Madawaska Valley District High School (MVDHS) is a public high school situated in the village of Barry's Bay, Ontario. It is managed by Renfrew County District School Board. The school was opened in 1967, and has been operating as the public high school for the area ever since. M.V.D.H.S. is one of few High schools in the area, and as of 2012, is attended by 419 students, offering classes for students in grades 9-12. Some of the faculty are M.V. Graduates.
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Identity
The school colours are navy blue and yellow. The schools team name is "Wolves" and the new Mascot's name is "Waska".
Traditions
Every November and December at Madawaska Valley the annual Reindeer Hunt takes place where all students and willing staff members take place in the event. All participants get matched up with a partner and have x number of days to clip a clothes pin onto their "reindeer". Every round half of the players get eliminated until only 2 remain. This final round continues until a champion is crowned and receives a 100 dollar prize. Another exciting tradition at MVDHS is the Boomer Cup that is held every Spring at the school. The Boomer Cup is a floor hockey tournament that consists of roughly 6 teams. There is a round robin between all teams, 2 semi final 3 game series', and a final 3 game series between the two semi final winner. This series ultimately decides the Boomer Cup Champion. In the past, annual musical productions were put on by students of all grades and included the talents of the school's music department. Some productions included Guys n Dolls, Fiddler on The Roof, and Teahouse of the August Moon. Also past traditions were intramural productions each fall during Fall Festival. The school is divided into four "houses", Algonquin, Bonnechere, Kaminiskeg and Opeongo. These houses each put on a performance for judges and awarded various trophies for acting, lighting and best production.
Alumni
Notable alumni of MVDHS include: retired NHL hockey players Rodney Schutt and Larry Trader; illustrator/game designer Benjamin Rivers; Dr. Jack Kitts, CEO of The Ottawa Hospital; MPP Sean Conway; and Patricia Burchat, physicist at Stanford.
Sports
Madawaska Valley District High School offers many sports for its students, both male and female. Fall sports include girls rugby, girls basketball, boys volleyball and co-ed cross country. Winter sports include girls volleyball, boys basketball, and alpine skiing and hockey for both genders. Spring sports include girls soccer, boys soccer, tennis, golf, badminton, and track and field. In the past the Wolves have been known for excellence in volleyball, and this is clearly shown on the sports plaque in the school's gymnasium.