History | York House School | Vancouver

History of YHS

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OUr History

Not for Ourselves Alone

Our story began with seven fearless women united over a courageous vision for girls’ education. They broke boundaries and thought bigger to empower every young woman to shape the future you want to see. 

 

Class of 1949

 

Early Years

Six young teachers met in May 1932 to discuss starting a new school in Vancouver, Canada—Lena Cotsworth Clarke (Principal), Marie Gerhardt-Olly, Gladys Jopling, Virginia Moore Mackay, Grace B. Faris, and Janet Mitchell. Gretchen Meilicke Hyland would later join in 1934.

With little money to their names, they rented a house in Shaughnessy Heights that had been vacated in the Great Depression. In September 1932, the residential and day school for girls opened its doors with 17 students in green and gold uniforms. York House School was named for Lena’s hometown of York in northeast England, with a motto that reflects the bold, inclusive vision of our founders: Not for Ourselves Alone.

From early on, York House has established itself as a place where grace and grit go hand in hand. In 1936, the first Social Service Club was formed—a place where every girl belongs. Not long after in 1938, the School Song “Onwards and Upwards” was written. The school continued to forge new paths—introducing a House System, establishing Founders’ Day to honour graduating classes, and encouraging its students to compete in badminton, baseball, tennis, and basketball. 

By 1939, the YHS student body had outgrown its original home and relocated to 4176 Alexandra Street, where it still resides—although today, it looks a little different. 

 

Milestones THrough the YEARs

The spirit of adventure at York House continued to grow. Teachers piloted a Bilingual and Bicultural program in 1963. It gradually evolved and phased out in the early 2000s, as we introduce the world-renowned Accelerative Integrated Method—an innovative French as a Second Language program established by Wendy Maxwell during her time teaching at York House.

Les Jeunes Voyageurs Canadiens formed in 1968—a group of 48 Yorkies who would camp and travel across Canada, then embark in following years to Mexico, England, and Western Europe. This venture became a springboard for the excursions that are integral to York House today, including YHS Global Programs, Outdoor Education, the GO! Program, Allons-y! GO!, and cultural tours.

Uniform

 

 

more MILESTONES
  • In 1974, York House School began enrolling boys in grades 1 - 6. One of the reasons why boys joined the school was that YHS offered the only bilingual program in the area at the time. By 1990, the last cohort of boy students completed their studies and York House became an all-girls school again.
  • In 1982, York House introduced six novel Apple II machines—the school’s first computers. That same year, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a fundraising dinner that raised $100,000 to support the YHS Foundation Endowment Fund.
  • The iconic York House Shield of Arms and Crest were gifted by the Alum Association for the school’s 60th anniversary in 1993. These enduring pieces represent intertwined elements of our values as a leading independent school and are part of our identity to this day.
  • In 2008, Junior School and Senior School gained a sibling—the Little School, where our youngest Yorkies began their journey of self-discovery in the newly-introduced Junior and Senior Kindergarten programs.
  • Backed by her classmates, one Yorkie’s determined and diplomatic actions led to a major shift in 2017 when York House officially introduced trousers as an option in the school uniform.

 

YHS History & Timeline

Visit Our Museum and Archives

 

The Future Looks Bright

Nearly a century later, the spark and spirit of our founders are embedded in our DNA. Our values stand the test of time—yet we’re far from stuck in the past. Over the years, we’ve introduced the time-honoured Reggio Emilia philosophy, enriching Advanced Placement courses, and the groundbreaking Global Online Academy. Now our sights are set on reimagining the future with our breakthrough Spark Plan.

York House empowers nearly 700 unique, creative female-identifying students to write their own stories. 

What will yours be?

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