Vincent Massey Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Hon. Vincent Massey Secondary School, commonly known simply as Massey, is a public high school located in the South Windsor neighbourhood of Windsor
, Ontario
, Canada
. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Greater Essex County District School Board
, one of the four school boards
in Windsor
–Essex
. The school was named after Vincent Massey
, the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada
.
The school offers both semestered and non-semestered courses. It is notable within Windsor for offering the enriched program.
During the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Morris the Mustang, the school's mascot, would be paraded around South Windsor's Norfolk Street to celebrate the commencement of the football season.
In the fall of 1966, a swimming pool, a second gym, a cafeteria, technical and business areas, the library and labs were opened to accommodate an increasing student population. Tennis court
s were planned on the parcel of land that sits along Rankin Avenue, but neighbours complained about the project during the 1960s and the land has sat vacant ever since. During this time, the name "Collegiate Institute" was replaced by "Secondary School" to reflect the fact that Vincent Massey had become a fully composite school.
Enrolment was so high at the school during the early 1960s - peaking at over 2,200 students - that a second high school was constructed in South Windsor. Opened in 1970, Centennial Secondary School
created a new learning institution and lowered the enrollment numbers.
In 1984, Vincent Massey became a magnet school
for its enriched programs in mathematics
, science
, English
and French
.
In May 1985, the school's 25th Anniversary Reunion was held.
By the 1980s, the demographics of South Windsor changed greatly and the baby boom population had moved on, leaving Massey with approximately 800 students. In September 1986, most students from Centennial Secondary School relocated to Vincent Massey after Centennial was chosen to be closed due to dwindling enrollment in both schools. Vincent Massey added Orange to its school colours in honour of Centennial, whose school colours were Black and Orange. Their sports teams were also known as the Mustangs.
The school's Community Living Program, currently called STEPS (Skills to Enhance Personal Success) was initiated in 1997.
In 1998, Vincent Massey became a part of the Greater Essex County District School Board after the amalgamation of the Windsor Board Of Education and the Essex County Board of Education.
In 2000, Vincent Massey welcomed students from W. D. Lowe High School
after it closed down in June of that year. From 2001 to 2006, Vincent Massey also admitted Grade 7 and 8 students within their own area of the school named Massey Elementary.
Vincent Massey's 50th Anniversary Reunion was held on October 8 and 9, 2010.
s, a swimming pool
, a weight room
and a library
housed in a circular building, as well as several classrooms and offices for students and staff.
's 2011 Report Card on Ontario's Secondary Schools, Vincent Massey was ranked at 279 out of 727 out of all secondary schools in Ontario in terms of academic performance. In the same report card, Vincent Massey was ranked at third place out of all secondary schools in Windsor; it was surpassed by F. J. Brennan Catholic High School
(ranked at 161 out of 727) and Holy Names High School (ranked at 181 out of 727). Over the last five years, Massey had been ranked at 105 out of 727 in the Fraser Institute's report cards.
Vincent Massey is one of the three schools within Windsor that offers the Advanced Placement program.
Massey has been known for its very strong mathematics program and its excellent performance on University of Waterloo
's CEMC
-administered Pascal (9th Grade), Cayley (10th Grade), Fermat (11th grade) and Euclid (12th grade) mathematics contests. It also competes in other Canadian and American mathematics competitions, such as the American Mathematics Competitions
, where it performs extremely well.
Jean Chrétien
, was presented to Bruce White by former Member of Parliament Herb Gray
.
Another mathematics teacher, Christopher Ing, was one of the recipients the Edyth May Sliffe Award
for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching in 2008.
Business teacher Ross Ferrara won an award of merit from the Ontario Business Educators' Association in 2010 for promoting and increasing awareness of business studies. Ross Ferrara was also selected by the Ontario Ministry of Education
, as the high school teachers representative, to the Financial Literacy Working Group. The working group was convened in mid-2010 at the request of the Curriculum Council to gather information and conduct consultations about ways to embed financial literacy education into the Ontario curriculum. The key findings and recommendations that emerged from the working group were used to create the policy document that followed and was implemented in the fall of 2011.
titles.
The Junior Boys Football Team won the city championship in both 1975 and 1994.
