The York School (TYS) is a gender inclusive JK to Grade 12

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

located in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The York School was founded in 1965 and is the first school in Canada accredited to offer 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 ...

(IB) from Junior Kindergarten (JK) to university entrance (Grade 12).

History

In 1965, Barbara Goodwin-Zeibots established The York School as a nursery school. In 1978, the school added a toddler program as well as an elementary school. The first Grade 8 class graduated in 1985. The Senior School was founded in 1995 with the addition of a Grade 9 class. In the late 1990s, 1320 Yonge Street was purchased through the "Home of Our Own" capital campaign. In September 2010, The York School opened a second campus at 1639 Yonge Street, which houses the Junior School (JK-Grade 5). Goodwin-Zeibots remained the Head of School until retiring in the spring of 2006. She was succeeded by Ezio Crescenzi. In 2011, Conor Jones became Head of School. The location at 1320 Yonge Street houses the Middle and Senior School campus for Grades 6-12. In 2015, The York School celebrated its 50th anniversary and announced a Capital Campaign to raise $5 million for the renovation of the Middle and Senior School campus at 1320 Yonge Street. The renovation is now complete. In April 2019, Conor Jones resigned as head of school and Struan Robertson stepped in as interim head of school until December 2019, when he was appointed as full-time head of school. In June 2024, David Hamilton retired as the Senior School Principal and was succeeded by Kathryn Barnes.

Program

The York School is an IB World School and was the first in Canada to offer all three levels of the

International Baccalaureate Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry int ...

( Primary Years Programme K-5, Middle Years Programme 6-10 and Diploma Programme 11-12), also known as the IB Continuum. The school also offers a variety of outdoor education programs and excursions both locally and internationally.

Campuses

The York School has two campuses in midtown Toronto, which are both situated on

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

near St. Clair Avenue. The JK–Grade 5 students are located at 1639 Yonge Street, while Grades 6–12 are at 1320 Yonge Street, on the corner of Farnham Avenue. The Principal of the Junior School is Sara Sankari. The Principal of the Middle School is Helen Gin. The Principal of the Senior School is Kathryn Barnes. The Head of School is Struan Robertson. File:Facing North - New Glass Facade Entering The York School.jpg, 1320 Yonge Street - Middle/Senior School File:1639 Yonge Street - The York School Junior School Campus (JK - 5).jpg, 1639 Yonge Street - Junior School

Curricular and co-curricular programs

The York School offers an experiential program for Grade 9 students called ICE (Integrated Canadian Experience), exploring Canadian history, geography, civics and literature and what it means to be Canadian. All Grade 9 students participate in this intensive program and produce a documentary to reflect on their learning at the end of the year. The documentary is screened by parents and educators. The York School sends a group of Grade 11 student volunteers to th
Global Pathways School
in India, which was co-founded by Barbara Goodwin-Zeibots. There is a one-week excursion for all students grade 6 through 10 called Challenge Week where students travel somewhere in Canada or the United States and do a week of learning about a specific subject. The school's Gladiator Athletics program is a part of the

Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association The Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association, or CISAA, is a sports conference for various private schools located primarily in the southern part of the province of Ontario. Many of the institutions are located in or near ...

. Athletic Programs at the school include basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross-country, track and field, ultimate frisbee, squash, curling and swimming. The York School has won more than 35 CISAA Championships since 2012, most recently in U14 Boys Basketball and Varsity Curling. They also have an OFSAA basketball appearance (in 2023). Approximately 20% of The York School's families are international. The school has provided support for students and families moving from abroad.

Tuition

As of 2022/2023, tuition is $35,000 for JK - Grade 12. There is a $300 Application Fee and an $8,000 one-time fee upon acceptance of an offer of admission to secure a place for a new student.

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, 43.684699, N, 79.393194, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Private schools in Toronto International Baccalaureate schools in Ontario Educational institutions established in 1965 1965 establishments in Ontario