Ridley College - School Life

School Life

The School's Latin motto is Terar Dum Prosim, roughly translated as "May I Be Consumed In Service". The School uniform is known as ‘blues and greys’. The School Colors are orange and black, and the School mascot is the Tiger (known as ‘Hank’), which has been depicted in a sculpture in front of School House. Ridley's School Life philosophy could be said to embrace four essential qualities: academics, athletics, citizenship, and faith.

One of Ridley's most notable traditions is the 'Snake Dance,' a school spirit-building celebration to inaugurate the fall sports season. Other traditions include an annual Cross-Country Run, intramural competition among dormitory residences for the Bradley Shield (girls') and Bermuda Cup (boys') trophies, the Chimes Challenge (a sprinting contest held during the midday chimes of the clock tower) and the annual Prize Day that concludes the school year, which is divided into three trimesters, known as the 'Michaelmas', 'Lent' and 'Trinity' terms. North American students typically return to their families during School holidays, and often international students who choose not to return to their home countries (or are unable to due to time constraints) are billeted with Ridley families.

The School comprises a Lower School (Junior Kindergarten to grade 8, formerly the Middle School) and an Upper School (grades 9-12 and PG). Essential to School life is the Ridley residence system (see House system), in which both boarders and day students participate, supervised by Housemasters who are also members of the School's faculty and reside within the residences. The residences are named for prominent alumni.

The School has dining halls for both the Lower and Upper Schools. After school, intramural and inter-School sports fixtures are held as well as various non-sport activities.

Often, alumni choose to have their weddings and baptisms take place in the Ridley College Chapel. The School faculty includes a full-time Chaplain, who also has academic duties.

Social discipline in the residential setting is based on the demerit system, and accumulations of demerits lead to the imposition of 'gatings', during which students are prohibited from leaving the campus and must 'check in' with the Master on Duty each half-hour, on the half-hour, when not engaged in classroom work or taking meals.

In 1981, the National Film Board of Canada released the documentary film Ridley: A Secret Garden about the School.

In 2000, the book Ridley: A Canadian School, by Richard Bradley and Paul Lewis, was published, also about the School. Ridley's mascot, Hank, is depicted in a sculpture by artist Hugh Russel a Ridley Old Boy.

On Thursday, May 19, 2011, headmaster Jonathan Leigh announced his retirement, effective the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

As of the 2012-2013 School year, Edward Kidd is the headmaster.