Harry Ainlay High School

Harry Ainlay Composite High School

In Omnibus Excelsior
In all things Excellence
Location
4350 111 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Coordinates 53°28′47″N 113°31′06″W / 53.4797°N 113.5183°W / 53.4797; -113.5183Coordinates: 53°28′47″N 113°31′06″W / 53.4797°N 113.5183°W / 53.4797; -113.5183
Information
Type Public
Established 1966
School district Edmonton Public Schools
Principal Gane Olsen
Grades 10–12
Enrollment 2500
Color(s) Royal Blue      White     
Athletics conference Bright Conference
Mascot Bambam
Team name Titans
Website ainlay.ca

Harry Ainlay High School is a Canadian high school located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in the Royal Gardens Community, south of Whitemud Drive on 111 Street. The school is operated by the Edmonton Public School System, and has wide variety of educational opportunities for students, including: full French Immersion instruction, the International Baccalaureate Program, Career and Technology Studies, and Registered Apprenticeship programs. The school has an enrollment of over 2,400 students in 2007. Since opening in 1966, the school has produced over 20,000 graduates.

The school sports teams are the Titans and their mascot is a blond Rambo-type character who has yet to be officially named. The school is named after a former Edmonton mayor, Harry Dean Ainlay.

Academics

French Immersion

Harry Ainlay is one of the high schools in the Edmonton Public School System that offers full French Immersion for all core courses. "French Immersion students are taught in French 100 per cent of the time (Exception:English Courses and most optional courses. I.E.: Language Arts) . . . Students have the opportunity to achieve international language certification and recognition upon graduation."[1] The school has also hosted the French Gala for several years, where French students from across Edmonton Public Schools gather in a speech competition.

International Baccalaureate Program

Harry Ainlay was the first school in Alberta to introduce the International Baccalaureate program and is one of eight schools in the Edmonton Public School System offering an International Baccalaureate diploma program.[2] Having a diploma graduating class normally greater than fifty students, Ainlay has one of the largest IB classes in Alberta. However, this is often attributed to the large population base of the school, with about 450 students enrolled in the diploma program and 200 students enrolled in the certificate program each year.[3]

Harry Ainlay currently offers IB courses in Biology (HL), English (A1) (HL), History (HL), Physics (SL, HL), and Visual Arts (SL, HL), Chemistry (SL), French (B), Spanish (B), German (A1 or ab initio), Japanese (B or ab initio), Mathematics (SL), Music (SL), and Theatre Arts (SL). There have been several students write A1 examinations in their native languages including: German, Arabic, and Japanese.[4]

Career and technology studies

The school offers a variety of programs aimed to help students develop skills for employment after graduation. These include: Automotives, Cosmetology, Computer Programming & Animation, Web Design, Communication Technology, Construction, Design Studies,Culinary Arts and Welding. Preparatory courses in Cosmetology and Culinary Arts are offered at the school.

Athletics

Annual sports tournaments

Harry Ainlay plays host to two major sports tournaments annually: the Titan Volleyball Tournament and the Tri-Province Basketball Tournament. Both tournaments host a Men's and a Women's draw, and run over three weekends, one each for the Senior, Junior, and Junior High tournaments. The tournaments at Harry Ainlay are entirely student-run. The Executive Committee for each tournament is composed entirely of students who work with a staff tournament director.

The Titan Volleyball Tournament (TVT) is traditionally held in October, and began in 1978 as a small local tournament. Since then it has grown into a much larger Invitational tournament, drawing competition from as far away as Norway. The strongest teams from the Public and Catholic school districts of Edmonton and surrounding area are invited to compete. Typically several teams from Calgary and Southern Alberta, as well as a few out-of-province teams are invited.

