Information AboutRidley College |
|
Ridley College is a Co-educational Boarding and day School in St. Catharines, Ontario , Canada . Founded in 1889 under the auspices of the first Headmaster J. O. Miller, the school was forced to move to its present location after a fire in the old school building. Ridley is widely considered one of the most prominent private schools in Canada. Its current headmaster Johnathan Leigh took over from his British counterpart Rupert Lane in January 2005. Originally a boys-only school, it became co-educational in 1973 under headmaster Richard Bradley. Named in honour of Nicholas Ridley , a sixteenth-century Protestant martyr, the school remains tied to the original Anglican faith but has long welcomed many students of other faiths. The school Chapel was built in the 1920s to honour the memory of Ridley's dead in World War I and expanded in the 1960s. Each Stained Glass window is unique, featuring such non-traditional imagery as Ridley football helmets and more conventional Christian imagery. The school's motto is "Terar Dum Prosim", translated as "May I be consumed in service", a reference both to Nicholas Ridley's being burned at the stake and to modern Ridleians' obligations to serve others. The school colours are orange and black, and correspondingly the school mascot is the tiger (known as Hank). The orange-and-black car used in cheerleading at football games is known as the Hank Tank. The school has many competitive Athletics teams, including the boy's Soccer team, Canadian Independent Schools National Champions in 2003, the boy's Ice Hockey team, which competes in the highly competitive Midwest Prep Hockey League, and the boy's Lacrosse team, defending champions of the CISAA league. Boy's Basketball has continued to be a strong program at Ridley winning numerous Canadian Independent Schools Championsips in the last few years. Once famous for Cricket , today one of Ridley's most famous athletics programs is its strong Rowing Crew s. Ridley crews often hold, and are currently holding the honour of National Champions from CSSRA Championships also held in St. Catharines annually. Girls sports include Rugby , introduced in 2002, Field Hockey , and Volleyball . The school is academically well respected, and considers the diverse student body an asset to its students. It continues to welcome many students from the Caribbean and Southeast Asia . The students benefit from superior facilities and technology in their studies. Class sizes tend to be smaller than the public school average. One of the school's most notable traditions is the "Snake Dance," a Lord of the Flies- like celebration to kick off the fall sports season. Other traditions include an annual Cross-Country Run, intramural competition between dormitories for the Bradley Shield (girls) and Bermuda Cup (boys) trophies, the Chimes Challenge and the annual Prize Day that culminates the school year. The school maintains a well-established tradition of mandatory service in the Royal Canadian Cadet Corps . Each year, all students are required to participate in an inspection by a visiting Canadian officer. The school implemented a Laptop program for all students with the arrival of the new Ontario four year High School Curriculum , after a short integration period. Computer s are fully integrated into the curriculum. Ridley's historical sister school is Havergal College in midtown Toronto , owing to their shared Low Church Anglican origins. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|