WEST HILL COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

'West Hill Collegiate Institute' (West Hill) is a public, non-semestered high school in Toronto, located in eastern Scarborough. The school was opened in 1955 and named after the community of West Hill, Toronto in which the school is located, and recently celebrated it's 50th Anniversary in 2005. The school's motto is ''Surgo in Lucem'' which translates as ''I rise into the light''.

Contents

History

Campus

Controversy

Cuts, Strikes and Changes

Social Issues

Status

Extracurricular Activities

Athletics

Arts

Leadership

Culture

Academics

Notable Alumni

References

External links

History

In response to population growth, during the mid to late-1950s, the Scarborough Board of Education (now amalgamated with the Toronto District School Board) created several new schools, including West Hill. Construction began in 1954, staff was in place in May of that year, and classes began on September 6, 1955. There was initially a staff of 25 and 376 students, without grade 13, which would be introduced the following year.
The school population has increased by about 200 students per year, except those years in which other new local high schools were opened. In 1977, the student population had reached its highest at 2131, taught by over 100 teachers.

Campus

West Hill is located near the intersection at Morningside Avenue and Ellesmere Road. Houses are to the west and Highland Creek to the north and east. It is next to the Morningside Park, and close to the University of Toronto Scarborough and Centennial College. Although it began with only 27 rooms, the school had undergone a major rennovation in the 1970's and there are now 87 classrooms, along with four gymnasiums, a library (named after West Hill's first principal, H.A.C. Farrow), two studios for the Drama Department, workshop rooms, and a quad for Biology and Botanical studies. The area's revival took over a decade, and has won several Environmental Awards. It additionally serves as working grounds for Visual Arts students. The school is not air conditioned, with the exception of the main office, music room and library. The school also holds a swimming pool in its Southwest Wing, open not only to staff and students, but also the community.

Controversy

Cuts, Strikes and Changes

The school was the focus of a minor controversy in 1998 when it erected a sign and sent letters to parents, indicating that the budget cuts to education made by the provincial government would result in teachers having less time to organise clubs or coach sports teams. The MPP for the area, Steve Gilchrist, threatened to cancel a scholarship he had previously awarded to the school's top student in math and science.^[1] His actions were criticised by Frances Lankin^[2] in the provincial parliament.
The CUPE Local 4400 strike of 2001 which lasted nearly a month,^[3] left the staff and administration of West Hill with their hands tied as they were amongst the many schools in the Toronto District School Board which were affected. CUPE manages the custodial and secretarial positions within the schools, and their walk off the job left West Hill in a chaotic mess. West Hill also served as a target location for mass pickets^[4] when several of the building's bay windows were smashed. Like many of the staff and students across TDSB's Secondary Schools, West Hill's worries were their health, in regards to the rodents and cockroach infestation in the building.^[5] Its problems reached its peak when the santitation of the building was left in question and former school Principal Allan Wolch stepped in, and began to clean the school's bathrooms.
As of 2005, the Toronto District School Board deemed West Hill a suitable candidate for its "Facility Renewal Project", posting a sign upon the school's fence indicating it was in need of critical changes to the building. As the school had been built in the 1950's, behind many of the walls in the Science hall are mould and spores, which can not only cause respiratory damage, but can become fatal. The absence of centralized air conditioning within the school causes poor ventilation and extra moisture in the school's air, and further promotes respiratory problems, and additionally accelerates growth in the mould during the warmer months. Pipe leaking has also been a major cause in the building's deterioration as a massive break in the second level pipe system left one Geography classroom completely flooded in 2004. Currently, the Ontario Ministry of Education also acknowledges that the school is in need of funding for additional equipment for its Weight Room, to promote physical activity within the school.

Social Issues

Acts of student violence has been a past issue at West Hill, where several cases reportedly caused hospitalization with severe wounds. In 2004, the school added and upgraded all of its hidden surveillence cameras to have High Definition quality to increase the school's security. West Hill's security cameras are monitored constantly by the school administration in attempt to ensure the safety of the staff and students and to minimize school issues involving assaults, drug use, and theft. The school's policy and dress code also forbids students to wear bandanas onto school property to prevent gang affiliation.
On September 18, 2006, an anonymous phone call to the Toronto Police Department threatened that there was to be "another Columbine attack" to occur at 11am, targeting several secondary schools in the Scarborough East region, naming West Hill Collegiate as a school in potential danger. This forced all targeted schools into a complete lockdown with police surveillence for several hours. Higher security precautions were in affect, in light of the Dawson College shootings that had only occurred five days earlier. However, nothing had happened after this threat, deeming it to be only a hoax.

Status

During early 2007, rumours had surfaced that West Hill would become a Business and Technical Institute (BTI) instead of the current status it has at the Collegiate level, as the school had allegedly decreased in student academic performance. However, the school's administration had addressed these claims later in the year, and confirmed that the allegations were false, despite the 2007 Fraser Institute Secondary School Ranking reports had only earned the school a score of 3.7 out of 10—down from the 4.4 they received in 2006. They now rank 656th out of 711 Ontario Secondary Schools.^[6] However, the nation-wide rankings show most Toronto schools near the bottom compared to other regions. Currently, the school's student success rate in province-wide EQAO Tests consistently range at 72-74% since 2002-2006, and the school continues to offer the necessary programs to allow a wide range of learning opportunities for all students. The school also includes programs for ESL and those with learning disabilities and special needs.

