Markham District High School

Markham District High School
Address
89 Church Street
Markham, Ontario, L3P 2M3
Canada
Coordinates 43°52′48″N 79°15′02″W / 43.8799°N 79.2505°W / 43.8799; -79.2505Coordinates: 43°52′48″N 79°15′02″W / 43.8799°N 79.2505°W / 43.8799; -79.2505
Information
School type Secondary school
Religious affiliation(s) Secular
Founded 1858; 1954 (current form)
School board York Region District School Board
Superintendent Peter Tse
Area trustee Allan Tam
Principal Michelle Kane[1]
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1444[2] (October 2013)
Language English
Mascot Maxx the Bulldog
Website www.mdhssac.com
Last updated: September 2014

Markham District High School is a public high school in the city of Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is one of 32 high schools in the York Region District School Board.[3] It is the only publicly funded school within York Region which has a non-semestered system. Students are enrolled in a max of 8 courses throughout the year rather than a max of four from September to January and a different set from February till June. However effective, in the 2016–17 academic year the school will switch to a semestered system.

The school hosts approximately forty clubs,[4] some of which are activist-based (for example, Amnesty International). MDHS is known for its music program, which participates in various music festivals, competitions and other events. MDHS offers a three-year Latin program and supports a Classics Club. MDHS also offers the AP (Advanced Placement) Biology and Calculus AB courses and the Core Gifted program. MDHS also has several other clubs such as the Architecture, Design, and Engineering Club, DECA, Computer Programming Club, and Eco-Markham.

MDHS participates in the following annual events:

History

Markham District High School was the first school in Markham. Secondary school education officially began in Markham, in January, 1858, which was then called Markham High School. Since there was not a school building, quarters were rented in Temperance Hall at Franklin and George Streets, on the site now occupied by the Markham Lawn Bowling Club.[5]

Markham High School also took students who attended Agincourt Continuation School and wanted to complete their matriculation (grades 11 to 13) until 1930, when Agincourt High School was formed.

The year 1952 marked the establishment of the present Markham High School District, which comprises approximately the south-east half of Markham. In April 1953, the construction of the school building on Church Street began. In September 1954, a modern, three hundred pupil Secondary School was opened. In July, 1964, construction was started on a vocational addition, which would make the Markham District High School a fully composite school. This was occupied in September 1965. Two years later more accommodation was needed, and the latest addition was opened in January 1970. This building was used until the end of the 2009–10 school year, after which it was torn down. The enrollment for 1971–72 in this large, well-equipped composite school is approximately eighteen hundred students.

In 2006, the York Region School Board identified Markham DHS as a candidate replacement school based on building and program renewal requirements. Board staff met with school staff in September 2006 to describe the process to replace Markham DHS. Board staff met with interested members of the community in April 2007 to describe the phasing plan and preliminary Site Plan and the process to replace Markham DHS.[6]

The Board decided to replace Markham DHS with a new school that accommodates 1,400 students. The opening of Bur Oak Secondary School in 2007 was to reduce the number of students served by Markham DHS. The construction of the new school would allow students within the permanent boundary and the existing gifted program continued attendance into the future. The phasing of construction activities for the new school also allowed occupancy of the existing building until the new school building was completed. The site plan was approved in the Spring of 2008, and construction began shortly after.[7]

In the year 2010, the new school and present building was completed and the old one was torn down.

Athletics

The Markham Marauders are the official sports team, best known for football and basketball.

The Markham Marauders are the first team in York Region to win the Metro Bowl. They defeated Birchmount Park 19–0 in the 2009 Metro Bowl played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The Markham Marauders boys curling team has been YRAA champions and OFSAA participants for the past four years. Notably, the 2007–08 team finished 4th out of the 20 teams entered at OFSAA in Peterborough.

In addition, the 1986 Markham Marauders boys curling team were YRAA champions and runner up at OFSAA.

The Markham Marauders girls curling team won the 2013–14 YRAA championships and represented the school at OFSAA in Brampton where they also finished 4th out of the 20 teams entered.

Both of the Markham Marauders curling teams (boys and girls) won the 2015–16 YRAA championships and will be representing the school at OFSAA in Northbay in March 2016.

Classics Department

Markham District High School is one of the 60 schools remaining in Ontario with a classics department.[8] The school offers Latin levels 1 - 3 (equivalent to grades 10 - 12) as well as the grade 12 'Classical Civilization' course. Until the 2010–11 academic year the school also offered Ancient Greek from levels 1 - 3 but dropped it due to lack of interest. Markham's Classics Contingent is one of the most successful at the Ontario Student Classics Conference, and they have a longstanding rivalry there with University of Toronto Schools. In Certamen, Markham maintains a strong level of commitment and dedication, consistently taking the top accolades.

