Southeast Polk Community School District
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| Southeast Polk Senior High |
|
| Established | 1961 |
| Type | Public Secondary |
| Principal | Chuck Bredlow |
| Students | 1,586 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | 8379 NE University Av. Pleasant Hill, Iowa USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Black and Gold |
Southeast Polk Community School District is centered just to the east of Des Moines, in southeastern Polk County. The high school and junior high are located in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. The district includes Runnells, Altoona, Mitchellville, parts of Pleasant Hill and Des Moines, and the surrounding rural areas.
The district was formed by a consolidation of several districts (most notably Runnells, Altoona, and Mitchellville; several smaller districts also merged) in 1962.
Famous Alumni of Southeast Polk are Chicago Bears Quarterback Kyle Orton and Champion wrestler Jessman Smith.
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[edit] District's Mission
The district's mission is "to be an innovative, educational organization committed to providing learning experiences of superior quality which enable ALL students to successfully meet challenges now and in the future."
Throughout the K-12 experience, students are guided to become:
- Self-Directed Learners
- Collaborative Workers
- Complex Thinkers
- Community Contributors
- Quality Producers
- Wellness Practitioners
- Global Participants
- Effective Communicators
[edit] Current Information
The superintendent of the school district is Thomas Downs whereas the principal of the high school is Chuck Bredlow, and the vice principal is Joseph Horton.
Southeast Polk competes in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League Central Conference along with Ankeny, Indianola, Urbandale, Marshalltown, 7 Des Moines Schools, and more.
Southeast Polk's grade schools consist of 7 elementary schools, Altoona, Centennial, Delaware, Four Mile, Mitchellville, Runnells, and Willowbrook, with an eighth, Clay Elementary, currently under construction.
The schools are proud of their academic and extracurricular programs, which exist to serve and challenge both the talented and gifted and the struggling students. The district tries to provide a wide variety of opportunities for student involvement. The high school offers more than thirty clubs including community service, academic and hobby clubs.
Southeast Polk's current, and most important, problem is the overcrowding in the secondary schools. The current high school, built to hold about 1,100 people, has over 1,600 students enrolled. The Junior High is facing the same problem, holding approximately 900 students in a building meant for 600. A $60 million bond referendum to build a new high school, $50 million, and elementary school, $10 million, (named Clay Elementary) was passed on February 28, 2006[1].
Despite the flood of students, the district is still openly enrolling and continues to send students to local area colleges and Des Moines Central Campus for expanded learning classes.
Central Place Family Resource Center, located in the high school building, provides services from tutoring and parenting skills to shelter, clothing, and food for students and families in the district. All Southeast Polk families may use Central Place services.
[edit] School Pride
The school mascot, the Rams, is a bacronym for Runnells, Altoona, Mitchellville Schools. The school colors are black and gold. The district prides itself on its large amount of school spirit, including both "Ram Pride" and "The Southeast Polk Way."
The school newspaper is the Rampage, a member of the High School National Ad Network.
[edit] High School Activities
[edit] Sports & Recreation
Southeast Polk is a member of the Central Iowa Metropolital League. The league is divided into three 6-team conferences as shown below:
| Central | Iowa | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Ankeny | Ames | DM East |
| Indianola | Fort Dodge | DM Hoover |
| Johnston | Marshalltown | DM Lincoln |
| Southeast Polk | Mason City | DM North |
| Urbandale | Waukee | DM Roosevelt |
| WDM Dowling | WDM Valley | Ottumwa |
[edit] Varsity Football
The entire SEP community is very proud of the Rams Football team for winning second place in the 2006 State Championship Game against Xavier Saints. Denny Muller, head coach, reflected after this big game, "This season's success is the first step to creating a winning football tradition at Southeast Polk. We expect to win and when we don't we are disappointed but we will not quit." [1]
| Opponent | Our Score | Their Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ Mason City | 30 | 0 | September 1st |
| @ DSM North | 60 | 7 | September 8th |
| vs. Ames | 17 | 7 | September 15th |
| vs. Sioux City East | 51 | 7 | September 22nd |
| @ Indianola | 31 | 7 | September 30th |
| @ Ankeny | 41 | 38 | October 6th |
| vs. Dowling Catholic | 7 | 10 | October 13th |
| vs. Johnston | 48 | 11 | October 20th |
| @ Urbandale | 49 | 14 | October 27th |
| vs. Ottumwa | 42 | 21 | November 1st |
| vs. Ankeny | 23 | 20 | November 6th |
| vs. Valley @ The Dome | 27 | 14 | November 10th |
| vs. Xavier @ The Dome | 6 | 21 | November 17th |
[edit] Various Sports
In Boys & Girls Cross Country, Derek Keast became the first sophomore in school history to go as an individual to the State Cross Country meet in October. In Girls Swimming, however, the team sent four girls the their state meet. Boys Golf has also been a success, and the team finished one stroke away from making it to the state meet. Volleyball had a good run that ended in October.
Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling, and Boys Swimming sucessfully completed a winter season with mixed sucess. The basketball teams had a good season, but failed to qualify for the state tournament. Seven wrestlers qualified for the 2007 State Wrestling tournament, with four winning medals.
In the Spring, Track, Tennis, Soccer, and Girls Golf take place; in the Summer, Baseball and Softball. The Boys Track and the Softball team are both defending Conference Champions.
[edit] Major Clubs & Groups
[edit] Drama
Theatre
The Southeast Polk Senior High presents two full-length productions each year, one in November and one in March. Every other year the fall play is a musical put on by the drama and vocal music departments. There are many opportunities for students to get involved either by trying out for the play or by working on set crew.
This year the students involved in Drama performed in Arthur Miller's The Crucible in November and in Lewis Caroll's "Alice in Wonderland" in March.
Speech
Another opportunity for students interested in performing is the speech club. Students are able to participate in Large group and individual contests. They compete at Iowa High School Speech Association Events. The coaches are Emma Hantelman and Shelley Milledge. The 2006-07 speech season ended with five students going to All-State.
Categories Include
Individual Events Acting, Prose, Radio News, Improvisation, After-Dinner Speaking, Spontaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Poetry, Public Address, Story Telling, Literature Program, and Book/Movie Review
Large Group Events One-Act Play, Reader's Theatre, Choral Reading, Ensemble Acting, Mime, Group Improvisation, and Musical Theatre
[edit] Instrumental Music
The Wind Ensemble, directed by Jacqui Meunier, is the most prestigious band of the three major bands at SE Polk. Entry to the ensemble is audition only, and only the best band students are allowed entry.
The Concert Band, directed by Jayson Gerth, is composed of mainly freshman students and is used as a transition from the Junior High band program to the High School band level. The directors generally switch one song each, where Gerth directs the Ensemble and Meunier the Concert Band. A student teacher is occasionally assigned to the band department and sometimes conducts a song for the Symphonic Band.
The Southeast Polk Symphonic Band, conducted by both Gerth and Meunier, is made of the Marching Band members and serves as an "advanced Concert Band." Entry is allowed by any sophomore, junior, or senior band students, with freshman entry by audition. Many students who want to be in marching band but are members of the Wind Ensemble often schedule Symphonic Band in their schedules for the first semester.
Outside of the three above bands, several extracurricular bands exist. Jazz 1 meets during the school day, but Jazz 2 meets on Tuesday & Thursday mornings, before school. Pep Band performs at home basketball games, with the Show Choir Band supporting the Vocal Music program. A graduation band is arranged for senior commencement at the end of the year.
Every four years, the band takes an optional band trip outside Iowa. During Spring Break 2007, 130 band students took the $546.00 trip (plus food and souvineers) to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The next trip is scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year.
