| John G. Althouse Middle School | |
| Address | |
| 130 Lloyd Manor Road Toronto, Ontario, M9B 5K1, Canada |
|
| Information | |
| School number | 283738 |
| School board | Toronto District School Board |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Superintendent | Johanne Messner |
| Area trustee | John Campbell |
| Principal | Corinne Promislow |
| Vice principal | Jennifer Newby |
| Administrator | Wendys Evans |
| Chief custodian | Currently Unknown |
| School type | Middle School |
| Grades | 6 to 8 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Martingrove Road and Princess Margaret Boulevard |
| Motto | Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. |
| Mascot | Jaguar |
| Team name | John G. Althouse Jaguars |
| Colours | Purple and Grey |
| Founded | November 4, 1957 |
| Enrolment | 556 (Fall 2008) |
| Homepage | http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/johngalthouse/ |
John G. Althouse Middle School (JGA) is a middle school located in Toronto, Ontario, near the intersection of Lloyd Manor Road and Princess Margaret Boulevard.
Most graduates of John G. Althouse go to Martingrove Collegiate Institute or Richview Collegiate Institute for their high school education.
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John G. Althouse is notable for its advanced learner special education program, commonly referred to as the "gifted" program, which transferred to John G. Althouse in 1996, after several years of being housed at Islington Junior Middle School.
Because of this program, John G. Althouse is divided into two separate sections, which means awards are presented always with one regular student and one gifted student. When graduating, the student's grades are, if the student has the requisite score, classified and announced as "Honours" (79.5% to 84.4% average), or "Principal's Honours" (84.5% average or higher). Other awards include The Robert J. Blackburn Award, the Principal's Award for Leadership, the Doreen Ferns Personal Growth Award, the G.T. Bowie award, the Barry Gosse award, the Bernie Reuben Music Award, the Toronto Dominion Bank Award, the Citizenship Award, the Tammy Craig Award, the Urban Voices Book Award, the Student Government Award, the Heather Lucko Humanitarian Award, and the title of School Valedictorian, presented to one gifted and one regular student.
John G. Althouse has a music program in which every student is required to play an instrument, either in band or strings. Music classes are taught by music instructors Les Dobbin (band) and Jeff Worden (strings). Each February, John G. Althouse students participate in the Kiwanis Music Festival and the school has won several times.
John G. Althouse also uses the Martingrove Collegiate Institute stage five times a year to showcase their student's musical talents during two different sets of concerts. The annual Christmas concert is called "A Gift of Music", where the seventh and eighth graders perform on two separate nights. The end of the year concert is "Crescendo", where the sixth graders have their first chance to perform on their own night.
John G. Althouse has an Honour Orchestra, Chamber Strings and Stage Band, all of which are renowned around Toronto and maintain a reputation for excellence. Stage Band is directed by Les Dobbin, Chamber Strings is directed by Jeff Worden and Honour Orchestra is co-directed by both Jeff Worden and Les Dobbin (with Jeff Worden directing the strings section and Les Dobbin directing the band section). Les Dobbin also organizes the Toronto Summer Music Camp.[1], which takes place at either Albion Hills Outdoor Education Centre or Mono Cliffs Outdoor Education Centre.
John G. Althouse Middle School opened on November 4, 1957, to 380 pupils. The school is named after Dr. John G. Althouse, who was the Chief Director of Education for the Province of Ontario from 1944 to 1956.
The grade sixes have a chance to go to Crawford Lake in September, to learn about the Wendat and the Iroquois. The grade sevens have three days at Manitou, in Northern Ontario, where they learn about ecosystems and the environment. The students get to choose who they room with during those three days. Different classes are paired up and go together throughout the course of the entire year. The grade eights go on a four day graduation trip to Quebec City, where they learn about the city and the History of Canada.
After winter break, the school hosts two ski days at Horseshoe Resort. Near the end of the year, the grade sixes go to the Young Peoples Theatre and watch a musical or play, whereas seventh and eighth graders have the opportunity to go to Stratford to watch a Shakespearean play.
Many activities are also required for students to participate. They are mostly organized by the Student Government, such as the Terry Fox Run consisting of a five kilometre walk or run at West Deane Park.
