Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute


Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute, originally known as O'Sullivan Secondary School, is a secondary school located in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario at 2300 Pharmacy Avenue in Ward 20. It is owned by the Scarborough Board of Education with the latter board assimilated with the Toronto District School Board. The motto is "Prudentia et Scientia".

History

Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute was designed by the architectural firm, Gordon S. Adamson and Associates. The school building, originally named O'Sullivan Secondary School, was constructed in 1963 and opened in the fall of 1964 when there was only farmland around it, and as the population in the area grew, so did the school. During construction, O'Sullivan was renamed to Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute, after Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, in which the colors red, black, white and purple were chosen, with the latter color taken from the $10 Canadian banknote.
As its eleventh collegiate, the school's main building was then extended to have more classrooms, along with larger rooms used for music, art, and autoshop. MacDonald celebrated its 50th year on September 26, 2014.

Overview

Academics and clubs

There are clubs for science, math, and computers. Students regularly participate in academic competitions, such as the University of Waterloo's mathematics, chemistry, and physics exams, University of Toronto's engineering exam, and several American exams.
Music ensembles include Jazz band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Strings, and Choir, along with junior band and strings. Each year these groups compete in regional, provincial, and occasionally international competitions, and have trips internationally to perform.

School crest, colours, and motto

The crest contains a map of Canada and the symbols of the clan of Sir John A. Macdonald: a white coronet, a mailed fist, and crossed crosslets. Red, Purple, and White, which predominate in the tartan of Sir John A. Macdonald's family clan, Clanranald, are the official school colours. The school motto is "Prudentia et Scientia".

Athletics

In the 2011–2012 school year, The senior boys' soccer team won the TDSSAA City Championship. In the 2012–2013 school year, the varsity field hockey won the City Championship. In 2012–2013, the junior boys' volleyball team won City Championship. In 2012–2013, the track team won East Region Overall.

Notable alumni