Merivale High School

Merivale High School
Moniti Meliora
Address
1755 Merivale Road Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 1E2, Canada
Public transit access	OC Transpo 600 Series
Information
School board	Ottawa Carleton District School Board
School district	Knoxdale-Merivale
Superintendent	Peter Gamwell
Principal	Patrick McCarthy
Vice principal	Michelle Richling, Kerry Wiltse
Administrator	Pat Clark
Chief custodian	Michael Harr
Grades	9 to 12
Language	English
Area	Nepean
Campus	Suburban
Mascot	Marauder
Team name	Marauders
Colours	Maroon and Gold
Founded	1964
Enrolment	1200
Feeder schools	Sir Winston Churchill Public School, Cedarview
Homepage	http://www.merivalehighschool.org

Merivale High School (MHS) is a secondary school, located at the intersection of Merivale Road and Viewmount Drive in Nepean, Ontario, Canada. The school is known for its gifted student program, but also runs French Immersion programs and extensive visual art, music, and co-operative education programs.

Enrollment is around 1200. The school's team is the Merivale Marauders, and the school's colours are maroon and gold.

History

Under construction in 1963

Construction

The school was first built in 1964. According to aerial photos taken in these time periods and old yearbook photos, the school opened with the "A" Wing and "B" Wing (the main front building), "E" Wing and "T" wing constructed. The school then received an expansion of an added "D" Wing and "L" Wing by 1965. The buildings were completed by December and where to include the English, Geography, History, and commercial classes which were at the time held in the Gym, Cafeteria and basement. By 1968 all the current buildings were complete. In 1970 the Library, in between the two "D" and "E" wings, would be added on.

Construction of the D Wing in 1965

1965 - Present

The school has witnessed many changes around its premises, such as the re-alignment of Viewmount Road (back then Borden Side Road) and the increase of commercial enterprises like Merivale Mall in the 1960s and 1970s. Construction and development slowed down in the 80s and 90s but in 2002 a new shopping complex was built across the street as well as a Harvey's nearby, providing students many more places to go during lunch.

Due to its location on the increasingly commercially developed Merivale strip, and its reduced importance since the completion of John McCrae Secondary School in Barrhaven, efforts had been made by the province to close the school in the late 1990s as a means of saving money. These efforts proved unsuccessful due to a large amount of community and student body support for the school. In 2005, with the closure of Laurentian and J.S. Woodsworth High Schools, Merivale took in the remaining students as well as remaining school equipment and staff from both schools, maintaining a strong solid student population.

In early December 2005 an electrical fire destroyed the interiors of the main office, student services and guidance departments. The damage was estimated at CA$100,000 and a temporary wall had to be constructed to facilitate reconstruction. The new office opened in 2006.

The school is currently under review by parent groups and the school board over how the school will continue running in the future, such as how the school's grade system and programs will work (either making it into a combined 7-12 hybrid system like the new Longfields-Davidson Heights school, keeping it the same, or re-routing students to a different location altogether). Enrollment in today's demographics is expected to decrease until 2012.

Academics and arts

The school is among the top schools in Ontario for academics. In 2000, a team of Merivale students won the Reach for the Top national championship;^[1] in 2003, the school was named champion on the CBC television series SmartAsk.^[2] The school's music program is considered one of the best in the Ottawa area: the school's ensembles regularly win "gold" standings at regional MusicFest competitions, and won 5 golds when they attended the 2000 national finals at York University.^[3]

Merivale High School in March 2010, during the annual student-run Coffeehouse

The school also competed in the 2006 national MusicFest competition with 7 ensembles, all achieving a grade of silver or higher. Merivale also excels in dramatic arts. Their musical production of "Lucky Stiff" was nominated thirteen times for the Ottawa-area Cappie awards in 2005-2006, an awards ceremony for high school productions. It took home eight awards, the most of any school that year.^[4] In 1999, the student newspaper, The Vanguard, won First Place (for a credit course newspaper) in the Toronto Star High School Newspaper Awards, a first for the publication. The Vanguard had previously won multiple first place awards in a similar competition held by the Ottawa Citizen.

In 2010, Merivale's musical production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" lead them to win 7 out of their 16 nominations at the Cappies.

As well, the school also holds a yearly Art Show in May/June, showcasing student artwork as well as technology and carpentry.

Athletics

The school has over thirty teams and sports uniforms. Six sports teams qualified for the OFSAA finals in 2005-2006. In the 2006-2007 season, a boy's singles badminton player, the senior girls' basketball team, the senior and junior girls' and senior boys' cross country team, the senior boys soccer team qualified for OFSAA. The Merivale High School boys football team won the City Championship in 2005, competing in the Tier 2 division. Following a year in which the school was forced to suspend its football program, an influx of athletes from the recently closed J.S Woodsworth Secondary helped the program en route to a successful season in which the team went undefeated. In 2008, Merivale High School placed first overall in the NCSSAA Swim Meet in early December. The school holds an annual Athletic Banquet at the end of the year.

Routes

The school is served by several OC Transpo "Special" buses in the 600 series which convey the students to and from school from surrounding (and distant) communities such as Barrhaven.

688
675
687
642
677

Notable alumni

• Moe Lemay - former NHL hockey player
• David Charbonneau - astronomer
• Kathleen Edwards - musician/songwriter
• Steven MacLean - astronaut (STS-115, STS-52)
• Chris Day - CJOH News Anchor
• Vikas Kohli - producer and founder of Fatlabs
• Larry O'Brien - Mayor of Ottawa (2006-2010)

References

1. ^ Reach For The Top National Champions 1998-2007
2. ^ "Merivale students win trivia challenge" in The Ottawa Citizen, 2 April 2003, C3
3. ^ MusicFest Canada : 2000 Festival Results
4. ^ Patrick Langston: "A Touch of Broadway at the NAC" in The Ottawa Citizen, 13 June 2006, A1

External links

• School Website
• OCDSB Website
• 2006-2007 OCDSB School Profile
• 2005-2006 OCDSB School Profile
• 2004-2005 OCDSB School Profile
• Merivale Fine Arts Wikispace

Coordinates: 45°20′37″N 75°43′40″W / 45.34361°N 75.72778°W / 45.34361; -75.72778