Rockway Mennonite Collegiate

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
Address
110 Doon Road
Kitchener, Ontario, N2J 3C8[1]
Canada
Information
Type Private School
Motto A small school for a big world.
Established 1945
School district Waterloo Region
President Obama
Chairman John Torrance-Perks[2]
Dean Hratch Bedarian
Administrator James "daddy" TP
Principal Ann L. Schultz[3]
Second Master Ben Martin
Chaplain Grant Meager
Faculty 40 (As of 2017-2018 year)
Grades 7-12
Color(s) Red, Black, White               [1]
Athletics District 8
Nickname Flames[1]
Rival Woodland, Afro Glasses
National ranking
  1. 1
Test average Approximately 94.6% (Exams)
Newspaper Reflections[4]
Yearbook Lighthouse
Affiliation Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Website http://www.Rockway.ca

The front-view of the school's main building.

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate (RMC) is an independent Mennonite high school located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It offers academic programs for grade 7–12 students, various cross-cultural exchanges, as well as arts and athletics programs. Throughout the course of the past few years, it has developed scholarships and awards presented to students graduating from this school.

Despite its name, approximately 40% of its 300-student population are typically Mennonite, coming from the modern Canadian Mennonite church, rather than Old Order Mennonites.[5] Although the school name refers to "Mennonite", Rockway accepts students from all types of religions and offers religious studies courses that allow students to explore all areas of faith, religion, and belief.

History

The school was created by Swiss Mennonites living in Waterloo, upset with the increasing military influence on wartime schools in Canada. They raised $50,000 and purchased a farmhouse on Doon Road to convert into their first school building.

Exchange program

The school has a exchange program with China, hosting dozens of Chinese students annually, and supporting a number of senior Rockway students who travel to China. There is also an exchange to France and Germany available to students after completing Grade 11. Recently, the Grade 12 class has gone on an exchange to Guatemala. Due to the many exchange programs Rockway offers, there are also many language courses, including Mandarin.

Rockway also attracts students from Germany, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and the United States, with roughly 15% of its student body coming from outside of Canada. The school arranges host families for them to live with, has an international students club, and offers English as a second language classes.

Arts program

The school offers Visual Arts and Music (Theory, History, Instrumental and Choral) to all students in the school. Students in the high school are offered a wider range of Arts courses, which includes Dramatic Arts, and a more extensive Visual Arts and Music program.

The school participates in choral festivals and hosts two concerts every year. In 2009, the Senior Choir participated in the Ontario Vocal Festival, held at Galt Collegiate Institute. The choir were then invited to the national showcase, MusicFest Canada in May.

Each year, the school's drama department puts on a variety of productions. Every three years, the school puts on a musical. In 2017, The Wizard of Oz was staged.

Once every year, the Visual Arts committee hosts a public art show, featuring pieces submitted by the students . The show usually runs for one night only.

Athletics

Rockway has a variety of sports and competitive teams available to the student population. These include basketball, golf, cross-country, badminton, soccer, chess, and wrestling. Though the school has a variety of sports, the focus sports are volleyball and basketball. Rockway remains a competitive school with many of the larger schools in the region. For example, Rockway had been the District 8 Champions for Senior Girls Volleyball (2009) recently.[6] In the last four years Rockway has medaled four times at "A" OFSAA Basketball. 2005 Silver, 2006 Gold, 2007 Silver, 2008 Bronze. In 2008, the girls senior basketball team won the gold at OFSAA and coach Bernie Burnett became the first coach to receive a gold medal for both the senior girls and boys basketball team. The Senior Boys Volleyball and Basketball teams won CWOSSA and made it to OFSAA in the 2016-17 year. In he 2017-2018 year the senior boys volleyball team made it to OFSAA and the senior boys basketball team won CWOSSA and went to OFSAA

Rockway is a member of the eight team District 8 Athletic Association.

Community service

One of Rockway's largest service events is the House of Friendship Food Drive. Students purchase food, or collect it door-to-door, which is then donated to the House of Friendship Christmas Hamper Program, a partner with the Waterloo Region Food Bank. Rockway averages over 30,000 food items per year.[7]. They also yearly do an "envirathon servathon" where the whole school volunteers in the broader community for a whole day.

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.cwossa.ca/rockway-mennonite-college/
  2. ↑ https://rockway.ca/about/board-of-directors/
  3. ↑ https://rockway.ca/about/principals-message/
  4. ↑ https://rockway.ca/about/rockway-reflections/
  5. ↑ Epp, Frank H. "Mennonites in Canada, 1939-1970", 1996. p. 247
  6. ↑ District 8 Athletic Association, Direct Quote.
  7. ↑ Rockway Mennonite Collegiate

Coordinates: 43°26′09″N 80°27′50″W / 43.43570°N 80.46397°W / 43.43570; -80.46397

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