Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
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Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI) is a
public high school A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...
in
Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada, operated by Lethbridge School District No. 51 that serves grades nine through twelve. LCI was the first school in Lethbridge designated only for secondary students. It opened at its current location in 1950, but was founded in a smaller, adjacent building in 1928. Since its 1950 opening, several additions and layout changes have been made at the school. In August 2010, Chinook High School opened in
West Lethbridge West Lethbridge (or The Westside), is one of List of neighbourhoods in Lethbridge, three geographical areas in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the newest and the fastest growing. It is the home of the University of Lethbridge and is a residenti ...
with over 700 students enrolled. Those that entered grade 11 in 2009 at LCI were permitted to complete their graduating year at LCI, but west Lethbridge students are now encouraged to attend the new high school, which was being built in conjunction with a western campus of Catholic Central High School, recreational facilities, and a public library. As a result of Chinook's opening, LCI's enrollment decreased by a substantial 35% for the 2010–2011 school year and a further 11% to only 870 in 2011-2012; less than both Chinook and north Lethbridge's Winston Churchill High. A relatively extensive academic program is offered, including automotives,
construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
and communication technology, fashion studies, and four language studies programs. An
Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewh ...
is offered in several key subject areas, including mathematics, language arts, and the sciences.LCI Registration Guide 2010–2011
(PDF) Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. Retrieved on May 19, 2010.
Respected instrumental music, choir, and dance programs have helped LCI become well known in
Southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2016, the region's population was approximately 291,112. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The region is known mostly for agricultural production, but o ...
for offering balanced opportunities to students in both academics and extracurricular activities. Athletic teams from LCI carry the names Rams, Clippers, Colts, and Schooners, although the latter two have fallen into disuse.


History


Early years

In the early 1900s, two schools near
downtown Lethbridge Downtown Lethbridge is the central business district of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, hosting most of the city's banks and several accounting and law practices, including national firms. Boundaries Strictly speaking, the downtown is defined by th ...
were named with reference to their location. Built in 1891, fifteen years prior to the incorporation of the City of Lethbridge, the first was Central School. The small school was the only one that served secondary students in the Lethbridge area. In 1909, Central School closed and secondary education classes moved into a vacated building on 5 Avenue. The school became too crowded in the mid-1920s, and a struggle began between the school board and the city to have a new school constructed. In February 1928, construction work began on Lethbridge
Collegiate Institute A collegiate institute is an institution that provides either secondary or post-secondary education, dependent on where the term is used. In Canada, the term is used to describe institutions that provide secondary education, while the word is used ...
at the corner of 4 Avenue and 15 Street South. The institution would become the city's first combined junior high and high school. The site had previously been used for aviation activities in the city, until the opening of Kenyon Field (now Lethbridge County Airport) south of Six-Mile Coulee in the summer of 1939. Construction of the school at the site finished in October 1928, but a fire in the spring of 1929 ravaged the new building. Classes had to be moved to other local schools until later that year. When LCI became too small for the city's growing population in 1950, a new building was constructed on the same block just east of the old one. Due to southern Alberta's booming population, twenty-one schools were constructed in Lethbridge between 1946 and 1965. Grades 10–12 were moved to the new building while grades 7–9 remained at their present location. The new junior high was renamed Lethbridge Junior High School, but kept the name for less than a year.Johnston pp. 44 In the latter part of 1950, the junior high adopted its new name, Hamilton Junior High School (named after a former teacher, principal, and superintendent, William Alfred Hamilton). The school kept the name for over half a century until its relocation to the rapidly expanding area of
West Lethbridge West Lethbridge (or The Westside), is one of List of neighbourhoods in Lethbridge, three geographical areas in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the newest and the fastest growing. It is the home of the University of Lethbridge and is a residenti ...
as G.S. Lakie Middle School in 2003. Next door, classes commenced on November 22, 1950 at the new LCI. With increases in student population, new sections of the building were added in 1955, 1957, 1970, and 1986. A section of Hamilton's old building was used to house Allan Watson High School for a time That high school was not operated by District 51. At that time the building was being renovated to house the headquarters of Lethbridge School District 51. Allan Watson was later replaced by Victoria Park High School operated by the District.


