SATEC @ W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute

Scarborough Academy of Technological, Environmental and Computer Education @ W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute (SATEC, SATEC @ W.A. Porter C.I., WAPCI, W.A. Porter or Porter) is a secondary school located in Scarborough, Toronto, Canada. The school, part of the Toronto District School Board was previously run by its previous school board prior to merger, the Scarborough Board of Education. Porter's motto is Vincit qui se Vincit which means "He conquers who conquers himself".

History

Located in a 14.9 acre land, W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute had laid its cornerstone laid and constructed in 1957 and opened for classes on September 9, 1958 to serve the south-west area of Scarborough as the city's fifth collegiate. The building was designed by the late architect Harold Carter and associates. The namesake, William Arnot Porter (1893-1956) began teaching in 1922 at Scarborough High School as a science teacher, specializing in the science of agriculture. He became the school’s principal in 1954, and continued his lifelong work until his death in 1956. By 1961, the swimming pool was added. Additions were made in subsequent years.

In 1988, the SBE was threatened to close Porter to allow occupancy by Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies, opened in 1986 at the former Tabor Park Vocational School, whose latter campus was turned over to the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now the Toronto Catholic District School Board), but since been overturned.^[1]

At the beginning of the 1997-98 school year, W. A. Porter Collegiate adopted its official present name and was designated SATEC @ W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute by the SBE although the original name continues to exist. As of the 2000-01 academic year, Porter's attendance area was expanded after the former Midland Avenue Collegiate Institute closed in June of that year.

The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, coinciding with the PEO Engineering Education Conference of the same year. In 2010, Porter C.I. became a certified, platinum Eco-School of the TDSB. Porter also has a range of specialized programs like MST(Math and Science Technology), Cisco, High Skills Major, and many more.

Overview

Admissions to Porter Collegiate are based upon 3 factors. The entrance test, which is annually held in December of every year, the student's Ontario grade 8 progress report card and the student's personal application. Students at the top of the entrance test ranking list are selected first, where as students whom are not accepted may be placed on a waiting list if deemed necessary by school administration. The school allows re-applying for admissions up until grade 9.

SATEC/Porter is regarded as a magnet school by the school board because of its strong technology program and its policies. It is a CISCO regional academy with certification in CISCO Networking and A+ Computer Service Technician Certification for the senior program. It was named “Best For Technology” in 2006 among the secondary schools of Toronto.^[2] Along with R. H. King Academy, it is one of the few schools to have its uniform policies and accepts students out of area.

The school offers two Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs. They include ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and the Environment. In each program, students are required to complete a set number of courses, including a two-credit co-op course, along with obtaining industry standard certification. The first graduates from SATEC/Porter with the Specialist High Skills Major accreditation was the Class of 2011.

Facility

W. A. Porter currently sits in 14.9 acres in a two storey building. Unlike Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute and West Hill Collegiate Institute which were both designed by Harold Carter, the academic areas and gymnatorium layout is backward-L shaped. Other features contain an 500-seated auditorium, library resource centre, four gymnasiums, cafeteria, technical-vocational shops and a pool located in the eastern corner of the school which is 6 lanes. There are 15 fire exits.

During the summer months, YMCA leases out the school and operates children's camps with the school's facilities.

In January 2016, the TDSB released a list of schools needed major repairs ranked by the province in "critical" condition. SATEC/Porter, built in 1956, is ranked 26th of 136 in the repair backlog list at 96.09%.^[3]

Athletics

In November 2012, the school hosted the reenactment of the 38th Grey Cup Mud Bowl that occurred on November 25, 1950 as part of a string of CFL festivities to commemorate the 100th Grey Cup. With generous support of corporate donors in Rona and the Toronto Argonauts, SATEC revamped its track field into a regulation-sized football stadium. SATEC hosted its first-ever Friday night game on October 11, 2013 against David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute. Soon after, a selected group of players appeared on CP24 Breakfast with Nalini Sharma as Argos head coach Jim Barker demonstrated the fundamental runs and tackles of the sport. The coach of the Porter Blue Eagles is Kyle Franchetto.

Clubs

SATEC also has many student clubs for interests such as athletics, human rights, and Model United Nations In 2012, Free the Children's Craig Keilburger donated $5000 to SATEC's VON club as a prize for their charitable initiatives.

The Student Administrative Council (SAC) is the student body in charge of all student affairs at SATEC. It hosts new student arrival initiatives with Prefects and PAC, an annual Halloween event, and holiday festivities which include the Semi Formal. SAC is alsoresponsible for the Valentine's Day event working with the "Stop the Stigma" program to promote good mental health, the Prom and an annual barbecue in the late spring term organized by the SAC, PAC and other groups.

See also

• List of high schools in Ontario

References

External links

• SATEC @ W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute
• TDSB Profile
• Fall Newsletter, 2013
• Part I of Appearance on CP24 Breakfast
• Part II of Appearance on CP24 Breakfast