Father Michael Goetz Secondary School

Father Michael Goetz Secondary School (sometimes referred to as Goetz or abbreviated as FMG; Goetz pronounced as "Gates") is a Catholic school located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Founded by Ed King, it was established in 1987 (in its original location on Hollymount Drive) and in 1990 moved to the south of the city centre. The school was named after King's friend, Father Michael Goetz.[2] Father Michael Goetz is the closest high school to the city centre. Father Michael Goetz is known for its exceptional sports teams, as well as the city’s best technological education programs, including computer science, computer engineering, construction technology and automotive technology. Father Michael Goetz offers two SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) programs, one for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the other for Arts and Culture.

Father Michael Goetz Secondary School
Address
330 Central Parkway West.

Mississauga
,
Ontario
,
L5B 3K6

Canada
Coordinates43.582°N 79.636°W / 43.582; -79.636
Information
School typeSeparate High School
MottoTake a risk, Get involved, Be Committed!
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1986
School boardDufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
SuperintendentMartine Lewis
Area trusteeStefano Pascucci,
Luz del Rosario,
Bruno Iannicca
PrincipalTony Coccimiglio
Grades9 to 12
Enrollment1375 (As of September 2020) [1]
LanguageEnglish, programs include French
CampusSuburban
AreaFairview
Colour(s)
MascotAlvin the Alligator
Team nameGators
Websitewww.dpcdsb.org/GOETZ/

Students

The school has one of the highest populations of English-as-a-second-language students in the school district.[3]

Academics

Students go through four years of schooling and the school offers a range of subjects at different levels of difficulty.[3]

The curriculum includes 13 areas of study for the 2020-2021 year in the arts, business, languages, science, mathematics, and technology.[4] Father Michael Goetz specializes in technological education, including Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Communications Technology, Technological Design, Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, Woodworking, and Cosmetology. Father Michael Goetz also offers a robust Arts and Culture program including Dance, Music, Drama, and other specialized performing arts courses. Other programs offered at Goetz include Hospitality and Tourism, International Business studies including Accounting, Marketing, International Business, Entrepreneurship, and more. Goetz also offers religious studies including World Religions, Philosophy, and Christ and Culture. Goetz offers advanced English, and offers French, Mathematics, Sciences, and Canadian and Political studies. Goetz runs Political Science and Canadian Studies, Canadian Law, International Law, and Political Science courses. Father Michael Goetz offers a diverse set of courses for students to pick from.

Specialist High Skills Major Programs

Father Michael Goetz is home to two Specialist High Skills Major programs, both up to date with the constant changing trades climate. Goetz offers the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Arts and Culture programs.

Spiritual development

Before the start of school each day, morning prayer is conducted in the school chapel. Masses are held on special days at the Christ the King Church and in the school cafeteria or gym. The special days are the opening of the school year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter and the closing of the school year. Opportunities are also given to the students for public prayer, reconciliation, retreats and alms giving.[3]

2007 Censorship row

In January 2007 a row broke out when the award-winning novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson was pulled from library shelves and classrooms, despite being used in the Grade 11 curriculum, after one parent objected that it contained sexually explicit text. The context in question contains a few explicit passages, including a married couple's first sexual encounter, as well as sexual relations between two youths. According to the Mississauga News, "a representative of Random House in Canada said the company hadn't heard any complaints about the book this side of the border. In the U.S., though, it has been the subject of controversy and bans, not just for the sexual content but also for its violence and exploration of racial issues." The book was restored in February following a review by a committee of trustees and curriculum experts. Many critics of the board's move argued that the content pales compared to media images to which high school students are exposed to on a daily basis.[5]

Athletics

The school is a member of the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association.[6]

The girls basketball team was recognized as "high school team of the year" in 2007, after going undefeated over the previous four seasons with a 46-0 record.[7]

History

The school was founded by Ed King, who was also the first principal.

As the school was being planned and built, the first year of classes (1986) took place on a campus at Etobicoke before being moved at Christmas of the same year to a new temporary campus (1996-1990) located on Hollymount Dr in Mississauga.

Due to the large population, the school also took a second shared campus on Rathburn Dr also in Mississauga. They were to stay there until the school building's construction was completed. It was open for the 1990-91 school year.[2]

Due to a school population of over 2600 student for the 1990-91 school year, a new school was created and the population was split using a new boundary. All students going into grades 11, 12 and 13 were allowed to finish their high school years at Father Michael Goetz which student in grades 9 and 10 in the new boundary were moved to the new school (St. Francis Xavier Secondary School).

In 2002, the school began an expansion which resulted in a new wing being added.

"Monolith"

During the first term of the 1994–1995 school year, a group of students anonymously published and distributed Monolith, a photocopied monthly newsletter mostly detailing the publishers' grievances with teachers and administration at the school as well as some overall observations regarding growing up in the mid-nineties. The Halloween issue was distributed by costumed, masked students in the cafetorium and included complimentary condoms, as a protest against a biased sex education at the school. The final, Christmas issue was distributed in the school's public restrooms. Some of the students responsible were found and suspended early in the second term. The suspensions proved controversial, with articles published in The Mississauga News and some of the suspended students appearing on CityTV's Speakers' Corner.

"The Green Room"

"The Green Room" is the school's official intrascholastic magazine. It is developed by a committee of students who convene under staff supervision. It consists of writers, comic artists, photographers, and layout designers, with two editors. Four issues are released per academic year, which are distributed to every student. It has been criticized by some students as "the most un-green magazine ever" as it supposedly "follows the Yellow Pages business model". In response to this argument, the magazine has chosen to forgo semi-plastic pages in favor of paper pages. As a result of this action, the magazine is now criticized for low production quality.

Incidents
  • April 25 2016: At around 9:30 am the school engaged in a lockdown after a student was sighted with a firearm on school grounds. Peel Regional Police responded to the incident which resulted in an arrest. [8]
  • May 29 2015: Female students were sent home and told that they were not permitted to wear any types of shorts, this suspension was applied only to female students and no male student was suspended. The school maintained that it was to protect the students from comments made by boys and to ensure their safety, the principal was quoted saying that a student was "asking for it" by wearing shorts. The school also added that the suspension had nothing to do with the Crop Top Day protest in Etobicoke.[9]

Notable alumni

See also

References
  2. "School History" Archived 2010-04-25 at the Wayback Machine, Web page of Father Michael Goetz School. The school celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  3. "Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Results" Archived 2010-11-16 at the Wayback Machine, March 2006 / Father Michael Goetz Secondary School, accessed July 10, 2007
  4. Web page titled "Father Michael Goetz Course Calendar for School Year 2007 - 2008" Archived 2010-08-09 at the Wayback Machine at the official school Web site, accessed July 10, 2007
  5. Kalinowski, Tess. "Peel board set to put novel back in schools", Toronto Star, 9 February 2007
  6. "Interesting Links", Father Michael Goetz High School, links to the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association which mentions the school on a number of pages, accessed July 10, 2007.
  7. "Best young athletes take center stage", The Mississauga News, June 7, 2007. Accessed July 2, 2007. "Meanwhile, the high school team of the year award will be presented to the Father Michael Goetz senior girls' basketball team after it registered 46 wins and no losses over the past four years in Region of Peel play."
  8. News, Mississauga. "Mississauga student faces gun charges in Father Michael Goetz high school lockdown". www.mississauga.com. Retrieved 2017-02-26.
  9. "Mississauga students protest no-shorts policy during dress-down day". CityNews. 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2017-02-26.
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