A new grade

In accordance with a grade reconfiguration in many public schools across Alberta, Grade 9 students began attending the school in the fall of 2003. Teachers, textbooks, and other classroom materials were brought in from local middle schools. The changes introduced a new term to the area: "
middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
". With the middle school enrolling students for grades 6–8, the term "high school" was redefined to include grades 9–12. The changes created minor inconveniences for staff and other areas of the school. At LCI, it brought more students into a building already near capacity. Community members believed the restructuring by the government was targeted specifically at the City of Lethbridge, a move made to force the province to build an additional Lethbridge high school. Such a project had been anticipated for at least a decade. As expected, the announcement for the new school came in 2005. Enrollment at LCI exceeded 1,600 students. In an effort to reduce numbers, students living on the City's north side who attend LCI must be enrolled in a course not offered at Winston Churchill High School. LCI's enrollment peaked in 2005. The population of the city has steadily increased. The graduating class of 2007 was the first to complete all four years of learning at the school since its founding. The
convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a specia ...
in May, with the day's ceremonies at the
ENMAX Centre The VisitLethbridge.com Arena (formerly Canada Games Sportsplex and ENMAX Centre) is a 5,479-seat multi-purpose arena, in Lethbridge, Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Ca ...
, was centred around the a theme noting the historical fact that it was the first class to spend all four years of their secondary education at LCl.


December 2007 shooting scare

On December 13, 2007, a note was found handwritten in a washroom stall. Its exact words were undisclosed, but school officials described it as "a student's intention to shoot others, as well as possibly taking their own life, on December 20." A district official responded, "at this point in time we're not planning to install metal detectors. We feel that we're taking the precautions by having a police presence." Extra staff members and local police officers patrolled the school's hallways for the week of December 17–21. Only days earlier, the words "December 18, 2007
Massacre A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians Glossary of French words and expressions in English#En masse, en masse by an armed ...
" were found in a washroom at Paul Kane High School in
St. Albert, Alberta St. Albert is a List of cities in Canada, city in Alberta, Canada, next to the Sturgeon River (Alberta), Sturgeon River, northwest of the Edmonton, City of Edmonton, the provincial capital. It was originally settled as a Métis community, and is ...
. Officials at that school said "extraordinary security measures" were to be taken, but it was believed to be a hoax. It is unknown if the LCI incident was simply a copycat of the Paul Kane incident, but school officials in both cities requested that the perpetrators step forward; neither has done so. Both schools also made counseling staff available for any students who felt apprehensive about their safety. Though attendance was down significantly at Paul Kane on December 18 and only 300 students attended LCI on December 20, regular classes proceeded without incident. On December 20, a similar note was found in a bathroom at
W. R. Myers High School W. R. Myers High School is located in Taber, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1950, it is the town's only public high school. Students at W.R. Myers range from grade 9 to grade 12. Taber's middle school, D.A. Ferguson, shares a Cafeteria and a band ...
in nearby
Taber, Alberta Taber ( ) is a town in southern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the Municipal District of Taber. It is approximately east of the City of Lethbridge at the intersection of Alberta Highway 3, Highway 3 and Alberta Highway 36, Highway 36. T ...
, indicating a student's intent to do harm on December 21. With a student attendance of roughly 20%, classes proceeded without incident. In 1999, a student opened fire at W. R. Myers, killing one student and seriously wounding another. In 2000, LCI was locked down after two youths were arrested and two firearms were seized.


Principal bullying accusations

In the month of December, 2019, current and/or former teachers launch bullying accusations to current principal, Wayne Pallett. Teachers reported that Pallett was abusive. One unidentified teacher states "I've never had anybody look as if they're going to hit me because they look so angry, and red-faced and mouth contorted." "I have witnessed staff members of all levels crying or angry because of him and that's from teachers to support staff, to even saw him make a vice principal cry before," another former employee said. "Not sleeping, I didn't want to eat, like I couldn't, I had to force myself to eat. I lost almost 20 pounds and ashaving panic attacks," she said. When local news network,
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
, asked Pallett for a comment, Pallett denied.


