Bernice MacNaughton High School

Bernice MacNaughton High School
"Qui valet sustinet" * Strength to Endure
Address
999 St. George Blvd. Moncton, New Brunswick, E1E 2C9, Canada
Information
School number	1569
School board	District 2
Religious affiliation	None
Superintendent	Karen Branscombe
Principal	Judy Roper
Vice Principals	Steve Cormier Karen Lockewood
Staff	78 [1]
School type	Public coeducational high school
Grades	9–12
Language	English, French Second-Language
Area	Moncton Crescent and Moncton West
Mascot	Highlander
Team name	The Highlanders
Colours	Green      and White
Yearbook	ceilidh
Newspaper	The Highlander
Founded	1975
Enrolment	944 (September 3, 2008)
Feeder schools	Bessborough, Evergreen Park, Hillcrest[2]
School Song	BMHS Fight Song
CEEB code	823305
Homepage	http://www.bmhs.ca/
*Formerly "In Deo Spero" (I hope in God).

Bernice MacNaughton High School, or simply BMHS (formerly known as Dr. L. Bernice MacNaughton High School, or LBMHS), is a high school in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada situated at 999 St. George Blvd.

Bernice MacNaughton has recently adopted a house system (see below) consisting of four houses called "clans".

Name

Bernice MacNaughton High School was named after Dr. L. Bernice MacNaughton, a Moncton teacher.^[3]

Bernice MacNaughton High School is also unofficially known as Bernice MacNaughton, MacNaughton and Bernie Mac. Its sports teams have often been referred to as "the Mean Green", "the Green Machine", "the Fight Club" (stemming from the school's "Fight Song") and "the Green Monster", and its students as "Green Monsters", after students coined the catch phrase in 2001.^{[citation needed]}

History

Founded in 1975 as a trade school, Bernice MacNaughton originally accommodated 1,400 students. It became the MacNaughton Science & Technology Center (M.S.T.C.) in 1994 but was reestablished as a high school in 1999, consisting only of grade nine students.^[3] 2003 saw the first graduating class of BMHS. MacNaughton underwent an extensive multi-million dollar renovation between 2000 and 2003; additions included construction of a new gymnasium and several classrooms. By 2005, a new roof for the school's cafeteria had been completed. The auditorium was renovated in 2006.

School Improvement Plan

Major additions/upgrades were part of the fourth and final structural phase of the BMHS School Improvement Plan. Drafting began in early 2001, with the final outline being completed on May 21, 2003. Cosmetic plans of Phase 4 originally included extensive landscaping, additional lighting, resurfacing existing driveway/parking areas, paving non-asphalt areas, and a proposed change in the location of the school's entrance (which is located on St. George, directly preceding a busy on-ramp/intersection), the latter facilitating the flow of traffic. Preliminary independent traffic studies on this matter have been conducted but no conclusive results have been reached. Notably, traffic lights have since been installed down the street from the school's entrance, showing a positive effect on the traffic flow and pace. Repairs deemed "regular maintenance", including the existing roof (which by 2002, was in disrepair, with a total repair cost estimate of roughly $700,000) were not initially addressed by original Improvement Plan, but were later worked into it.

The Bernice MacNaughton School Improvement Plan was first drafted with the aid of School District 2, under the supervision of Jim Stevenson, the District Education Council (DEC), members of the school's Student Parent Advisory Committee (SPAC), including Mark Vautour, Trent Munn, Jonathan Estey, Peter Ghansiam, and Mary Laltoo (PSSC/DEC representative), under the leadership of Chairman Robin Craig, along with Ms. Susan Ross (Principal), Mr. Jack Powers (Vice Principal), and various other community leaders, all of whom collaborated on this extensive project.^[4]

Facilities

MacNaughton is located in Moncton's West end, a natural and green environment. Despite its proximity to one of Moncton's main roads, MacNaughton offers access to cross-country ski trails and two sports fields. It is also within walking distance of the city's walking trails and Centennial Park.

The school is spaciously designed with a large, central cafeteria and foyer. The gymnasium features separate parking and entrances for special functions, and the auditorium can support fully orchestrated theatrical and musical productions. BMHS also has several science laboratories, special woodworking and metalworking shops, two art rooms, one darkroom, several computer labs, and two music rooms.

Academic life

Courses

Bernice MacNaughton High School runs on a two-semester arrangement. Most courses are a full-semester course, but some, like grade nine specialty courses (e.g. physical education, visual arts) are half-semester courses. Students take five sixty-minute courses every day, with five-minute breaks in between. School commences at 08:45 (AST). Students have three courses in the morning, directed learning following the second period, followed by a one-hour lunch and two courses. The school day ends at 15:33 AST. MacNaughton offers students a wide variety of courses, from aviation technology to Mandarin, as well as five Advanced Placement courses: Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Literature and Composition, French Language, and Psychology.