[edit] Vocal Music
The vocal music program has Chamber Singers as the most prestigious choir out of the Choirs in SE Polk it is a mixed voice choir. Entrance is only granted to the best singers at SE Polk through audition. Chorale is the highest all women choir and entry is by audition only. Concert Choir is open to anyone and Bass Clef Choir(which consists of freshmen men in choir) has been incorporated into Concert Choir. Treble Clef is an open all womens choir made primairly of freshmen. Chamber Singers, Chorale, and partially Concert Choir is directed by Chad Garrells. Treble Clef and part of Concert Choir is directed by Brandi Addison.
Southeast Polk has three Show Choirs Ramification, Vocal Gold, and Southeast Celebration. Ramification is the varsity mixed show choir and selection is done by audition. This group has enjoyed success in the past years and looks forward to a great season. Their lineup consists of Boondocks, Thank God I'm a Country Boy (men only), Girl Next Door (women only, solo by Abbey Juhl), When you believe (soloists Alyssa Wimber and Monica Noe), Going Out on the Town, and Saturday Night in the City (solos by Brittany Turner and Jake Skarin). Vocal Gold is the mixed Prep show choir at SEP. Their set consists of Strike It Up, Always There(soloists Joel Pratt and Evan Hay), Unwritten(soloists Callie Buck and Kelsey Cullinan), and Bring the House Down(soloists Tanner Smith and Ryane Brady). In the past they have enjoyed moderate success. This show choir prep group is open to men and women by audition. Vocal Gold Recently finished 2nd place for the second year in a row out of 8 prep groups at the Waukee Show Choir Invitational. Both Ramification and Vocal Gold compete at Johnston, Mt. Pleasant, Urbandale, and Waukee. They have additional performances throughout the year and both host and perform in the Rhythm And Music Showcase; both show choirs also perform at the Southeast Polk Dinner Theatre near the end of the year. The Southeast Polk 2007 Dinner Theatre theme will be Disney. Songs for indivisual show choir groups are yet to be decided.
In fall 2006, Chad Garrels founded the jazz choir also known as "Ramapella". This is a select ensemble of 16-20 singers.
Auditions for all of the select ensembles occurr in May for the next school year.
[edit] TAG & Oasis
TAG and Oasis, although much different in methods and requirements, are essentially the same concept on two levels. Both are designed to improve upon students' skills and development.
TAG is invitation-only, which requires high scores on The Iowa Tests and CogAT. The use of TAG for many is a mix between study hall and a specialty course. Students are to write goals and methods to reach those goals (such as learning to play guitar, or speak another language), wherein the teacher, Robert O'Brien, provides the means to accomplish those goals, including software, tools, books and other materials. He also gives students more flexibility in course selection, allowing certain prerequisites to be bipassed if found necessary.
Oasis, on the other hand, is by recommendation. The main goal is to "help support kids in their efforts to be successful in school." Credit recovery is often a reason for students to join Oasis.
[edit] French & Spanish Clubs
French Club
The Southeast Polk French Club was created in 1979 by Diane Larson. She created the club to further the development of the French program. Inspired by this idea the Spanish club was also created years later by Mrs. Jensen. The club has a high member to student ratio, which shows outstanding support among the French classes. The French Club has many activites throughout the year including a scavenger hunt, Mardi gras, picnic, and Valentine's Day flower sales. In July 2007, French students will be travelling to France, England, Switzerland, Greece and Italy for 15 days. The French Club is best represented by thier newest t-shirt and motto: The Few, The Proud, The French Club.
Spanish Club
The Spanish Club's mascots are Speedy Gonzales and El Torro the Bull. This club, on the other hand, has a fraction of Spanish students involved while still out numbering French club. There are currently 7 Spanish teachers: Jensen, Johnson, Lamb, Puffer, Stemm, Miller, and Connerly. In June 2007 students will be traveling to Spain for 11 days, visiting Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and other cities. Plans for 2008 have already begun, currently set for Arica, Chile and other South American cities. For a short time, there were exchange students from Chile: Fabiola Latorre, Felix Ramirez and Denisse Salinas along with teacher Karina Saavedra and director Pochy Morales.