Extracurricular Activities

Athletics

West Hill offers many opportunities for athletic involvement and highly promotes physical activity and health. There are numerous competitive teams for the following sports: basketball, football, volleyball, softball, lacrosse, wrestling, swimming, soccer, badminton, hockey, rugby, and track and field. On February 7 2002, Denham Brown scored 111 points playing for West Hill in a Basketball game against R.H. King Academy, setting a record for a Canadian high school student^[7]. West Hill sports teams have often made it to OFSAA competitions. In 2006, the OFSAA Basketball Silver Medalists were apart of the first Metro Hoops Showcase basketball tournament at the Air Canada Centre.^[8] As well, there are intramural sport teams for a variety of sports such as Indoor Soccer and Basketball. The Physical Education Department also includes a student-run council called, WHAC (West Hill Athletic Council), which organizes the school's Spirit Assemblies and Athletic Banquet.

Arts

West Hill's Visual Arts Department runs an Art Club that meets weekly. The Drama Department participates in the Ontario Sears Drama Festival, and every winter, they perform a play. West Hill also has a Concert Band which has competeted in several Kiwanis Music Competitions since the 1980's and have ranked First several times including the most recent award in 2005. The Concert Band has also performed internationally in Germany during the late 1980's. It also includes a Stage Band, and several vocal choirs. There is also an Instrumental Repetoire class which meets every Monday after school for an hour and a half to two hours, focussing on advanced music pieces. The Music Department features two annual concert shows during every December Holiday season, and a spring show entitled, "Melodies in May". It has also organized several musicals in the past including the 2000 performance of, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," in which both staff and students were involved in its cast and production. West Hill also encourages Dance, offering a dance course. The school's Step Team once made an appearance on Breakfast Television in 2003. The group is now called, "PhaseOne".

Leadership

The Student Activity Council (SAC) runs many events in the school, including Grade 9 Orientation Day, Semi-Formal and Formal. In Spring 2003, the SAC organized a school Carnival, featuring dunk tanks with staff aboard the seat, a ferris wheel, jolly jumpers, and cotton candy machines. Students are elected for SAC spots every June and grade representatives every September. The Prefects organization consists of students in grade 10 and up that are elected by teachers at the end of every school year. Prefects volunteer at events during the school year, and occasionally organize their own events. The Peer Relationships Team, consisting of Senior students, goes to various Grade 9 classes to help ease new students into high school life and to teach them how to establish positive relationships with their peers. Student philanthropists engage in their organization, ''Brick by Brick'', which raises money for building schools and improving education systems in Africa. It has on several occasions collaborated with the school's local McDonald's Restaurant for fundraising events. The West Hill Action Team (WHAT), comprises of student activists who addresses the school's current issues that are of most importance to the students.

Culture

As a multicultural school, West Hill has various organizations to reflect this, such as the Muslim Student Association and the Fellowship of Christian Students, as well as other cultural clubs. In 2005, a Multicultural Committee was created to promote the large presence of ethnic minorities within the school. It is further divided into individual clubs, such as the Asian Association and Desi Club, where students participate in Food Fiestas and a Multicultural Night. The Asian Association founded in 2005, in its first year became the largest organization at the school, comprising of over 70 students of East Asian backgrounds. The Desi Club, was originally founded as an extension of the Desi Dance Crew. In the DDC's founding year in 2002, it had over 50 members and welcomed all ethnicities, which now continues to entertain the school during most of its Spirit Assemblies. In the same year the DDC emerged, the school held a community-wide Multicultural Night which featured not only West Hill's students but also talents from surrounding elementary schools. Additionally, West Hill has an Afro-Caribbean Society which promotes Black History Month in February and educates the school during morning announcements and an assembly in its dedication.

Academics

The West Hill Physics Club goes to McMaster University's Science Olympics every year. The Robotics Club, SWATT (Scarborough Warriors at the Top) Team #1088, competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition, having won three awards in 2003 including First Place in the Regional Championships, Rookie of the Year Award, and Best Drive Team. The Team travelled to Houston, Texas that year to compete internationally, as well as the following year at Atlanta, Georgia. West Hill has also been involved in DECA competitons promoting education in Business and Management. The school additionally has a newspaper entitled, "Hilltop Reflections," and is published three times a year, coinciding with the end of every term.

Notable Alumni

★ Denham Brown - Former UConn Basketball Star & Current Player for NBA team Seattle Supersonics.

★ Rowan Barrett - Former St. John's University (NY) Basketball Star & Canadian Basketball Team Star.

★ Chris Stewart - Current OHL Hockey player & and potential NHL player.

★ Paul Tracy - Professional automobile racer.

★ Denise Donlon - Former Sony Music Canada president.

★ Al Secord - Former NHL hockey player.

★ Norm Foster - Playwright.

★ Ashley Chinner - Professional golfer.

References

1. School signs stir up a fuss Yen Chu
2. Transcript of the Meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for June 17 1998
3. Government gives school boards one week to settle strikes
4. Mediator adjourns talks between school board and union
5. Toronto teachers worry about health in filthy schools
6. Scarborough schools at top and bottom of pack Lisa Queen
7. Brown's Biography University of Connecticut Huskies
8. West Hill Warriors kick-start season at ACC Norm Nelson

External links

★ West Hill Collegiate Institute Website