Sacred Heart Catholic High School (Newmarket)
Encyclopedia
Sacred Heart Catholic High School is a public Catholic high school
in Newmarket
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is currently the only high school in Newmarket under the jurisdiction of the York Catholic District School Board
. Sacred Heart has a modest student population compared to other York Region Catholic high schools. There were 1620 full time registered students for the 2005/2006 year, 95 full time staff members, and 24 support staff.
Thus, the Board carried on the tradition of Catholic education and continued to transport students to Catholic high schools in Metropolitan Toronto
. In 1973, the Metro Separate School Board declared that these students could no longer be accommodated. Therefore in 1974, the York Separate School Board decided to establish St. Robert Catholic High School
in Thornhill, Ontario
. In doing so, the Board made a statement that a second junior high school would be built north of Toronto at a future date "if the extension of Catholic education is supported by the Catholic community of York Region".
St. Robert was a tremendous success and after four years was filled to capacity. The Board, therefore, opened the doors of Sacred Heart Junior High School in September 1979, providing 265 students with a Grades 7 to 9 program. Through the cooperative efforts of the Board and the Toronto Archdiocese High School Commission, Grade 11 was introduced in September 1981 and one grade was added each subsequent year.
Simultaneously, a building program was undertaken and beautiful new facilities were made available to students in September 1983. The student population continued to increase and a new addition to the building was opened in May 1987.
The Catholic School Council in conjunction with staff and students continue to seek improvements to the school. In 2002 two new additions were added which gave the school a new cafeteria, upgraded physical education equipment and facilities, an expanded library resource centre, a theatre/lecture hall, new administrative offices as well as guidance and special education additions.
Another major renovation took place in the summer of 2004. The entire second floor of the old wing received new Science Labs and Art Rooms.
Sacred Heart competes in a variety of different sports including:
Sacred Heart has found the most athletic success in the sport of basketball. Over the past seventeen years, the Crusaders (both boys' and girls' teams) have won a total of 10 York Region Athletic Association (YRAA) championships. Six of those championships have been won in the last five years.
Sacred Heart has also won numerous championships in cross country and track and field, including winning the overall York Region championship six years in a row in cross country as well as four OFSAA championships in the past 5 years.
The Varsity Girls Curling Team won the York Region Athletic Association (YRAA) Championships in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons.
Both the Boy's and Girl's rugby teams will be participating in international competitions this coming March Break after last years successful Boy's Rugby trip to Scotland last season.
The Boys Junior golf team finished 2nd and Boys Senior team finished 4th at YRAA Championships.
The school also has a popular Ski & Snowboard Club which has weekly ski trips to Horseshoe Resort
and an annual trip to places like Vermont and the West Coast.
, semester food drives
, and Sharelife, an organization which raises funds to support those going through some very difficult times. Sacred Heart also participates in the CN Tower
stairclimbs for United Way
, The 30 Hour Famine, Habitat for Humanity and the World Wildlife Fund.
During the last five years, the Sacred Heart community, along with a number of other schools, have also been involved with the Hands of Hope project. The program was developed for the main reason of educating students concerning humanitarian and social justice issues and causes students to take action against them.
The charitable organization Hands Of Hope For the Children was formed upon the return of two teachers who had traveled on a bus, which acted as a mobile dentist clinic, through Guatemala
in 1999. During this visit, they saw how much hope Sacred Heart could give to these communities. In 2000, four teachers and four students took three buses filled with donations from twelve schools in the Newmarket community to Guatemala. The donations included clothing, shoes, medical and dental supplies, tools, and athletic equipment. While in Guatemala, they distributed the items to organizations and villages within the country. Two of the buses are now being used as mobile medical clinics for rural villages. The third bus was given to a human rights organization for children's programs. The most recent campaign lead to the construction of over 100 beds for impoverished villages.
The Arts Council is in charge of showcasing the school's artistic talents. Over the years, the Arts Council has been able to put on many theatrical plays, musicals, and events such as the Guitar Wars, Battle of the Bands
, and Art & Soul Night. Arts Council is also responsible for the end of year Arts Banquet for the up and coming musicians, artists, actors and actresses.
The Athletic Council is in charge of continuing Sacred Heart’s sporting traditions. They organize the annual Athletic Banquet and numerous 'Buy Out's/Buy In's' throughout the year so students can cheer on the teams.
The Spirit Council is responsible for bring cheer and school spirit to the student body with entertaining events, games, and the yearly pep rally.
The Youth Awareness Council (Y.A.C.) is responsible for lending a hand to those who are in need by raising the community’s awareness of social justice issues. Y.A.C. has organized food drives, the Montreal massacre memorial, and Black History Month
.
