Sentinel Secondary School

Sentinel Secondary School
File:Sentinel secondary school logo.png Summis Cum Animis with the greatest possible spirit
Location
West Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Coordinates
Information
School type	Public
Founded	1962-63 school year (building opened in 1963)
School board	45
Superintendent	Chris Kennedy
Principal	Mr. Michael Finch
Grades	8-12
Enrollment	1250
Language	English, French immersion
Colour(s)	Navy and Silver
Mascot	Spartan
Team name	Spartans
Website	go45.sd45.bc.ca/schools/sentinel/Pages/default.aspx
Last updated: 2011

Sentinel Secondary School is a secondary school located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of three public secondary schools in the West Vancouver district (SD #45) including West Vancouver Secondary School and Rockridge Secondary School. The school has a grass field, two baseball diamonds, three street hockey courts, and three tennis courts. The main field is used for all sports, such as soccer, football, and rugby.

The school was established for the 1962-63 school year with students who had previously attended Hillside Secondary School. The first classes were held in the old Inglewood School until the new building was completed in 1963. The first grade 12 graduating class was in 1965.

Advanced Placement Program

Sentinel offers Advanced Placement Program courses, teaching material equivalent to university-level study. All of the courses require a strong comprehension of general knowledge and excellent work habits. It requires a powerful intellectual commitment to perseverance and solid, foundational work habits, and are regarded as more rigorous than the general and IB course offerings. Pre-AP courses are offered to students wishing to prepare for the full Advanced Placement offerings in their Senior School years.

Other programmes

As of 2012, two immersion programmes exist: French immersion (grades 8 through 12) and Computer immersion (for grade 8 and 9). The school also offers the Super Achievers' Programme for those interested in participating in sports at a Provincial/National level.

Sentinel is also home to four "sport academies" - the Sentinel Hockey Academy, the Sentinel Soccer Academy, the Sentinel Baseball Academy, and the Sentinel Tennis Academy. All programs integrate sport based training into the courseload - students spend 2 blocks out of 8 on their chosen sport. They play this sport the last block of every day. Each week they: are on ice/court/field three times, once they are in the classroom (learning theory of the sport/nutrition/sex ed/other), and once at Twist Conditioning or NSWC (North Shore Winter Club).

Sentinel has a diverse music programme. It differentiates from most schools as it has a regular Stage/Jazz Band typically for students grades 10-11, a classical orchestra which encompasses all grades, and a unique Rhythm and Blues band usually reserved for those in grades 11-12 by audition. The latter is a band that plays songs by artists such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and bands such as Tower of Power. Students learn songs by ear from the original recordings rather than from sheet music. This band not only plays for school events but also at many community events throughout the year. A number of videos of the Sentinel Rhythm and Blues Band are currently available on YouTube.

Sentinel also offers the comprehensive Super Achievers program which provides opportunities for students wanting to learn more in a specific sports or performing arts such as golf, acrobatics, rock climbing, and dance. In this program, students have the opportunity to take regular classes in the morning, and focus on their area of specialization in the afternoon.

Sentinel currently enrolls around 1,250 students each year.

External links

• Sentinel Secondary School Homepage