Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School


Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School is located at 145 Magnolia Drive in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and is a member of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School opened in 1969 and as of 2016 has 873 students. The school was founded in 1969 and is named for Sir Allan MacNab, the last Premier of Upper Canada before Confederation and a resident, lawyer and politician in Hamilton from 1826 until his death in 1826 at his home, Dundurn Castle. Located on the west mountain of Hamilton, the school catchment area extends into Glanbrook and Ancaster.

School specialized programs

Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School takes part in the following programs:

Sports Academy

The Sports Academy is for experienced athletes to progress their skills and work ethic to an above average level. For athletes, development of sport specific skills is important and detailed and consistent training plans are essential. Athletes work with experienced coaches with a sport-specific training schedule to enhance their abilities and teach personal management and teamwork skills to balance the athlete’s personae. Programs are available in Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, and Football.

Advance Placement (A.P.) Program

is an internationally recognized program of study started by Yale, Harvard & Princeton 50 years ago. courses challenges the student in one or more specific disciplines. AP courses enable students to pursue university level academics while still enrolled in high school. A successful completion of an AP course and exam may exempt the student from that subject in their first year of University.
Sir Allan MacNab's AP curriculum is meant to enrich the content of high school courses, not replace it. An AP teacher covers and evaluates all expectations of the Ontario high school curriculum for the purposes of granting students their Ontario credits. In an AP course, the AP teacher then adds university level material to this content for the purposes of preparing students to write an AP examination. All AP examinations are scheduled worldwide early each May. Sir Allan MacNab's A.P. classes are as follows:
Grade 9Grade 10Grade 11Grade 12
MathMathMathMath
EnglishEnglishEnglishCalculus
ScienceScienceChemistryEnglish
N/AHistoryBiologyChemistry
N/AN/AHistoryBiology
N/AN/AN/AHistory

Specialist High SKills Major (S.H.S.M) in Health & Wellness

This program aids students in customizing their high school program to fit with healthcare-related career interests. It is a 2-credit Gr 11 & 4-credit Gr 12 program. These SHSMs combine classroom & work experience opportunities to give students a full range of “real-world” learning. Students will receive:
The mission of the Special Education Department is to provide direction and support to schools in their delivery of special education programs and services, consistent with Ministry of Education regulations, HWDSB policies and procedures, and the individual needs of the students. Alternative Education provides an alternative setting, as well as individualized program delivery for students whose personal situation may require a different pathway to achieve success. Students work on booklets or course packages at their own pace, with limited teacher assistance in a self-contained class. The alternative education programs are directed at students with various educational and social needs that can’t necessarily be fulfilled in a traditional classroom. Student success is fostered through four paths:
Independent Learning Courses is a full range of courses are offered for students covering Grade 9 through 12 course work, at different academic levels. They currently offer 15 courses.
Self-Paced Credit Recovery courses enable students to meet overall curriculum expectations and aim to provide a foundation for success in subsequent courses.

School courses & departments

Co-operative Education

Co-op prepares students for post-secondary education programs and the future world of work. Sir Allan MacNab’s Co-operative Education Program provides students with the opportunity to spend one-half day at an on-the-job work experience. The work experience is related to a course the student takes. Co-op enables the student to earn two additional credits in this subject.

Healthcare

The Healthcare Support Services Program provides career preparation for senior secondary students in pursuing a healthcare career. The students gains the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours they will need to participate in related cooperative education experiences in customer support services roles at a Hamilton Health Sciences hospital site.

Learning Resources

The main concern is assisting and tracking students with a variety of officially recognized disabilities related to learning. Any student is welcome to request and receive help.

Library

The Library is a quiet place where any student can work on homework, assignments and projects using resources such as computers and books. Any student with a Library card can borrow books from the library.
The Nutrition Desk is a program that has healthy snacks for students who would like an early morning snack.

Special Education

The special education department has three self-contained classes for students with a variety of intellectual disabilities. The focus is on learning life skills. Students learn a variety of subjects including: art, music, gym and cooking, as well as, work experience in the cafeteria and school office. Students from the mainstream have the opportunity to work with special needs students as peer helpers.

Student Services/Guidance

Sir Allan MacNab Student Services discusses with student their pathways to the future with. Personal or family oriented issues can also be discussed with councilors privately. The Ontario Student Records are also kept in the guidance office. Course selection history, report cards and marks from EQAO & OSSLT are kept in these records. Students may request to see records if aged 16 or older.

