Northern Secondary School

Last updated

Northern Secondary School
Northern Secondary School Crest.svg
Address
Northern Secondary School
851 Mount Pleasant Road

Toronto
,
Ontario
,
M4P 2L5

Canada
Coordinates 43°42′38.17″N79°23′24.42″W / 43.7106028°N 79.3901167°W / 43.7106028; -79.3901167
Information
School typeSecondary School
MottoThe Pride, The Spirit.
"Hail Dear Old Northern"
FoundedSeptember 1930
School board Toronto District School Board
SuperintendentRon Felsen
Area trusteeRachel Chernos Lin
School number930768
PrincipalAdam Marshall [1]
Grades 9-12
Enrolment1676 (2019-20)
Colour(s)  Red

  Gold

  Blue
MascotRed Knight
Team nameRed Knights
Website schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/northernss/

Northern Secondary School is a public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It teaches grades 9 through 12. It is a part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Prior to Amalgamation of Toronto in 1998, it was within the Toronto Board of Education (TBE). [2] The closest TTC subway station is Eglinton.

Contents

Northern has long-standing rivalries with nearby high-school North Toronto Collegiate Institute and also with Central Technical School, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, York Mills Collegiate Institute and Leaside High School.

History

Founded in 1930, it was originally known as Northern Vocational School, [3] until the twenty-fifth anniversary when the name was changed to Northern Technical-Commercial, which lasted for three years until the present name, Northern Secondary School, came into use because a definite district had been assigned for matriculation students.

Northern was the first Ontario school to have a student council. [4] The school is a pilot site of a Toronto Police Service program that places on-duty police officers in schools.

On May 13, 2016 it was alleged that a bomb was planted on the premises and the school was shut down to investigate. No explosive devices were found. [5]

Along with all other public schools in Ontario, Northern Secondary was closed for in-person learning at various points during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Architecture

Northern Secondary is built in the Collegiate Gothic style, has a floor space of about 121,317 square feet [6] and contains one hundred and fifteen rooms. [7] C.E.C. Dyson was the school's original architect. [8] Although little is known about him, he was the school board's architect from 1921 until 1949. [9] Northern is known for the grotesques which exist on the exterior, throughout the entrance foyer and inside the auditorium.

Further evidence of the Gothic Collegiate style can be found in the vaulted ceilings of the hallways, and the arched doorways and windows featured throughout the building. As stated on a plaque inside the main entrance, during the 60s a major addition was built which significantly altered the rear of the school. These renovations changed little about the original parts of the building. Although once grand, over the decades, the facility has fallen into considerable disrepair and is in need of extensive renovation. [10]

An exterior grotesque The mischievous one.jpg
An exterior grotesque
A vaulted hallway ceiling A vaulted hallway ceiling .jpg
A vaulted hallway ceiling
An arched side entrance An arched entrance at Northern Secondary.jpg
An arched side entrance
Northern Secondary School Northern Secondary, Toronto.JPG
Northern Secondary School

Academics

Northern's gifted program / enriched program and its comprehensive range of elective courses, including a diverse art department, bring students in from across the city. The school runs a selective admissions process, as well as optional attendance lotteries. [11] There is a large variety of gifted courses available at all grade levels and AP courses available at the grade 11 and 12 levels. [12]

Each year, Northern's students obtain over $1 million in university scholarships. [13] [14]

Northern's students have won numerous national & international awards in multiple academic disciplines. These include the NASA space settlement competition, the World Debates at Oxford, England, and the Canadian Association of Physicists national contest. [15] Northern debaters are also the current reigning OSDU provincial debate championships.

The school has over 50 active clubs, associations and committees, as well as over 120 teachers, resulting in a 15 to 1 student teacher ratio. [16]

Over 25% of the school’s students have special learning needs and therefore are on an individual education plan.

Sports

The school has over 50 varsity athletic teams. [17] Northern's football team, the Red Knights, have won numerous titles in Toronto's high school league (including two Metro Bowls, and the first Toronto Bowl). A number of top players have gone on to join the Canadian Football League. [18]

Numerous alumni of the school have also gone on [19] to play in the National Hockey League, the Greek Basket League, Major League Soccer, the Israeli Premier League, the as well as the Rugby World Cup.

