Strathcona High School

Strathcona Composite High School
Location
Edmonton , Alberta
Information
School type	Public secondary
Motto	Ut qui ministrat (As one who serves)
Founded	1908
School board	Edmonton Public Schools
Grades	10–12
Number of students	1,500
Colour(s)	Scarlet and gold
Mascot	Gaylord
Website	www.strathconaschool.ca

Strathcona Composite High School, or Scona as students and staff refer to it, is a public high school located in Edmonton, Alberta. The school was named after Donald Alexander Smith (Lord Strathcona). The school was constructed to hold 1200 students, but there are currently just under 1500 students attending the school.

Overview

Strathcona opened to 71 students in 1908 in the building now known as Old Scona, approximately 10 blocks north of the present building. The school moved to its present-day location on 104 Street and 72 Avenue in 1955. It is located on Edmonton’s south side just south of the Old Strathcona district on a large piece of parkland.

The school houses about 60 classrooms, several computer labs, two gymnasia, a library media centre with networked CDs, a cafeteria, a fitness centre and a pool owned and operated by the City of Edmonton. Outside the school, the track team uses Rollie Miles Athletic Field. This field was also used for the 1978 Commonwealth Games (as a training facility), 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics and was also used for training in the 2005 World Masters Games. Other facilities around the school include South Side Sports Arena, which Phys Ed classes use for the skating unit.

• School Team Name:The Lords
• School Motto: “Ut Qui Ministrat” (As One Who Serves)
• School Colours: Scarlet & Gold

At the main entrance of the school, known as the Michener Entrance, an old lamp from the original Old Scona building hangs over the Scona crest which, out of respect, students and staff will not walk over.

Athletics

Scona has a strong history in athletics and is proud and well noted in Edmonton for the success it has achieved in athletics over the years.

Scona's winning streaks for city championships in Edmonton for interscholastic athletics include:

• Track and Field - 36 years [1]
• Cross Country – 31 years[2]
• Swim Team – 22 years [3]
• Canadian football – 6 years (and 2 provincial titles) [4]

School ghost

Due to the age of Scona, there are a few ghosts that are rumored to wander the halls and grounds of the school. Possibly the most notable ghost at Scona is a girl by the name of Emily. Emily used to be a student at Scona, and was very active in the drama program. During a play that Emily was participating in, a stage light fell from one of the lighting bars, it struck and killed her on the stage. Still to this day there are often problems with the house bar, and the stage elevator that Emily so often liked to ride.

Academics

Scona is also well-known for its Advanced Placement (AP) program, which is one of the largest in Canada. By completing internationally-recognized exams, administered by the College Board, many Scona students earn credit that can be applied to first year University courses. Currently, the school offers AP courses in Studio Art, Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, European History, French Language, French Literature, German Language, and Physics B. Each year, Scona is well-represented amongst Canada's National AP Scholars by students who score high grades on five or more AP exams.

Notable alumni

• Lois Hole
• Don Iveson