Dramatic Arts

The Drama course teaches students the values of teamwork, professionalism, creativity, tolerance, accountability, dedication and responsibility. Students are gain confidence, learning how to relate and coexist, and formulate skills that will help them to mature and grow into responsible young people in our community. Students will also learn how to write, stage manage and direct a variety of creative works including a large scale play for an audience.

Technological Studies

Visual Arts
-Sir Allan MacNab offers visual arts from grades 9 through to 12. These courses focus on the development of skills in drawing, sculpture and painting. The visual arts department also offers a grade 12 Portfolio Development class that allows students wishing to pursue a career in the arts to develop and create a body of art work that will help in the admission to college or university. The visual arts department offers unique courses like Crafts where students can try crafts like pottery and knitting. In grades 11 & 12, a Photography course is also offered. This course develops students' skills in the use of photography, marketing and advertising to produce a book in June. The visual arts department helped in the beautification of Sir Allan MacNab by painting murals seen in the hallways and washrooms in the school. The visual arts department also has the "Art's Collective" for students who would like to develop skills and meet with other students who enjoy the arts in the school. For the last 10 years, the visual art department has been involved in "Art's Week", a celebration of all arts in the school! This provides a week of festivities that include an art gallery showcasing student works.

Clubs and teams

Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School offers a variety of clubs and teams, including:

Football

HWDSB City Champions in 2008, 2009*, 2010*, 2014, 2016, 2017
2015-16 city finalists.
Basketball
Senior HWDSB City Champions: 1972,1983,1989,2011,2014,2016,2017
Junior HWDSB City Champions: 1982,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016

Mentors

The Sir Allan MacNab Mentors are a group of committed student in grades 10, 11 and 12 who strive to make high school life easier for the grade 9 and for the new students. The Mentors strive to make every student in MacNab feel safe, welcomed and involved by arranging events that students can take part in. The S.A.M Mentors have arranged activities like World Day, Welcome Breakfast, Welcome BBQ and Smoothie Day.

Music Council

MacNab`s Music Council is a student elected group who develop and implement new initiatives for the Music Department each year. Members of the Music Council also make important decisions regarding music trips and fund raising strategies. Members plan & execute concerts, fundraising campaigns, public performances and dances. Elections for Music Council members take place each year after the Spring Concert. MacNab`s music council also plans big events such as Art`s Week & The Snowball

Positive Space

MacNab`s Positive Space Group is intended to help MacNab be a school that is free of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identities; allows all students to feel included and welcomed so they may focus their energies on academic objectives as well as partake in school social life and co-curricular activities; allows all members of the school community to feel welcomed and included in order to create positive learning and workplace environments; decreases fear and disapproval of sexual and gender diversity; encourages inclusion of LGBTQ peoples’ lives, politics, culture and families. MacNab`s positive space is composed of LGBTQ persons and LGBTQ allies.

School Council

School Council is a collaboration between Parents of Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School students, Teachers and Administration from MacNab, as well as representatives from the HWDSB.

Sears Festival

The Sears Ontario Drama Festival is a theater festival for all high school students in Ontario. It runs between mid February and mid May every year. The prime purpose of the Festival is to provide a showcase for participants to demonstrate their unique drama work. It brings together students, teachers, theater professionals, and community members to view, discuss, critique and enjoy each other's creative efforts, under the guidance of experienced adjudicators. MacNab has been participating in the festival for the past 5 years.

Student Parliament

MacNab`s Student Parliament is the representative structure and governing body for, of and by student only, through which they can become involved in the affairs of the MacNab, working in partnership with administration, staff and parents for the benefit of MacNab and all its students. MacNab`s Student Parliament is dedicated to listening to students' voices and executing events and opportunities in the school to achieve spirit, well-being, and overall happiness within the school and among our students

Yearbook

The Kaleidoscope is a type of a book published annually including to record, highlight, and commemorate the past school year. The yearbook covers a wide variety of topics from academics, student life, sports and other major school events. There are pictures of every staff & student, there are pictures of most clubs and teams and there are pictures of students doing surprising, unexpected or weird things.

Zonta

Zonta International is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. Zontians all over the world volunteer their time, talents and support to local and international service projects, as well as scholarship programs aimed at fulfilling Zonta's mission and objectives. MacNab`s Zonta Chapter takes on many initiatives in advocating students, raising money & awareness about women`s rights, violence against women and ways in which the MacNab student body can help change the injustices.

Notable alumni