Campus

LCI is a maze of hallways that is split into different wings where various subjects are taught. The school building is land-locked and bounded by surrounding buildings. Victoria Park High School resides to the west of LCI in the east part of the former Hamilton Junior High building. Businesses are to the north of the school. A church and residential homes are across the street to the south of the LCI building. The Catholic Central High School is across the street to the east. The current layout has the campus divided into sections, seven of which are in the main building. The "A" wing, with the cafeteria, music rooms, and a small, secondary gymnasium, is the westernmost portion of the building. The "B" wing, a newer component of the building, contains mostly the English and
Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
departments. The bottom floor of the large, southern "C" wing holds the library and two
lecture A lecture (from ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, background, theo ...
theatres. The upper floors contain computer,
biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
,
chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
, and
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
laboratories A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which science, scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as s ...
as well as several classrooms. The main "D" wing contains administrator offices, science, and
social studies In many countries' curricula, social studies is the combined study of humanities, the arts, and social sciences, mainly including history, economics, and civics. The term was coined by American educators around the turn of the twentieth century as ...
classrooms. The main gym and counselling department technically make up the "E" wing, though it is hardly referred to by that name. Construction technology, automotives, and the LCI Performing Arts Centre north of the main gym are the "F" wing, while a small, third floor section containing
home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...
is the "H" wing. Underneath the home economics area is a fitness centre housing various
exercise equipment Exercise equipment is any apparatus or device used during physical activity to enhance the strength or conditioning effects of that exercise by providing either fixed or adjustable amounts of resistance, or to otherwise enhance the experience or ...
. The single-storey, peripheral "G" wing, a linear building separated by a 15-metre lane from the main building, houses a communication technology lab, electronic equipment,
autobody A coachbuilder manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles. The trade of producing coachwork began with bodies for horse-drawn vehicles. Today it includes custom automobiles, buses, motor coaches, and railway carriages. The word ...
, and an art room. The total floor area at LCI exceeds that of all the other schools in the district combined. A concession booth close to the main gymnasium provides various snacks that can be purchased during the day and at evening sporting events. The cafeteria at the west end of the building sells food for lunch. Students are also free to leave the campus for lunch as several fast food restaurants are within walking distance. In another effort to reduce congestion, LCI lunch period is almost entirely offset from that of nearby Catholic Central High School. The school also has problems with internal overcrowding. Hundreds of students are bussed from the city's west side daily. A lane north of the school is restricted to buses only. Students traverse the staff parking lot in the morning and afternoon to reach 13 busses, the majority of which carry students to and from West Lethbridge. Although a parking lot for staff with over 100 parking spaces is provided, no parking is officially designated for students. Competing with students from the other two area high schools also trying to park their vehicles, Lethbridge students must park their vehicles on 5 Avenue, or south on 17 Street or 18 Street. Packed on two
city block A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. In a city with a grid system, the block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are th ...
s with five other schools, the surrounding narrow streets are difficult to navigate for parents and students with cars during the morning and afternoon rush.


