Paris District High School
Encyclopedia
Paris District High School (PDHS) is a regional high school
in Paris
, Ontario
, Canada
. The school itself was built in 1923, replacing the previous Grammar School which had been built in 1858, and was known officially as Paris High School until a large addition was constructed in the late 1960s.
In 2004, PDHS serves students from Paris and other towns found in the immediate area, including St. George, Drumbo
, Burford, Princeton and Glen Morris. The school maintains rigorous academic standards, with over 30% of the Class of 2001 graduating as Ontario Scholars.
Rugby union
, basketball
and volleyball
are popular with both boys and girls, and Paris teams often compete in the annual province wide OFSAA championships. Outside of school sponsored sports, PDHS students are involved in activities such as ice hockey
, ringette
, inline skating
and skateboarding
. Hockey is especially popular, with several PDHS students and youth from the general area advancing to the Ontario Hockey League
in recent years.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Paris
Paris, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The school itself was built in 1923, replacing the previous Grammar School which had been built in 1858, and was known officially as Paris High School until a large addition was constructed in the late 1960s.
In 2004, PDHS serves students from Paris and other towns found in the immediate area, including St. George, Drumbo
Drumbo
Drumbo is a small village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies about south of Belfast city centre, east of Lisburn and west of Carryduff. The 2001 Census recorded the village's population as being 408....
, Burford, Princeton and Glen Morris. The school maintains rigorous academic standards, with over 30% of the Class of 2001 graduating as Ontario Scholars.
Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
are popular with both boys and girls, and Paris teams often compete in the annual province wide OFSAA championships. Outside of school sponsored sports, PDHS students are involved in activities such as ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, ringette
Ringette
Ringette is a team sport played on an ice surface. Played primarily by females, Ringette requires the use of straight sticks to control a rubber ring; with the objective of the game being to score goals by shooting the ring into the opponent's net. It was introduced by Sam Jacks in North Bay,...
, inline skating
Inline skating
Inline skating is a recreational sport practiced widely internationally. Inline skates typically have 2 to 5 polyurethane wheels, arranged in a single line. The in-line design allows for greater speed than roller skates and better maneuverability...
and skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
. Hockey is especially popular, with several PDHS students and youth from the general area advancing to the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
in recent years.
Notable Alumni and staff
PDHS has produced both nationally and internationally recognizable alumni. This includes:- Syl AppsSyl AppsCharles Joseph Sylvanus Apps, CM of Paris, Ontario, was a Canadian pole vaulter and professional hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1936 to 1948 and a Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario.-Athletic career:Apps was a strong athlete, 6 feet tall, weighing 185 pounds,...
- Former OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe 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...
player and Member of Provincial Parliament - Walter GretzkyWalter GretzkyWalter Gretzky, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian who has been honoured for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada, and for his dedication to helping many local, provincial, and national charities...
- Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson and father of Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,... - Ted ReaderTed ReaderTed Reader is a Canadian chef and author of several cookbooks.A native of Paris, Ontario and a graduate of George Brown College’s culinary management program, Ted credits his mother as well as his grandfather for giving him a passion for cooking. Watching Celebrity Cooks on TV after school, he...
, celebrity chef - Linda SchuylerLinda SchuylerLinda Schuyler, CM is a Canadian television producer involved in the creation of the Degrassi series and Instant Star series of teen programs...
, television producer of the Degrassi franchise - Barry Silverthorn, documentary producer of The End of SuburbiaThe End of SuburbiaThe End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream is a 2004 documentary film concerning peak oil and its implications for the suburban lifestyle, written and directed by Toronto-based filmmaker Gregory Greene....
- D.A. SmithAt The Forks of The GrandAt The Forks of the Grand is a detailed history of the town of Paris, Ontario, Canada. Volume I covers the historical period of 1793-1920.Writer Donald A. Smith was at one time the principal of Paris District High School....
, an author, was the principal of PDHS for several years during the 1950s.