The school has been used as a location for several films including Carrie (2013 film) , as well as Jarvis Collegiate Institute, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse , which were filmed inside the school. [20] The academic decathlon scene of Billy Madison was filmed in the school's auditorium. [21] The 2009 documentary Fight for the Planet was also filmed at the school. [22]

Numerous commercials have also been filmed on the school's premises.

Charity

Northern has a long history of supporting national & international charities, with over 40 years of participation in the United Way fundraisers for poverty alleviation. The school has been the top fundraiser amongst Toronto high schools for a number of years. [23]

Notable alumni and staff

Alumni of the school include [24] one Academy Award winner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, holders of the Order of Canada, as well as Grey Cup and Stanley Cup champions, a Spitfire pilot who played a key role in an escape from a German prison camp by Allied airmen which is remembered today as "The Great Escape", and a prominent Hebrew Bible scholar. Painter Lawren P. Harris taught at then Northern Vocational.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School</span> Secondary school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School, commonly called Kitchener Collegiate Institute or KCI, is a public secondary school in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It is a member of the Waterloo Region District School Board. The school dates from 1855, making it one of the oldest high schools in Kitchener and Waterloo. Its sports teams are known as the Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts</span> Catholic high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts is a Catholic arts high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Admission to the school is granted through an audition process. Serving students from grade 7 to 12, it is one of three schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board that is an elementary and secondary hybrid. The school has been consistently ranked as one of the top educational institutions in Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvern Collegiate Institute</span> High school in East Danforth, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Malvern Collegiate Institute, previously known as East Toronto High School and Malvern High School is a high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada part of the Toronto District School Board. Prior to 1998, it was part of the Toronto Board of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvis Collegiate Institute</span> High school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Jarvis Collegiate Institute is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Jarvis Street where it is located. It is a part of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Prior to 1998, it was within the Toronto Board of Education (TBE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etobicoke Collegiate Institute</span> Public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, previously known as Etobicoke High School is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Islington neighbourhood of the former suburb of Etobicoke. It is overseen by the Toronto District School Board. The school was founded in 1928 and was part of the former Etobicoke Board of Education until 1998.

Holy Name of Mary Catholic Secondary School is an all-girls regional high school in Brampton, Ontario, Canada founded by the Felician Sisters. Originally located in Mississauga, it relocated to Brampton in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Collège français</span> High school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Le Collège français (LCF) is a French-language high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada part of the Conseil scolaire Viamonde. Prior to 1998, the school was part of the Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto (CEFCUT) and the Toronto Board of Education (TBE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute</span> Secondary school in Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute is a secondary high school located in ward five of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Centennial offers many programs including science, math, business, English, French, and biotechnology. The school colours are purple and gold. Centennial has offered AP exams for over 20 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School</span> Roman Catholic school in Ontario, Canada

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is an all-girls Catholic secondary school in Hogg's Hollow neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established by the Loretto Sisters in 1847, it is one of Toronto's oldest educational institutions and is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute</span> High school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute is a semestered English-language high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located in the Bendale neighbourhood of the district of Scarborough. It was originally sanctioned by the Scarborough Board of Education and since 1998 under its successor board, the Toronto District School Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School</span> High school in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School (GCI) is one of sixteen secondary schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board, located in Cambridge, Waterloo, and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weston Collegiate Institute</span> High school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Weston Collegiate Institute is a Grade 9 to 12 public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was formerly known by its previous names of Weston Grammar School, Weston High School, Weston High and Vocational School and Weston Collegiate and Vocational School. It is located in the York South-Weston area. It is the second oldest high school in Toronto, after Jarvis Collegiate Institute. Weston CI is located on 100 Pine Street and has a student population of about 1043.

Kingston College, was an educational institution headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada with locations in Toronto, Ontario and Niagara Falls, Ontario that was ordered closed in October 2006. Before its closure by provincial authorities, it had been a private, for-profit college operating in the Vancouver area by businessman Michael Lo under Kingston Education Group that runs Kingston High School, Lansbridge University in New Brunswick and British Columbia and Nanjing Grand Canadian Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayview Secondary School</span> High school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Bayview Secondary School, initially known as Bayview High School is a grade 9–12, 2-semester secondary school operated by the York Region District School Board. It is located just north of the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Bayview S.S. was officially opened on March 19, 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute</span> High school in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute is a Canadian high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is one of three secondary schools in the Lakehead Public Schools system, after the closure of Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute in June 2018. September 11

