Widdifield Secondary School

Widdifield Secondary School (WSS) is located on Ski Club Road in North Bay, Ontario. It is a member of the Near North District School Board.

Overview

Widdifield's motto is "Mens Quaerens in Corpore Sano," loosely meaning "an inquiring mind in a sound body." Athletes and students at Widdifield are known as the Widdifield Wildcats, and the school colours are red and royal blue.

The school was founded in 1965. Because of the extensive area of the school zone, 35% of the 1050 or so students are bussed.

Widdifield is widely known as North Bay's Arts school, as it carries many unique arts related programs and runs a program known as Arts Nipissing, which gives a special certificate to students who complete a sufficient number of courses in the arts. Widdifield has very strong Visual Art, Dance, Drama and EPIC Music programs, and Arts Nipissing helps bring them all together, encouraging students to excel in multiple arts disciplines. In addition to the Arts, WSS has developed an active Communication Technology and Computer Engineering program, with a focus on involving junior students (Grades 9 & 10) in project based, challenge learning initiatives. Widdifield's Cooperative Education program boasts students in placements from Pediatrics to Masonry and Chiropractic; from Animal Hospitals to Aircraft Maintenance and Gourmet Food Preparation.

Widdifield was also the first school in Canada to incorporate the option of receiving the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)- Arts and Culture certificate upon graduation. The Specialist High Skills Major – Arts and Culture will enhance current opportunities for Arts Nipissing students through experiential learning, sector recognized certification, cross-curricular study through the arts, authentic reach ahead (next step) experiences, and a comprehensive practical and academic curriculum. The Specialist High Skills Major-Arts and Culture enables students to customize their high school experience to suit their interests and talents, and prepare for a successful post secondary transition to apprenticeship training, college, university, or employment, while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students will attain sector-identified preparatory credits, skills, and knowledge, and make informed career decisions. The SHSM will make the learning environment more engaging for students, focus them on graduation and prepare them to pursue their career goals. Students in the Specialist High Skills Major-Arts and Culture will complete the following components - Select a bundle of required credits in a Ministry approved framework including: Arts and Culture major credits that provide sector specific knowledge and skills in the fields of dance, dramatic arts, media arts/communication technology, music, and/or visual arts as well as compulsory credits including English and Business with contextualized units/focus - Earn sector recognized certifications - Engage in experiential learning through cooperative education, job shadowing, and work experience related to the major/focus - Use the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) to document demonstration of essential skills and work habits - Engage in ‘reach ahead’ experiences, e.g., ‘next step’ experiences

The school was named after Joseph Henry "Alcatrav" Widdifield, who was born in 1845, was a physician and a Liberal member of Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing York North

Music

Widdifield has in recent years become quite recognized in the North Bay community under the direction of Lynne Smythe of London, Ontario, although she has since left the school. The music program is now run by Meghan Hachkowski. Junior and Senior Concert Bands, and Concert and Chamber Choirs take part in the Northern Ontario Music Festival (NOMF) in Sudbury, ON, as well as MusicFest Canada-the Nationals. These groups take yearly trips where they tour as well as perform. These destinations in past years have included New York City, Boston, Ottawa, Chicago, Toronto, and Niagara Falls.

Some Widdifield Music students have been asked to take part in the NOMF All Star band, travelling to Sudbury and taking part in a three-day intense music camp with the top musicians in Northern Ontario high schools. Others have performed with the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the North Bay Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the North Bay 22 Wing Band. Some have also continued music studies at the post secondary level.

Ensembles have included: Junior Concert Band, Senior Concert Band, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Woodwind Quintet, Saxophone Quartet, Jazz Combo, Percussion Ensemble.

Drama

• Widdifield's The Company
  • International Thespian Society Festival, 2005. The Company's production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris traveled to the annual drama festival, which was held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
  • Sears Ontario Drama Festival, 2005. Widdifield's production Chagall won second place for "Outstanding production of a rap video", Northern Regional Showcase. Kimberly Bean and Alcatrav won Awards of Merit for their roles as the Rap Gods.
  • Black Gardenias won a total eight Sears Ontario Drama Festival Awards. Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski took home two Awards of Excellence. Kelly Weegar also won an Award of Excellence. Chaylene Grieve-Saunders and Spencer King both also received Awards of Merit for their work.
  • Other notable shows include Check Please 2, Bugsy Malone, the peppy production of High School Musical , and most recently,Footloose.

Prominent students

• Al McDonald, mayor of North Bay^[1]
• Idrees Majeed (sometimes credited as Drees or Bigg Drees) of the hip hop trio The 20/20 Project attended Widdifield Secondary School from 2000-2002 before transferring to another school located in East Ferris. The 20/20 Project reached #1 on Ottawa's CHUO 89.1 hip hop charts the week ending November 16, 2010.^[2] Idrees currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Michael O'Shea, former linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL
• Mike Yeo, former coach of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League
• Travis "Alcatrav" van Mierlo, legendary rap god and prominent musician in North America.^[3]

See also

• List of high schools in Ontario

References

External links

• Widdifield Secondary School
• School profile page