House system

Upon arrival at MacNaughton, students are automatically and randomly sorted into one of four houses, called "Clans": the Campbell Clan, the MacDonald Clan, the MacLeod Clan, and the Stewart Clan. The Clan names are all references to Highland Scottish clans, referencing BMHS's Highlander mascot and pride. Eight twelfth grade Clan Leaders are appointed to each Clan.^[5]

Directed Learning

In 2008, BMHS adopted a Directed Learning period, or "Period 6". This thirty-minute "class" was implemented in order to allow students of the same Clan—but varying grade levels—to study, work on homework, or gain extra help in assigned classrooms. This was further altered for the 2009–10 school year, where Directed Learning was moved to 10:54 AM between Periods 2 and 3.

Extracurricular activities

BMHS offers an extensive array of extracurricular activities:

Arts

Bernice MacNaughton offers various arts-related extracurricular activities. Many are music-related and deal with BMHS's annual musical production. They include:

• Choir (Chorus)
• Drama (Cast)
• Orchestra (Band)
• Props Committee

Athletics

MacNaughton offers a wide selection of sports clubs and organized teams at the junior varsity and senior varsity, male and female, levels. These vary from year to year and include:

Badminton Baseball Basketball Cross country

Curling Field hockey Football Golf

Hockey Rugby union Soccer Swimming

Track and field Volleyball Wrestling

Bernice MacNaughton has also captured a number of New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association (NBIAA) sports titles: 2004 12 Man Football, 2005 Girls Field Hockey, 2005–2006 AAA Junior Girls Basketball, 2006 Girls Wrestling, 2006 12 Man Football, 2007 AAA Senior Girls Basketball, 2007 AAA Senior Boys Volleyball, 2007 12 Man Football and 2008 12 Man Football.^[6]

Other clubs

Other extracurricular activities (both past and present) at BMHS include:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Audio/Visual Crew The Audio/Visual (AV) crew is responsible for stage, lighting, and sound for BMHS's theatre. Automotive Club The Automotive club was formed in 2002, from members of the school's autoshop class. Bike Klub The BMHS Bike Klub [sic] is an after-school program that has the members building custom motorcycles and bicycles. They have recently finished their first custom motorcycle build, a bobber called "Betty". This project took two years to complete. Gamers' Club The BMHS Gamers' Club was founded in 2005 by teacher Todd Jamieson. It has since been proclaimed "largest club at Bernice MacNaughton." by its members. In the 2009-2010 school year, the club had a maximum of 28 students. Grad Council Grad council is made up of four positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They are responsible for assistance in organizing events such as Safe Grad, and the actual graduation ceremony itself. Chess Club Formed in 2000, the chess club has sent several competitors to the District 2 and New Brunswick Provincial Chess Tournaments, with some members placing in the top three. In the 2007 Provincial Chess Challenge, a Grade 10 student from the BMHS Chess Club placed first in the province and represented New Brunswick at the National Chess Challenge in Quebec City, tying for fifth and sixth positions. As well, in 2008 the same student placed first in Grade 11 at the New Brunswick Chess Challenge and a Grade 9 student placed first at the New Brunswick Chess Challenge, both qualifying for the National Chess Challenge held in Edmonton, Alberta, placing sixth (on tie-break) and fourth at that tournament, respectively. In 2009, these same two students again placed first in the 2009 Provincial Chess Challenge in grades 10 and 12, respectively, and finishing second and fourth in their respective divisions of the National Chess Challenge. Comics Club The Comics Club (comedy group) was independently formed in 2001 by students and is currently inactive. Debate team Formed in 2000, the debate team is currently inactive. Improv MacNaughton has had several successful Improv teams since the introduction of BMHS Improv (originally a side project of the Drama club) in 2001. These teams have gone on to compete in several provincial Improv tournaments, including the city's own "HubCap Comedy Festival", with noteworthy success. The school's Improv team placed in the Top 3 in the province's annual Improv Competition in 2002. J8 J8 was created in 2006. Model United Nations Model United Nations was formed in 2006. The group has seen success at the provincial level. Peer Mediation Peer mediation is a group formed to better educate students. Reach for the Top BMHS's Reach for the Top teams (intermediate and senior) have placed second in the province on two occasions during the 2006–07 season. In 2005, the Intermediate team placed first in the Sir James Dunn tournament in St. Andrews. In 2010, the Intermediate team placed first in the annual tournaments at Kennebecasis Valley High School and Sussex Regional High School.

