Vimy Ridge Academy | |
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Location | |
8205 90 Ave NW Edmonton, Alberta Canada | |
Coordinates | 53°31′28″N 113°27′12″W / 53.52444°N 113.45333°W |
Information | |
Former names | Bonnie Doon High School, L'Academie Vimy Ridge Academy |
Opened | 1958[1] |
School board | Edmonton Public Schools |
Area trustee | Saadiq Sumar [2] |
Principal | Jill Marino |
Faculty | 51.42 (on an FTE basis) [1] |
Grades | 7–12[2] |
Enrollment | 1,151[2] (2021–2022[2]) |
Area | 16,675 square metres (19,943 sq yd) [3] |
Athletics conference | Metro Edmonton High School Athletic Association[4] |
Team name | Raiders[5] |
Budget | $7.192 million[1] |
Website | vimyridge |
Vimy Ridge Academy opened as Bonnie Doon High School in 1958, and from 1999 to 2011 was known by the bilingual name L'Academie Vimy Ridge Academy.
The school opened in 1958 as Bonnie Doon High School, and was named for the adjacent Bonnie Doon neighbourhood; although, it is actually in the Idylwylde neighbourhood.[6]
The original two-storey building was 11,590 square metres (13,860 sq yd), and a 1,120 square metres (1,340 sq yd) two-storey addition was added in 1959. A 4,230 square metres (5,060 sq yd) three-storey addition was constructed in 1970, with an elevator added to this section ca. 1990. Minor modernizations were made to small areas in 1982 and 1984, and cosmetic modernization of walls and floors was done in 2000.
The lower floor of the three-storey section is the cafeteria and the two upper floors are used by the ballet school.
In September 1999 regular high school programming was discontinued, and the school was renamed L'Academie Vimy Ridge Academy. Programming was introduced related to Canadian Studies, in partnership with the Department of National Defence and Cadets Canada, with the goal of attracting students who either were Cadets or considering it. The Dance (Ballet) Program was also introduced in 1999, in partnership with the Edmonton School of Ballet.[7] The city's only school pipe and drum band program, introduced with Vimy Ridge Academy's military emphasis, was shut down in 2012 due to reduced student enrolment.[8]
The Sports Alternative Programming was added a few years later. (rewrite... sports emphasis has already started before 2012, but need to find ref for actual start date of Sports Alt Prog)
The school name was formally changed to Vimy Ridge Academy on February 8, 2011.
A $32.5 million full-school modernization started in 2015.[9] Before the renovation the school had a total area of 16,675 square metres, including 440 square metres of decommissioned space and 2,094 square metres of partner space.Cite error: A <ref>
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(see the help page). This preliminary completion target was later revised to June 2017, with all major work having been completed by May 2017.[10][11] The work included demolishing one wing of the school,[12] and adding a gender-neutral washroom.[13] The school remained open throughout the renovation project.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Vimy Ridge Academy was one of the first schools in Edmonton to experience multiple cases of COVID-19 following the September start of the 2020–2021 school year. The first case was reported on 14 September 2020,[14] and by 17 September the school had two cases (considered an outbreak).[15] By 21 September the school had six confirmed cases and was one of the first three schools in Alberta to have been placed on Alberta Health Services' COVID-19 watchlist of outbreaks of five or more cases.[16][17] By 27 September there were seven confirmed cases.[18] It was one of six schools in Alberta that were on the watchlist by the end of September.[19] Alberta schools with COVID-19 outbreaks remain on the Alberta Health Services COVID-19 watchlist until they have not had a new case in more than 28 days. Vimy Ridge Academy's outbreak was declared over sometime before 14 November,[20] and the school was still off the watchlist when all Alberta middle and high schools moved to at-home learning on 30 November.[21][22]
Vimy Ridge's high school completion rate was 87.9% in 2015–16. This is classified as "very high", and is significantly higher than the provincial average of 76.5%. The drop out rate is classified as "extremely low" at 0.3%, compared to the provincial average of 3.2%.
The school was the first in Edmonton to participate in The Duke of Edinburgh's Award program [23]
Vimy Ridge Academy is now an Alternative Program Site featuring Sports Alternative programming and a Dance Program. It is not a designated high school for any neighbourhoods and it does not offer regular academic programming.[24]
Vimy Ridge is the only Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) junior high and one of only two EPS high schools offering the Sports Alternative program.[27] The programs include:[30]
in 2003 Junior high school hockey program moved from Donnan to Vimy, and a senior high hockey program was started . Lacrosse program started 2005. The Sport Recreation program started 2006.[32] Ringette will be offered starting in 2019.[33]
99/00 building details, renos etc capacity 1680[34][35][36]
Vimy Ridge competes in the Edmonton Metro High School Athletic Association of the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association (ASAA). Sports team include: cross country running, volleyball, basketball, track and field, badminton, softball, and golf.[5] Individual students may also compete in sports for which Vimy does not have a team as individuals (wrestling, for example) or by joining teams from other Edmonton high schools.[42]
Ironically for a sports school, the only championships found are Boys 2A Zones (i.e city) golf in 2005-6 and 2006-7. Can't seem to find the provincial championship results for golf. Recheck
The school also makes use of non-school board facilities such as hockey arenas and RE/MAX Field, Edmonton's baseball stadium, which was leased for use by the baseball academy in 2017 three days a week in winter and five days a week in fall and spring.[48]
A 2018 freedom of Information investigation by Postmedia News found that 57% of Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) high school classes were larger than recommended by the Alberta Commission on Learning's guidelines, and that 12% of EPS's high school classes had more than 35 students. Vimy Ridge Academy had one class which was large enough to warrant mention in the report, an English 20-1 class with 41 students.[50][51]
In addition to their teaching qualifications most faculty members have majors, dual degrees, or second degrees in sports-related areas. Many have participated in high level athletics as players, coaches, or managers.[53]