Ridgemont High School (Ottawa)

Infobox Education in Canada
name=Ridgemont High School


imagesize=
motto= Knowledge is Power
motto_translation=
streetaddress=2597 Alta Vista Drive
city=Ottawa
province=Ontario
postalcode=K1V 7T3
publictransit=
homepage=http://www1.ocdsb.ca/ridgweb/
schoolnumber=
schoolboard=Ottawa Carleton District School Board
district=
oversight=
affiliation=None
superintendent=
trustee=
principal=Mary Bada
assistant_principals=
viceprincipal=Jan Perry,
Mike Lafleur
administrator=Brenda Beattie
custodian= Dale Lusk
staff=91 (2005)
grades=
language=
area=
communities=
feeders=
campus=Suburban
mascot=Spartan
teamname=
colours=Green, White
founded=1958
enrollment=850
enrollment_as_of=2005

Ridgemont High School is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board secondary school in Ottawa, Canada. The school is located at 2597 Alta Vista Drive in the Alta Vista neighbourhood of Ottawa. It is next door to St. Patrick's High School, a Catholic high school, and Charles Hulse Elementary School, also in the OCDSB.

Work began on Ridgemont in 1957 when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker laid the cornerstone. The school opened the next year, one of a series of composite schools built by the Ottawa Collegiate Board during the 1950s and 1960s to deal with the baby boom and increasing school attendance. Ridgemont was planned and designed at the same time as Rideau High School and Laurentian High School. Rideau opened a year earlier than the other two. Laurentian High School closed at the end of the 2005-2006 school year, due to lack of enrollment. The land on which the school stands has been sold off by the OCDSB.

Ridgemont is a semestered school offering many programs such as French immersion, gifted, English as a Second Language, ECL (Everyday Community Living), and international languages (Somali, Arabic, Spanish).

Ridgemont derives the basis of its population from the surrounding neighbourhoods of Ottawa South. The Alta Vista, Ledbury, and South Keys areas of Ottawa South all feed into the school. Ridgemont is known for its high ethnic diversity; more than half of the schools 850 students are Muslim.

Ridgemont is twinned with Bokoro High School, Butha-Buthe, Lesotho. This twinning is helped by the organization Help Lesotho and aims to promote literacy.

Ridgemont's 50th Anniversary was celebrated on October 5 & 6, 2007, with a reunion of school alumni.

Awards

* HARMON AWARD:Awarded to the student with the highest standing in Grade 9 French.
* THE JAMES VALLIANT AWARD: Awarded to the student with the highest standing in Grade 11 French.
* JOHN BETHUNE AWARD: Awarded to the student with the highest standing in Grade 10.
* MATHEMATICS AWARDS / CERTIFICATES OF DISTINCTION (TOP AWARD): Candidates scored in the top 25% of all contestants across Canada.
* MATHEMATICS AWARDS / MEDALS: The top score in each grade qualifies the person for a medal provided they obtained more than a specified number of points. A person may win a medal and not be in the top 25% of all students.
* TINA ABBENDA AWARD: This award is given to a Grade 9 student who maintained a high academic standard throughout the school year. Exams marks are not taken into consideration when selecting an award winner.
* VICE-PRINCIPAL'S AWARD: Awarded to the student who contributed the most to the life of the school during school 2000/01
* PRINCIPAL'S AWARD: Awarded to the student with highest standing in Grade 9.
* RIDGEMONT SCHOLAR AWARDS: Awarded to the top four students of each grade who attain an average between 80 percent and 90 percent. The Grade 12 students were awarded at Commencement in June.
* RIDGEMONT MASTER SCHOLARS AWARDS: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Awards for general proficiency; awarded to students who attain an average of 90 percent or better:
* SENIOR BAND AWARD: This award goes to a graduating member of the senior band who has demonstrated commitment and dedication to the program throughout their High School years. N.B. (This is awarded when the Arthur Very Memorial Award is not suited)
* BUSINESS STUDIES CERTIFICATE: Awarded to those students who have successfully completed eight credits over 4 years in business studies courses or other courses which have business ideas in them.
* CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION ASSOCIATE STORE (HERON ROAD) SCHOLARSHIP: Presented to the student with the highest mark in Grade 12 Economics.
* CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION TEACHER'S AWARD: Awarded to the student who has benefitted the most from the Co-operative Education Program at Ridgemont High School.
* THE OCEA AWARD: Awarded to the student who has both benefitted the most from and contributed most to Co-op Education at Ridgemont.
* RIDGEMONT CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION AWARD: Awarded annually to the full time student who best represents Ridgemont High School in the World-of-Work.
* THE ART/DRAMA AWARD: Presented to a graduating student who exemplified a love for the arts and contributed to the life of the school.
* THE ENGLISH CREATIVE WRITING AWARD: Awarded to a student for excellence in creative writing skills.
* RIDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH AWARD: Awarded to the student with the highest achievement in Grade 12 English.
* ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AWARD: Awarded to a graduating student who achieved four credits in ESL/ESD at Ridgemont High School and who also achieved high academic standing.
* W.R. PLANTZ MATHEMATICS AWARD: Awarded to the graduating student who, on their first attempt, received the highest standing in three Senior Mathematics courses taken at Ridgemont High School.
* THE ARTHUR W. VERY MEMORIAL AWARD: Awarded to the Senior Music student who exhibited outstanding leadership in the department.
* GRADE 12 SCIENCE AWARD FOR SCIENTIFIC DISTINCTION: Awarded to those students who achieved a mark of 90% or greater as a final mark in a Grade 12 Science course at Ridgemont High School in the school year.
* ANDREW FITZSIMONS TROPHY: Awarded to the graduating student with the highest average in any two Grade 12 Science courses.
* THE I.O.D.E. HISTORY AWARD: Presented to the student with the highest standing in Grade 12 History/Canadian Family course.
* PERFECT ATTENDANCE: Awarded to those students who achieved perfect attendance for the school year.
* YEARBOOK PRESENTATION: Awarded to the student whose hard work and dedication made the Yearbook a great success.
* UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO NATIONAL BOOK AWARD: The University of Toronto National Scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, original and creative thought and exceptional achievement in a broad text. The National Scholars will be those who not only excel in academic pursuit but also have an enthusiasm for intellectual exploration and an involvement in the life of their school and community.
* THE DORIS MARSH MEMORIAL BURSARY: Awarded to a graduating student to further his/her education at a post-secondary education institution.
* JIM McNAMARA AWARD: Awarded to a graduating student who has attended Ridgemont for at least three years and during that time has taken senior mathematics at the general or advanced phase and has participated in school activities such as student government, sports, and clubs.
* GEORGE M. GOWLING TROPHY: Awarded to the senior boy who combined high scholarship, outstanding athletic ability, and all-round leadership in the life of the school.
* RUTH SWARTZEN TROPHY: Awarded to the senior girl who combined high scholarship, outstanding athletic ability, and all-round leadership in the life of the school.
* SPARTAN AWARDS: Awarded to non-returning senior students who made a significant contribution to Ridgemont.
* BEAVER FOODS LIMITED BURSARY: Awarded to the graduating student(s) who displayed strong leadership and scholastic ability during their years at Ridgemont High School.
* JANET BROWN MEMORIAL AWARD:Awarded to the student(s) who has earned a high school diploma in spite of obstacles and adversities and who has shown a high degree of courage and perseverance in so doing.
* RIDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL STAFF AWARD: Awarded to the graduating student(s) who has achieved academic success and exhibited good citizenship in the school and community.
* THE ALBERT McMAHON LEADERSHIP AWARD: Awarded to the senior student who made an outstanding contribution to Ridgemont.
* THE HENRY BIRKS MEDAL:Awarded to the student who demonstrated the highest qualities of good citizenship and leadership.
* THE KELLY NOEL AWARD: Awarded to the graduating student who demonstrates a passion for mathematics and the Spartan Spirit.
* THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PRINCIPAL'S STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD: Each school nominates one student leader who has demonstrated outstanding leadership.
* THE PRINCIPAL'S PRIZE: Awarded to the student who contributed the most to the life of the school.
* GOVERNOR GENERAL'S MEDAL: The Governor General of Canada Bronze Medal is awarded to the graduating student who achieved the highest average based on the best twelve senior division Ridgemont High School day school credits taken in the twenty-four calendar months leading up to graduation.
* GRADUATING RIDGEMONT SCHOLARS: Presented to the top students of each year (maximum of 4) who attained an average between 80% and 90%.
* RIDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL MASTER SCHOLARS: For overall proficiency presented to students who attain an average of 90% or better.

