Glenforest SS is a high school which offers International Baccalaureate MYP and DP programs.
School Building:
The school itself is 51 years old from the time of this review. One can tell it is not in the best condition because of the unpleasant exterior of the building. One major flaw of the building is its lack of windows. Many classrooms do not have any windows, and the ones which do, have small vertical windows reminiscent of a prison. The school has two floors, and two parts of the building. There are two hallways that connect the school between the two, which get somewhat crowded during lunch break. The school has an auditorium which can house roughly 600 people I believe. It has a stage, three projector screens and a complex lighting system. The school has large classrooms for construction, drama, visual arts and music. The music classroom has two practice rooms. Adjacent to the school, there is a 25 metre public pool with small change rooms and a viewing deck, which gets used for swimming units in Phys. Ed. The track field is large and has goal posts for American football and soccer. It offers risers to sit on as well. The school has two gymnasiums, a large one with school-themed risers and a small one. There is a weight room which offers many bicycles, weights, and machines for class and personal use. There are many small computer labs and one large one in the Library Commons. The LLC offers tables, books and presentation screens. A con of the library is the manual system of checking out books. There are 2 bathrooms for each gender and an inclusive one on the second floor. There is an elevator and a ramp and 8 portables.
Features:
The school has a cookie program that sells cookies: 1 for 75 cents and 2 for a dollar, to fundraise for student business scholarships. There is a food program at the school, and when the cafeteria was active (currently under construction), there was cafeteria junk food. Printing costs are 10 cents per page and 1 dollar for colour page. There is a 6$ fee for lockers, which will be refunded at the end of the year. Students share lockers in grade 10 and 11. The lunch is a common one that lasts 75 minutes like the other 4 periods.
There is a yearly student-run carnival and Spirit Day/Terry Fox Run. There are two school festivals, Winterlude and Printempo, to celebrate music and the arts. There is also a talent show. The school offers the chance to join clubs or to create one's own. Some prominent clubs are Glenforest Association of Music and the Arts (GAMA) if I'm correct, Art Guild, Computer Science Club, Robotics club, etc. There are many sports teams: soccer, flag football, swimming, badminton, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, etc. There are also multiple bands: rock band, grade 9-10 band, 10-12 band and jazz band.
School Life:
The teachers which I've had were mostly civil and helpful. In the IB program, the teachers are said to be trained every few years. I did have problems with some of my teachers, notably the Phys. Ed female teacher which recently became a guidance councilor. She was a passive aggressive teacher and very hypocritical. Her teaching methods consisted of sometimes berating her students for mistakes they did not commit. Another teacher I did not like was a certain famous geography teacher, because of his general unfriendly attitude. Finally, I did not enjoy the "Leadership and Wellness" course and its teachers because of the strange environment and the passive aggressive finance teacher. Overall, I've had many positive interactions with Glenforest's teachers and they gave me great education. Some great teachers, like Mrs. Pierson of the music department, had made my school life particularly enjoyable.
There is a divide between IB kids and mainstream, for reasons unknown.
Regarding Recent Changes:
Glenforest SS is currently under construction to add classrooms. The cafeteria and the hallways that surround it are inaccessible. The faculty suffered cuts and dismissed some teachers. The music program at the school might disappear because of lack of support.