Pitt Meadows Secondary School

Pitt Meadows Secondary School ("PMSS") is a public high school in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, part of School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. The school was founded in 1961 and celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house on September 30, 2011.^[1]

Academics

While the school has a reputation for athletics, students perform very well in academics. Scholarships, awards, and bursaries distributed at the graduation ceremony each year typically total hundreds of thousands of dollars which is quite an achievement in a small community school. A large number students receive First Class Honours and Honour Roll certificates at the annual school awards ceremony. Many students are also recognized for high achievements in individual courses as well as overall improvement. Students participate in annual history and math contests, achieving top scores and national recognition for their achievements.

Community Involvement

Pitt Meadows Secondary has a strong Work Experience program. Many students make use of the school Career Centre and volunteer in the community. PMSS students dedicate thousands of hours of their time volunteering at local elementary schools, hospitals, events hosted by the City of Pitt Meadows, and summer camps. Local organizations can always count on Pitt Meadows students to donate time to fundraisers and events. Students have the opportunity to participate in hands-on work experience in a variety of businesses so that they can gain employable skills prior to graduation. Within the school, leadership students plan fun activities for students such as spirit week, grade eight orientation day, the Terry Fox Run, and special assemblies.^[2]

Fine Arts

The school has an excellent music program which includes a band and choir. Both groups have the opportunity to participate in field trips and special performances throughout the year. Drama students are involved in classes as well as after-school productions. They typically perform at an annual play, the annual Festival of Scenes, and an improv night which is a fundraiser for the food bank.

Home Economics

Foods students have been involved in the creation of a community garden and are learning to grow and harvest food. Many students choose to participate in Foods Studies, Textiles, and Family Studies courses.

Viking Productions

This is a class for learning how to use multimedia applications on computers for various projects. 2008–2009 was the first year that this new set of courses ran. Students in the course are involved with creating websites, hosting radio shows, broadcasting television shows, and making music.

Shop classes

The school has a variety of shop classes such as metalwork, woodwork, metal art, wood art and automotive mechanics. Pitt Meadows is highly regarded for its shop classes and has helped a large percentage of its students acquire jobs in the trade industry.

Murals

In 2006, the school received a series of murals on the front side of the building. These paintings depict a Viking marauder (the school's mascot), a Heron (the official bird of the city), and the school's coat of arms. The coat of arms contains a saying in Latin which translates as "Let the Love of Learning Flourish". There are also two large collages on either side of the school's main gymnasium. One mural depicts a large marauder and the other is a blue heron on a mound of dirt representing the city's colour, terrain, and native bird. A third mural has recently been added of a large Viking ship on the back side of the school. The ship contains the signatures of the 2008–2009 graduation class.

Sports

Pitt Meadows is a highly athletic school with numerous teams and programs, including football (Grade 8, Junior Varsity and Varsity) soccer, volleyball, golf, and track and field. The school's most prominent sport is basketball with a very competitive senior team that is coached by Mr. Rich Goulet (who has coached at PMSS for over a quarter century). Many students participate in the school's hockey academy and earn PE credit for participating in hockey training instead of regular gym classes. ^[3]

Provincial championships

A basketball:

• 1983

AAA basketball:

• 1989 vs. Maple Ridge Secondary
• 2000 vs. Terry Fox Senior Secondary

Notable alumni

• Greg Moore, Race car driver
• Brendan Morrison, Professional hockey player
• Molly Parker, Professional actress

References

1. ↑ http://schools.sd42.ca/pmss/pmss-turns-50/
2. ↑ http://schools.sd42.ca/pmss/work-experience/
3. ↑ http://schools.sd42.ca/pmss/athletics/