Subway Academy I is a public alternative high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally, Subway Academy I was simply called "Subway Academy", but after Subway Academy II opened, the name was changed to "Subway Academy I". It was founded in September 1973, making it one of the oldest secondary alternative schools in Toronto. The original staff were Achim Krull, Judith Robertson and Murray Shukyn. The school was a reflection of the Ivan Illich "deschooling" movement, which proposed that people would learn best from community resources. As a result, a directory of resources along the Toronto subway system was created, and the school derives its name from that initiative. The community resource aspect of the program however faded very quickly. Students were more interested in formal credit courses and academic courses leading to admission to university or college. Subway Academy started as an independent studies program. It was intended to make education available to students with family or other obligations which limited their ability to attend school during regular hours and who could not attend night school. The school enrolled students at any time during the year, not just in September. Originally, there was no upper age limit on enrolment. The school attracted many adults. The independent studies program at Subway Academy operated very differently from regular high school programs. Students met their teachers by appointment several times a week, but there were no formal classes. During the appointments, students reviewed their progress with their teachers, wrote tests, handed in assignments, and received new work. Students could work at the school, or at home, or at the local library, wherever they were comfortable. Students started courses when they joined, and finished courses whenever they had completed all the required work. Additional courses could be started at any time. Today Subway Academy combined formal classes with independent studies, and students are required to complete courses during a regular semestered timeframe. Subway Academy One continues to share a building with Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute. Today it offers courses from grades 9 to 12 at both the academic and applied level. As the enrolment at Subway Academy increased, it was divided into two branches. Subway Academy II was opened in the west end of Toronto. Judith Robertson became the first coordinator of that program. It continues today as an independent studies program.

George Wallace Gouinlock was a prominent Canadian architect. Gouinlock practiced mostly in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, including several designated buildings at Exhibition Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeview Secondary School</span> Public high school in East Danforth, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lakeview Secondary School, formerly East End High School is a Toronto District School Board public and vocational high school facility that was formerly operated as a secondary school by the Toronto Board of Education from 1967 until 1989 located in Felstad Drive in Toronto, Ontario, Canada serving the Board's Ward 15. Founded in 1967, the current building was built in 1972. The Lakeview property, as of January 2015, remains currently owned by the TDSB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Adult Learning Centre</span> Alternative high school in Riverdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

City Adult Learning Centre (CALC), formerly known as Parkway Vocational School and Parkview Secondary School is an adult high school serving the Riverdale community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, overseen by the Toronto District School Board. Prior to 1998, it was part of the Toronto Board of Education.

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Secondary School (GR. 09-12)". Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  2. ↑ "TBE - Secondary Schools". www.tbe.toronto.on.ca. Archived from the original on November 12, 1997. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hardy, Edwin Austin (1950). Cochrane, Honora M. (ed.). Centennial Story: The Board of Education for the City of Toronto 1850-1950. Toronto, ON: Thomas Nelson & Sons (Canada) Limited.
  4. ↑ "That first year….Northern Vocational School opens". NOVOC Yearbook, 1931. Northern Secondary School. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Evacuation ends at Northern Secondary after school cleared following threat". CBC News. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Northern Secondary School History That first year….Northern Vocational School opens From NOVOC Yearbook of 1931". Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ↑ "Northern Secondary School History That first year….Northern Vocational School opens From NOVOC Yearbook of 1931". Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ Murray, Terry (January 22, 2012). "The "Handball Gods" of Northern Secondary School, Toronto". Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ Murray, Terry (January 22, 2012). "The "Handball Gods" of Northern Secondary School, Toronto". Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Parent speaks out about 'state of disrepair' of son's school". CTV News Toronto. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ "Northern Secondary School Back on Track". NFLCFLFutures.com. CAnadian ONline Explorer. March 10, 2004. Archived from the original on May 4, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Northern Alumni in the Community". www.northernsecondary.toronto.on.ca. Archived from the original on May 19, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Filming Location Matching "Northern Secondary School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb . Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Filming Location Matching "Northern Secondary School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb . Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Filming Location Matching "Northern Secondary School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb . Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Northern Secondary School sets its highest United Way fundraiser". December 24, 2013. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Northern Alumni in the Community". www.northernsecondary.toronto.on.ca. Archived from the original on May 19, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.