Sydney Academy (often abbreviated as SA and once often referred to as "The Academy") is one of two main secondary schools, along with Riverview Rural High School, that service the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia. Its current building, at 49 Terrace Street, is an educational facility opened in 1959, and is the sixth building to house the school. It is the oldest school in the Sydney area, and once was a private school near the end of the 19th century. The Academy is the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's (CBRM) only school to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which began in the summer of 1987.
Sydney Academy High School covers grades 9 to 12. It offers an unofficial preparatory program for the IB in grades 9 and 10, with full IB courses available to students in grades 11 and 12. The school offers co-ed classes in all grades. It is estimated that in its first 150 years, Sydney Academy graduated over 25,000 students. In recent years, the school has experienced a lag in numbers, as graduates emigrate and families from Cape Breton move to other parts of Canada in search of employment.
The 2015–2016 school year introduced grades 9-12, as per changes to the middle school model implemented by the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School board.
Mission statement
The Sydney Academy Mission Statement is as follows:Sydney Academy aims to develop independent, knowledgeable, well-rounded young people who are risk takers, problem solvers, and are actively engaged in helping to solve local and global problems in a creative and critical manner. To this end, Sydney Academy fosters a challenging environment in which students are actively engaged in rich educational experiences which encourage them to conduct themselves in a principled, compassionate manner that is respectful and open to other possibilities and perspectives.
History
Buildings
The first building
In 1835, an act was passed by the General Assembly of Nova Scotia authorizing the Lieutenant Governor to appoint trustees and to make a grant of land for school purposes in Sydney. In a grant dated October 25, 1836, land located north by DesBarres Street, south by Amelia Street, east by George Street, and west by Charlotte Street was designated for the new Sydney Academy.
The two-storey school was opened on July 1, 1841, with Rev. O.S. Weeks as the first Headmaster. Campbell Street was opened up at that time through the property and the portion not required for school purposes was divided into lots. Some of the lots were sold to provide funds to pay for the new building, which cost $2800.
The original building, a tiny schoolhouse, eventually ceased to be used as a school and was turned into a dwelling. Later, a part of this building was moved to 78 George Street, where it still stands with alterations.
The second building
Demand for a new building was met in 1864, when the new Education Act provided for the construction of a new school. The Sydney Board selected a site on Pitt Street, where the present telephone office now stands. This building was officially opened on May 1, 1866 and cost $3600. It was used until 1882, at which time larger accommodations for educational work were needed. The second Sydney Academy building was destroyed by fire in 1901.
The third building
In 1882, a new eight-room building was erected on the corner of George and Dorchester Streets at a cost of $6000. It was architecturally one of the finest wooden buildings for its purpose in the province. The grounds, containing about three acres, were divided into separate areas for boys and girls.
The fourth building
Due to the influx of people arriving in Sydney to work at the Steel Plant, a new Academy was built in 1901 to accommodate an increasing number of students. This three-story brick and stone building was located next to the previous Academy and contained modern facilities such as a chemical and physical laboratory as well as an assembly hall capable of seating up to 500 people. The $30,000 building later became Central School. It currently houses senior administration of the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board.
The fifth building
Overcrowding soon resulted in the need for yet another larger building. So, a fifth building was built in 1911 for $53,000 at the corner of Terrace and Park streets. This building later became known as "the Old Academy" and eventually became Park Junior High.