From October to February, students in grades seven and eight work on a project for the school Science Fair. About twenty projects receive an Honourable Mention certificate, but the top five winners are picked to go to the city-wide science fair. Students generally place well in the city-wide fair, with two projects winning gold in the 2008 Toronto Science Fair[2] and two projects winning silver[3].It is alternated with the history fair every year.
Starting in the year of 2009/2010, students in grades 7 and 8 participate in the history fair, which alternates with the science fair every year.
Students are encouraged to come to school dressed up, and are given candy if they do. The co-premiers go to each class and judge costumes, and two students of different genders from each grade win prizes for the best costume.
Students serenade the halls a week before winter break by performing Christmas carols at different parts of the school, either by singing or by playing an instrument. Then the students get a chance to deck the doors with recycled holly where they use reuse materials such as green late slips to decorate the classroom door.
Candy canes are also sold during the holiday season. Students can buy the candy canes, which come with a slip of paper attached for a message, and choose to deliver them to other students. All proceeds go to their Free The Children campaign. In 2006, John G. built a school in Sierra Leone and many of their efforts (such as bake sales) have gone towards this school.
Around Valentine's Day, chocolates such as Hershey's Kissables are sold with the same concept as the candy canes: students can buy them, write a message, and send them to other students.
The school's extracurricular instrumental activities are the Honour Orchestra, Chamber Strings, and Stage Band ensembles, all of which require auditioning. The Honour Orchestra is conducted by Les Dobbin and Jeff Worden, and involves both band and string members. In 2007, they went to see the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and in 2009 saw the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra.
The Stage Band has won the first place provincially as the best middle school jazz band. They are conducted by Les Dobbin and have won many awards. In May 2008, the Stage Band went to New York City with the Jazz Choir as part of their tour. The Stage Band and Jazz Choir have also travelled to New Orleans in May 2010. Their uniform is a black polo with a patch that has an inflamed trumpet and boasts, "John G. Althouse Stage Band".
Chamber Strings is conducted by Jeff Worden and won first place in the Provincials as best middle school ensemble. Their uniform consists of black pants and a black polo, with a gray semicircular patch featuring a proud string instrument. It could pass for a violin, viola, cello, or bass. The words "John G. Althouse Chamber Strings" are displayed. In 2008/09 and 2009/10 school years, chamber strings has been invited to play at a concert at Canada's wonderland in the spring/summer season.
A new ensemble introduced in the late 2007/2008 school year was the Wind Ensemble, where students were handpicked and invited by Les Dobbin to join. This ensemble was primarily created to play at the Ontario Music Educators Association conference in November 2008, where Chamber Strings also performed.
The choirs which require auditions are the Jazz Choir and the Chamber Choir. The open choirs are the Grade Six Choir, the Grade Seven and Eight Concert Choir. All choirs are led by the vocal teacher, Joy Reeve.
About 60 members are in the Chamber Choir, which can be invitational. There is no uniform. All members are required to join the 7/8 Concert Choir. The Jazz Choir usually has around eight members that must be in Chamber Choir and 7/8 Concert Choir. The Jazz Choir's uniform is a black polo with a gray patch. On the patch, there is a staff and a treble clef, and in a curlicue font, "JGA Music".
In March 2007, previous vocal teacher Sanela Konjhodzic triumphantly led a 23-member choir to victory at the Real Canadian Anthem Search Contest.[4] This contest was a search for a middle school to sing at the Toronto Raptors basketball game. "It's a great honour to conduct a bunch of loving children who want to sing. They are always ready to sing and that is why I love to see everyday", Konjhodzic stated.
John G. Althouse and Hilltop Middle School as well as Runnymede are considered rival schools, especially in sports competitions.
John G. Althouse students have their own gym uniform, a smoke gray and purple number. A jaguar and "J.G. Althouse Athletics" is emblazoned in purple on the Gildan shirt. "Jaguars" is printed in white on the purple shorts. On the 2008 editions of the uniforms, a blank space was provided for students to write their names and homerooms in.
JGA has many clubs such as the Scrapbook Club, the French Club, the Photography Club, the Art Club, Red Maple Club, Future Aces and the Chess Club.