List of clubs

*Muslim Association
*Ambassadors
*Archery
*
*Band: Junior
*
*BEAR (Beautification and Environmental Association of Ridgemont)
*Cheerleading
*Choir
*Drama
*Electric Car
*Exposé
*Golf
*Gay-Straight Student Alliance
*Grad Committee
*Guitar Club
*Help Lesotho
*Improv
*Knitting
*OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Drivers)
*Outdoor Education
*Peer Mediation
*Reach For The Top
*Robotics
*Ski/Snowboard
*Students' Council
*Tech Crew
* STAFF CLUB
* gimmer club

Competing teams

*Badminton
*
*Basketball: Junior/Senior Boys, Junior/Senior Girls( . )
*Hockey
*Improv
*Rugby Union: Junior/Senior Boys, Girls (Last Year's Record Jr. Boys 0,2,3)
*Soccer: Junior/Senior Boys, Junior/Senior Girls
*Tennis
*Ultimate
*Volleyball: Junior/Senior Boys, Junior/Senior Girls
*Cross Country
*Drama

Facts

*The Ridgemont yearbook is titled "The Acropolis"
*Ridgemont's Jazz Band received a Gold standing for two years running (2005, 2006) in the Kiwanis music Festival
*A trip to Greece was organized for March break of 2007.
*Ridgemont holds an annual Multicultural fashion show where ethnic food is served and cultural clothing is displayed
*Ridgemont used to run a radio station, named 107.5 Spartan Radio
*Ridgemont is known for its embrace of multiculturalism: 45 different languages are represented at Ridgemont
*Ridgemont puts on an annual Spring Production.
*Other events include: Arts Night, Music Night, Awards Night
*Holds yearly Eid Dinner
*The 2009 Grad Trip will be to Spain
*Holds the same name as a fictional school in the 1982 film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
*Gordon Lightfoot once played at RHS for a school dance in the 1960's.

See also

*List of schools in Ottawa

References

*Keith, Janet. "The Collegiate Institute Board of Ottawa: A Short History, 1843-1969." Ottawa: Kent, 1969.

External links

* [http://www.ridgemonths.ocdsb.ca/index.php?id=23 School Website]
* [http://www.ridgemonths.ocdsb.ca/index.php?id=23 RHS Reunion Information]
* [http://www.ocdsb.ca/ OCDSB Website]
* [http://www.ocdsb.ca/profiles/2006_2007/RIDG.pdf 2006-2007 OCDSB School Profile]
* [http://www.ocdsb.ca/profiles/2005_2006/RIDG.pdf 2005-2006 OCDSB School Profile]
* [http://www.ocdsb.ca/profiles/2004_2005/RIDG.pdf 2004-2005 OCDSB School Profile]