Northern Secondary School
Address
851 Mount Pleasant Road

Toronto
,
Ontario
,
M4P 2L5

Canada
Coordinates43°42′38.17″N 79°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 boardToronto District School Board
SuperintendentRon Felsen
Area trusteeRachel Chernos Lin
School number930768
PrincipalAdam Marshall[1]
Grades9-12
Enrolment1676 (2019-20)
Colour(s)  Red

  Gold

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

Northern Secondary School (often referred to as Northern Secondary, Northern, or NSS) 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.

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
A vaulted hallway ceiling
An arched side entrance
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

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.
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