Bluevale Collegiate Institute

{{Infobox school

| name = Bluevale Collegiate Institute

| logo = Crest of Bluevale Collegiate Institute, Waterloo.gif

| image = Bluevale Collegiate Waterloo pano.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Bluevale Collegiate Institute, seen in 2009

| address = 80 Bluevale Street North

| city = Waterloo

| province = Ontario

| postcode = N2J 3R5

| country = Canada

| coordinates = {{coord|43.4751|N|80.5000|W|region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}

| schooltype = High school

| motto = Non Quis Sed Quid

| motto_translation = It's not who you are, but what you are.

| founded = 1972

| schoolboard = Waterloo Region District School Board

| principal = Deborah Tyrrell

| grades_label = Grades

| grades = 9-12

| enrollment = 1,240

| enrollment_as_of = 2019–2020

| colours = Maroon, Light Blue and White {{color box|maroon}}{{color box|#6666ff}}{{color box|white}}

| mascot = Norm, the Knight

| team_name = The Knights

| url = {{URL|//bci.wrdsb.ca/}}

}}

Bluevale Collegiate Institute is a secondary school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, run by the Waterloo Region District School Board. As of the 2019–2020 school year, Bluevale has an enrollment of 1,240 students.{{Cite web |title=Secondary School Profile: Bluevale Collegiate Institute (895458) |url=https://www.app.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/sift/schoolProfileSec.asp?SCH_NUMBER=895458&x=18&y=10#demo |website=Ontario Ministry of Education}} The school opened in 1972 under the direction of principal Robert Chilton, and vice-principal Charlie Wilson, initially with grades 9 through 11, adding grades 12, and then 13 in subsequent years.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} Bluevale's new school boundary took in students previously registered at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener–Waterloo Collegiate, and Waterloo Collegiate Institute. As of 2022, the principal is Deborah Tyrrell.

Motto and colours

The school colours are maroon, powder blue and white. The school's motto is "Non Quis Sed Quid", meaning "“it’s not who you are, but what you are".{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=Bluevale Collegiate Institute School Profile |url=http://bci.wrdsb.ca/files/2014/07/BCI-School-Profile.pdf}} Bluevale's mascot is a knight, named Norm.

Academic programs

According to the 2022–2023 course offerings, Bluevale Collegiate Institute offers courses in the following subjects: arts (including music, drama, and visual arts), business studies, Canadian and world studies, English, French, health and physical education, mathematics, native studies, science, social sciences, and technological education.{{Cite web |title=Course Calendar 2022-2023.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/18E17yvWw5GdjRklgw0iO77gh9UcofPMk/view?usp=embed_facebook |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=Linked to from: bci.wrdsb.ca}}

Programs specific to the school include: Choose to Lead, which includes obtainment of the Duke of Edinburgh award;{{Cite web |title=Choose To Lead at BCI (Bluevale Collegiate Institute) |url=https://bci.wrdsb.ca/choose-to-lead/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=bci.wrdsb.ca}} SHSM, or Specialist High Skills Major – which provides students with specialized skills and certifications – which is offered in the subjects technology, arts, or sports;{{Cite web |title=Specialist High Skills Major (Bluevale Collegiate Institute) |url=https://bci.wrdsb.ca/specialist-high-skills-major/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=bci.wrdsb.ca}} and KRT, or the Knights of the Round Table, which serves as the school's student council and offers specific leadership courses to students. Bluevale also offers AP (Advanced Placement) courses, with Pre-AP courses offered in grades 9-11 and AP courses offered in grade 12.

Extracurricular programs

=Sports=

Bluevale provides opportunities for participation in athletics including intramurals, team sports and individual-based programs. These opportunities include rugby, American football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, track and field, cross-country, curling, skiing, ice hockey, badminton, and other teams. The school participates in WCSSAA (Waterloo County Secondary School Athletic Association).

