Aitkin High School

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Aitkin High School
Motto	We believe everyone can learn and can experience success.
Established	1901
Type	Public high school
Principal	Jim Wagner
Faculty	approx. 50
Students	approx. 650
Grades	7-12
Location	306 2nd St. NW, Aitkin, Minnesota,, USA
Colors	Red, Black, White, Gold
Mascot	Gobblers, All Stars (for dance team)
Website	www.aitkin.k12.mn.us

Aitkin High School (AHS) is a public high school in Aitkin, Minnesota. The school serves students in grades 7-12. As of 2005, it had 630 students.

The school is a member of Minnesota's Independent School District 1 (Aitkin School District), and is affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). The school is a member of the Great River Conference. The AHS mascot is the Gobbler.

1 History
2 The School
3 Curriculum and Scheduling
4 Facilities
5 Extra-Curricular Activities
6 Athletics
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External links

[edit] History

Aitkin High School was established in the year 1901 and many additions have been added to the school since. When the school was first built, many children that lived outside the city of Aitkin attended local country schools, and then attended AHS after they had graduated from 8th grade. In 1928, the school received an addition. Several modifications took place during the following decades, including a new cafeteria, band area, and auditorium. The most major change after 1928 took place in 1976, when the school was remodeled and the old school building was demolished. Not many major modifications took place after that until the year 2000, when a new band area was established. In 2005, a new weight room was built. The school was modified once again in 2006 with a newly added commons area and a new 7th grade locker area built on the second floor of the school, along with an LED sign in the front of the building. In 2007, a more advanced security system was installed and a speed limit regulation was implemented around the school.

[edit] The School

In 2005, AHS had 630 students^[1].

The Aitkin School District's Superintendent is Bernard Novak. The principal of Aitkin High School is Jim Wagner, who was previously the principal and a biology teacher in Apollo High School. The assistant principal is Brian Sandberg, who was previously a teacher for many years at Rippleside Elementary School in Aitkin.

[edit] Curriculum and Scheduling

Aitkin High School currently uses a trimester format for its school schedule. Each trimester lasts 12 weeks. Classes vary in length from 1 to 3 trimesters. Class periods are currently 54 minutes in length with 4 minutes passing time in between classes. There are penalties for those who fail to come to the assigned class at the designated time. Some classes, such as the ones in the Indusrial Arts field takes place in multiple periods. A seven period daily schedule is used and lunch periods are mixed grades instead of a grade level procedure that was used years prior to 2007. Additionally, middle school and high school students now share the same time schedule. From the years 1998-2007, the school used a block schedule, where classes were 84 minutes long. In 2007, the block schedule method was scrapped and the classic trimester schedule was reinstated as previously used at AHS during the 1960s and the 1970s. In 2007, independent study periods were added and the school goes on a 7 day rotation basis, in which each hour gets an independent study on that particular. (eg. Day 1 is 1st hour, Day 2 is second hour, etc.) Modular scheduling is used partially. It is not used as the standard scheduling features, but it is used more or less for effective lesson planning by teachers and for independent study periods.

More than 110 classes are offered^[2]. This includes subjects in agriculture, business, computer science, English, family and consumer science, art, music, physical education, industrial technology, mathematics, science, social studies, and World Languages.

Although AHS does not offer any AP or IB classes, it offers college credit for advanced classes with a program called College in the Schools through the University of Minnesota, Central Lakes Community College, Mesabi Community College, and Vermilion Community College.

[edit] Facilities

The school features a newly added commons area, two gyms, a band area, an auditorium, a weight room, a choir area, and three floors of classrooms for all subjects of required courses and interest.

[edit] Extra-Curricular Activities

Business Professionals of America (BPA)
Jazz Band
Knowledge Bowl
Madrigals
National Honor Society
One Act Play
Peer Helpers
Pep Band (required for excellece in the band curriculum)
Spanish Club
Speech
Student Council
Yearbook Production (used as an elective course for 9-12)
Occupational Foods (used as an elective course for 11-12, will include 10th grade starting in 2008-2009 school year).
Musical (as part of the Concert Choir curriculum)
Band (used as a class elective for 7-12)
Choir (used as a class elective for 7-12)
Pep club
Astromony Club
FFA
German Club