Wexford Collegiate Institute
Encyclopedia
Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, commonly known as Wexford Collegiate, or simply Wexford is a public secondary school constructed early in 1965 and is part of the Toronto District School Board
.
The school is located in Scarborough
, Ontario
, Canada
, north of the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and Pharmacy Avenue.
Along with instructing secondary level academics, the school also has a signature emphasis on both the Performing and Visual Arts aspects of education.
Each year, the Special Series Visual art program staff and students put on a spectacular and original art show open to the public, generously offering it at free admission.
http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/wexfordci/visual_arts.htm
Wexford has had specialized art courses for over forty years.
These ties to the professional community have also given professional opportunities to some Wexford students in film, television, musical theatre and radio jingles. We have established over the past three years a great relationship between our Music Theatre students and the Hospital for Sick Children’s Telethon produced by CFTO. We were invited back for a seventh year in 1997. In 1993 we had four "spots" on the telethon, including the final number which we shared with CoIm Wilkinson (The Phantom) and Michael Burgess (Les Miz, Man of La Mancha). The Music Theatre students also performed a video with Donny Osmond, (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat) and in 1994 shared the stage with Micheal Bell, (Showboat) now on Broadway.
In addition, the students have performed live both on CBC and TSN networks, live on stage at the New Yorker Theatre, recorded the original song "Keep the Spirit Alive" for the special Olympics, performed at the Celebrity Sports Auction, performed with Robert Pilon at Casa Loma for CEO’s from all over the world including the President of Sony, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner; along with the Leahy’s and Andre Philipe Gagnon; Wexford Music Theatre entertained 5,000 representatives from all over North America at the Metro Convention Centre and most recently appeared along with the cast of Rent at Mel and Marilyn Lastman’s Inaugural Ball.
However, many have criticised Wexford for belittling student's true abilities and for running a program that encourages superficiality, favouritism, and disloyalty. Some have claimed that casting for major parts is based on hair colour, race, and size, similar to that of Nazi Germany's. The school has suffered greatly as students leave the school unprepared for the real world. Many truly believe that intelligence is not an important factor and refuse to mature. This behaviour cannot be blamed on the students, but rather on the inadequate Performing Arts staff, with the exceptions of Andrew Dick and Daniel Rocchi. Aside from those previously mentioned, the majority of the staff is either a member of Ann Merriam's extended family, or students who either completely refuse to graduate or who have been kicked out of University due to excessive drug use and the inability to realize that life exists beyond high school.
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
.
The school is located in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
, north of the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and Pharmacy Avenue.
Along with instructing secondary level academics, the school also has a signature emphasis on both the Performing and Visual Arts aspects of education.
Overview
Students at Wexford Collegiate take roughly six to eight courses each year and runs on a semestered schedule with each semester lasting four to five months.Admissions
The admission policy for Wexford differs from the general admission policy set out by the Toronto District School Board. Students who plan on attending one of the 2 specialized arts programs must successfully audition to be enrolled at Wexford.Visual Arts Program
The Art Centre at Wexford offers a Special Series Visual art program taught by professional friendly teachers, whose mission is to provide a great preparation for post secondary art at college or university or any future career involving or excluding art. The art staff consists of nine art-driven teachers, each a practicing artist, who provide expert instruction and sincere personal attention. The art centre has nine large studios, each specifically equipped to deliver a specialized course. The special series visual art program is the only public secondary school in Toronto to offer the highly in demand course known as lifedrawing; involving students from grade elven and up in an educational course of the human body. The course made up of a total of twelve credits over four years with the option to stay on for a portfolio year. Portfolio year students spend half to a full year constructing a portfolio for college, university, and/or career, with the supportive help of the special series art teachers.Each year, the Special Series Visual art program staff and students put on a spectacular and original art show open to the public, generously offering it at free admission.
http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/wexfordci/visual_arts.htm
Wexford has had specialized art courses for over forty years.
Performing Arts
Because of their ties to the professional film, television, and theater community in Toronto, the Wexford staff arrange workshops for their students conducted by some of Toronto’s leading artists. This can only help to give the Wexford students the strongest background possible.These ties to the professional community have also given professional opportunities to some Wexford students in film, television, musical theatre and radio jingles. We have established over the past three years a great relationship between our Music Theatre students and the Hospital for Sick Children’s Telethon produced by CFTO. We were invited back for a seventh year in 1997. In 1993 we had four "spots" on the telethon, including the final number which we shared with CoIm Wilkinson (The Phantom) and Michael Burgess (Les Miz, Man of La Mancha). The Music Theatre students also performed a video with Donny Osmond, (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat) and in 1994 shared the stage with Micheal Bell, (Showboat) now on Broadway.
In addition, the students have performed live both on CBC and TSN networks, live on stage at the New Yorker Theatre, recorded the original song "Keep the Spirit Alive" for the special Olympics, performed at the Celebrity Sports Auction, performed with Robert Pilon at Casa Loma for CEO’s from all over the world including the President of Sony, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner; along with the Leahy’s and Andre Philipe Gagnon; Wexford Music Theatre entertained 5,000 representatives from all over North America at the Metro Convention Centre and most recently appeared along with the cast of Rent at Mel and Marilyn Lastman’s Inaugural Ball.
However, many have criticised Wexford for belittling student's true abilities and for running a program that encourages superficiality, favouritism, and disloyalty. Some have claimed that casting for major parts is based on hair colour, race, and size, similar to that of Nazi Germany's. The school has suffered greatly as students leave the school unprepared for the real world. Many truly believe that intelligence is not an important factor and refuse to mature. This behaviour cannot be blamed on the students, but rather on the inadequate Performing Arts staff, with the exceptions of Andrew Dick and Daniel Rocchi. Aside from those previously mentioned, the majority of the staff is either a member of Ann Merriam's extended family, or students who either completely refuse to graduate or who have been kicked out of University due to excessive drug use and the inability to realize that life exists beyond high school.
Notable alumni
The "Wexford Alumni" is a group of renowned former and current Wexford students who have managed to attain successful careers in the performing arts, visual arts or other significant professional aspects.- Todd Claydon - Canadian Stipple Artist known for his work with Mötley Crüe as well as his work on Pierre Trudeau, Bill Clinton & Pope John Paul II .
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". - Craig Martin - Founder of Canadian concert series, "Classic Albums LiveClassic Albums LiveClassic Albums Live is a concert series based in Toronto, Ontario, in which musicians perform a classic rock album in its entirety. The series was founded in 2003 by Craig Martin, a musician who had previously produced a series of boutique cabaret shows as well as composed music for television and...
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- Helen Mann - Canadian radio personalityRadio personalityA radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
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