Academics

From Monday to Thursday, the school operates from 7:55 in the morning to 2:45 in the afternoon with 77 minute classes. Grade ten, eleven and twelve students have four different modules with one doubled on each day of the week (e.g. module 3 is doubled on Wednesday). On Fridays, classes begin slightly later, running from 7:55 to 12:38 with four 62 minute classes and no lunch period. From Monday to Thursday, the lunch period begins at 11:49. The peculiar times are partly due to the district's school busses, which are also needed for elementary and middle schools which have later start and end times. In preparation for Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) at the end of the year, grade nine students operate on a similar system to that of the local middle schools. All courses run from September until June with the exception of option courses which are semestered. This is contrary to grades ten through twelve, where nearly all classes are semester long and students receive 5 credits per course. 100 credits are needed to graduate, per Alberta Learning requirements.Guide to Education 2009–2010
PDF) Alberta Education. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
Each credit signifies approximately 125 hours of classroom instruction. Of their final sixteen high school modules (4 in grade eleven and 4 in grade twelve), students are permitted to take three spare modules with a general restriction of one per year in grade eleven and one per semester in grade twelve. Due to the high enrollment, several teachers have had their classrooms segregated from their main department. In recent years, the teachers were left without classrooms and had to make use of whatever rooms were available during a particular module. As a result, the building is now much less departmentalized than was originally planned. Numerous scholarships are offered annually for students. For some students, applying for a scholarship is not necessary; grade 11 or 12 students with an overall average above 80% are eligible to receive $400 via Rutherford Scholarships. Entry into the
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members. The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...
is also offered to them, requiring students to complete a minimum of 10 hours community service over the course of the year. The Society participates in directing annual functions such as "Parent-Teacher Evening". In the community, the group assists at the Chinook Regional Hospital and at
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
functions, such as bell ringing. LCI students are encouraged to remain within the city for their post-secondary students and attend the
University of Lethbridge The University of Lethbridge (also known as uLethbridge, uLeth, and U of L) is a public comprehensive and research university located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with a second campus in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in the liberal arts traditio ...
by representatives from that school. Accordingly, it is easier for local students to be rewarded with scholarships, and several are only available for students who attended high school in Southern Alberta. A high number of students also go on to attend the Universities of
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
and
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, as well as
Lethbridge College Lethbridge Polytechnic (also known as LethPolytech), formerly Lethbridge College, is a public polytechnic institute located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with regional campuses in Claresholm, Vulcan, Pincher Creek, and the Crowsnest Pass. Le ...
. In a 2009
Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a Canadian Conservatism in Canada, conservative public policy think tank registered as a Charitable organization, charity. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. It has ...
report, which was conducted from the previous school year, LCI was ranked 162nd among Alberta high school schools, down significantly from a rank of 102nd in the previous 5 years. More promising is the fact that the number of students dropping out of school before completion has steadily decreased, on average, provincewide. While data is not available for individual institutions, the number of students completing school has also increased districtwide.


Advisor Program

Similar to a long-running program in place at Winston Churchill High School, an advisor program was introduced in the fall of 2006. The program consists of an 8-minute session between the first two periods during which students of all grades meet with a teacher to whom they were randomly assigned at the beginning of the year. More personal than that of the counselling department, the program offers the opportunity for students to seek advice from an influential adult. Administrative duties, such as public announcements and the handing out of
report card A report card, or just report in British English – sometimes called a progress report or achievement report – communicates a student's performance academically. In most places, the report card is issued by the school to the student or the st ...
s and
newsletter A newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of ...
s, is done in sessions. Advisors also make mid-semester phone-home reports to parents. Most students do not have their advisor as a classroom instructor. In most circumstances, students will have the same advisor for all four years of high school.


Student council

The
Student Council A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...
consists of a president, four vice presidents (one elected from each grade), a secretary, a treasurer, a Spirit Coordinator, and an Activity Coordinator. Members of the council perform administrative duties such as the organization of assemblies and school functions. The vice presidential positions are intended to provide student representation with a closer connection to the administration within respective grades, but they have been criticised for being simply symbolic. The
budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...
designated to the council is low. The activities, for which members through their campaign promises were initially voted to organize, seldom happen. The president, with help from other council members, will normally " emcee"
pep rallies A pep rally, pep assembly or pep session is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school, and college age, before a school sporting event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support m ...
geared toward increasing school spirit and promoting the fine arts. Until 2006, elections for all positions were held in late September or early October. Now, elections for all positions (except for the grade nine vice-president) are held in June for the elected to take office in the following year.


