# MacNeill Secondary School

A. R. MacNeill Secondary School is a secondary school in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. As of January 2023, there are approximately 790 students attending the school. It is in School District 38 Richmond. The school was built at a cost of over CAD 25 million. The feeder elementary schools are Anderson, Cook, Talmey and Tomsett.
The school is named after Allan Roy MacNeill, a lifelong educator who became the principal of Richmond High School in 1928, a role he would hold for 31 years.
In addition to being one of the youngest schools in the district, it is also known to pilot and test any new ideas before they are applied to the rest of the schools in Richmond. Due to this specialized program, Macneill has been ranked as one of the most efficient schools in all of Greater Vancouver.

## History

A.R MacNeill opened on September 2, 2003. In its first year, it was home to about 200 students and staff. The school also began with only two grade levels, 7 and 8, and as each year passed it added another grade. The first senior class graduated in 2008.

### 2006–2007

In the 2006/2007 school year, students entering grade 10 were removed from their respective academies and put into what was called the Transition Academy. This new academy was created to emphasize and educate students about graduation requirements, such as the recent Graduation Portfolio and post-secondary and career options.

### 2008–2009

In the 2008/2009 school year, MacNeill stopped accepting grade 7 students due to low enrollment and completely discontinued the arts and science academy options. MacNeill began using an electronic attendance system called BCeSIS and a new schedule management software.

## Timetable

Students at MacNeill take eight courses over the period of two days (Day 1 & Day 2). Each "day" consists of four 65-75-minute periods, a 15-minute break, 20-minute advisory (homeroom), and lunch. Wednesdays and Thursdays, there is Personalised Learning Time (PLT), each course is 65-minutes long, and advisory is omitted. Students' timetables on all days of the week start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.

## Athletics

A.R. MacNeill competes in the RSSAA leagues and enters teams in all of the traditional fall, winter and spring sport seasons. The following sports are available:

### Fall

* Girls' Volleyball
* Boys' Volleyball (Junior & Senior)
* Boys' Soccer (Senior)
* Cross Country
* Swimming

### Winter

* Girls' Basketball
* Boys' Basketball
* Table Tennis
* Curling

### Spring

* Boys' Volleyball (Grade 8 & 9)
* Girls' Soccer
* Badminton
* Golf
* Tennis
* Track & Field
* Ultimate

## Clubs

The school has a variety of clubs, covering a vast number of subjects from arts to humanitarianism.

### Active clubs (2023/24)

| Club | Description |
| A.R. MacNeill Programming and Media Club | |
| BC Youth Council | Students advocate for youth wellness, mental health and community engagement. |
| Board Games and Chess Club | Students learn, share, and play tabletop games. |
| Business Club | |
| Buzz Art Club | Students participate in studio sessions and annual Art-A-Thon to raise money for charity. |
| Cancer Kids First Vancouver | |
| Choir Club | |
| Christian Club | |
| Coding Club | |
| Dance Team | |
| Dungeons and Dragons | |
| Empower Her | Students fundraise to support marginalized women in BC. |
| Filming and Performing Club | |
| First Responders | Team of students with first aid training who respond to emergencies in the school. |
| Grad Committee | This club plays an important role in planning various graduation events. |
| Green Team | Students aim to help the Earth by promoting sustainable lifestyles. |
| Health Science Club | |
| Inspire 2 Uplift | Promotes friendship and inclusion of disabled students through a buddy program. |
| Junior Science Club | |
| Knitting/Crochet Club | |
| MacNeill STEM Synergy | |
| MacNeill United Against Hunger | |
| MacNeill Workshop Club | |
| Mental Health Club | Students fundraise to support marginalized women in Richmond. |
| Mind Over Matter | Students raise awareness of mental health issues and challenge stigmas. |
| Model United Nations | |
| Muslim Student Association | |
| Rainbow Club | Supports and empowers LGBTQ+ students and allies. |
| Raven Outdoor Club | Students join field trips once a month. |
| Raven Reception | Multi-lingual students help accommodate new and ELL students. |
| Raven Relieves | Provides students with volunteer opportunities in their community. |
| Raven Reelz Review | Students meet to discuss and review movies. |
| Rough Sketch | Students learn the fundamentals of worldbuilding. |
| Senior Book Club | Grade 11–12 students meet monthly to discuss a chosen book. |
| Strings Club | Strings players connect and rehearse in a variety of musical styles. |
| Student Council | Student Council is a student leadership group that promotes school spirit and community activism. The council plays an important role representing the entire student body and plans many events throughout the school year. |
| Study Club | Provides a place for students to gather and study together. |
| Universal Raven | For short term exchange students to meet with local students. |
| Wharton Global Youth Competition | Allows students to participate in the Wharton Global Youth Competition. |

### Inactive clubs

The following clubs are not active as of the 2023/24 school year:
| Club | Description |
| 30 Hour Famine | Raises funds and awareness to fight world poverty. |
| Amica Club | Multicultural/friendship club promoting diversity with school and encouraging tolerance and anti-racism. |
| Animal Rescue Club | Participates in fundraising initiatives with the goal of helping to support animals in care. |
| Anime Club | |
| Band | |
| Chess Club | |
| Drama Production | Students acting or helping behind the scene to produce the annual spring drama production. |
| DVD Club | This club takes photos and videos throughout the year and edits their footage to make the school's yearly DVD. |
| Gardening Club | Tends to the school garden. |
| Global Footprints | |
| Japanese Culture Club | |
| Jazz Band | |
| Library Monitors | Shelving books, keeping it organized & taking care of the library. |
| Raven Readers | This club meets on a monthly basis to discuss different books. |
| Raven Review | Writes and produces seasonal magazines containing school news & athletics, reviews and entertainment. |
| Ski and Snowboard Club | |
| Student Interpreters Club | Students who act as interpreters |
| Unity Club | Helps students with special needs feel connected and a part of the school. |