The music program

A number of regularly occurring music ensembles exist at Markham District High School.[9] They include:

  • Grade 9 Band
  • Grade 10 Symphonic Band
  • Grade 11 Wind Symphony
  • Grade 12 Wind Symphony
  • Grade 11/12 Festival Winds
  • Opus One
  • Monday Morning Blues Band
  • Grade 11 Jazz Band
  • Church Street Swing Machine
  • Washington Tour Band
  • International Tour Band
  • Senior Clarinet Quintet
  • Sax ensemble
  • Trombone Choir
  • Coolinets
  • Percussion Ensemble
  • Junior Flute Quartet
  • Senior Flute Quartet
  • Junior Wind Quintets
  • Intermediate Wind Quintet
  • Senior Wind Quintet
  • Jazz Combo
  • Junior Vocal
  • Senior Vocal
  • Resonance
  • Chamber Choir
  • Third Stream
  • Guitar Ensemble
  • Tuba Herd
  • Senior Clarinet Ensemble

Construction

A new school was built over time on two of the school's fields (front fields, leaving one field at the back), and was planned to open for the 2009/2010 academic year, but due to the students wanting the metal shops to remain in the school, plans were delayed. They broke ground in early November 2008, and opened the school in time for the 2010/2011 academic year.[10] Currently, the projected number of people for that year is to be 1650, a drop of about 450 students from the 2006/2007 year. This will occur as a result of another high school's (Bur Oak Secondary School) territory overlapping with Markham District's current boundaries.

Feeder schools

The students attending the Gifted Program in elementary school living east of McCowan Road will go to Markham District to continue their gifted education.

School Boundaries

Markham District High School is the 'home' secondary school for people within the following area. Students within the English public system in the following zone would go to Markham District unless they are enrolled in a special program or special circumstances apply. The boundaries are the City of Markham within the following zone:[11]

Transportation

School bus

As per the criteria of Student Transportation Service (joint school bus service for YRDSB and YCDSB), students from grade 9–12 in the YRDSB are eligible for school bus transportation if they are:

and

Students in a special needs program (excluding gifted), are exempt from the policy and receive it based on special criteria.

Public transit

Routes for the 2015–16 school year

There are a number of routes which serve the school, partially because of its Gifted and AP programs, partially due to its proximity to the Markham-Stouffville Hospital bus terminal.

Some York Region Transit (YRT) routes stop at or near the school:

No routes divert to/from the school at the beginning and/or end of the school day

However, there are three high school specials for Markham district. The first special is generally for those in the gifted program. They are also used by those in grades 11 and 12 who are done with the gifted program and are continuing at MDHS. It is also used by grade 12 students in the AP program who happen to live near the route. Route 410 serve those whose home schools are Markville Secondary School or Unionville High School. It also serves those in the school boundaries near Reesor Park Public School and E.T. Crowle Public School.

The 2nd special, route 411, was created to serve those living in the school boundaries near Boxwood Public School, Legacy public School and Copper Glen Public School as well as the gifted/AP students whose home school is Middlefield Collegiate Institute.

The 3rd special, route 406, introduced in the 2015–16 academic year, also serves gifted & AP students. It serves the area where the home school is currently Bur Oak Secondary but will be served by the unbuilt Cornell Secondary School.

Effective July 1, 2015, YRT fares are $4.00 in cash for a two-hour pass. Ten student tickets (valid for 2 hours) are $26.00 and a monthly pass is $102.00

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/markhamdistrict.hs/info/Pages/default.aspx?SchoolID=404
  2. ↑ "York Region District School Board - Monthly Enrolment Report" (PDF). York Region District School Board. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Ontario Ministry of Education. . Retrieved on December 14, 2012.
  4. ↑ Clubs-at-MDHS-2006-2007 Markham District High School. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ school-profile Markham District High School. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
  6. ↑ http://www.markhamdistrict.hs.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/links/replacement-school.html
  7. ↑ http://www.markhamdistrict.hs.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pdf/Markham-DHS-New-School-Plan-November-2007.pdf
  8. ↑ Toronto Star. Retrieved on April 6, 2014.
  9. ↑ Music-dept-intro Markham District High School. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
  10. ↑ Markham District High School. Markhamdistrict.hs.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ http://www.yrdsb.ca/AboutUs/Departments/Planning/Documents/Boundary/404Boundary.pdf
  12. ↑ "Who's Who Canada 1936-7 including the British Possessions in the Western Hemisphere" Edited by E.M. Greene , Twenty-Fifth year of issue , Published by International Press Limited , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
  13. ↑ Edwards, Drew (23 June 2014). "Ticats' Matt Coates takes winding road to CFL". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
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