The Halifax Grammar School (HGS) is an independent, coeducational day school in Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada. It is located in south-end Halifax, near Saint Mary's University. Approximately 575 students attend the school. At the high school level students take the

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...

(IB) Diploma Program. The Head of School is Steven Laffoley. All prospective students undergo entrance testing before being admitted. The school offers merit-based scholarships in academics, community service, and athletics.

Schools

The school is divided into the Prep School (Grades Junior-Primary through Grade 4), the Middle School (Grades 5 through 9), and the Senior School (Grades 10 to 12). Each school has its own Head of School and teaching staff. The Halifax Grammar School is located at 945 Tower Road and houses Junior Primary through grade 12. The Halifax Grammar School used to occupy two campuses, one located on Atlantic Street, and the other on Tower Road but an expansion was added on to the Tower Road campus, opening for the 2018-2019 school year allowing the entire school to be housed in a single campus. A building at 420 Tower Road was the original location of the school before they purchased the building on Atlantic Street, which they soon decided to expand. For two years, the School rented the Bethany building on the corner of Tower Road and Inglis Street from Saint Mary's University, before purchasing the closed Tower Road School building from the City of Halifax.

Academics

Halifax Grammar maintains a high level of academic achievement. The school has offered the

program, which provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, in its Senior School since 1993. All School Students are enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program starting in Grade 10.

Admission

The school is a

tuition Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bo ...

-based academic institution, with an admission fee to enrol a new student and other, additional costs. Students wear uniforms on assembly days and at special events.

Arts

The school's arts program is run by three teachers, including the painter Renee Forestall who teaches visual arts in the Middle and Senior Schools. At the High School level, students have the option of taking IB Standard Level Art. Students may participate in the school's seven bands, learning repertoire from jazz, popular, and classical music. Prep School students in grades 3 and 4 must sing in the school choir, which performs several times each year in the community. Middle School students mount an annual dramatic production, often Shakespeare, while Senior School students produce an annual musical. The school has a performing arts studio, funded through donations and fundraising efforts, that was completed in 2012.

Recent musicals

The school has run a Senior musical for over a decade. Actors, lighting technicians, and stage staff are all students. The school hires independent directors, band members and sound staff. The musicals that have been produced are: * 2021-2022: ''

Pippin (musical) ''Pippin'' is a 1972 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious per ...

'' * 2019-2020: ''

Newsies (musical) ''Newsies The Musical'' is a musical based on the 1992 musical film ''Newsies'', which was inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. The show has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a book by Harvey F ...

'' * 2018-2019: ''

Seussical ''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', '' Gertrude McFuzz'', and ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' while in ...

'' * 2017-2018: ''HGS Cabaret'' * 2016-2017: '' Grease'' * 2015-2016: ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' * 2014-2015: '' Sweet Charity'' * 2013-2014: ''

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...

'' * 2012-2013: ''

She Loves Me ''She Loves Me'' is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The musical is the third adaptation of the 1937 play '' Parfumerie'' by Hungarian playwright Miklós László, following the 194 ...

'' * 2011-2012: ''

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spe ...

'' * 2010-2011: ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical) ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Directed by Sam Mendes, the musica ...

'' * 2009-2010: ''

Urinetown ''Urinetown: The Musical'' is a satirical comedy musical that premiered in 2001, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bu ...

'' * 2008-2009: '' The Boyfriend'' * 2007-2008: ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' * 2006-2007: ''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'' * 2005-2006: ''

'' * 2004-2005: '' Fiddler on the Roof'' * 2003-2004: ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his ...

'' * 2002-2003: '' Grease''

