial high school sports scene in that year when the Senior Boys Volleyball team captured the championship despite having a school population of 98 senior students. Unfortunately, the new gym and addition coincided with soaring interest rates, and the school needed to rely on the benevolence and commitment of long-time supporters to keep the doors open.
In time, this financial crisis subsided. Westgate continued its renown for its choral program, and a band program was added. Students could choose from a diverse extra-curricular menu that included a variety of intra- and inter- school sports, drama and musical productions, Chapel planning, outdoor education trips with the Marsh and Mountain Club, German Exchange opportunities and service and study tours to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. The school was now blessed with a steady enrolment and attention turned to enhancing the facilities to accommodate existing and new programs. The old "mansion" was no longer serviceable for classroom use and it had lost most of its architectural character even before it had become Westgate Mennonite Collegiate. It was replaced in 1989 with a structure that offered new classrooms, computer and science labs, student lounges and a multi-purpose room that allowed the old one to be renovated into a kitchen and cafeteria.
Into the Present
As the school moved through the decades, the funding of its operation changed. The province at one time contributed only 20% of what it costs to educate a student, but now funds about 50%. Tuition continues to provide a large portion of the school's revenue, and several Mennonite Churches of CanadaMennonite Church Canada
Mennonite Church Canada is the conference of Mennonites in Canada, with head offices in Winnipeg, Manitoba.The first Mennonites in Canada arrived from Pennsylvania in 1786. The majority of the Mennonites that migrated to Canada over the next 150 years came directly from Europe...
congregations formerly from the General Conference presently include contributions to the school in their budgets. Other funds came from the Westgate Women's auxiliary, who operated a Thrift Store until 1999, and who initiated a plethora of cheese, fruit and chocolate sales that the present day Westgate Parent Association continues. Annual events such as a banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
, Cyclathon and Work Day also augment the funding of school operations and projects. Westgate has been blessed by this support, and continues to provide its students with the educational opportunities and school community environment envisioned by its first board members.
When Westgate considered itself at a crossroad regarding its present site, an, Exploration Committee was struck to examine solutions to some pressing needs. Enrolment was healthy and there were at times waiting lists in some grade levels. A survey revealed that there was a high degree of parent and church community satisfaction with the school at its present size where an intimate educational experience could be ensured. In response, the school's stakeholders participated in a Collective Design Process for development of Westgate. Prairie Architects Inc. designed several possibilities for the school community and neighbourhood to consider. Unfortunately, the school was not able to gain civic approval for this redevelopment.
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate's 2008-2009 academic year was significant in the school's history, a watershed of sorts. We celebrated fifty years of educating and nurturing faith of two generations of students. Homecoming week with a worship service, a collective expression of music making at a packed Choral Concert, and a Westgate community display of visual arts at the Mennonite Heritage Gallery all served to remind us how blessed we have been over the last half century.