Advanced Placement Program

The
Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewh ...
(AP) at LCI was a program highly promoted at feeder schools, locally compared to the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
program (IB) offered at
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
. Advanced Placement classes are no longer offered at the school. In grade 8 classes at middle school, students had to achieve a final average above 80% to enter AP classes in grade 9. The program was intended to give students an opportunity to learn in subjects beyond the basic curriculum.AP Schools in Canada
Advanced Placement Program Canada. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
Some graduates of the AP program have stated that the material learned was similar to first-year university courses. The program consists of advanced courses in mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, English, and social studies. More extracurricular activities and "more peaceful" classrooms are among the praises for the program. However, for the majority of the courses, little to no extra work is completed in the advanced stream versus the regular courses. Unlike the IB program, Alberta Learning states that students may not switch between the lowest streams and Advanced Placement in grades 11 and 12; but they can switch between the various streams in grades 9 and 10. Both AP and IB programs are presented based on their different strengths and weaknesses, and students are encouraged to select their high school based on other factors such as their location in Lethbridge. Annually, LCI students take provincial advanced placement exams in various subjects, including
World History Human history or world history is the record of humankind from prehistory to the present. Early modern human, Modern humans evolved in Africa around 300,000 years ago and initially lived as hunter-gatherers. They Early expansions of hominin ...
, literature and
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
, in grade 12.


Extracurricular activities

The main gymnasium has a large "Wall of Champions" along the east and south wall, timelining provincial athletic victories since the move to the new building. Several hallways are lined with framed photographs of past LCI athletic teams, choirs, and councils that date back to the early 1980s. The "L.C.I. Wall of Distinction" profiles dozens of notable graduates. Two or three members are inducted each year in a prominent school assembly, usually with the inductees, as well as the city's mayor, in attendance.


Athletics


Football

LCI has an active
Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...
program that regularly produces future
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
as well as Division I players in the United States. The latest is Jon Gott, a 2004 graduate who went on to
Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has b ...
. In 2008, the LCI football team did an exchange with Crestwood High School in
Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
.


Other sports

With several members winning various awards at provincial competitions, the 2006–07 year was promising for the LCI
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
team. Elsewhere, a former LCI student and
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player, Ashley Patzer, was named CIS player of the year for 2006. She was also later named the University of Lethbridge Female Athlete of the Year. As of 2007, track and field, baseball, basketball, badminton,
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...
, golf,
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
, volleyball, and girls slowpitch are also played at LCI.


School song

The song is no longer used or promoted at school athletic events, mostly because of the elimination of
cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense Physical exercise, physical activity. It can be performed to motivate s ...
several years ago. Nonetheless, the song is as follows (sung to the tune of "
Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Z ...
"): :''To our dear LCI'' :''We will be true'' :''We'll hold our colours high'' :''Cause LCI we're all for you.'' :''We will fight all the way'' :''To spread your fame'' :''Our banners will not sway'' :''Cause Green and Gold'' :''Will put the rest to shame.'' :''FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!''


Choir

The choral program at LCI is prominent, and is arguably the school's most successful extracurricular program. Choir is provided as an optional course at all grades. Auditions are also held annually for the school's three representative choirs: * The
Chamber Choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called "chamber singers"), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting.Riemann, Hugo. Dictionary of Music'. Trans. J.A. Shedlock. A ...
is the program's star feature and most well-known group, directed by Karen Hudson. The group consists of around 40 young vocalists of extreme musical talent. The majority of their music is spiritual, but they are also known for adding music from various international languages. Near the end of every school year, the choir, through various fundraising efforts over the course of the year, takes an international trip. At the 2006 MusicFest Canada competition in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ontario, the Chamber and Jazz choirs received gold awards in the choral/vocal jazz division. Past trips include visits to Japan, New York City and Hawaii. As they do every few years, the choir traveled overseas in April 2007, touring and performing in Western Europe. The 08-09 year was a special one, with the group traveling to New York City where they performed in the historic
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
, singing repertoire from Mozart's Coronation Mass, as well as traveling to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
to perform at
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...
under the direction of famed choral composer Z. Randall Stroope. The group has also been successful at various local, provincial, and national music festivals. *The
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
Choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
, also led by Hudson, consists of 12 students, all of whom are members of the Chamber Choir. They are an
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
group. Their songs range from
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s to almost rock-style jazz. The choir performs at the aforementioned Christmas and spring concerts as well as various community events throughout the year and occasionally with local artists. * The ''LCI Singers'' consist of girls from grades 9–12, led by Karen Hudson. They perform primarily at school functions such as
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
and charity venues such as Compassion Canada to help raise money to aid new mothers in Africa. In May 2005, the group traveled to
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
and performed for
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of 32 sovere ...
. LCI Singers usually take one major trip each year, using several concerts throughout the school year as fundraisers. In April 2007 they traveled to England and
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
on a performing tour. In May 2008 they placed first in the Provincial competition for their class. In 2017, the group received second place at the National Music Festival. In April 2009, the LCI Singers went on their second European tour to Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.


