Markham District High School

Markham District High School
Address
89 Church Street Markham, Ontario, L3P 2M3, Canada
Information
School number	924911'
School board	York Region District School Board
Religious affiliation	Secular
Superintendent	Cecil Roach
Area trustee	Allan Tam
Principal	Kim Garner
Vice principal	Krista Pummell and George Voumvakis
School type	Secondary school
Grades	9–12
Language	English
Mascot	Maxx the Bulldog
Founded	1953
Enrolment	1400 (2010–2011)
Homepage	Official website

Markham District High School is a public high school in the town of Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is one of 29 high schools in the York Region District School Board.

MDHS and its approximately 1,350 full-time students are active in spirit and in the community. The school hosts approximately forty clubs,^[1] 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 AP (Advanced Placement) programs and the Core Gifted program. MDHS has also several other clubs such as the Architecture, Design, and Engineering Club, DECA, Computer Programming Club, Eco-Markham and much more.

MDHS participates in the following annual events:

• Annual Earth Hour Assembly organized by EcoMarkham
• Grade 9 Welcome Day
• Black History Month
• Battle of the Bands
• "Cabaret" music night
• Mosaic Mix Cultural Show
• Heart and Stroke Foundation Campaign
• Canadian Cancer Society Cure for Cancer Campaign
• Certamen
• Ontario Student Classics Conference
• Free The Children Holiday Run
• Markham Bowl Annual football game between Markham District High School and Brother André Catholic High School.

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, on the site now occupied by the Markham Lawn Bowling Club.^[2]

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 2009/2010 school year, after which it was torn down. The enrollment for 1971–1972 in this large, well equipped composite school is approximately eighteen hundred students.

In the year 2010, the 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, and only 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.

The Music Program

The music program at Markham District H.S. is arguably one of the best in Canada. A number of regularly occurring music ensembles exist at Markham District High School.^[3] 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 Church Street Swing Machine Washington Tour Band International Tour Band

Senior Clarinet Quintet Sax ensemble Trombone Choi&r Percussion Ensemble Junior Flute Quartet Senior Flute Quartet Jazz Combo Junior Vocal Senior Vocal Sisters of Song Chamber Choir Third Stream Guitar Ensemble Tuba Herd

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 have been delayed. They broke ground in early November 2008, and opened the school in time for the 2010/2011 academic year.^[4] 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

• Franklin Street Public School
• Boxwood Public School
• David Suzuki Public School
• Legacy Public School
• E.T Crowle Public School
• Reesor Park Public School
• William Armstrong Public School

For those in the Gifted Program – William Berczy Public School (Starting in the 2010–2011 school year, most of the gifted students from Berczy will go to Markville Secondary School instead. But, MDHS will get some of the students who attend John McCrae Public School for the gifted program. However, this will still cause a big drop in enrollement

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:

• 1. Living more than 3.2 km from the school (measured along safe walkways)

and

• 2. Living in a non-transit served area. (A transit served area means that a person can get to and from school using the YRT/Viva in less than an hour, needs to walk no more than 1 km to/from the stop, and needs to take a maximum of 3 busses each way).

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

Public transit

Starting in the 2011–2012 school, the routes serving the school were widely changed.

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:

• Route 1 – Highway 7
• Route 41 – Markham Local
• Route 102D – Markham Road (operated by the Toronto Transit Commission)
• Route 522 – Markham Community Bus

Also, route 2A (14th Avenue) diverts to the school at the beginning and end of the school day. Route 9 (Ninth line) diverts only at the end.

In addition, there are four high school specials for Markham district. The first three specials are 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 409 serves those whose home schools are Bur Oak Secondary School or Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School. Route 410 serve those whose home schools are Markville Secondary School or Unionville High School. Route 414 serves those whose homeschool is Stoufville District Secondary School. However it is only effective in the morning. In the afternoon, it runs but leaves too late (to accomadate those travelling from Bill Crothers Secondary School and Unionville High School). Students take route 9 then transfer to route 15 (Stoufville Local).

The 4th special, route 411, was created to serve those living in the school boundaries near Boxwood Public school and Legacy public School as well as the gifted/AP students whose home school is Middlefield Collegiate Institute. It is meant to be an overflow to route 2A, but only running where the demand is the greatest

YRT fares are $3.25 in cash for a two hour pass in one fare zone. Ten student tickets are $19.00 and a monthly pass is $75.00.

Notable alumni

• Steve Thomas, NHL ice hockey player
• Brad May, NHL ice hockey player
• Frank Scarpitti, Current Mayor of the Town of Markham
• Sean Morley, World Wrestling Entertainment, Val Venis of WWE fame
• Tammy Sutton-Brown, professional women's basketball player
• Shauna Robertson, Hollywood Film Producer
• Jason "Human Kebab" Parsons of Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker's (USS) DJ and Hypeman
• Geoff Keighley, video game journalist
• Jeff Skinner, NHL Ice Hockey player
• Cameron Gaunce, NHL Ice Hockey player
• Raymond Grinnell, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto Scarborough

References

1. ^ Clubs-at-MDHS-2006-2007 Markham District High School. . Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
2. ^ school-profile Markham District High School. . Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
3. ^ Music-dept-intro Markham District High School. . Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
4. ^ Markham District High School. Markhamdistrict.hs.yrdsb.edu.on.ca. Retrieved on September 11, 2011.

External links

• EcoMarkham Website
• York Region DSB's profile on Markham DHS
• School Website
• School reunion website
• MDHS Music
• Markham District's Student Cultural Association (SCA)
• Markham District's Classics Club

Coordinates: 43°52′45″N 79°15′06″W / 43.879211°N 79.251552°W / 43.879211; -79.251552