In the 2008-2009 and 2010-2011 season, the Senior Boys Football Team won the city championship.
In the 1987-1988 season, the Senior Boys Soccer Team won the city and the Essex County championship, having the Brazilian exchange student Paulo Soares (nicknamed PIPO) as their international star. In the 1990-1991 season, the Senior Boys Soccer Team again won the city championship in a dramatic penalty shootout against the Lowe Trojans. They later won the county championship.
In 2009, the Massey Swim Team ranked 3rd in the province in men's events, and came 8th overall during the provincial championships. During the OFSAA championships, Massey grabbed Gold in men's 200 Medley Relay two years in a row, and Silver in the 200 Free Relay. Massey also captured two bronze medals in 50 Freestyle and 100 backstroke.
, which is composed of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary-General, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Events, the Minister of Athletics, the Minister of Promotions, four representatives from each senior grade (Grade 11 and 12) and five representatives from each junior grade (Grade 9 and 10). The student council regularly meets to organize events and pep rallies
.
Vincent Massey has several student-run clubs, which includes Classical Studies, Massey Green, World Affairs, Friends of Oakwood Bush, Points and Awards, History Club, Medical Drama, Biology Club, Science Club, Mustard Seeds, Women's Issues, Dance Club, and French Club.
Vincent Massey has had teams for Reach for the Top
since the early 1970s, all of which have always performed very well.
The Massey Web Team (MWT) competed in the OBEA's web site competition in 2002, where it won third place.
The Massey Business Association (MBA), formed in 2009, regularly joins and competes in competitions run by DECA
.
Vincent Massey's school newspaper
is The Stang, which is published four times a year by its editors. It is published during the fall, before winter break, Valentine's Day, and the last week of school.
Vincent Massey's yearbook
is called Pegasus. It is designed yearly by the school's Yearbook Staff.
The school's music department has five bands: Grade 9 Band, Concert, Wind, Jazz and Guitar band, all of which perform concerts throughout the year.
The school's drama department has held various plays and musicals.
Vincent Massey hosts an All Night Dance from 7 PM to 7 AM every year to fundraise for the Children's Christmas Party, an event where children from less fortunate schools are invited to have fun in the school for a day.
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, 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...
. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Greater Essex County District School Board
Greater Essex County District School Board
The Greater Essex County District School Board was created on January 1, 1998 with the amalgamation of the Windsor Board Of Education and the Essex County Board of Education...
, one of the four school boards
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
–Essex
Essex County, Ontario
Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...
. The school was named after Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
, the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
.
The school offers both semestered and non-semestered courses. It is notable within Windsor for offering the enriched program.
History
The school was opened in the fall of 1960 under the name of Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute. The school's was opened under the direction of the Windsor Suburban High School Board and the Windsor Board of Education.During the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Morris the Mustang, the school's mascot, would be paraded around South Windsor's Norfolk Street to celebrate the commencement of the football season.
In the fall of 1966, a swimming pool, a second gym, a cafeteria, technical and business areas, the library and labs were opened to accommodate an increasing student population. Tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s were planned on the parcel of land that sits along Rankin Avenue, but neighbours complained about the project during the 1960s and the land has sat vacant ever since. During this time, the name "Collegiate Institute" was replaced by "Secondary School" to reflect the fact that Vincent Massey had become a fully composite school.
Enrolment was so high at the school during the early 1960s - peaking at over 2,200 students - that a second high school was constructed in South Windsor. Opened in 1970, Centennial Secondary School
Centennial Secondary School (Windsor)
Centennial Secondary School was a public secondary school in Windsor, Ontario from 1969 through 1985. It merged with Vincent Massey Secondary School. The building now houses Holy Names High School.- References :*...
created a new learning institution and lowered the enrollment numbers.
In 1984, Vincent Massey became a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
for its enriched programs in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
In May 1985, the school's 25th Anniversary Reunion was held.
By the 1980s, the demographics of South Windsor changed greatly and the baby boom population had moved on, leaving Massey with approximately 800 students. In September 1986, most students from Centennial Secondary School relocated to Vincent Massey after Centennial was chosen to be closed due to dwindling enrollment in both schools. Vincent Massey added Orange to its school colours in honour of Centennial, whose school colours were Black and Orange. Their sports teams were also known as the Mustangs.
