Halifax Grammar School

The Halifax Grammar School (HGS) is a private, educational day school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in south-end Halifax, near Saint Mary's University. Approximately 600 students attend the school, making it the largest independent school in Atlantic Canada. At the high school level students take the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. The Head of School is Steven Laffoley. All prospective students get tested every year for their own learning paths. The school offers merit-based scholarships in academics, community service, and athletics. The school is the leading school in Atlantic Canada

Schools
The school is divided into the Prep School (Grades Junior-Primary through Grade 4), the Middle School (Grades 5 through 9), and the Senior School (Grades 10 to 12). Each school has its own Head of School and teaching staff.

The Halifax Grammar School is located at 945 Tower Road and houses Junior Primary through grade 12. The Halifax Grammar School used to occupy two campuses, one located on Atlantic Street, and the other on Tower Road but an expansion was added on to the Tower Road campus, opening for the 2018-2019 school year allowing the entire school to be housed in a single campus. A building at 420 Tower Road was the original location of the school before they purchased the building on Atlantic Street, which they soon decided to expand. For two years, the School rented the Bethany building on the corner of Tower Road and Inglis Street from Saint Mary's University, before purchasing the closed Tower Road School building from the City of Halifax.

Academics
Halifax Grammar maintains a high level of academic achievement. The school has offered the International Baccalaureate program, which provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, in its Senior School since 1993. All School Students are enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program starting in Grade 10.

Admission
The school is a tuition-based academic institution, with an admission fee to enrol a new student and other, additional costs. Students wear Grammar gear on assembly days and at special events.

Arts
The school's arts program is run by three teachers, including the painter Renee Forestall who teaches visual arts in the Middle and Senior Schools. At the High School level, students have the option of taking IB Standard Level Art.

Students may participate in the school's seven bands, learning repertoire from jazz, popular, and classical music. Prep School students in grades 3 and 4 must sing in the school choir, which performs several times each year in the community. Middle School students mount an annual dramatic production, often Shakespeare, while Senior School students produce an annual musical.

The school has a performing arts studio, funded through donations and fundraising efforts, that was completed in 2012.

Recent musicals
The school has run a Senior musical for over a decade. Actors, lighting technicians, and stage staff are all students. The school hires independent directors, band members and sound staff. The musicals that have been produced are:
 * 2021-2022: Pippin (musical)
 * 2019-2020: Newsies (musical)
 * 2018-2019: Seussical
 * 2017-2018: HGS Cabaret
 * 2016-2017: Grease
 * 2015-2016: Guys and Dolls
 * 2014-2015: Sweet Charity
 * 2013-2014: Anything Goes
 * 2012-2013: She Loves Me
 * 2011-2012: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
 * 2010-2011: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical)
 * 2009-2010: Urinetown
 * 2008-2009: The Boyfriend
 * 2007-2008: Into the Woods
 * 2006-2007: Bye Bye Birdie
 * 2005-2006: Guys and Dolls
 * 2004-2005: Fiddler on the Roof
 * 2003-2004: The Pajama Game
 * 2002-2003: Grease

Athletics
Boys and girls teams at Middle and Senior School levels compete in the primary athletic league of secondary schools in the province, the NSSAF. The school competes in a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, hockey, golf, track and field, cross country, skiing, badminton, and touch football. Halifax Grammar's Senior Varsity Basketball teams rank highly in Division 1 among the best high school teams in the province despite the small number of high school students in the school.

Past achievements for Grammar's athletic teams:

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
 * Senior Boys Basketball: 2nd place, Boys Division 1 Capital Region
 * Senior Girls Basketball: 5th place, Girls Division 1 Capital Region
 * Girls Golf: Capital Region Banner
 * Senior Boys Basketball: Division 1 Boys Basketball Regional Banner and Provincial Silver Medalist
 * Senior Girls Basketball: Division 2 Girls Basketball Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist
 * Junior Boys Ski: Capital Regional Banner
 * Senior Girls X-Country: Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist
 * Senior Boys X-Country: Regional Banner and Provincial Bronze Medalist
 * Intermediate Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions
 * Senior Boys Basketball: 2nd place, Boys Division 1 for Capital Region and NSSAF Provincial Silver Medalist
 * Junior Boys Skiing: Metro and Capital Regional Banner and Provincial Silver Medalists
 * Junior Boys Table Tennis: NSSAF Silver Medalists
 * Intermediate Boys singles Table Tennis: Capital Region Champion
 * Senior Boys singles Table Tennis: Capital Region Silver Medalist
 * Intermediate Boys Track and Field: 2nd place, Capital Region Championships
 * Junior Boys Table Tennis: Regional and Provincial Champions
 * Intermediate Boys X-Country: NSSAF Provincial Champions
 * Intermediate Boys Cross Country: Capital Region Champions
 * Senior Girls Basketball: NSSAF Division 3 Girls Basketball Capital Region Champions
 * Junior Boys Basketball: Capital Zone Banner
 * Senior Boys Basketball: 4th place, Metro Division 1 Boys Region and qualified for Provincials
 * Junior Boys and Intermediate Girls Skiing: NSSAF Provincial Champions
 * Senior Boys and Senior Girls Skiing: NSSAF Ski Provincial Champions
 * Track and Field Division 3: NSSAF Provincial Champions
 * Junior Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions
 * Senior Boys X-Country: 2nd place, Capital Region Championships
 * Senior Girls Soccer: Division 3 Capital Region Champions
 * Senior Boys Soccer: Division 2 Capital Region Champions
 * Intermediate Track and Field: Capital Region Champions
 * Track and field: Division 3 NSSAF Provincial Champions
 * Junior Girls X-Country: Citadel Zone Championships
 * Intermediate Boys X-Country: Citadel Zone Champions, 2nd at Capital Region Championships, 3rd at NSSAF Provincial Championships
 * Senior Boys X-Country: 3rd place, Capital Region Championships
 * Senior Boys Basketball: Division 1 Boys Metro Region Finalists and NSSAF Bronze Medalists
 * Intermediate Boys and Girls Skiing: Capital Region Champions and NSSAF Provincial Champions
 * Senior Boys Skiing: Provincial Champions
 * Division 3 Senior Girls Soccer Capital Region Champions
 * Division 3 Senior Boys Soccer Capital Region Champions

Notable alumni

 * Howard Epstein – Nova Scotia Politician


 * Russell Smith - novelist
 * Jay Ferguson - musician, member of Sloan
 * Noah Pink - screenwriter, television producer, director, and swimmer
 * Elliot Page - actor
 * J. J. Gould - journalist
 * Jared Paul Stern - writer
 * Craig Silverman - journalist
 * David Goldbloom - psychiatrist
 * Alison Murray - filmmaker
 * Steven Laffoley - educator and author
 * Ben Proudfoot - filmmaker
 * Bill Black (businessman)

Heads of School

 * Charles Pengelly – 1958-1959 (Acting)


 * James Roxburgh – 1959-1962


 * Russell McNeill – 1962-1965


 * William Currie – 1965-1971


 * Colin Grimson – 1971-1975


 * Douglas Williams – 1975-1978


 * Peter Montgomery – 1978-1987


 * Robin Hinnell – 1987-1993


 * M.A. MacPherson – 1993-1995


 * John Messenger – 1995-2005


 * Paul Bennett – 2005-2009


 * Blayne Addley – 2009-2016


 * Steven Laffoley – 2016-Present