Halifax West High School
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Halifax West High School is a Canadian 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 ...
located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the
Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
,
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 ...
. Encompassing
grades Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also r ...
10 through 12, Halifax West High School offers a variety of courses in both French and English as well as
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) diplomas for its enrollment of 1550 students as of September 2015. Halifax West has four feeder schools: Fairview Junior High, Clayton Park Junior High, Park West School, and Brookside Junior High. It is also home to the
Bella Rose Arts Centre The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a community-based proscenium theatre performing arts centre located inside of Halifax West High School in the Clayton Park, Nova Scotia, Clayton Park neighbourhood of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Th ...
. Halifax West also hosted The Canadian Student Leadership Conference in September 2015, an event that drew hundreds of student participants from across Canada.


History

Halifax West High School was constructed in 1958 on Dutch Village Road in the suburban community of Fairview. Originally known as Halifax West Municipal High School during the 1960s, students came by bus from a widespread area including Rockingham,
Spryfield Spryfield is community within the urban area of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. History The land now known as Spryfield was first occupied by the Miꞌkmaq people, who hunted and fished at Beaver Lake (now called Long Lake). The Miꞌkmaq would ...
, Sheffield Mills, Sambro, Head of St. Margaret's Bay and Hubbards. Over the decades, the school building underwent several renovations and the word Municipal was removed from the name. During the late 1990s, teachers and students started to become sick as a result of poor air quality. The building underwent another renovation in an attempt to rid the toxic substances. Still tests yielded poor air quality, specifically in one area of the school where the science and art labs were located. In the 1999–2000 school year, this portion of the school was closed off, and in May of that same school year tests were again conducted all around the school on the air quality. The school remained open until the end of the year regardless of these issues. In July 2000, it was made public that Halifax West High School was too sick to be occupied, and a meeting was held at a nearby junior high school to discuss options and plans of what to do. The School Board Proposal was to absorb the Halifax West community into the other high schools in the HRM, however the outrage from the community quickly stopped these plans. At the meeting, other options were discussed, including using the building of a new junior high school that was yet to open in the Clayton Park West neighbourhood. Other plans were for many portables to be used to accommodate the classes. Still the most feasible plan was to go into split shifts while a concrete plan of action was created. The students of Halifax West took school buses from various locations around the neighbourhood to
J. L. Ilsley High School J.L. Ilsley High School is a Canadian high school located in Spryfield in the eastern part of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The school is named after James Lorimer Ilsley, a former federal cabinet minister who served in Prime Minister William Lyon Macke ...
in nearby Spryfield. The 2000 - 2001 school year was spent on split shift, with the native students of J. L. Ilsley starting classes at 7:30 am, and ending at 12:30 noon, while the Halifax West students would start classes 12:45 noon and end at 5:45 pm. In the winter months, both schools faced the hazard of riding buses in the early morning or early evening darkness. For the 2001 - 2002 school year, another plan was devised. For the first semester, (September - December) the students of HWHS would be split up somewhat. The grade 10 and grade 11 classes would be conducted at B.C. Silver, an abandoned junior high school close to J. L. Ilsley. The grade 12s would attend J. L. Ilsley, with their own teachers, however attend classes during the same time and on the same bell system as the J. L Ilsley students. For the second Semester, the students were all amalgamated into one building. This building was the Gordon Bell Building located in Cole Harbour Nova Scotia, approximately 45 minutes and one bridge crossing away from the old Halifax West. Although it was far away, the students of Halifax West were generally happy to be together, and even happier to be in a healthy building. During these years in limbo, the Halifax West community was lobbying for a new school. After several years of pressure on provincial and municipal politicians, the Department of Education agreed to fund a new school in the suburb of Clayton Park, adjacent to Fairview. The new structure was built in the Clayton Park West neighbourhood, near the summit of Geizers Hill, and was completed in the fall of 2002. There was a great deal of debate as to what the name of the school would be. The Students of the HWHS worked to maintain the name, as it would be a testament to the fact that after all the time they spent in limbo, they were not just a building, but rather a community. The Students of Halifax West spent one more semester in the Gordon Bell Building, and then attended the new structure which opened in January 2003 as Halifax West High School. Upon opening in 2003 it was decided the four feeder schools would be Fairview Junior High, Clayton Park Junior High, Park West School, and Brookside Junior High During the design phase of the new school building, provisions were made for adding a large auditorium which would function as a community theatre, to be constructed at a later date after fundraising was completed. Construction of this new auditorium began in February 2007 and finished in June 2007 with the theatre opening in October 2007.


