London South Collegiate Institute

London South Collegiate Institute
The front entrance to South facing Tecumseh Ave.
Address
371 Tecumseh Avenue East, London, ON N6C 1T4 London , Ontario , N6C 1T4 Canada
Coordinates	42°58′8.5″N 81°14′32.0″W
Information
School type	Public
Motto	Virtus Repulsae Nescia Sordidae (Courage will never know ignominious defeat.)
Established	1922
School district	Thames Valley District School Board
Principal	Margaret Sullivan[1]
Enrollment	780+ (2022-2023)
Colour(s)	Garnet and Grey
Mascot	Lion
Newspaper	The South Star (2023 - present)[2] The Oracle (1930's, 1970's-1980's)[3] The Confederate (1958‐69, 1971)[4] The South Wind (1940's)[4]
Athletics	25 Interscholastic teams
Website	south.tvdsb.ca
Last updated: August 23, 2022

The west side of South facing Belgrave Ave. in January 2021

London South Collegiate Institute (also known as S.C.I., or simply South) is a public high school in London, Ontario, Canada.

South is administered by the Thames Valley District School Board. Approximately 600 students attend the school from grades 9-12. It offers a co-op program and a program for gifted students called the Academy Program.

The school colours are garnet and grey and the school mascot is the lion. South is known for its academic rigour, sports teams, and the strength of its arts program, which includes drama, visual arts, music, and dance.

The South Collegiate Alumni Association, established in 1999, organizes the school's reunions and alumni events, including annual homecoming events since 2007. South is one of the only high schools in Canada to host a homecoming with football games and a tailgate party.[5]

From May 24 to 26, 2013, South celebrated its 85th year at the Tecumseh Avenue location with a reunion.[6] It commemorated the 100th anniversary of its original founding on May 26, 2023.[7]

History

The South football field in 2009

The school first opened in 1922, at the corner of Askin Street and Wharncliffe Road South, where Victoria Public School now lies, with 290 students and 10 teachers. The growing school moved to its current location on Tecumseh Avenue in June 1928, six years later.

School pride was a focus right from the early years. According to the school's website, early students recited a daily pledge: "We're here to win the day for the garnet and grey, and to London South we pledge allegiance now." The school's Latin motto, virtus repulsae nescia sordidae, means "courage will never know ignominious defeat." They are also known for the school's fight song:

“Garnet and Grey, Garnet and Grey,

Knock them down and lead the way!

Hit 'em low and hit 'em high,

Fight 'em, fight 'em, SCI!

Go, South! Fight, fight, fight!"

Renovations

In the 1995-96 school year, the school underwent comprehensive renovations which included enclosing the school's former open central courtyard into an enclosed atrium.

Between 2005 and 2007, the rubber gym floor was replaced by a new wood floor, partly due to the success of the "Roar for the Floor" fundraising campaign. An outdoor scoreboard was also installed with money raised. In the summer of 2007, the field was revamped, with new sod, a sprinkler system, new football nets, bleachers, a paved track, new fence, and several portable classrooms removed. The field renovation costs were donated by alumnus Matt Giffen, and the field was named - in memory of his father - the James A. Giffen Memorial Field.

The school was formerly renamed “South Secondary School” for many decades, but regained its original name in 2009.[8]

Notable alumni

• Dan Brodbeck, record producer[9]
• Chuck Dalton, Olympic basketball player[10]
• Brett Dier, actor [11]
• [12]
• Chris Doty, filmmaker, journalist
• Robert Ford, diplomat, poet[13]
• Ray Getliffe, former NHL hockey player, Montreal Canadiens[14]
• Shuman Ghosemajumder, Google executive, entrepreneur[15][16]
• John Glassford, CFL football player, Ottawa Rough Riders[17]
• Dennis Goulden, Emmy Award-winning producer
• Dianne Haskett, former mayor, London, Ontario^[citation needed]
• Vaughn Martin, NFL football player, Kansas City Chiefs[16]
• Kate Nelligan, Oscar-nominated actress, The Prince of Tides[18]
• Alex Pierzchalski, CFL football player, Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Walter Stewart, journalist

Notable faculty

• Lesley Thompson, Olympic athlete
• Welwyn Wilton Katz, children's author, mathematics, 1970s
• Marion Woodman, Jungian psychologist, english, 1950s-70s

See also

• Education in Ontario
• List of secondary schools in Ontario

References

1. "About Us". 14 November 2023.
2. South Collegiate Alumni Association Spring 2024 Lions' Pride
3. South Secondary School Alumni Association Spring 2006 Lions' Pride
4. South Collegiate Alumni Association Spring 2012 Lions' Pride
5. "About – South Collegiate Alumni Association". Retrieved 2023-03-23.
6. Home | South Collegiate Alumni Association. South1928.ca. Retrieved on 2013-10-05.
7. "London South Collegiate Institute 100th Anniversary Update". South Alumni.
8. "South Alumni Newsletter Spring 2013" (PDF). South Alumni.
9. "LFP Columnists | The London Free Press".
10. "The 85-year-old former Olympian mastered basketball, football, curling | The London Free Press".
11. "South Alumni Newsletter Fall 2010" (PDF). South Alumni.
12. "South Alumni Newsletter Fall 2010" (PDF). South Alumni.
13. Ruud, Charles A. (2009). "The ambassador in training". The constant diplomat: Robert Ford in Moscow. McGill-Queen's Press. ISBN 9780773584327.
14. "Hockey Hall of Fame - Stanley Cup Journals: 21". www.hhof.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
15. Rosenbush, Steve (2013-09-27). "How Advanced Denial of Service Is Raising Stakes in Cybercrime". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
16. "South Alumni Newsletter Fall 2009" (PDF). South Alumni.
17. "John Glassford ('72) - John Glassford ('72) - All-Star Football Alumnus Star Football Alumnus Star Football Alumnus" (PDF). Lion's Pride Newsletter. South Collegiate Alumni Association. Fall 2011. p. 2. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
18. "Lion's Pride Winter 2003" (PDF). South Alumni.

External links

• Official site
• South Collegiate Alumni Association