Smithers Secondary School Explained

Smithers Secondary
Address:PO Box 849, 4408 3rd Avenue
Country:Canada
Coordinates:54.7898°N -127.1805°W
Number:5454013
Principal:Julie Krall
Staff:57
Grades:8–12
Enrollment:608
Enrollment As Of:2020/21 School year
Website:http://sssweb.sd54.bc.ca/
Language:English
Colours:Blue and white
Mascot:Gryphon
Team Name:Gryphons

Smithers Secondary or SSS is a public high school in Smithers, British Columbia, part of School District 54 Bulkley Valley.

History

The first high school students in Smithers attended classes in the Old Scott Hall. The first one room high school was located where Muheim Memorial Elementary school now stands. Then, in 1927, a two-room school house was built which accommodated approximately 60 students. As the population of Smithers steadily grew, so did the number of students. Starting in 1963, students in the junior grades were gradually moved from Smithers Secondary to Chandler Park Junior Secondary School. In 1978 Smithers Senior Secondary School was built at 4408 3rd Ave. It enrolled 400 students in Grades 10-12 and was staffed by 23 full-time and 4 part-time teachers. In 1981, the Grade Nine students were once again moved from Chandler Park to SSS. There was an expansive addition which also included a theatre in 2000. In 2004 "Chandler Park Middle School" closed down and Smithers Senior Secondary School became Smithers Secondary School accommodating Grades 8–12. Increasing enrolment since that time has required the School District to put up 8 portables.

Current

In the 2020–21 school year, SSS has approximately 600 students, 60 teaching staff and 30 support staff. It has traditionally done well in several areas such as track & field, music, and wrestling, often producing provincial and national champions. The girls' wrestling team placed first at provincials in 2011.

Theatre

The "Della Herman Theatre" is housed inside Smithers Secondary School and hosts theatrical, musical and dance events throughout the year. It is also the classroom for the Theatre Department in SSS so the students have hands on experience with the stage and sets.

Athletics

The Smithers Secondary School athletic teams go by the name "SSS Gryphons" and have been very successful for a small town since opening.

References

"Smithers Secondary - Home." Smithers Secondary. n.d. Web. Accessed 10 Sep. 2020 from: http://sssweb.sd54.bc.ca/

"Student Headcount by Grade." Education Analytics, Government of BC. n.d. Web. Accessed 5 Apr. 2021 from: https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-schools-student-headcount-by-grade/resource/c1a55945-8554-4058-9019-514b16178f89 (Line 81752)

External links