J. L. Forster Secondary School
| J.L. Forster Secondary School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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749 Felix Avenue Windsor, Ontario, N9C 3K9 Canada |
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| Coordinates | 42°17′55″N 83°04′14″W / 42.29864°N 83.07051°WCoordinates: 42°17′55″N 83°04′14″W / 42.29864°N 83.07051°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public |
| Status | Closed |
| School board | Greater Essex County District School Board |
| Superintendent | John Howitt |
| Principal | David Garlick |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrolment | 480 (2011) |
John L. Forster Secondary School, often referred to as J.L. Forster or Forster, was a high school in the west end of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1922 as General Byng Elementary School, it was later repurposed as a secondary school; it also underwent two name changes, eventually being named after its first principal. It was located within the authority of the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) and was assessed at 2.1 out of 10 in academic performance by the Fraser Institute.
Forster was originally built in 1922 as an elementary school to service Sandwich. Designed by Andrew J. Riddell and named after General Julian Byng, the original building cost CAD 250,000 to build and included ten classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, and a swimming pool; the pool was the first owned by an elementary school in the area. John L. Forster was chosen as its first principal. As the community expanded, it was repurposed as a secondary school and renamed Sandwich Collegiate.
During World War II, 421 students and alumni served in the Canadian Armed Forces; of these, 32 died during the war. Those casualties are memorialized with a plaque in the main hall. In 1950, the first of seven additions was made, and in 1954 Forster retired, with the school being renamed in his honour shortly afterwards. In 1966, a fire in the auditorium caused it to undergo remodeling.
The music program was started in 1960 by Ernie Geranda, who continued to supervise it until 1980. Between 1967 and 1972, Forster's 90-member band (nicknamed The Red Coats) went to Montreal for Expo '67, Osaka, Japan, for Expo '70, and Windsor, England to perform in the Windsor Royal Music Festival for Queen Elizabeth II.
Forster was chosen to host Windsor and Essex County's English as a Second Language (ESL) program. It also hosts the Sandwich Community Health Centre.
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