Clubs

The school has provisions for over 30 clubs. The most prominent of those that are active are 'Students Alive', 'Peer Support', the ‘Gay Straight Alliance’, and 'Travel Club'; the latter of which will travel to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in 2019. Also notable is a group called the Association to Kill Apathy (AKA), which does community as well as environmental work. On
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
of 2006, the group dedicated "peace poles", in association with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
, garnering local media attention. The ''Collegian Column'' is a weekly school bulletin produced by faculty, which appeals primarily to older students interested in scholarship information. The ''LCI Journal'', the school newspaper, has not been active for a number of years. Concerning defunct clubs and media, the school leaves it to faculty to decide if a project is to be revived, pending student interest.


Other activities

LCI has its own small theatre, which had previously been a metal shop. The room has a sound system and some theatrical lighting; it also seats nearly 100 people. There is a fall theatrical production performed entirely by students at the Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre, located a few blocks to the west of the school. LCI has won several competitions in the local spring high school one act competition. LCI is well known for its student exchange programs. The most advertised is the exchange Japan; LCI regularly exchanges students with
Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...
Commercial High School, an institution which has also been informally twinned with LCI in a program implemented by Alberta Education. LCI students made the trip to Japan in early July 2007. In the 2006/07 year, the school also took part in an exchange program with a high school in Spain; several Spanish students arrived in the fall of 2006, and several LCI students departed for Spain in the spring of 2007. The LCI dance program is rapidly expanding and features numerous styles, including
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...
, and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
. All programs are under the direction of Georden Olsen. Usually, sometimes several times a semester, professional dancers and choreographers from
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
are offered residency to work at the school for as long as three weeks. The program's feature event, ''Summerdance'', is held in the spring at the Yates Memorial Centre. In early April 2007, a group of LCI students travelled to
Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...
with students from Winston Churchill and more than 3,600 students from across Canada. All of the students participate in events dedicated to the ninetieth anniversary of
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
military
victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...
during World War I.


Notable alumni

*
Gavin Crawford Gavin Crawford (born 2 April 1971) is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for ''The Gavin Crawford Show'' and ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. He currently hosts the panel show, ''Because News'', on CBC Radio One. Early life Crawford was bo ...
, comedian and actor, best known for his role on the
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
comedy show,
This Hour Has 22 Minutes ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' (commonly shortened to ''22 Minutes'' since 2009) is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics wi ...
*
Jon Gott 2024 Fantasy Football Champion Jon Gott (born October 2, 1985) is a former Canadian football offensive lineman. He was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the fifth round of the 2008 CFL Draft. He played five seasons for the Stampeders before ...
,
CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...
player for the
Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (Canadian French, French: ) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL ...
*
Kari Matchett Kari Matchett is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Colleen Blessed on ''Power Play'', Joan Campbell on ''Covert Affairs'', Kate Filmore in the science fiction movie '' Cube 2: Hypercube'', and U.S. president Michelle Travers on '' ...
, actress known for two TV series Nero Wolfe Mysteries and Covert Affairs *
Tanner McLachlan Tanner McLachlan (born March 15, 1999) is a Canadian professional American football, football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds football, Sou ...
,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
* Kevin Morales, Audio engineer known for multiple movies and television shows


Notes and references

;Notes ;References {{Reflist, 2


External links


L.C.I. Home PageAlberta EducationLethbridge School District No. 51"LCI Jazz Choir Acapella Medley" on YouTube
Educational institutions established in 1928 High schools in Alberta Schools in Lethbridge 1928 establishments in Alberta