School newspaper Formed in 2002, the school newspaper has undergone frequent name changes. The latest edition was entitled The Highlander and was last published by the school in Spring 2009. School Spirit Krew (SSK) During the 2006-2007 school year, the School Spirit directors formed the SSK, a group of ten to twenty students who assist the School Spirit directors. The SSK has been known to use body paint, recited cheers and publicity stunts in order to further school spirit. School store The school store is run by students selected by its Manager(s) and sells school clothing, stationery, and apparel. Student government BMHS's students' union, officially called Student Government, but also referred to as Student Council or StuGov, consists of thirteen positions: President Vice-President Senior Treasurer Junior Treasurer School Spirit* Student Athletics Director Student Life Director Secretary Public Relations Director* Clan Liaison Grade 9 Representative Grade 10 Representative Grade 11 Representative *May be a shared, two-person position. Membership in the school's Student Government is mandatory, and students are admitted as ordinary members of the Government upon payment of the school's nominal tuition fee.[7] Elections for the upcoming year are held on the first Friday after May Day (May 1) of the previous year. The Senior Treasurer is chosen through an interview, rather than an election. Grade Representatives are selected in October. The Student Government provides numerous services to students, teachers and the community. The Government runs a variety of events including dances and coffeehouses, and provides services such as student financial aid and scholarships. The Student Government is also responsible for overseeing committees like the Formal Committee and the Poster Committee. Target Target, under the direction of IVCF, is a faith-based group of students from the school. Yearbook The annual BMHS yearbook is entitled "ceilidh" (Irish pronunciation: [ˈkʲʰeːlʲiː]. G.A.L.S. This group, created in 2008, is an acronym for Girls Achieving Lifelong Success.

Theatrical productions

Musical productions

Bernice MacNaughton has performed ten Broadway musicals so far. They are:

• Oliver! (2003)
• Nunsense (2003)
• The Sound of Music (2004)
• Nunsense 2: The Second Coming (2005)
• Broadway meets the Bard, a collection of Broadway songs and Shakespeare excerpts (December 2005)
• Grease (2006)
• West Side Story (April 18–21, 2007)
• Crazy for You (April 23–26, 2008)
• Bye Bye Birdie (April 22–25, 2009)
• White Christmas (December 9–12, 2009)
• The Phantom of the Opera (April 6–8, 2011)

Dramatic productions

Formed in 2000, the Drama club has worked on several independent projects, as well as on projects in conjunction with the music department, and include:

• Lord of the Flies (2001)
• Our Town (November 28 to December 1, 2007)
• Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, an original composition consisting of a series of ten minute plays (November 2008)
• Scenes in the Key of Life, an original composition consisting of a series of ten minute plays and musical performances (2010)
• Ralph's Basement, an original composition written and directed by Drama teacher Jeff Lloyd (June 3–5, 2010)

Bernice MacNaughton High School won several awards, including best overall production, in the District 2 Drama Festival in 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Other

• Students from BMHS participate in District 2's annual musical production.

School culture

Dress code

In early 2009 the school's administration implemented a dress code, sparking controversy among students.^[8] The new dress code prohibits such articles of clothing as sweatpants, clothing advertising non-school-related groups or clubs, and jeans or pants that are frayed at the bottom. The school's administration has allegedly refused to compromise or speak to various media outlets, including CTV, regarding the issue^{[citation needed]}.

Mascot

The BMHS mascot is the Highlander. The Highlander was created in 1999 and subsequently revised in 2003 by several committees.^[3]

School colours

BMHS's school colours are green and white, portrayed in its sport uniforms and school apparel.

School song

The school's fight song was composed by Linda Langille, the music teacher at BMHS, and Bradley Woodward. The lyrics are as follows:

The last verse is spoken. The first line of the last verse is shouted only by males, the second line by females, and the last line by everybody.

References

1. ^ "Contact Us". Bernice MacNaughton High School. 2008. http://bmhs.ca/index.php/Contact-Us/. Retrieved 2008-09-03. 
2. ^ "NB School District 2". New Brunswick School District 02. http://www.district2.nbed.nb.ca/school.asp?s=1569. Retrieved 2007-07-22. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Untitled Document". Bernice MacNaughton High School. Archived from the original on 2007-01-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070128045856/http://www.bmhs.ca/documents/about_us/about_us.html. Retrieved 2007-07-22. 
4. ^ B.M.H.S. School Improvement Plan. Moncton: New Brunswick School District 02. 2003 
5. ^ Corbett, Brian (2007-08-30). "Introduction to the BMHS Clans". Bernice MacNaughton High School. http://bmhs.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=32. Retrieved 2007-09-04. 
6. ^ "Welcome to the NBIAA Web Site". New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928040428/http://www.nbiaa-asinb.org/pages/champions.php. Retrieved 2007-07-22. 
7. ^ Bernice MacNaughton High School Student Government Constitution. Moncton: Bernice MacNaughton High School. 2002-04-08 
8. ^ Hobson, Cole (2009-03-06). "Dress code causing frustration at BMHS". Moncton Times & Transcript. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/article/594451. Retrieved 2009-10-20. 

External links

• BMHS Website
• District 2 School Profile

Coordinates: 46°05′11″N 64°49′45″W / 46.086455°N 64.82923964°W / 46.086455; -64.82923964