Sacred Heart's School Reach program is among the most successful in York Region. The Junior/Intermediate team has won numerous regional championships while the Senior team has advanced to the Provincial Finals on several occasions, most recently the 2007-2008 season where they finished tied for tenth in the province under the tireless leadership of team captain Mike Hunt.
Girls were previously allowed to wear kilts but this privilege was taken away during the 2010-2011 school year. The original plan was to "phase out" the kilts by disallowing them for the class of 2013 onwards but allowing the classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012 to wear kilts until graduation — however, this was changed and the right to wear a kilt was taken away from girls in all grades shortly after Christmas Break in January 2011.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Newmarket
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is currently the only high school in Newmarket under the jurisdiction of the York Catholic District School Board
York Catholic District School Board
The York Catholic District School Board is the publicly funded English-language Catholic school district authority for the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. Its head office is in Aurora....
. Sacred Heart has a modest student population compared to other York Region Catholic high schools. There were 1620 full time registered students for the 2005/2006 year, 95 full time staff members, and 24 support staff.
History
In January 1969, the York Region Separate School Board came into existence with the combining of eleven small school boards. Shortly thereafter, the Board passed a motion to Catholic High Schools in Toronto. At their next meeting, trustees faced a parents' delegation protesting the decision. This delegation, in convincing the Board to reverse its stand, showed that support for the concept of Catholic education beyond elementary school was strong.Thus, the Board carried on the tradition of Catholic education and continued to transport students to Catholic high schools in Metropolitan Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In 1973, the Metro Separate School Board declared that these students could no longer be accommodated. Therefore in 1974, the York Separate School Board decided to establish St. Robert Catholic High School
St. Robert Catholic High School
St. Robert Catholic High School is a secondary school in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.- History :St. Robert CHS was opened by the York Catholic District School Board in 1975, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2005. St. Robert CHS is named after its patron saint, St. Robert Bellarmine. St...
in Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
. In doing so, the Board made a statement that a second junior high school would be built north of Toronto at a future date "if the extension of Catholic education is supported by the Catholic community of York Region".
St. Robert was a tremendous success and after four years was filled to capacity. The Board, therefore, opened the doors of Sacred Heart Junior High School in September 1979, providing 265 students with a Grades 7 to 9 program. Through the cooperative efforts of the Board and the Toronto Archdiocese High School Commission, Grade 11 was introduced in September 1981 and one grade was added each subsequent year.
Simultaneously, a building program was undertaken and beautiful new facilities were made available to students in September 1983. The student population continued to increase and a new addition to the building was opened in May 1987.
The Catholic School Council in conjunction with staff and students continue to seek improvements to the school. In 2002 two new additions were added which gave the school a new cafeteria, upgraded physical education equipment and facilities, an expanded library resource centre, a theatre/lecture hall, new administrative offices as well as guidance and special education additions.
Another major renovation took place in the summer of 2004. The entire second floor of the old wing received new Science Labs and Art Rooms.
Sports and athletics
Sacred Heart Catholic High School's sports teams are known as the Crusaders. The school's mascot is Corky, a lovable knight dressed in armor, who is known for his playful and sometimes absurd attitude while attending Crusader home games.Sacred Heart competes in a variety of different sports including:
- Boys'/Girls' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Boys'/Girls' Soccer
- Boys'/Girls' HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
- Boys'/Girls' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Boys'/Girls' RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Cross Country RunningCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- UltimateUltimate (sport)Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- CurlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
- Rock ClimbingRock ClimbingRock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
- Sepak TakrawSepak TakrawSepak takraw , or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
Sacred Heart has found the most athletic success in the sport of basketball. Over the past seventeen years, the Crusaders (both boys' and girls' teams) have won a total of 10 York Region Athletic Association (YRAA) championships. Six of those championships have been won in the last five years.
Sacred Heart has also won numerous championships in cross country and track and field, including winning the overall York Region championship six years in a row in cross country as well as four OFSAA championships in the past 5 years.
The Varsity Girls Curling Team won the York Region Athletic Association (YRAA) Championships in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons.
Both the Boy's and Girl's rugby teams will be participating in international competitions this coming March Break after last years successful Boy's Rugby trip to Scotland last season.
The Boys Junior golf team finished 2nd and Boys Senior team finished 4th at YRAA Championships.
The school also has a popular Ski & Snowboard Club which has weekly ski trips to Horseshoe Resort
Horseshoe Resort
Horseshoe Resort, formerly Horseshoe Valley Ski Club, is a southern Ontario ski resort. Located north of Barrie, the resort is about 1 hour 15 minutes driving time from Toronto. The resort enjoys a long ski season due to snow making abilities. Acquired by Skyline International Development Inc. in...
and an annual trip to places like Vermont and the West Coast.
