Metamora Township High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Metamora Township High School (MTHS) is a public high school for several townships in Woodford County, Illinois. The school is located in Metamora, Illinois.
Metamora Township High School District 122 is a single-school district independent of the three grade school districts that feed into it: Metamora Community Consolidated School District 1, Germantown Hills School District 69 in Germantown Hills, and Riverview Community Consolidated School District 2 between East Peoria and Spring Bay.
The high school was constructed in 1915. Another building was added to the school in 1971, and what was previously the gym became the study hall room. A newer gym was recently constructed.[citations needed]
The school colors are red and white. The mascot for the school is the Redbird, which is also the Illinois state bird.
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[edit] Martial Arts
The martial arts club stands because it is one of only a few XMA certified martial arts schools in the state of Illinois[citation needed], the original one located in Chicago. The martial arts program is relatively comprehensive. Karate and Tae Kwon Do are also taught to students. The martial arts program at MTHS is designed for participants to receive a black belt within four years, the usual span of a high school career.
The martial arts program is a free after school program for MTHS students. Classes are led by fourth degree black belt Joe Chianakas and several other volunteers, including fifth degree black belt David Hawkey, third degree black belt Larry Stephens, and first degree black belts Adam Ulbricht and Amanda Dixon.
In addition, the program is unique in that it offers youth training programs at all public feeder schools in Metamora. Metamora Grade, Germantown Grade and Riverview Grade students all have the same program offered at their grade schools. When grade school students enter high school, they will have a chance to be part of the elite high school level program.
The main training revolves around shuri-ryu Okinawan karate but also incorporates tae kwon do, XMA, and judo, among others. Students may also join the competition team and demonstration team. MTHS martial artists have competed and placed in several national and even world level competitions.
If a student is highly devoted, he or she may even graduate with the ranking of first degree black belt. The program is designed to teach the art of combat, focusing highly on self-defense, physical fitness, and life skills benefits such as respect and discipline. In total, the MTHS program has promoted nine students to black belt as of December 2006: Adam Ulbricht, Jason Szewczyk, Amanda Dixon, Jessica Duffy, Thomas Deters, Neil Kirchoefer, Aaron Ruder, Adam Bockler and Justin Knobeloch.
Metamora Martial Arts also has its own unique website from the MTHS subsite - click here. The site was created and is maintained by Adam Bockler.
[edit] Football
The Metamora football program has been one of the best in Central Illinois over the last ten years under head coach Pat Ryan[citation needed]. The highlights of which are state championship game appearances in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000[citation needed]. Metamora won eight straight Mid-Illini titles from 1995-2002 and has won in both 2004, 2005, and 2006. The team has also made at least the quarterfinals of the IHSA state tournament 9 out of the last 11 years and has also been in the playoffs for 11 seasons in a row.
[edit] Marching Band
The school's marching band has been very successful and goes to several marching band competitions each year, as well as performing at either the Grand National Marching Band Competition in Indianapolis or the Marching Band Super Regional each year, sometimes both.[citation needed]They are headed by Mr. Chris Render and Dr. "Doc" Parks.
[edit] Choral Program
Each year includes two all-program concerts each year (Christmas and Spring), as well as other venues for individual ensembles.
The flagship ensemble for the MTHS choirs is the MTHS Chorale. The Chorale performs at school events, as well as the Mid-Illini Conference Choral Festival in the spring, and other venues. The Chorale was selected to perform with Illinois Wesleyan University's ensembles at their annual Christmas Concert.
The choral department is also involved with other activities throughout the year. It's most notable event is the annual Madrigal Dinner, performed the first two weekends of December. Students perform throughout the night as guests are treated as guests in an old English castle. In similar form the choral and drama departments team up to put on a Spring Musical each year. These shows, can have a cast of up to sixty performers, and has done shows like "Little Shop of Horrors," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat," "Guys and Dolls," "The Pirates of Penzance," and "Beauty and the Beast."
