Gryphon Gallery: Amalgamating Before Amalgamation

After St. Michael’s amalgamated with University School in 1971, headmaster Peter Caleb, met with Winifred Scott of NHS to propose sharing staff and students in under-enrolled courses. SMUS was boys only at this time. This idea was also posed to St. Margaret’s, although they pulled out once it was realized that timetables between the three schools became impossible. From 1972 to 1977, Spanish, German, Physics 12 and Literature 12 were shared by SMUS and NHS. Also at this time, SMUS joined the IB Diploma Programme for a short period and several girls from NHS sat the exams and successfully gained credits. On the athletic side, combined co-ed teams were also entered in high school leagues and provincial tournaments for tennis, badminton and swimming. By 1977, when it became clear that SMUS was going co-ed, the programme of coordination was discontinued. But it opened the door for some girls to leave NHS and become part of the new co-ed program at SMUS. This not only posed problems for NHS but also for Glenlyon, whose students had previously transitioned to SMUS easily after Grade 10 but now, because of their increased enrolment at Grade 11 and 12, Glenlyon students wishing to attend for their Grade 11 and 12 option were ‘forced’ to enter SMUS much earlier. Thus significantly affecting the enrolment at Glenlyon.