McMath Secondary School
École Secondaire Robert A. McMath Secondary School is a high school located on Garry Street in the Steveston neighbourhood of Richmond, British Columbia. Named in honour of Robert Alexander McMath (1915-1996). McMath served with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada during the Second World War.[1] In 1951, McMath was elected as a school trustee in the city of Richmond, and from 1957 until his retirement in 1993 he served on Richmond's Municipal Council.[2]
| Robert Alexander McMath Secondary | |
|---|---|
 "Together We Fight!" | |
| Address | |
4251 Garry St , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 49.13069°N 123.17874°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, high school |
| Motto | "Together We Fight!" |
| Founded | September 1998 |
| School board | School District 38 Richmond |
| Superintendent | Monica Pamer |
| Principal | Jane McFadyen |
| Staff | 97 |
| Grades | 8-12 |
| Enrollment | 1400 (September 2019) |
| Language | English, French |
| Area | Steveston |
| Colour(s) | Black, Blue, White |
| Mascot | Willy the Wildcat |
| Team name | McMath Wildcats |
| Website | mcmath |
The school opened in 1998 and serves grades 8 to 12. It is a bilingual school providing a French immersion program.
The school is fed into by the nearby elementary schools of Lord Byng Elementary School, Westwind Elementary School, Manoah Steves Elementary School, John G. Diefenbaker Elementary School, Dixon Elementary School and Homma Elementary School as well as all French immersion students from 15 other elementary schools in western Richmond.
As of the 2019/2020 school year, the current principal is Ms. J McFadyen and the vice principals are Ms. A Goulas and Mr. T Ngo. The school's sports teams are all called the McMath Wildcats.
Controversy
R.A McMath Secondary became the focus of media attention and controversy in 2000 when the principal ruled the wearing of bandanas to be inappropriate, and against the dress code, citing an allusion to gang affiliation at the time.
The school also became the focus of media attention again in May 2017 when two male youths were arrested after posting a school shooting threat targeted towards specific groups at the school online, causing the school to enter a day-long lockdown [3] [4]
Films
- The 6th Day starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was filmed at this school.
- The TV Show Supernatural has filmed multiple episodes in McMath Secondary.
- The Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 was filmed near McMath Secondary.
- Kim Possible (2019 film) was filmed in McMath Secondary.
Fraser Institute Ranking
- Ranked No.1 of Public Schools in City of Richmond, BC (2010-2011)
- Ranked No.1 of Public Schools in City of Richmond, BC (2015-2016)
References
- Roy, Reginald H. (1969). The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada 1919-1965. Evergreen Press, Vancouver.
- "Robert Alexander McMath Secondary School". City of Richmond, BC website.
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/male-youth-arrested-at-mcmath-secondary-after-threats-force-day-long-lock down. -1.4138146
- http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/second-youth-identified-in-threat-investigation-at-richmond-high-school-1.3440380