Ridgemont High School (Ottawa)
Encyclopedia
Ridgemont High School. It 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 Roman Catholic high school, and Charles Hulse Elementary School, also in the OCDSB.
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. Ridgemont opened a year earlier than the other two.
Ridgemont is a semestered school offering many programs, such as French immersion, 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: there are over 40 different languages spoken by the 850 students at the school.
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 and 6, 2007, with a reunion of school alumni.
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refers to both the institution responsible for the operation of all English public schools in the city of Ottawa, Ontario and its governing body. Like most school boards, the OCDSB is administered by a group of elected trustees and one director selected...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, 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 located at 2597 Alta Vista Drive in the Alta Vista
Alta Vista (Ottawa)
Alta Vista is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its boundaries can be broadly described as: Smyth Road in the north, St. Laurent Boulevard in the east, Walkley Road and Heron Road in the south, and Bank Street and Riverside Drive in the west...
neighbourhood of Ottawa. It is next door to St. Patrick's High School
St. Patrick's High School (Ottawa)
St. Patrick's High School, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is a Catholic high school publicly funded under the Ontario school system as part of the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board...
, a Roman Catholic high school, and Charles Hulse Elementary School, also in the OCDSB.
History
Work began on Ridgemont in 1957 when 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...
John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
laid the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
. 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
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
and increasing school attendance. Ridgemont was planned and designed at the same time as Rideau High School
Rideau High School
Rideau High School is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board high school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada . It is located at 815 St. Laurent Boulevard in the east end of the city on the edge of Vanier. It is located next to the Queen Elizabeth elementary school. The school opened in 1958...
and Laurentian High School. Ridgemont opened a year earlier than the other two.
Ridgemont is a semestered school offering many programs, such as French immersion, English as a Second Language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
, ECL (Everyday Community Living), and international languages (Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, Arabic, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
).
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: there are over 40 different languages spoken by the 850 students at the school.
Ridgemont is twinned with Bokoro High School, Butha-Buthe
Butha-Buthe
Butha-Buthe is the capital city or camptown of the Butha-Buthe District in Lesotho. It has a population of approximately 10,000 . It is named for Butha-Buthe Mountain to the north of the town, which King Moshoeshoe I used as his a fortification and headquarters from 1821 to 1823, during his war...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
. This twinning is helped by the organization Help Lesotho
Help Lesotho
Help Lesotho is a non-governmental organization that was founded in 2004 by Dr. Peg Herbert. Based in Ottawa, Help Lesotho is made up primarily of Canadians, working to help prevent HIV/AIDS in the country of Lesotho, located in the southern region of Africa. Dr...
and aims to promote literacy.
Ridgemont's 50th Anniversary was celebrated on October 5 and 6, 2007, with a reunion of school alumni.
Student Clubs and Committees
- Drama Club
- RAA (Ridgemont's Athletic Association)
- BEAR Environmental Club
- Ski/Snowboard Club
- Jane Austen Book Club
- Electric Car Club
- Guitar Club
- Knitting Club
- Technology Club
- Women's Anti-Violence
- Chess & Games Club
- Live It Up Team
- Video and Gamers Club
- Islamic Committee
- Student Council
- Weight Training Club
- Leadership Camp
- Reach For The Top Team
- Real Men Read Books Club
- Babysitting Program
- YOUCAN Club
- Help Lesotho Club
- RHS Band (Junior, Senior & Jazz)
- Breakfast Club
- Crafts Club
- The Ridgemont Theatre Company
- GSSA
- OSAID
- Archery Club
- Ping Pong Club
- Safe Schools/Anti-Bullying Committee
- RHS Ambassadors
- RHS Spartan Stars
- EIP/Girls Chat
- Homework Clubs
- Grad Committee
- Journalism Club
- Ridgemont Youth Club
- Library Club
- Math Club
- Debating Club
- First Aid Program
- French Club
Athletics Teams
- Jr. Girls Volleyball
- Sr. Boys Gymnastics Team
- Sr. Boys Volleyball
- Co-ed Volleyball
- Jr. Girls Basketball
- Sr. Girls Basketball
- Jr. Boys Basketball
- Sr. Boys Basketball
- Jr. Boys Rugby
- Sr. Boys Rugby
- Varsity Girls Rugby
- Varsity Girls Touch Football
- Hockey
- Badminton
- Tennis
- Curling
- Ultimate Frisbee (RUF)
- Track and Field
- Golf
- Cross Country Running
Notable alumni
- Ian Affleck (1971), Professor, PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley... - Ken Anderson (1971), Writer and Senior Public Relations Counsel
- Anne Balcer (1971), later Commonwealth Scholar, Doctorate in EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Cambridge University; later executive with JP Morgan - Ian BecksteadIan BecksteadIan Beckstead is a former Canadian Football League offensive lineman who played eleven seasons in the CFL. He was part of the Grey Cup championship-winning Toronto Argonauts in 1983 and 1991. He won the Leo Dandurand Trophy in 1988....
(1977), CFLCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
centre for Ottawa Rough RidersOttawa Rough RidersThe Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
and Toronto ArgonautsToronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta... - Philip Victor Bova; musician, engineer and record producer; did not graduate.
- Christopher Hargadon, Costume DesignerCostume DesignerA costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...
(The Kennedys, Mr. Magorium's Wonder EmporiumMr. Magorium's Wonder EmporiumMr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a 2007 film written and directed by Zach Helm. The film stars Dustin Hoffman as the owner of a magical toy store, and Natalie Portman as his store employee.-Plot:...
, A Nero Wolfe MysteryA Nero Wolfe MysteryA Nero Wolfe Mystery is a television series adapted from Rex Stout's classic series of detective stories that aired for two seasons on the A&E Network. Set in New York City in the early 1950s, the stylized period drama stars Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin...
; also 2006 Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominee) - Thomas A. Houston (1971), Lawyer and Managing Partner, Ottawa Office, Fraser Milner CasgrainFraser Milner CasgrainFraser Milner Casgrain LLP is one of Canada’s leading business & litigation law firms. With more than 520 lawyers it is the sixth largest law firm in Canada as well as the largest law firm in Western Canada...
- Rob Khurana (1987) Los Angeles-based composer of soundtrack music for film and television.
- Julie NesrallahJulie NesrallahJulie Nesrallah is a Canadian mezzo-soprano and radio host.Nesrallah studied music performance at McGill and Carleton Universities and has worked in Vienna with David Aronson....
(1987) Opera Singer - Colleen PetersonColleen PetersonColleen Susan Peterson was a Canadian country and folk singer, who performed both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Quartette.-Career:...
(1950–1996), member of 3's a Crowd3's a Crowd (band)3's a Crowd was a folk rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that existed from 1964 to 1969. The group is particularly notable for its association with Cass Elliott, who co-produced the group's sole album release...
, later notable solo Canadian singer-songwriter and member of QuartetteQuartette (band)Quartette is a Canadian country-folk group featuring Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick and Sylvia Tyson. Each of the four members also records as a solo artist in addition to their work as a group.-Biography:...
; did not graduate. - Holly Small (1971), Choreographer and Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, York UniversityYork UniversityYork University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
- Michael Taylor (1970; 1951–2010), former Executive Vice President, Atomic Energy of Canada LimitedAtomic Energy of Canada LimitedAtomic Energy of Canada Limited or AECL is a Canadian federal Crown corporation and Canada's largest nuclear science and technology laboratory...
- Tim Wynne-JonesTim Wynne-JonesTim Wynne-Jones is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.-Biography:Born...
(1967), multi award-winning author of children's literature.