Athletics

Boys and girls teams at Middle and Senior School levels compete in the primary athletic league of secondary schools in the province, the NSSAF. The school competes in a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, hockey, golf, track and field, cross country, skiing, badminton, and touch football. Halifax Grammar's Senior Varsity Basketball teams rank highly in Division 1 among the best high school teams in the province despite the small number of high school students in the school. Past achievements for Grammar's athletic teams: 2021 * Senior Boys Basketball: 2nd place, Boys Division 1 Capital Region * Senior Girls Basketball: 5th place, Girls Division 1 Capital Region 2020 * Girls Golf: Capital Region Banner * Senior Boys Basketball: Division 1 Boys Basketball Regional Banner and Provincial Silver Medalist * Senior Girls Basketball: Division 2 Girls Basketball Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist * Junior Boys Ski: Capital Regional Banner 2019 * Senior Girls X-Country: Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist * Senior Boys X-Country: Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist * Intermediate Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions * Senior Boys Basketball: 2nd place, Boys Division 1 for Capital Region and NSSAF Provincial Silver Medalist * Junior Boys Skiing: Metro and Capital Regional Banner and Provincial Silver Medalists * Junior Boys Table Tennis: NSSAF Silver Medalists * Intermediate Boys singles Table Tennis: Capital Region Champion * Senior Boys singles Table Tennis: Capital Region Silver Medalist * Intermediate Boys Track and Field: 2nd place, Capital Region Championships 2018 * Junior Boys Table Tennis: Regional and Provincial Champions * Intermediate Boys X-Country: NSSAF Provincial Champions * Intermediate Boys Cross Country: Capital Region Champions * Senior Girls Basketball: NSSAF Division 3 Girls Basketball Capital Region Champions * Junior Boys Basketball: Capital Zone Banner * Senior Boys Basketball: 4th place, Metro Division 1 Boys Region and qualified for Provincials * Junior Boys and Intermediate Girls Skiing: NSSAF Provincial Champions * Senior Boys and Senior Girls Skiing: NSSAF Ski Provincial Champions * Track and Field Division 3: NSSAF Provincial Champions 2017 * Junior Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions * Senior Boys X-Country: 2nd place, Capital Region Championships * Senior Girls Soccer: Division 3 Capital Region Champions * Senior Boys Soccer: Division 2 Capital Region Champions * Intermediate Track and Field: Capital Region Champions * Track and field: Division 3 NSSAF Provincial Champions 2016 * Junior Girls X-Country: Citadel Zone Championships * Intermediate Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions, 2nd at Capital Region Championships, 3rd at NSSAF Provincial Championships * Senior Boys X-Country: 3rd place, Capital Region Championships * Senior Boys Basketball: Division 1 Boys Metro Region Finalists and NSSAF Bronze Medalists * Intermediate Boys and Girls Skiing: Capital Region Champions and NSSAF Provincial Champions * Senior Boys Skiing: Provincial Champions * Division 3 Senior Girls Soccer Capital Region Champions * Division 3 Senior Boys Soccer Capital Region Champions

Notable alumni

* Russell Smith - novelist * Jay Ferguson - musician, member of Sloan * Noah Pink - screenwriter, television producer, director, and swimmer * Elliot Page - actor * J. J. Gould - journalist *

Jared Paul Stern Jared Paul Stern is an American writer who currently serves as the Executive Editor for Maxim Magazine, where his byline has appeared since 2015. He had previously served as editor, publisher, photographer, designer, reporter and columnist for th ...

- writer *

Craig Silverman Craig Silverman is a Canadian journalist and a reporter at ProPublica. He was previously the media editor of BuzzFeed and the head of BuzzFeed's Canadian division. Known as an expert in "fake news", he founded the "Regret the Error" blog in 2004 ...

- journalist * David Goldbloom - psychiatrist *

Alison Murray Alison Murray may refer to: * Alison Murray (director), Canadian director of films, documentaries and music videos * Alison Murray (author), Scottish children's author and illustrator * Alison Murray (scientist), American microbial ecologist and Ant ...

- filmmaker * Steven Laffoley - educator and author *

Ben Proudfoot Ben Proudfoot (born October 29, 1990) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is most noted as director of ''The Queen of Basketball'', winner of the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject; as well as codirector with Kris Bowers of the short ...

- filmmaker * Bill Black (businessman)

Heads of School

* Charles Pengelly – 1958-1959 (Acting) * James Roxburgh – 1959-1962 * Russell McNeill – 1962-1965 * William Currie – 1965-1971 * Colin Grimson – 1971-1975 * Douglas Williams – 1975-1978 * Peter Montgomery – 1978-1987 * Robin Hinnell – 1987-1993 * M.A. MacPherson – 1993-1995 * John Messenger – 1995-2005 * Paul Bennett – 2005-2009 * Blayne Addley – 2009-2016 * Steven Laffoley – 2016-Present

Notable faculty

* William Cochran (priest)

References

External links

* http://www.hgs.ns.ca - official site {{Coord, 44, 37, 57.2, N, 63, 34, 39.6, W, display=title Preparatory schools in Nova Scotia Private schools in Nova Scotia Elementary schools in Nova Scotia Middle schools in Nova Scotia High schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia Schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia International Baccalaureate schools in Nova Scotia Educational institutions established in 1958 1958 establishments in Canada