J.P. McCaskey High School
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| Motto | Together We Can |
|---|---|
| Established | unknown |
| Type of institution | Public high school |
| Principal | Dr. Jerry Bourdeaux |
| Enrollment | Approx. 3000 students |
| Location | Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Colors | Red and Black |
| Mascot | Tornado |
| Website | http://lancaster.k12.pa.us/high_school/mccaskey/index.htm |
J.P. McCaskey High School is a public high school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Located on the east side of Lancaster, it is named after John Piersol McCaskey, an educator and composer in Lancaster. The school consists of two buildings, McCaskey East and J.P. McCaskey, which is referred to either as "J.P.M" or simply "J.P". With the construction of McCaskey East in 1996 some administrators advocated use of the term "West";however, many students, faculty, and alumnus find this term to be offensive as it is the original, historical building. Also on the McCaskey campus are Wickersham Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School, numerous playing fields, tennis courts, and a stadium.
[edit] Academics
There are eight small learning communities (SLC's) at McCaskey, some of which are housed at McCaskey East, some at McCaskey, and some elsewhere in Lancaster: Arts & Humanities, Career Connections, School of Media Studies and Communication, IB/Honors, Institute of Technology (MIT), Public Leadership & Service, Technical & Business Careers (VoTech), Institute of Health Sciences.
The Honors SLC, formerly ‘Pre-IB’ and usually referred to as ‘IB’ or ‘Honors’, includes numerous Advanced Placement courses and a full International Baccalaureate curriculum for juniors and seniors. The Votech SLC includes numerous areas of academic concentration, including computer aided drafting, graphic communications, building trades maintenance, early childhood education, law enforcement, electronics, and business. Don Muckel teaches the graphic communications lab.
McCaskey is one of five schools in the state to offer an International Baccalaureate Diploma. Each year, around 10 students are candidates for the diploma. Most students aiming to pursue a rigorous academic curriculum choose the Honors SLC in 9th grade, but few follow the IB Diploma Programme for four years due to the huge number of bureaucratic requirements.
[edit] Background
J.P. McCaskey was named after John Piersol McCaskey, an educator, composer, and mayor of Lancaster from 1906-1910[1]. He taught at Lancaster's Boys' High School starting in 1855 and later became the principal. McCaskey High School, which integrated the single-sex high schools of Lancaster in the 1930's, was completed in 1938 as a WPA project. The building's lobby as well as the facade, chiefly on the front facing Reservoir St., is an example of the Art Deco style.
Many McCaskey staff resent the allegedly biased press coverage McCaskey receives. At a public alumni function in May 2006 to recognize notable alumni, an alumnus, also a Lebanon Valley College admissions representative, said that McCaskey students were "neither the best nor the brightest." The statement, which outraged and bewildered the students, highlighted an inconsistent attitude in the community toward the school. Still, Lancaster City is relatively positive toward the school; McCaskey's music groups and a number of sports teams are involved with philanthropic causes in the community. Free concerts and various charity fundraisers are held annually by student groups.
J.P. McCaskey High School Website Part of the front of J.P. McCaskey High School
