St. Patrick's High School (Halifax)

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Saint Patrick's High School

Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Information
School district	Halifax Regional School Board
Funding type	Public secondary
Grades	10–12
Mascot	Irish
Established	1955
Enrollment	400 (approx)
Homepage	http://st-pats.ednet.ns.ca/

St. Patrick's High School (St. Pats) is a non-denominational school centrally located on Quinpool Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Historically a Roman Catholic public school, St. Pats is located less than one block from its rival non-denominational public school, Queen Elizabeth High (QEH). While the school once had a population of 2,300 students, at which time students enjoying free periods would sometimes be forced onto the street to make room for lessons, it has since fallen dramatically in population to around 400.

St. Pat's High School is scheduled to be merged with QEH to form Citadel High School, under construction at the former site of the Halifax Nova Scotia Community College campus. The new building will be built for the 2007-08 school year. The move has generated some controversy due to the size of the amalgamated high school, the differences between students at the schools, and the historical rivalries between the schools.

St. Pat's is traditionally known for its football, basketball, and soccer teams, musicals and music programs, and debating club. In 2005-06, St. Pat's celebrated their sole provincial sports victory, Girls' Curling. This was the first provincial Girls' Curling win for St. Pat's since 1976, when Colleen Jones played skip for the team. The St. Pat's football team placed second in the 2006 Turkey Bowl. In January 2007, St. Pat's won the Dalhousie Debating Tournament.

In preparation for the merge of QEH and St. Pat's into Citadel High School, many of the music programs have already been combined to include members from both schools. These programs include the string orchestra, concert band, and Jazz/Schola choir.

1 Segregation controversy
2 Notable alumni
3 Musicals
4 External links

[edit] Segregation controversy

Last year, St. Pat's African-Canadian Vice Principal Wade Smith stirred up some controversy with his suggestion to establish an all-black school in Nova Scotia.^[1] While the comment was initially an off the cuff remark, it was widely debated and generated strong feelings from both sides of the argument. His remark was made under questioning in an interview with CBC News, and reported on by other media outlets. To some, such a move would represent a return to segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the southern United States. Smith has indicated that this would not be the intent, saying that such a school would not exclude other races or ethnicities, but would simply focus on African-Canadian studies. He suggests that a change is needed because the current system is failing black students, many of whom receive low grades and are at increased risk of dropping out of school. He believes that an environment designed to cater to the special needs of African-Canadians would improve these results. Both the Halifax Regional School Board and the Nova Scotia Department of Education very quickly dismissed the concept.