Many BCI teams have won WCSSAA and CWOSSA (Central Western Ontario Secondary School Association) titles and have performed well at the Provincial level, including most recently{{When|date=February 2022}} the cross-country teams, swim team, basketball and volleyball squads. The Senior Boys and Girls Rugby teams both won WCCSSA championships in 2013. The Senior girls rugby team then placed in the top ten in all-Ontario competition. The BCI girls' field hockey team have won two consecutive OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) championships (2016 and 2017) while also medalling in the 2014 and 2015 campaigns.

=Arts programs=

The school's arts program offers music, dance, and visual arts. In addition, there are two different choirs, two bands, and some small ensembles. The main choir, Bluevale Singers, had over 100 members in 2013.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} The music program features instrumental, vocal and guitar courses. In 2003, Bluevale hosted the first annual provincial DanceFest, an annual dance competition and showcase of dance teams from schools across Ontario.{{Cite web |last=Blueprint |first=U. W. |date=2021-02-14 |title=Featured Project: Ontario Secondary School DanceFest |url=https://medium.com/uw-blueprint/featured-project-ontario-secondary-school-dancefest-c7ec0efdf1e2 |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=UW Blueprint |language=en}} 125 secondary students attended. In 2015, Ontario Secondary School DanceFest became a nonprofit organization. Drama students perform at the National Theatre School Drama Festival (formerly the Sears Drama Festival) competitions each year and in their annual Fall Showcase. The visual arts program provides many opportunities for students to challenge their creativity though works of art using many mediums.

=Other clubs=

Like other schools in the region, Bluevale consistently has a high extracurricular participation rate,{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} due to Students Council (also known as KRT - Knights of the Round Table) and the large number of clubs at the school. Other clubs include DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), the Fishing Club and the Environment Club. The school often partners with other high schools in the region for special events such as Relay for Life, an event that raises money for cancer research.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Notable alumni

Todd Brooker - An Olympic skier, who was a member of Canada's national ski team from 1976-1987. He won three Alpine skiing World Cup titles.
Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue - 2 time Olympic Champions. They attended 2003-2004 while training at the KW skating club.{{Cite web |date=2014-02-14 |title=Virtue, Moir have fond memories of Waterloo Region |url=https://www.therecord.com/sports/olympics/2014/02/14/virtue-moir-have-fond-memories-of-waterloo-region.html |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=therecord.com |language=en |quote=By the time high school started the back and forth was beginning to take its toll. So, the twosome moved to Waterloo to train full-time and study at Bluevale Collegiate Institute.}}
Steven Rice - National Hockey League
C. Ernst Harth - Character actor known for such films as Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and Thir13en Ghosts
Andrew Poje - 3-time Canadian national champion, 3-time world medalist in ice dancing{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2014/03/12/olympians-weaver-poje-visit-bluevale-ci/|title = Olympians Weaver and Poje Visit Bluevale CI|date = 12 March 2014}}
Guillermo Verdecchia - Playwright has won the Governor General's Award for English language drama and a Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award.
Chris Williams (director) - Oscar winning movie director{{cite news |last1=Rubinoff |first1=Joel |date=10 December 2016 |title=Moana's hidden Canadian connection in co-director Chris Williams |work=The Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2016/12/10/moanas-hidden-canadian-connection-in-co-director-chris-williams.html |accessdate=11 December 2016}}
Mike West - As a member of the Canadian Swim Team, he won a Bronze Olympic medal in 1984
Kirsten Moore-Towers - 2014 Olympic Silver medal team skating{{Cite web |date=2013-11-23 |title=Local figure skating pair priming to peak at Olympics |url=https://www.therecord.com/sports/olympics/2013/11/23/local-figure-skating-pair-priming-to-peak-at-olympics.html |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=therecord.com |language=en |quote="It was more of a teacher-student kind of a role (early on)," said Moore-Towers, who graduated from Waterloo's Bluevale Collegiate. "I think that is another way our relationship has evolved."}}