Sports teams

The Halifax West High School athletics department offers varsity and intramural sports teams for sports such as curling, football, hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, track and field, softball, baseball, field hockey, wrestling and rugby. Halifax West's boys' varsity soccer team won the NSSAF provincial championship in 1999. Halifax West's boys' varsity soccer team has won provincial championships four years in a row (2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007), and is only the second high school in Nova Scotia to ever do so. The team went undefeated in 2012–2013 to win the NSSAF provincial championship with a record of 16 wins and 2 draws. Halifax West's Junior Varsity Boys' Soccer Team won the NSSAF Provincial Championship three times (2005–2006 and 2006–2007). Halifax West's girls' varsity soccer team has won three provincial championships (2005-2006, 2007–2008 and 2008–2009). The Halifax West Football Rams first took to the gravel field in August 1965. The West Warriors Football team won provincial championships in 1991 and in 2003. In the 2012–2013 season they won the tier 2 championship defeating JL Ilsley. The Halifax West boys' basketball team has won 4 provincial championships. The Halifax West's girls' rugby won provincials in 2013, defeating the defending champions Horton High. They also won provincials in 2014, defending their own title and beating Citadel High School. From 2004 to 2006, the Halifax West Ski team placed first in both male and female GS races in provincials.


Clubs

Halifax West High School has a variety of student
extracurricular An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) or cultural activities is an activity, performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school, college or university education. Such activities a ...
clubs, teams, committees, and societies, including
student government A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
,
model parliament The Model Parliament is the term, attributed to Frederic William Maitland, used for the 1295 Parliament of England of King Edward I. History This assembly included members of the clergy and the aristocracy, as well as representatives from the v ...
, philosophy, robotics,
yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
,
debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
, multiculturalism,
knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...
, yoga, improv, math, film production, and numerous
musical ensembles A musical ensemble, also known as a music group or musical group, is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumentalists, ...
.


CSLC 2015

Halifax West High School was selected as the 2015 host for the Canadian Student Leadership Conference. This event brought together 800 student leaders and 200 of their teachers to participate in Leadership Activities, Keynote Presentations, and Skill Building Workshops.


Stage productions

The school has produced the following musical theatre productions: *2001: '' Fame'' *2002: '' Grease'' *2003: ''
Guys & 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 b ...
'' *2004: ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
'' *2005: ''
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 c ...
'' *2006: ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' *2007: ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'' *2008: ''
Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-s ...
'' *2009: ''
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...
'' *2010: ''
A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...
'' *2011: ''
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog ''Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog'' is a 2008 musical comedy-drama miniseries in three acts, produced exclusively for Internet distribution. Filmed and set in Los Angeles, the show tells the story of Dr. Horrible (played by Neil Patrick Harris) ...
'', a student-run production *2011: ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'' *2013: ''
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 ...
'' *2014: '' Fame'' *2015: ''
Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...
'' *2016: ''
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
'' *2019: ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...
'' *2023 matilda


Pop culture

Halifax West High School was used as a set for shots for 2004 '' Lifetime'' film ''
She's Too Young ''She's Too Young'' is an American made-for-TV movie released in 2004, starring Marcia Gay Harden as the mother of a 14-year-old daughter who is involved in sexual acts hidden from her parents. The film deals with the issues of drugs and alcohol, p ...
'' as "Clinton West High School".Filming locations for ''She's Too Young''
at
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...


References


External links


School website

School profile at Halifax Regional School Board
{{Authority control High schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia Educational institutions established in 1958 Schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia International Baccalaureate schools in Nova Scotia 1958 establishments in Canada