Victoria
Victoria on Vancouver Island is one of the bigger towns of British Columbia. It is the one place where the British influence is palpable and the pedestrian zone in the center feels almost European. But Victoria is also beautifully situated on the ocean and access to the the typical West Coast natural environment is close. Many impressive cruise ships enter the harbour on a daily basis and make for Victoria’s famous reputation as a picturesque harbour town.
Schools in Victoria are technologically very well equipped and generally have spacious sports fields. Apart from the standard academic programme including mathematics, social studies, sciences and English they offer an interesting choice of electives and after school activities.
Schools
Victoria High School
Founded in 1876, this school is the oldest public school in Western Canada. It offers the general academic programme as well as an extensive choice of electives, for example music, dance, theatre and art courses. Depending on the season the sports programme includes soccer, rugby, rowing, volley ball, basket ball, tennis, track and field and more. There is also an impressive variety of IT – courses and French Immersion is possible as well.
Student number: about 1000
Spectrum Community School
This school offers the regular academic programme including mathematics, sciences, social studies and English. It also offers a vast variety of electives: theatre, cooking, sewing, wood and metal work as well as psychology, jazz and concert band. Accounting and marketing and a choice of digital media courses are also possible: web design, graphic design and more. French, Spanish, Japanese and Punjabi are offered as second languages.
Student number: about 1300
Reynolds Secondary School
Apart from French Immersion, this school offers a special Soccer Academy. Among the many electives students can chose jazz and concert band as well as theatre. They can also take part in a special Leadership-Program. Wood and metal work, IT-courses, poetry slams, student talent shows and the yearly plays and musicals complete the program of this school.
Student number: about 1000
Oak Bay High
This school also offers an impressive variety of electives: choir, dance and theatre, photography wood and metal work, cooking and more. Students can also chose French Immersion and special IT courses. After school clubs include sailing and cricket. French, Spanish and Japanese are taught as second languages.
Student number: about 1000
Mount Douglas Secondary School
Similarly to all the other high schools in Victoria, this school offers, apart from the regular courses, an array of special music courses (choir, orchestra, dance), sports courses (soccer, rowing, tennis, volleyball basket ball) and arts courses (drawing, painting, pottery, media arts, photography). After school clubs include chess, yoga and many more. Chess and yoga are offered as after school clubs. The school also offers a „Challenge Program“ for particularly gifted and creative students.
Student number: ca.1100
Lambrick Park Secondary School
This relatively small school offers the regular academic programme (mathematics, social studies, sciences and English) as well as French Immersion and a number of special IT- courses and economics courses. Students can also take part in the Baseball or Soft Ball Academy. Rowing, soccer, track and field are as much part of the programme as theatre, wood work, bands and “Student Leadership“.
Student number: about 550
Esquimalt High School
French Immersion and the so-called Challenge Program, a special programme for particularly creative and gifted students, are two features of this school. It also offers a variety of electives: cooking, wood and metal work, dance, theatre and arts courses. Basketball, rowing, swimming form part of the sports program. Apart from French, Spanish is taught as a second language.
Student number: about 800
