Inglenook Community High School is a Toronto public high school in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada which offers grade 10, 11, and 12 level courses. It is housed in an historical building designed by

William George Storm William George Storm (October 29, 1826 – 1892) was a Canadian architect who designed a number of prominent monuments in Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Early life William George Storm was born on October 29, 1826 in Burton-upon-Stather, England, son ...

in the Corktown neighbourhood of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Toronto. The school has, on average, one hundred students and six teachers. It is located in the oldest continually-operated school building of the

Toronto District School Board The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), formerly known as English-language Public District School Board No. 12 prior to 1999, is the English-language public-secular school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The minority public-secular franco ...

. In 1994, Inglenook Community High School was named an exemplary school by the Canadian Education Association.

History

In 1985 archaeologists digging on the school grounds uncovered clues regarding Toronto's history as a terminus of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

. Between 1834 and 1890 this site was the home of Lucie and

Thornton Blackburn Thornton Blackburn (c. 1812–1890) was a self-emancipated formerly enslaved man whose case established the principle that Canada would not return slaves to their masters in the United States and thus established Canada as a safe terminus for the ...

, refugee former slaves from Kentucky who started Toronto's first taxicab company. Twin plaques have been erected at this site and one in

Louisville, KY Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

. Inglenook is located in the oldest continually-operated school building in the Toronto District School Board. Originally Sackville Street School, it was designed by William G. Storm. The first principal of Sackville Street School (which replaced Palace Street School at the corner of Front and Cherry Streets) was Georgina Stanley Riches, who served from 1887 to 1912. At one time the school enrolled 269 students. In 1974, Sackville Street School closed and the building became home to both Inglenook Community High School and an aboriginal learning centre, which soon moved out. The school is said to be haunted.

Mission and Framework

Inglenook gives more power to the student body than the average Toronto school. The Committee on Evaluations, Academic Standards and Admissions (CEASA) is the school's disciplinary body. If corrective measures are required, two students and teachers meet with the pupils involved and attempt to rectify the situation. There are no detentions and no letters home. Students are responsible for attendance and schoolwork, which are mandatory.

Overview

Inglenook offers a program called Outreach, typically shortened to "Reach," which is completed on Wednesdays in lieu of traditional courses. The other four schooldays each have a double period to make up for Wednesday's lost time. In Outreach, the student is expected to volunteer in the community for three hours a week. They then relate this experience to one of their academic courses by doing a tie-in project which receives a mark included in the final course grade. After the first semester, students can also perform an equivalent of Outreach, known as Inreach. This is still affiliated with a specific course, and a tie-in project is still completed, but instead of performing volunteer work the student can pursue an interest such as learning to paint, acquiring a new language, or writing a play. Inglenook features an open-access kitchen, which is cleaned (along with dishes from the classrooms and student lounge) by two hoppers after classes each day. Hoppers are two students who are chosen for duty on any particular day, and as it is rotational, each student will only have to clean once per semester. The school features a public art space named the "Inglenook Gallery". There is also a student lounge with furniture and books, and most of the classrooms contain couches.

Notable alumni

Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboard (instrument), keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics ...

, former member of the band Look People, keyboardist for the

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies (BNL) is a Canadian Rock music, rock band which was formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their Barenaked Ladies (EP), self-titled 1991 cassette becoming th ...

. Currently has his own band,

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle (originally Kevin Hearn and the Thin Buckle Band) are a Canadian band consisting of Barenaked Ladies multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn as the front man (typically on guitar or keyboards), bassist Chris Gartner and drum ...

. *

Jaymz Bee Jaymz Bee (born April 13, 1963) is a Canadian musician, writer, emcee and radio personality based in Toronto, Ontario. Early life Jaymz was raised in North Bay, Ontario. He was a founder of the Al Waxman Fan Club at Inglenook Community High Scho ...

, former member of the band Look People, entertainer. * Clay Tyson, former member of the band Look People, son of

Ian and Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. History Early ...

, currently a musician and recording artist. *

Josh Matlow Josh Matlow (born November 27, 1975) is a Canadian politician who has represented Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul's on Toronto City Council since 2010. Matlow ran as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the 2002 Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey ...

, community activist, journalist and

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...

lor for Ward 22, St. Paul's. * Patrick "Pat" Gillett, vocals and guitar for rap rock band

Down with Webster Down with Webster is a Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. The band first achieved commercial success with the release of the 2009 EP, '' Time to Win, Vol. I'' which consisted ...

. * Josh Raskin, director of the animated movie

I Met the Walrus ''I Met the Walrus'' is an animated film directed by Josh Raskin (known for his musical project Kids & Explosions) and produced by Jerry Levitan. It stars Levitan and John Lennon. The film's pen illustration is by James Braithwaite and computer i ...

, nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

. * James Braithwaite, pen illustrator of

. * Brandt Gordon, winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie for his work as Art Director for the film

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, ...

. * Josh McIntyre of the band Little Girls. * DJ Bear Witness of the group A Tribe Called Redhttp://atribecalledred.com

References

External links