Zion Heights Junior High School
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| Zion Heights Junior High School | |
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| Address | |
| 5900 Leslie Street Toronto, Ontario, M2J 1J9, Canada |
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| Coordinates | 43°47′53″N 79°22′16″W / 43.79806°N 79.37111°WCoordinates: 43°47′53″N 79°22′16″W / 43.79806°N 79.37111°W |
| Information | |
| School number | 3348 |
| School board | TDSB |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Superintendent | Sue Pfeffer |
| Area trustee | Mari Rutka (Ward 12) |
| Principal | D. Lamb |
| Vice principal | Ms. Steffanoff |
| School type | Public Junior High School |
| Grades | Grade 7 – Grade 9 |
| Language | English, French as a second language, and supports Chinese through a Chinese ESL teacher. |
| Area | Leslie Street and Cummer Avenue, North York |
| Mascot | Lion |
| Team name | Zion Lions |
| Colours | Purple, White, Black |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Enrolment | 542 (Spring 2008) |
| Homepage | http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/zionheights/ |
Zion Heights Junior High School is an intermediate school (Junior High School) for students in Grade 7 to Grade 9 in the north end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was opened in 1967 by the North York Board of Education, and is currently owned and operated by its successor, the Toronto District School Board.
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[edit] History
Zion Heights was built in 1967. The building originally featured an open concept format, popular in the late 1960s. This meant that large spaces in the downstairs and upstairs area had no formal classrooms. In the late 1970s, walls were built because the educational theory changed and the formal classroom setting became more popular.[citation needed]
[edit] Student body
In the spring of 2008, Zion Heights had a student population of 542 students; 80% of Zion students speak a primary language other than English. Many of the students are recent immigrants and 30% of students have lived in Canada for five years or less. Predominant non-English language groups include Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Persian. The school has students from all over the world, ranging from places such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Moldova.
As of spring 2011, 80% of the school is composed of East Asian descent. They have the largest ESL student body in comparison to other schools in Toronto[citation needed].
[edit] Academic programs
Zion Heights is home to a gifted program for specially identified students.[1] These gifted classes are the most densely populated classes, with 29 students in the Grade 8 Gifted class, and similar numbers with other gifted classes. Another special academic feature is the "Spirit of Mathematics" program, a unique approach to math that has enabled the school to be a winner of many distinguished math awards, both nationally and internationally.
In the 2005 – 2006, Grade 9 Academic courses EQAO (provincial testing) mathematics test results, 91% of students enrolled in Grade 9 Academic math at the school scored at or above the provincial standard (Level 3); only 65% of students taking the test in the Toronto District School Board achieved this.[2] Three grade nine students obtained perfect scores on the University of Waterloo's 2008 Pascal Contest, contributing to a perfect team score. In 2008, 4 students achieved a perfect score on the Grade 7 Gauss Contest and 5 students achieved a perfect score on the Grade 8 Gauss Contest.
Zion has maintained an extensive and recognized arts program. Students involved in the string orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands, and choir at Zion participate in many musical events and competitions around the city. The orchestra has participated and won first place in the Kiwanis music festival several times in the past few years. In 2009, Zion's senior stage band won gold at MusicFest Canada and was invited to play in the national Competition in May. Annual school events to celebrate and demonstrate Zion's arts program include concerts, art shows, and dramatic productions.
[edit] Athletics
Zion Heights has several athletic teams, such as a basketball, soccer, cross-country and volleyball team for both girls and boys. The teams are split by gender and grade, junior (Grade 7 and 8) and senior (Grade 9). Zion also has many indoor house leagues, including for volleyball, soccer, and floor hockey.
[edit] Related schools
Students from Cresthaven, Seneca Hill, Pineway, Hillmount, and Steelesview public schools may attend Zion Heights. It is a feeder school for A. Y. Jackson Secondary School. Gifted students may also choose to attend Don Mills Collegiate Institute. Zion's dodge ball is also distinct from other schools because they have a "No man's land" where either team has the right to go on. This creates a lot more excitement and students can play more creatively.
