Our History
Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School is an independent, non-profit, University Preparatory school located in Kelowna, British Columbia. It is a young school with a new id entity and an independent vision. The school’s small class sizes allow for individualized instruction with a focus on an enriched curriculum. Unique in Kelowna, Aberdeen Hall is filling an educational need by providing an enriched and balanced education that prepares students for higher education.
In 2004, a group of dedicated parents seeking an independent school setting for their children established the Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School Society. This is a registered, non-profit, charitable entity that is 100% responsible for the school governance, operations and capital.
The name Aberdeen Hall is one that is steeped in local history. The Earl and Countess of Aberdeen are momentous figures in the history of Kelowna and the Okanagan. The Aberdeens were pioneers from Scotland who traveled through western Canada and established themselves in the glorious Okanagan valley. They saw the potential for fruit growing and established the first large scale planting of fruit trees in the area. They were visionaries and pioneers of innovation. The Aberdeens had a global perspective and were interested in improving the well being of all citizens. They had a deep sense of social and civil responsibility and were involved extensively in building strong social ties with all people. The Aberdeens enjoyed the outdoors and were keen supporters of outdoor sports.
The Aberdeens represent many values and characteristics that the Aberdeen Hall community will strive to achieve for years to come.
A is for Aberdeen
The letter A, in the context of a school, has a great deal of meaning. It’s the best mark possible, the highest scholastic achievement.
It is also, conveniently, the first letter in the name of Aberdeen Hall.
During the developmental process of creating a logo for Aberdeen Hall, many variations of design were presented using the A’s combining with other graphic shapes that reinforce the idea of excellence; A’s taking strong graphic influences from nature, and other whimsical variations.
Our graphic designer, Francis Tremblay initially presented 10 variations which were then chosen, eliminated or developed further with the input of the Marketing Committee during a series of meetings and e-mails. We have worked closely with Francis to reach our final design for Aberdeen Hall.
In all of the logo variations we have played on the relationship between A for Aberdeen and A for academic excellence, by making the letter A the most prominent aspect of the logo. We feel this takes graphic advantage of a pleasing and meaningful coincidence.
Through the development process, a blending of ideas from two variations set in motion the creation of our new crest. We have taken inspiration from the crests and shields of long established private schools. These we have given a modern spin, as befits a new school that aspires to the excellence of long established schools, but that is resolutely directed to the future. Found within the crest is an A which represents both mountain and water, appropriate for a school in an area where nature plays a strong part in the life and the economy of the community.
From the established crest design, we have developed the letterhead design, using part of the crest and adding the necessary location information which will be used for internal and external communications.
The Gryphon
How we chose the Gryphon
One of the wonderful features about being part of a new school is being able to start a tradition. The school needed to create a mascot and we decided the students should be involved in the process. Each class came up with one choice and a vote was taken. It was a Grade Three student who presented the idea of the Gryphon to his class and then to the school. He had come across the mythical creature in the Harry Potter books and thought the legendary creature would make an ideal mascot. The final vote was unanimously in favour of the Gryphon.
In case you weren’t sure exactly what a Gryphon is here is a brief description taken from Wikipedia:
The griffin (also spelled “grifon”, “gripon”, or, most commonly, “gryphon” and referred to in Latin as gryphes) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.