The Tri-Province Basketball Tournament (Tri-Prov) is usually held at the beginning of February. Tri-Prov was founded by current City of Edmonton City Council member Bryan Anderson in 1974. It began as a Senior Men's tournament, but has since expanded to include Senior Women, Junior Men and Women, and a Junior High Men and Women. Top-calibre teams from four provinces, Alberta, Manitoba Saskatchewan and British Columbia, compete in Junior and Senior Male and Female divisions.

The largest, and most popular tournament of all tournaments at Harry Ainlay high school is the annual dodgeball tournament. The Harry Ainlay intramural dodgeball tournament was created in 2005. The Dodgeball tournament pits 32 teams against each other in a round-robin type single elimination competition. There is a large hanging banner in the rotunda that keeps everybody updated on which teams face off. The tournament usually runs from mid-November to early December. Every year the tournament has grown in popularity with the 2009 tournament having record breaking numbers of spectators in the stands.

Extracurricular student activities

Programs run by students, for students, are important and widespread and give students the opportunity to organize students' union events such as Touch of Class, Aloha Ainlay, Halloween, Christmas Week, Culturefest and Oktoberfest. Many clubs, including the History Movie Club, Habitat for Humanity, Games Club, Me to We, Amnesty International, Knitting Club, Anime Club, High School Model United Nations, Equal Rights Ainlay, The Titanic Newspaper, Encounters With Canada, and the LEAF Club, are also available at Ainlay as well, with plenty of opportunities to start new clubs or associations.[5]

New grade 10 students, coming to Ainlay are invited to take part in Link Crew, a program used across the country to get students acquainted with the school, meet new friends and register for school on their own for the first time.[6]

Motivated students may also submit applications to 2 Councils and various Executive Committees to take a more vigorous participation in a certain activity.

The Student Council is a body that oversees the general student activities and is led by an elected Student Council President, assisted by an appointed Executive Assistant. The Student Council has 4 appointed Vice Presidents, each overseeing a Board of 3 grade Representatives. In total, there are 18 members, with a few exceptions.

The Graduation Council is a body that oversees the graduating class and the execution of the graduation ceremonies. Like the Student Council, it is led by an elected President. The Graduation Council President is assisted by the Vice President, who is appointed. Then there are many positions that correspond to specific needs of the Graduation, such as raising funds, advertisements, sponsors, finances, secretarial services, banquet, commencement, and media technicalities. The participation in the Graduation Council, including its Presidential Elections, requires you to be a member of the graduating class.

In addition to the two Councils that are headed by elected Presidents, many Executive Committees exist to provide more specific needs and entertainment to the school's community. These Executive Committees are appointed by Teacher Advisors, including the Committee's leader. Executive Committees in the school include: Anime Club/Soba Bowl Festival Executive Committee, Awards Board Committee, Battle of the Bands Committee, Culture Fest Executive Committee, Link Crew Executive Committee, Me to We Executive Committee, Titans International Executive Committee, Touch of Class Executive Committee, Tri-Prov Executive Committee, TVT Executive Committee, and Yearbook Committee.

Performing and fine arts

Art

The Arts sector of Harry Ainlay Fine Arts Dept. develop artistic skills and discipline designed to provide instruction in a variety of art techniques and materials. Students enrolled in Art will develop their creativity, visual literacy, and production skills. The Art sector also teaches independence in students' studio work and investigations. Students are encouraged to develop a personally and culturally meaningful body of work, and perform research in order to develop works that express their personal vision of the world. Art courses are available in IB, and the annual IB Art Show is a major event at the Harry Ainlay Art Program.

Ceramics

The Ceramics course was cut by administration due to funding. In the same year, the school put a significant amount of budget from the Fine Arts to the Athletics, renovating an Arts Classroom into a Fitness Centre. The Ceramics program was designed to provide students with hand-building and throwing techniques, as well as decorating and glazing techniques necessary for the construction of functional and artistic objects. Students are encouraged to experiment with forms and expression, and to explore the expressive potential of the medium of clay.

