Thomas A. Blakelock High School is located in beautiful southwest Oakville and first opened its doors in 1957. Our school is named after Thomas A. Blakelock, a prominent citizen of Oakville who served the community in a variety of roles. He came to Canada in 1906, later founded a lumber company with his brother, and held the positions of Councillor, Deputy Reeve, and mayor of Oakville. He served as Liberal MPP from 1929-1944, and was Building Commissioner for the Oakville Board of Education, personally overseeing the constructions of our high school in the mid-fifties. He died in 1974 at the age of 91.
Our mission is: “The TAB community works together to inspire high achievement through quality programs, a supportive school environment and healthy relationships.” Our vision is: “Empowering students to achieve greater things”. We have a multicultural population of approximately 1130 students, and a long tradition of academic excellence complemented by a large and successful French Immersion program, three outstanding Specialist High Skills programs (Arts & Culture, Energy, and Information Communication Technology), and a wide variety of outstanding co-curricular experiences for students in the areas of Athletics, Arts, Drama, Music, and Technological Learning.
Our school has an active Student Council, which regularly consults with other school club leaders and the school administration to make key decisions influencing students’ overall learning experience. During the school year we hold student engagement assemblies once a month that support our belief of sustaining a “Healthy School” and provide learning and awareness of various topics including: Link Crew Activities which helps students establish positive relationships with peer and staff (Grade 9s), Health and Wellness and Decision Making (Grade 10s), Global and Community Awareness (Grade 11s), and Post-Secondary Education (Grade 12s). The A-Team is a recent leadership initiative offering student leadership opportunities for Grade 10 students to mentor and engage their own peers through the development of campaigns to promote health and wellness during lunch periods.
In alignment with our mission which focuses on high student achievement through health initiatives, T.A. Blakelock has also established links with community partners such as Oakville Parks and Recreation and Y.M.C.A to provide leadership and recreational opportunities throughout the year. A strong sense of community is also nurtured in our school because our students are able to access a free nutritious breakfast in our cafeteria through our Breakfast Club. Our school has also established a relationship with volunteer instructors from Humber College to support “mindful learning” in various classrooms and enhance the development learning skills to support higher student achievement. Restorative practices have been implemented in many classrooms to help build meaningful and positive relationships, setting the tone for a positive learning environment and student success.
Each year, we proudly hold a Hall of Fame Assembly and Induction Ceremony, where our entire student body is able to celebrate the accomplishments and become exposed to life lessons provided by a highly successful distinguished T.A. Blakelock graduate. We also hold an Excellence Night Evening each fall where we recognize a significant number of students who have achieved an honours average in their classes.
Number of Students
1014
Contacts
Principal: Brent Coakwell
Vice Principal: Scott Williamson | Robin Toffolo
Superintendent: Julie Hunt Gibbons
Superintendent Executive Assistant: Denise Pearson
Trustee: Tracey Ehl Harrison
School Council Chair: Lou Breithaupt
