May 7th, 2026

Written by Kiran, a WRDSB secondary student

Coffee House is a student-organized event that has been helping students showcase their talents at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute (FHCI). Held three times a year, Coffee House continues to provide a warm and fun environment for everybody to enjoy.

Coffee House is primarily organized by the Music Council. The Music Council collects tickets, designs posters, and makes announcements of the event in individual classes. It is supervised by Forest Heights music teacher Mr. Gardiner, who has been running it for more than a decade. 

The Coffee House is a space for students to showcase any form of talent. Singing and instrumental performances are most common, but we also see students share talents like magic tricks, dance, comedy, and acting. Once, there was even a student who did soccer tricks.

Mr. Gardiner describes Coffee House as a place where students learn how to express themselves in front of an audience; for many it is their first time. According to Mr. Gardiner, “It’s a good place to build confidence since the audience is kind and supportive.” As a result, there are many returning performers.

Coffee House also helps other students, such as those in the tech crew, as they gain experience in handling sound, lighting and photography.

#StudentVoice Series

This article is written by a WRDSB student. Student journalists embody WRDSB’s commitment to creating space for students to tell their stories. They are ambassadors for their peers as they share their personal experiences and stories about their schools and communities in their unique voices.