Drama

The Drama sector of Harry Ainlay Fine Arts Dept. develops confidence, concentration, creativity, and communication skills required for performances in theatre. Ensemble work, history of theatre, disciplines of theatre including Movement, Speech, Improvisation, Technical Theatre, and Theatre Studies are taught in class. The roles of playwright, actor, director, designer, and critic are learned through practical research and performance opportunities. Play analysis skills are also developed, specifically by participating in the performance and the directing of the One Act Play. This major drama production held annually demonstrates Script Analysis, Concepts, Designs, Models, Technical Staging, and the Total Process through to Performance. The grade twelve class company is responsible for all elements of the One Act Play, including production, direction, design, construction, acting, and management. The Drama courses are available in IB.

The Drama sector also includes the Technical Theare program that develops practical knowledge that aids in the preparation and presentation of a production. The program prepares students for post-secondary and professional performance experiences by enhancing skills in pre-production, rehearsals, management, post production, team building, and show run. Students are expected to stage-manage a production at some point in the grade twelve level.

Another program that the Drama sector provides is Advanced Acting. This program includes students involved with theatre production outside of the regular school times, such as cast members of all full-length productions and One Act Plays. Entrance to the course is by open auditions.

Dance

The Dance sector at Harry Ainlay Fine Arts Dept. is designed to allow students to explore a wide range of dance forms including Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Tap, and Folk. Other aspects such as choreography, history, body image, fitness, and dance appreciation are studied. Strength, poise, flexibility, and confidence as a dancer are developed through process and performance. Other aspects covered are composition, anatomical principles, and dance criticism.

Music

The Harry Ainlay Music Program includes instructions in Choral, Instrumental(Ensemble), and Instrumental(Guitar). Extracurricular programs such as the Jazz Bands (A & B Stage Bands), Jazz Choir, Jazz Combo, Honour Choir, Brass Choir, and others groups are conducted according to school year. Entrance into these groups are by audition. The Music Dept. also travels to Camp Nakamun for the annual Music Camp in order to establish unity among ensembles and to provide students with clinics by professional musicians. The music students allowed on the Music Camp, frequently called Band Camp, are to be enrolled in either the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, or the Choir. The Music Dept. annually performs on tours internationally, primarily showcasing the Symphonic Band Ensemble. On some of the tours only the Symphonic Band is able to attend, due to lack of support and funding from administration. The music program thus has established its own charity organization called the Harry Ainlay Music Parents' Association(HAMPA), which funds most of the Music Camps and parts of the Tour costs.

The Choral Music course at the Harry Ainlay Music Program provides opportunity for students to develop their musical talents through a choral experience. Emphasis on the development of individual vocal technique and the ability to sing in parts are placed, and a wide variety of choral music and styles are studied.

The General Music course at the Harry Ainlay Music Program provides instructions in the instrument of the Guitar. Separated into three levels of Beginning, Continuing, and Advanced, the students are instructed in basic guitar techniques including reading of melodies and rhythms, chording, strumming, and finger-picking. Music theory as it relates to guitar performance is also covered in the course. Techniques are also applied to the performances of all styles of guitar, including classical, folk, pop, and rock. Students graduate with performing experiences, as well as advanced theory and chord reading as part of the Advanced Guitar course.

The Concert Band ensemble at the Harry Ainlay Music Program is a course for continuing band students with a minimum of 2 years of study and experience on a band instrument either at a junior high school or through private lessons. Through the performance of study of band literature, students will increase technical skills and gain competence in performing and appreciating music as an artistic form of expression.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ Program Choices - Languages - French Immersion
  2. ↑ Program Choices - International Baccalaureate - Diploma Programme
  3. ↑ "Individual School Profiles". Edmonton Public Schools. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  4. ↑ Harry Ainlay High School
  5. ↑ Harry Ainlay - Students Union
  6. ↑ Harry Ainlay - Link Crew
  7. ↑ "Festival Place – Show Details (Samantha King Trio; Dino Dominelli)". Festival Place. 2011-09-12.
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