Francis Howell Central High School

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**Francis Howell Central**
The FHC Shield and Mascot.
Address	5199 Highway N
City	St. Charles, Missouri
Established	1997
Type	Public Secondary
Principal	Mr. Jack Ameis
Enrollment	2182
Staff	140
Grades	9 to 12
Graduation	88.6%
District	Francis Howell
Mascot	Spartan
Colors	Blue and Silver
Website	http://fhc.fhsd.k12.mo.us

1 Mission Statements
- 1.1 Mission Statement
- 1.2 Value Statements
2 Brief History
3 Athletics
4 Clubs
- 4.1 The Spotlight Players
- 4.2 Spartan Regiment

Francis Howell Central High School (abbreviated FHC) is the third high school created in the Francis Howell School District. The school is located in Cottleville, Missouri, and opened its doors in the fall of 1997. Home of the Spartans, Francis Howell Central is a four-year comprehensive high school offering programs in college preparatory, vocational, honors/advanced credit, advanced placement and an all-inclusive special education program. The school has a strong extracurricular program, in which many students are involved in athletic, organizational, and academic involvement.

[edit] Mission Statements

[edit] Mission Statement

"Our mission is to prepare students to be productive and responsible members of a democratic society by promoting excellence through academic achievement."

"If Francis Howell Central High School is to remain an exemplary school, it must have concrete goals to work toward to improve student achievement. The following vision statement is intended to provide the standards that Francis Howell Central High School should strive to achieve and maintain."

[edit] Curriculum and Instruction

At FHC, teachers will be permitted to exercise professional judgment reaching common curriculum goals. In such a school:
a. students will increase enrollment in AP classes.
b. high academic expectations and support systems are in place for students and the school structure supports the instructional process.
c. students are stimulated to perform to the best of their ability.
d. resources are available to meet academic needs and much needed labs would be reopened and remain so.
e. students strive for high achievement on state and standardized tests.
f. the school schedule is restructured to improve instruction and reduce class sizes.
g. students will learn practical life skills and effectively use technology to increase productivity.
h. mastery of academic disciplines such as reading, writing, reasoning, logic, and research will be a priority.

[edit] Personnel

FHC and its staff will support and collaborate with each other, working collectively to educate the students. FHC envisions:
a. teachers who are trusted to participate in building, instructional, & disciplinary decision-making.
b. discipline codes that are enforced by all faculty and administration.
c. teachers who are valued and respected as leaders, role models, and decision makers.
d. professional staff that maintains a climate leading to academic achievement.
e. teachers will have more instructional time and resources to help students, regardless of their aptitude, to learn.
f. Open lines of communication among all building staff.
g. a faculty that functions as a group.

[edit] Students

Students are recognized as individuals and encouraged to take ownership of their future, their learning, and their school, through making decisions that are productive for themselves and society. FHC will:
a. recognize student individuality.
b. have programs to reach students who struggle individually.
c. provide a mentoring program for freshman and/or struggling students.
d. teach effective goal setting skills and provide an effective transition for Post-High school (Career or College).
e. recognize and value individual student strengths.
f. encourage students to become active leaders of the student body.
g. foster student accountability where MAP is tied to grades
h. provide incentive for students by relating privileges to behavior.
i. emphasize and encourage involvement in extra-curricular programs.

[edit] Climate

FHC will be a place where all "Spartans" feel a sense of pride, ownership, and safety. At FHC, this requires:
a. a collaborative and value-centered ethic.
b. a safe, secure, and bully-free environment for students and staff.
c. mutual respect between all members of school community and appreciation for its diversity.
d. a comfortable, diverse, and creative learning environment that has freedom of expression, sense of mutual responsibility, and health consciousness.
e. minimal classroom interruptions.

[edit] Community Partnerships

FHC will seek more support from parents and the community-at-large for our efforts to promote student responsibility and achievement. In FHC, we will strive to:
a. educate the community and increase their involvement, including the need for financial support.
b. encourage parents to value and respect their child's education and support the institution of higher learning.
c. Create partnerships with parents and volunteers to offer support and assistance to teachers, staff and students.

[edit] Value Statements

FHC strives to... Focus on academics and promote success in the classroom. Hold students accountable for their academic progress, which will allow teachers to give valuable feedback. Continually develop and improve instructional strategies through collaboration. Effectively collaborate with parents to support and assist teachers, staff, and students. Nurture an environment that recognizes individuality, mutual respect, and an open line of communication as critical components of success. Thoroughly evaluate students' abilities and actively work to ensure success by teaching study skills and providing clear explanations. Respond to the needs of the business community by keeping our curriculum relevant through collaboration. Acknowledge student success and reward academic accomplishments. Learn to come together as a whole community in order to realize the goals and vision of Francis Howell Central High School.

[edit] Brief History

FHC opened in the fall of 1997 with only freshmen and sophomore students. The school had been built in a series of phases, much of what is visible today had not yet been constructed at the time of its opening. The school's founding principal was Mr. Don Muench. The building opened with a few number of teachers, due to the fact that it had such a low number of students at the time. In 2001, the students and staff were shocked following the Muench's death. After some time, Mr. Steve Griggs was hired as the new building principal. The change in leadership was difficult for many individuals, as many were so close to Muench. Griggs remained principal until 2006, when he transferred his position to the district administration. Mr. Jack Ameis, former principal of Francis Howell North High School, is currently the interim principal.

[edit] Athletics

Francis Howell Central supports three athletic seasons, with all sports supported by their own Booster club, selling products that help benefit their individual sport. Teams participate against other local schools in the surrounding area. Recently the Varsity Football team went the MSHSAA district 6 championship quarter finals, to be defeated by the Jefferson city high school.

[edit] Clubs

Students attending Francis Howell Central have many options of clubs to choose from including, but not limited to the following: Art Club
DECA
FCA
FCCLA
Knowledge Master Open
National Honor Society
Pep Club
Robotics
Youth in Government
Scholar Quiz Bowl
There are also two sports teams listed by the school as clubs, because the sports are not actively sponsored by the school. These are JV and Varsity Hockey, and The Seven Sages Ultimate Frisbee team.

[edit] The Spotlight Players

The Spotlight Playersis the school's theatre troupe, which produces at least three main stage shows per season, in addition to "second stage" productions and fund raisers. They perform to sell-out, or near-sell-out audiences in the school's 513 seat auditorium. In addition to theatrical productions, The Spotlight Players host the school's "Battle of The Bands", as well as the annual talent competition, "Talentpalooza" (in coordination with the school's Student Council), "The Student-Directed One Acts", as well as several other events — all of which are repeated annually.

The school has a rich theatrical history, consisting of over 25 main stage productions since the school's opening. The most successful of these shows have often been Broadway musicals, such as Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, and Oklahoma!. The troupe has been under the direction of two sponsors since its beginning: Mr. Tim Clayton (1997-2004) and Mr. Stephen Kimball (2004-Present). The organization ranges between 200-300 students involved over the course of the year, consisting of individuals interested in the theatrical arts.

[edit] Spartan Regiment

The Spartan Regiment is FHC's marching band. The group has been very successful throughout their competitions and events. Since the opening of the school, the regiment has been under the direction of Mr. David Opperman. They have competed in several national events, including winning first place at the Orange Bowlin 2003. In October2006, it was announced that the Regiment would travel to Beijing, Chinabetween July 10th and July 21st, 2007, to play for the Cultural Festival for the 2008 Summer Olympics.