Crescent School

Crescent School is an independent elementary and secondary boys' school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It teaches boys from Grades 3 to 12. Established in 1913 by John William James, the school was situated in several locations during its early years. History Crescent School was founded in September 1913 by its first headmaster, John William James. He opened his school to a group of boys at his home at 43 Rosedale Road. The school experienced many changes and financial difficulties in its early days, but the school persisted and became a leader in Canadian boys' education. In 1933, Susan Massey ( Denton), the aunt of Vincent Massey (who served as Governor General of Canada in the 1950s), donated her mansion and 40 acres of land to the school, making its expansion possible. The mansion and land were located on part of the Massey family's farm in East York, near Victoria Park Avenue and Dawes Road. The school operated there until 1969, when the property was sold to developers, who subsequently built the Crescent Town neighbourhood on that site. By 1970, the school had moved to its current location on Bayview Avenue, which was formerly the estate of businessman Frank Porter Wood. Crescent operates a house system, in which all students are assigned membership in one of six houses. These houses are named after the Canadian explorers Cartier, Hudson, Mackenzie, Massey, Simcoe and Wolfe. The six houses compete in athletic and academic intermural activities throughout each year. The relative strengths of the six houses have shifted over the years.