Alexander Mackenzie High School is a public secondary school with classes for grades 9 through 12, located in Richmond Hill, Ontario

Richmond Hill, Ontario

Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...

, Canada. The school opened in 1969 as Don Head Secondary School and was renamed Alexander Mackenzie High School in 1992, in honour of Major Addison Alexander Mackenzie

Addison Alexander Mackenzie

Dr. Addison Alexander Mackenzie MC , was a Canadian soldier and doctor from Richmond Hill, Ontario.He originally pursued a military career, joining the Governor-General's Body Guard in 1912...

, a well-known Richmond Hill resident and philanthropist.

The school mascot is the Mustang. The AMHS Cricket team has won the YRAA championship for the past two years. The rugby teams are also rated very highly as they are perennial contenders for the YRAA championship.

The school offers Advanced Placement courses for senior students.

It was announced in October 2008 that AMHS will join Huron Heights S.S., Unionville High School

Unionville High School

Unionville High School is a public high school of the York Region District School Board. It is located in the community of Unionville in the town of Markham, Ontario. The school is located next to the local municipal offices and the Apple Creek Business Park.Unionville High School is most well...

, and Westmount Collegiate as one of the four high schools in York Region to offer a specialized arts program.

Facilities

The original school building was built in 1969 and in 1992 a new wing was added in order to accommodate both the increase in student population and the change in school program. A second addition of 10 classrooms opened in the spring of 2002.

Character Matters

In 2003, the Town of Richmond Hill contributed 10 "Character Matters" signs to the school as part of an initiative that encourages young adults to become more involved in their community. This event featured guest speaker Wendel Clark

Wendel Clark

Wendel L. Clark is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is perhaps best known for being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League , captaining the team from 1991 to 1994...

, the former Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

Captain..

Student leadership

The AMHS student council is elected annually by the student body. They organize school events including fundraising for a variety of community organizations. Students can become a member of the following councils:

• Student Council
• Athletic Council
• Arts and Culture Council
• Music Council
• Character Education Council
• Technology Council
• Environmental Council

Music department

The Alexander Mackenzie High School Music Department offers courses in instrumental band, vocal music, classical guitar, piano, musical theatre and computer music. Approximately 25% of the students at AMHS are involved in the music program.

Starting in September 2009, AMHS offered a specialized regional arts program in dance, drama, instrumental music and vocal music. There were over 50 students in the first year.

External links

• Official site