St. George's was founded in 1931 by Captain F.J. Danby-Hunter.[2]
The original school operated out of a large country manor house. It has since expanded, and the school now maintains two campuses: the senior school, on land leased from UBC in 1925, and the junior school, converted from the former Convent of the Sacred Heart, a historic property purchased in 1979, which had formerly served as a Catholic all-girls school.
Students
The student body at St. George's comprises 1,151 students from 22 countries, with approximately 750 at the senior school and the remainder in the junior school. As of June 2016, 109 students were boarding students.[3] Like other independent schools, it maintains a system of prefects and mandates the wearing of uniforms. The school captain and other prefects are elected by the faculty and their fellow students to provide the school with student leaders.
Athletics
Senior school campus
Sports is a major part of the student experience at St. George's School. Approximately 80% of students play in a competitive team.[4] To encourage students to live a healthy life and build character, the school mandates that its boys select a recreational or competitive sport starting from Grade 8. Boys in Grades 11–12 may opt out for one term based on past games attendance.[5]
St. George's has a wide variety of sports teams, including:
There is also a mandatory outdoor education program implemented for students from grades 1-10. Students are required to participate in outdoor educational programs both in the junior school and the senior school. These activities range from half day trips (grade 1) to full, week-long excursions (grade 10). The junior experiences focus on an education aspect: students learn about First Nations peoples and about the environment. The senior trips involve more personal-based learning; activities in the wilderness such as hiking, kayaking and canoeing focus on leadership and interpersonal skills. There is also a focus on environmental care and education. In grade 10, students have the option of applying for the 'Discovery 10' cohort program. This program is limited to 20 students who participate in a modified Social Studies and PE program, focusing on First Nations history, environmental studies, and outdoor leadership. The students spend approximately 55 days of each school year out of class on outdoor-education trips (hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing).
Clubs and activities
Great Hall
The school offers a variety of extra-curricular clubs:[6]
Students publish a school yearbook, the Georgian; a magazine, the Saint; and a literary and artistic journal, the Opus. There are also various student-organized events such as music nights, socials, and mixers with sister schools Crofton House and York House.
Past president and CEO and current chairman of Canfor, past director and current honorary director of the Bank of Montreal, member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, chairman of Sierra Mountain Minerals, a director of the Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation, past chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia
Former assistant to the chairman of the Vancouver Canucks. Owner of the Vancouver Canucks from 1988 to 1997. Led the initiative to build GM Place. Helped Vancouver secure the 2010 Winter Olympics bid.
Canadian electronic rock-duo Bob Moses, and based in Brooklyn. A remix of their song "Tearing Me Up" by RAC won a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.
Nicholas Tse (Tse Ting-fung), Chinese: 謝霆鋒, (born August 29, 1980), a Hong Kong actor, singer, songwriter, musician, entrepreneur, martial artist, and chef
The junior school campus (Convent of the Sacred Heart) is a heritage site.
St. George's "sister" schools are York House School in Vancouver; St. Margaret's School in Victoria, British Columbia; and Crofton House School, also in Vancouver.
The school has a rivalry with Vancouver College; for example, the Saints' and VC rowing crews compete annually in a regatta in April, the "Saints College Boat Race".