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Lakefield College School

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Lakefield College School

Lakefield College School (sometimes called LCS, The Grove or simply Lakefield) is a private day and boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario. It was the first Canadian member of Round Square, an international affiliation of schools.

LCS was founded in 1879 by Sam Strickland and Col. Sparham Sheldrake (in Strickland's home, called Grove House). It was originally named Sparham Sheldrake's Preparatory School for Boys and was located on 25 acres (10 ha) of land with a large farmhouse, a shed, and a kitchen; with enough room to accommodate about 15 boys.

In 1895 Reverend Alexander Mackenzie, then a teacher at the school, became Headmaster and bought the school from Col. Sheldrake. He built the school chapel (in 1924) and established the school's educational philosophy of combining a rigorous academic curriculum with a full program of sports, arts and outdoor education. During his time at the school, new classrooms, dormitories and dining room were added. His son Kenneth became the school's third Headmaster — a position he held until joining the Royal Canadian Navy two years later; he died in a car crash in 1966.

In 1940, Gordon Winder Smith, was appointed Headmaster. The school was faced with a mounting debt, buildings in poor condition and very little property surrounding the school. Working with the school's Board of Governors, Winder Smith. or "Boodie" as he was known, was able to retire the debt. He then embarked on a program of upgrading the facilities and adding new buildings and residences. Following the Second World War the name was changed to Lakefield Preparatory School. In May 1959, the school's new classroom building was visited by Governor-General Vincent Massey. In 1964, Mr. Smith retired and Winder Smith Dining Hall was named in his honour.

Jack Eastwood Matthews was appointed as the next Headmaster and over the next seven years the school expanded in numbers and in international reputation. (Matthews went on to found Lester B. Pearson College in British Columbia.) In May 1965, Lt.-Gov. Earl Rowe visited and officially opened Winder-Smith Hall and in September, Premier John Robarts officially opened Colebrook House.

On January 1, 1966, Lakefield Preparatory School was renamed Lakefield College School. In 1969, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited and presented Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards. In 1970, the funds for a new theatre and classroom building were donated and construction began. It was called the McLaughlin-Osler Centre and was opened by former Old Boy, Teacher and then Peterborough MP Hugh Faulkner. The next Headmaster, John Terry M. Guest was appointed in 1971, and Ashelworth House and property surrounding the school was purchased.

In 1977, Prince Andrew (later Duke of York, now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor) attended the school for a term as an exchange student from Gordonstoun School, Scotland. The school became the first Canadian member of the Round Square Conference of Schools, an international association of schools with similar values and beliefs.

In 1979, the school celebrated its centennial.

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