Dartmouth High School (Nova Scotia)

Dartmouth High School is a public secondary school located in the Brightwood neighbourhood in the north end of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Encompassing grades 10 through 12, Dartmouth High School has always had a wide variety of courses, ethnic groups, and options for students. Along with English, the school also offers the French immersion program. Dartmouth High overlooks the Halifax Harbour, which can be seen from about one sixth of the rooms in the building.

Staff

During the 2005-2006 school year, Dartmouth High School has had a teaching staff of roughly 60, with about 12 support staff. Due to changes in the teacher pension plan in Nova Scotia, 19 retired in 2006.

The school's former principal, Phil Legere, was honoured with the SAA "Distinguished Principal's Award" in 2005. He retired in 2008. The principal is now Eartha Monard.

The arts

In 2001, 2003 and 2006, the school's concert band went to Cuba to help promote music and perform in the country. The concert band usually goes on lengthy and distant trips each year, though in 2007, they went on a smaller scale trip to Cape Breton for the Cape Breton Music Festival, and did not go anywhere in 2009, instead taking part in an Arts night, sponsored by the HRSB. In 2008 the band visited several European countries including Austria and the Czech Republic, and played in the Atlantic Music Festival. The band went to Boston in 2010. The School also has a Choral Group, Jazz Band,^[2] Ska Ensemble,^[3] and other smaller scale ensembles. A Battle of the Bands is held regularly in support of the Music Department.

The drama department stages a large scale production each year, usually in conjunction with the school's band.

Stage productions

2011: A Christmas Carol
2010: Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
2009: Once Upon a Mattress
2008: Sweeney Todd
2007: West Side Story
2006: Othello
2005: Ducktails and Bobbysocks
2004: The Flies
2003: Hotel Paradiso
2002: The Importance of Being Earnest
1998: The Girl Who Wasn't Blue
1997: Hollywood Hotel
1996: Cats
1995: The Baltimore Waltz

Athletics

Rivalry

Dartmouth High School has competitive teams in all the major high school sports. The Spartans excel most often in cross country and track and field where they have won many Metro banners. The Spartans have also won many recent Metro Boys Rugby titles, and Tier II Football titles in 1995, 2004, 2010. The last Tier I Football Championship was won in 1971.

Dartmouth High School maintains a sports rivalry with cross-town school Prince Andrew High School, who they play each Thanksgiving in football, called the Turkey Bowl. The Turkey Bowl was suspended for the 2010 season due to vandalism of the playing field and fan violence.

School renovations

In March 2011 demolition started of northeast side of the school for the construction of new gymnasium facility and an entire wing under the direction of the Nova Scotia Department of Education. The Gymnasium was completed in 2012, fully equipped with new locker rooms and storage room. The project is expected to take 3 years and it required the offices of the Nova School Boards Association to be relocated . In the fall of 2010 school wide electrical upgrades started as well as a new roof.

References

External links

• Dartmouth High School official website
• School profile at Halifax Regional School Board
• DHS staff directory
• Dartmouth High School virtual tour