The school's Community Living Program, currently called STEPS (Skills to Enhance Personal Success) was initiated in 1997.
In 1998, Vincent Massey became a part of the Greater Essex County District School Board after the amalgamation of the Windsor Board Of Education and the Essex County Board of Education.
In 2000, Vincent Massey welcomed students from W. D. Lowe High School
W. D. Lowe High School
W. D. Lowe Secondary School was a public secondary school in downtown Windsor, Ontario from 1921 until 2000.- History :...
after it closed down in June of that year. From 2001 to 2006, Vincent Massey also admitted Grade 7 and 8 students within their own area of the school named Massey Elementary.
Vincent Massey's 50th Anniversary Reunion was held on October 8 and 9, 2010.
Campus
Located in the heart of the South Windsor neighbourhood, the campus sits on approximately five acres of land. The school's front doors are located along Liberty Street, while its rear is located near Norfolk Street. The rear of the campus features an athletic field and an oval track. The building itself has two gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
s, a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, a weight room
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
and a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
housed in a circular building, as well as several classrooms and offices for students and staff.
Academics
In the Fraser InstituteFraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
's 2011 Report Card on Ontario's Secondary Schools, Vincent Massey was ranked at 279 out of 727 out of all secondary schools in Ontario in terms of academic performance. In the same report card, Vincent Massey was ranked at third place out of all secondary schools in Windsor; it was surpassed by F. J. Brennan Catholic High School
F. J. Brennan Catholic High School
F.J. Brennan Catholic High School is a catholic secondary school located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It belongs to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board. It serves students from grades 9 to 12.-History:...
(ranked at 161 out of 727) and Holy Names High School (ranked at 181 out of 727). Over the last five years, Massey had been ranked at 105 out of 727 in the Fraser Institute's report cards.
Vincent Massey is one of the three schools within Windsor that offers the Advanced Placement program.
Massey has been known for its very strong mathematics program and its excellent performance on University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
's CEMC
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
The Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing , has become Canada's largest and most recognized outreach organization for promoting and creating activities and materials in mathematics and computer science. The CEMC is housed within the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo...
-administered Pascal (9th Grade), Cayley (10th Grade), Fermat (11th grade) and Euclid (12th grade) mathematics contests. It also competes in other Canadian and American mathematics competitions, such as the American Mathematics Competitions
American Mathematics Competitions
The American Mathematics Competitions are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad . This team, consisting of six high school students, competes in the IMO and has traditionally performed well...
, where it performs extremely well.
Notable teachers
Mathematics teacher Bruce White was one of the recipients of the 1993 Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award, awarded by former Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, was presented to Bruce White by former Member of Parliament Herb Gray
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...
.
Another mathematics teacher, Christopher Ing, was one of the recipients the Edyth May Sliffe Award
Edyth May Sliffe Award
The Edyth May Sliffe Award is given annually to 20 teachers in the United States by the Mathematical Association of America . The awards are funded by a bequest from a retired high school mathematics teacher named Edyth May Sliffe, of Emeryville, California. Her purpose was to award high school...
for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching in 2008.
Business teacher Ross Ferrara won an award of merit from the Ontario Business Educators' Association in 2010 for promoting and increasing awareness of business studies. Ross Ferrara was also selected by the Ontario Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Ontario)
The Ministry of Education is the agency of the Ontario government in the Canadian province of Ontario responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including elementary and secondary schools.This Ministry is responsible for...
, as the high school teachers representative, to the Financial Literacy Working Group. The working group was convened in mid-2010 at the request of the Curriculum Council to gather information and conduct consultations about ways to embed financial literacy education into the Ontario curriculum. The key findings and recommendations that emerged from the working group were used to create the policy document that followed and was implemented in the fall of 2011.
Athletics
Vincent Massey has always had a very strong athletics program. All of Massey's teams are proud owners of many WECESSA, SWOSSA and OFSAAOntario Federation of School Athletic Associations
The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations is an organization of student-athletes, teacher-coaches, student-coaches, teachers, principals, and sport administrators in Ontario, Canada...
titles.
