Semiahmoo Secondary School ( ) is a public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

South Surrey South Surrey is a community within the City of Surrey, British Columbia, located on the Semiahmoo peninsula in the southern portion of the city of Surrey, sharing a border with the city of White Rock. Neighbourhoods of South Surrey include Cresc ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, and is part of

School District 36 Surrey School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British Columbia. It is the largest school district in British Columbia with 71,838 students during the 2016/2017 school year. District 36 includes 101 ele ...

. Founded in 1940 as the first senior secondary school in South Surrey, Semiahmoo spans grades eight through twelve. The school currently has a student population of around 1700 and a faculty of 96, and is headed by Bal Ranu. Semiahmoo is one of four public high schools on the peninsula, along with

Earl Marriott Secondary School Earl Marriott Secondary (EMS) is a public high school in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and is part of School District 36 Surrey. It is referred to as the 'Home of the Mariners'. It is located on the edge of city limits, ...

Elgin Park Secondary School Elgin Park Secondary is a public high school in School District 36 Surrey. It is referred to as the 'Home of the Orcas'. Elgin Park is one of four public high schools on the peninsula, along with Earl Marriott Secondary School, Semiahmoo Secondary ...

and

Grandview Heights Secondary School Grandview Heights Secondary School is a public secondary school in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and is a part of School District 36 Surrey School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British C ...

History

Semiahmoo Secondary was built in the city of White Rock in the late 1930s, becoming the area's first secondary school. The former building, now cleared, stood where White Rock Elementary School stands today. When White Rock Junior Secondary was built in 1961 on Oxford Street, Semiahmoo was officially renamed Semiahmoo Senior Secondary. A severe classroom shortage in the 1980s, started by a fire in White Rock Junior Secondary, prompted an effort by the provincial ministry of education to expand educational facilities in South Surrey. In 1989, Semiahmoo was transferred to the newly renovated and expanded White Rock Junior facilities, officially becoming Semiahmoo Secondary School.

Academics

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 Dip ...

(IB) Semiahmoo Secondary School has been an IB World School since June 1980. Surrey students are permitted to cross school boundaries to enter the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Approximately 300 students in Grades 11 & 12 are enrolled in the IB Program at Semiahmoo. There is also the option of students enrolling in the Partial IB Program. Students apply to the program in the Grade 10 year by sending in the completed application package which can be found on the school website.

Extracurricular activities

Music

Semiahmoo Secondary school sign (148 Street)

Almost all of Semiahmoo's instrumental music ensembles are full courses in the school timetable. The program consists of 3 concert bands: grade 8, grade 9, and Senior Wind Ensemble (grade 10-12); 6 jazz bands: grade 8, two grade 9, grade 10, grade 11, and grade 12; and varying amounts of jazz combos per year. The current head of the department is Dagan Lowe along with two other directors Sarah Kennedy (s. 2016) and Jeff Williams (s. 2019).

Theatre

Semiahmoo houses a theatre that can hold approximately 200 people. In addition, the senior grades perform various one-act plays, Shakespearean works, and improvisation sessions throughout the year.

Athletics

Semiahmoo has received multiple Provincial banners in recent years. Semiahmoo has a track, baseball field, all weather soccer fields and a rugby field. There is also a beach volleyball court. Semiahmoo Secondary is known for their prestigious basketball team.

Notable alumni

* Paul Campbell, actor, ''

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'' * Jonathan Groenheyde, professional ice hockey goaltender *

Colton Gillies Colton Gillies (born February 12, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He spent time playing for both the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL. Gillies spent the last five years of his professional career ...

, left winger for the

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Ardo Hansson Ardo Hillar Hansson (born 15 July 1958 in Chicago) is an Estonian American economist. He was the Governor of Bank of Estonia from 2012 to 2019. Education Hansson attended Semiahmoo Secondary School for high school. He later worked for several ren ...

, World Bank economist and Governor of the

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Gordie Hogg Gordon "Gordie" Hogg (born August 24, 1946) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament for South Surrey—White Rock in the House of Commons of Canada from December 11, 2017 until October 21, 2019, as a member of the Liber ...

, politician *

Robert Langlands Robert Phelan Langlands, (; born October 6, 1936) is a Canadian mathematician. He is best known as the founder of the Langlands program, a vast web of conjectures and results connecting representation theory and automorphic forms to the study o ...

, mathematician, founder of the

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, CBC Radio 3 host *

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, actress, ''Corner Gas'' and ''Robson Arms'' *

Nardwuar the Human Serviette John Ruskin (born July 5, 1968), better known as Nardwuar, or Nardwuar the Human Serviette, is a Canadian interviewer and musician from Vancouver, British Columbia.Doug Ward, "Trudeau rolled by Human Serviette", ''Vancouver Sun'', November 17, 1 ...

, journalist *

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, songwriter, leader of

The New Pornographers The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver. Presented as a musical collective of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band has released eight studio albums to critical acclaim for th ...

Hannah Simone Hannah Simone (born 3 August 1980) is a British-Canadian actress, television host, and former VJ and fashion model. She is known for portraying Cece on the Fox sitcom ''New Girl''. Early life Simone was born in London to an Indian father and ...

, former fashion model, actress, "

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VJ *

Richard Weinberger Richard Weinberger (born June 7, 1990) is a Canadian long-distance swimmer. Weinberger won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the 10-kilometre open water marathon. He is the 2011 Pan American Games champion and also has a br ...

, Olympic swimmer, bronze medalist * Sean Whyte, CFL player, Edmonton Eskimos, and Lew Hayman Trophy winner

Covid-19

As of November 28, 2020 There have been numerous cases of Covid-19 in the school

Gallery

File:New Totem.jpg File:Semiahmoo Secondary school sign (148 Street).jpg, Semiahmoo Secondary noticeboard (replaced with an electronic version circa 2009) File:Semiahmoo Secondary (another view).jpg, Another view of Semiahmoo Secondary

References

External links

*
School Performance
{{SD36BCSchools International Baccalaureate schools in British Columbia High schools in Surrey, British Columbia Educational institutions established in 1940 1940 establishments in British Columbia High schools in British Columbia