Cowichan Secondary School

Cowichan Secondary is a public high school in Duncan, British Columbia part of School District 79 Cowichan Valley, Opened in 1950. In 2013, the school became a dual-campus Grade 8-12 school after Quamichan Middle School on Beverley Street was merged with Cowichan Secondary on James Street.[1] In September 2018, the Dual Campus model was dissolved and Cowichan Secondary School and Quamichan School returned to being two separate schools, leaving Cowichan Secondary as a grades 10-12 high school.

Cowichan Senior Secondary School
Address
Map
2652 James St (Cowichan) & 2515 Beverly St (Quamichan)

, ,
Canada
Coordinates48°46′53″N 123°42′06″W / 48.7815°N 123.7016°W / 48.7815; -123.7016 (James St.)
Information
School typePublic, high school
Founded1950
School boardSchool District 79 Cowichan Valley
School number250-746-4435
PrincipalDarcy Hoff
Staff22
Grades10-12
Enrollment950 (2019)
AreaCowichan Valley
Colour(s)     maroon, silver, black, and white
MascotThunderbird
Team nameThunderbirds
Websitecss.sd79.bc.ca
Last updated: September 2019

Location

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The school was under construction in the 1940s near the Trans-Canada Highway.[2]

Planning in 2014 considered relocating the school to the property purchased for the school's new build, adjacent to Vancouver Island University's Duncan campus and the Island Savings Centre recreation facility.[3]

In 2019, the Cowichan Secondary School Replacement Project was formally announced. In early January 2021, Urban One Builders and HCMA Architecture + Design were selected to head design and construction, which began later in the year and is currently still in process. The school will prioritize seismic safety and will be three stories tall. The architectural features of the school will honour the unceded Quw’utsun lands where it is situated. The new building will be approximately 11,975 square metres and built for 1100 students, with the ability to expand to house 1500 students with the addition of new classrooms. The construction of the school will cost $82.1 million and is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2023. [4]

Arts

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In 2012, Cowichan became the first school in the province of British Columbia to be invited to perform at the International Fringe Festival, the prestigious theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland[5]

Sports

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Cowichan Senior Secondary has multiple competitive sports teams. These sports include senior and junior girls field hockey, girls rugby, boys rugby, and girls and boys basketball. The most high-achieving team is the girls field hockey team who frequently win provincial championship games. Most of the Senior sports are at the 3A level, except for the volleyball program, which the school is in the process of rebuilding. For the last 4 years, there has been a Junior (Grade 10) team and a Senior girls 4A team.[6]

References

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  1. ^ 2013/14 Student Handbook (PDF). Cowichan Secondary School. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Cowichan Secondary School under construction 1948". CVM 1992.4.6.1. Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  3. ^ Degraaf, Ashley (4 April 2014). "Quamichan emerges as option B for new Cowichan Secondary". Cowichan News-Leader Pictorial. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Cowichan Secondary School Replacement Project « Cowichan Valley School District".
  5. ^ Andersen, Ann (9 March 2012). "Review 16 years of Cowichan Secondary at play". Cowichan News Leader. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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School Reports - Ministry of Education