School involvement
Sacred Heart has always been an active contributor to the local community. Every year, the school gets involved with many fundraising and charitable organizations. For instance, the school participates in the Terry Fox RunTerry Fox Run
The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held in numerous regions around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, and his Marathon of Hope, and to raise money for cancer research....
, semester food drives
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
, and Sharelife, an organization which raises funds to support those going through some very difficult times. Sacred Heart also participates in the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
stairclimbs for United Way
United Way of Canada
United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
, The 30 Hour Famine, Habitat for Humanity and the World Wildlife Fund.
During the last five years, the Sacred Heart community, along with a number of other schools, have also been involved with the Hands of Hope project. The program was developed for the main reason of educating students concerning humanitarian and social justice issues and causes students to take action against them.
The charitable organization Hands Of Hope For the Children was formed upon the return of two teachers who had traveled on a bus, which acted as a mobile dentist clinic, through Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in 1999. During this visit, they saw how much hope Sacred Heart could give to these communities. In 2000, four teachers and four students took three buses filled with donations from twelve schools in the Newmarket community to Guatemala. The donations included clothing, shoes, medical and dental supplies, tools, and athletic equipment. While in Guatemala, they distributed the items to organizations and villages within the country. Two of the buses are now being used as mobile medical clinics for rural villages. The third bus was given to a human rights organization for children's programs. The most recent campaign lead to the construction of over 100 beds for impoverished villages.
Student government
The student government at Sacred Heart is split up into five different councils which have authority over their specific jurisdictions. The most influential council is the Student Council. This council is elected by the student body. The Student Council is responsible for organizing dances, semi-formals, making the morning announcements, and overseeing most of the operations in the student government.The Arts Council is in charge of showcasing the school's artistic talents. Over the years, the Arts Council has been able to put on many theatrical plays, musicals, and events such as the Guitar Wars, Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
, and Art & Soul Night. Arts Council is also responsible for the end of year Arts Banquet for the up and coming musicians, artists, actors and actresses.
The Athletic Council is in charge of continuing Sacred Heart’s sporting traditions. They organize the annual Athletic Banquet and numerous 'Buy Out's/Buy In's' throughout the year so students can cheer on the teams.
The Spirit Council is responsible for bring cheer and school spirit to the student body with entertaining events, games, and the yearly pep rally.
The Youth Awareness Council (Y.A.C.) is responsible for lending a hand to those who are in need by raising the community’s awareness of social justice issues. Y.A.C. has organized food drives, the Montreal massacre memorial, and Black History Month
Black History Month
Black History Month is an observance of the history of the African diaspora in a number of countries outside of Africa. Since 1976, it is observed annually in the United States and Canada in February, while in the United Kingdom it is observed in October...
.
Clubs and activities
The Sacred Writ is the school newspaper which has a new issue every two or three months.- S.T.O.M.P - Students Thinking of Multicultural People
- The Chess Club
- Environmental Council
- Prom Committee
- SMUSH - Student Mentors at Sacred Heart
- Best Buddies
- The Comic Book Club
- Social Justice
- Art Show
- Improv Club
- White Pine Reading Club
- Choir
- Jazz Band
- REACH For The Top
- Anime Club
- Youth Awareness Council (Y.A.C.)
- Dance Team
Sacred Heart's School Reach program is among the most successful in York Region. The Junior/Intermediate team has won numerous regional championships while the Senior team has advanced to the Provincial Finals on several occasions, most recently the 2007-2008 season where they finished tied for tenth in the province under the tireless leadership of team captain Mike Hunt.
Famous alumni
- Steve DownieSteve DownieSteve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
- Tampa Bay LightningTampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
player and member of the gold-winning 2006 Canadian World Junior2006 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the Interior Savings Centre in...
and 2007 Canadian World Junior2007 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...
hockey teams. - Michelle Lovretta - GeminiGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
nominated screenwriter (Hunt for Justice) and an executive producer of Instant StarInstant StarInstant Star was a Canadian television program which aired from September 2004 to June 2008. The series starred Alexz Johnson as adolescent music competition winner Jude Harrison. The show chronicles Harrison's experience in the recording industry whilst focusing upon character development.Linda...
.
Uniforms
Sacred Heart has changed the uniform policy numerous times since opening. Currently, students wear white golf shirts with grey dress pants and solid black shoes. Students also have the option of wearing school crested burgundy sweaters or cardigans ordered through uniform providers.Girls were previously allowed to wear kilts but this privilege was taken away during the 2010-2011 school year. The original plan was to "phase out" the kilts by disallowing them for the class of 2013 onwards but allowing the classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012 to wear kilts until graduation — however, this was changed and the right to wear a kilt was taken away from girls in all grades shortly after Christmas Break in January 2011.