Basketball
In the 1987-1988 season, the Senior Boys Basketball Team went undefeated during the regular season, only to lose a playoff game later.Cross Country
The school has been doing extremely well with the Senior Boys Team winning the OFSAA championship from 2007 to 2009.Football
In the 1987-1988 season, the Senior Boys Football Team won the city championship. However, in the 1988-1989 season, the Senior Boys Football Team lost the city championship in an infamous triple over-time game.The Junior Boys Football Team won the city championship in both 1975 and 1994.
In the 2008-2009 and 2010-2011 season, the Senior Boys Football Team won the city championship.
Soccer
In the 1987-1988 season, the Senior Girls Soccer Team won the city championship.In the 1987-1988 season, the Senior Boys Soccer Team won the city and the Essex County championship, having the Brazilian exchange student Paulo Soares (nicknamed PIPO) as their international star. In the 1990-1991 season, the Senior Boys Soccer Team again won the city championship in a dramatic penalty shootout against the Lowe Trojans. They later won the county championship.
Swimming
In the 1970s, Massey's swim team won many city and provincial championships.In 2009, the Massey Swim Team ranked 3rd in the province in men's events, and came 8th overall during the provincial championships. During the OFSAA championships, Massey grabbed Gold in men's 200 Medley Relay two years in a row, and Silver in the 200 Free Relay. Massey also captured two bronze medals in 50 Freestyle and 100 backstroke.
Student life
Vincent Massey has a student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, which is composed of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary-General, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Events, the Minister of Athletics, the Minister of Promotions, four representatives from each senior grade (Grade 11 and 12) and five representatives from each junior grade (Grade 9 and 10). The student council regularly meets to organize events and pep rallies
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
.
Vincent Massey has several student-run clubs, which includes Classical Studies, Massey Green, World Affairs, Friends of Oakwood Bush, Points and Awards, History Club, Medical Drama, Biology Club, Science Club, Mustard Seeds, Women's Issues, Dance Club, and French Club.
Vincent Massey has had teams for Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top is a Canadian game show in which teams of high school students participate in local, provincial and eventually national trivia tournaments...
since the early 1970s, all of which have always performed very well.
The Massey Web Team (MWT) competed in the OBEA's web site competition in 2002, where it won third place.
The Massey Business Association (MBA), formed in 2009, regularly joins and competes in competitions run by DECA
DECA (organization)
DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
.
Vincent Massey's school newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
is The Stang, which is published four times a year by its editors. It is published during the fall, before winter break, Valentine's Day, and the last week of school.
Vincent Massey's yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
is called Pegasus. It is designed yearly by the school's Yearbook Staff.
The school's music department has five bands: Grade 9 Band, Concert, Wind, Jazz and Guitar band, all of which perform concerts throughout the year.
The school's drama department has held various plays and musicals.
Vincent Massey hosts an All Night Dance from 7 PM to 7 AM every year to fundraise for the Children's Christmas Party, an event where children from less fortunate schools are invited to have fun in the school for a day.
Notable alumni
- Barry PotomskiBarry PotomskiBarry Potomski was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. He played 68 National Hockey League games: 59 with the Los Angeles Kings and 9 with the San Jose Sharks....
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player (moved to London, OntarioLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
for hockey-related reasons before graduating) - Brian MasseBrian MasseBrian S. Masse is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2002, representing the riding of Windsor West as a member of the New Democratic Party....
, Member of Parliament for Windsor WestWindsor WestWindsor West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west and south of a line drawn from the U.S... - Ernie EvesErnie EvesErnest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
, politician (moved to Parry Sound, OntarioParry Sound, OntarioParry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
before graduating) - Patty Handysides, newscaster and reporter for AM800 CKLWCKLWCKLW is a 50,000 watt AM radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz and located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal can be heard as far west as Belding, Michigan; as far east as Batavia, New York; as far south as Edgewood, Kentucky; and as far...
- Michael Breschuk, film and television actor
- Richard PeddieRichard PeddieRichard A. Peddie is the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion...
, President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment - Mitchell Snaden, radio personality in Windsor (CJWF), stage actor, piper Windsor Police Pipe Band