Conard High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | Diversity is Strength[1] |
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| Established | 1957 |
| Type | Public high school |
| Principal | Tom Moore |
| Students | 1405[2] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 110 Beechwood Road, West Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
| District | West Hartford Public Schools |
| Colors | Red and gray |
| Mascot | Chieftain |
| Newspaper | 'The PowWow' |
| Athletic rival | Hall High School (Connecticut) |
| Website | whps.org/school/conard/index.asp |
 Conard High School's front entrance. |
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Conard High School is a public high school in West Hartford, Connecticut. It opened in 1957, and was named after Frederick Underwood Conard, president of Niles-Bement-Pond Company and chairman of the local Board of Education when plans for the school were approved.[3] Conard is one of two high schools in the West Hartford Public Schools, the other being Hall High School.
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[edit] History
Conard's first classes began on September 4, 1957.[4] Conard was originally designed to accommodate 1100 students.[5]
In 1998, Alphonse Chuck Landroche became Conard's principal. Landroche retired at the end of the 2007 school year.[6][7] Tom Moore became Conard's principal in 2007.[8]
[edit] Mission Statement
| “ | The mission of Conard High School, as a diverse and dynamic learning community that values the uniqueness of each student, is to develop intellectually, emotionally and ethically mature citizens prepared to meet personal and global challenges. Through a rigorous academic program and a variety of enriching experiences, we are dedicated to creating life-long learners who are technologically competent and committed to healthy living.[1] | ” |
[edit] Facts and Statistics
As of 2005, Conard had a population of 1,405 students, with 63.1% White, 16.5% Hispanic, 11.1% Black, 9.3% Asian American and 0.1% American Indian.[2]
Conard's mascot is an American Indian chieftain, denoted by the letter "C" crossed with an Indian feather.
As of 2005-2006, Conard offers 21 AP courses.[2]
There is a prominent rivalry between Conard High School and its cross-town counterpart, Hall High School.
[edit] Accomplishments
- Recognized by Newsweek magazine as Connecticut's top public high school in 2006, based on "the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2005 divided by the number of graduating seniors"[9].
- Blue Ribbon School in 1984-85.[10]
[edit] Controversy
In 2002, Olympic gold medalist and Conard graduate Jim Shea gave a talk at Conard in which he told students, "I'm not saying not to drink; I drank a lot in this school ... What I'm saying is, don't die. Don't be crippled for the rest of your life, don't lose your arm, don't mangle your face." The comments caused some controversy among Conard faculty and the media.[11]
In late spring of 2006, student council president Francisco Acevedo was arrested on charges of breach of peace during "Senior Prank Day" in the events following the release of hundreds of crickets in the school cafeteria.[12] Acevado recorded on video[13] what he claims was the school's police officer using excessive force against another student. According to Acevado, he was told by Vice Principal Irene Zytka to put away his camera, and complied, but questioned the order. Acevado was then arrested for breach of peace and interfering with a police officer, and suspended from school.[14] However, Acevedo was able to obtain a restraining order in order to participate in the June 21 graduation ceremony.[15]
The Hartford Courant argued in an editorial that the charges against Acevado should be dropped.[16] In February of 2007, Acevado was acquitted of breach of peace charges. However, Acevado has also filed a federal lawsuit alleging a violation of his right of free speech. Acevado claims the charges were brought against him in retaliation for a school walkout that he had organized.[12]
[edit] Student Activities
Conard High School offers a variety of different clubs and boards.[17]
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Clubs
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Athletics
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Honor Societies
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[edit] Notable alumni
- Peter Dante, actor
- David Naughton, class of 1969, actor (An American Werewolf in London)
- James Naughton, actor, winner of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (1990, 1997)
- Jim Shea, class of 1987, 2002 Olympic gold medal winner[19]
- Matt Sinatro, class of 1978, Major League Baseball player and coach
- Jack Sonni, guitarist for Dire Straits (1985–1988)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Conard's mission statement
- ^ a b c Strategic School Profile 2005-06
- ^ Names of the West Hartford Public Schools
- ^ "First Conard High Pupils Assigned To Home Rooms", The Hartford Courant, 1957-08-31. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ Karpman, Marilyn. "Double Sessions Are Planned At Hall High School", The Hartford Courant, 1956-12-16. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ Cativo, Fulvio. "Grads Urged To Accept Challenges, Adhere To Principles", Hartford Courant, 2007-06-20.
- ^ Cativo, Fulvio. "Conard Principal Plans To Retire", The Hartford Courant, 2007-01-11. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ The Hartford Courant article archive
- ^ Newsweek's The Top of the Class: The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools: 1982-2002
- ^ Konigsberg, Bill. "Olympian Shea Talk Raises Eyebrows", Associated Press, 2002-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ a b "Former student acquitted in video-taping case", AP, Boston Globe, 2007-02-15. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ YouTube - Last Day at Conard High School 06'
- ^ Tuohy, Lynne. "Student Is Charged In Camera Incident Seeks Court Order To Join Graduation", The Hartford Courant, 2006-06-17.
- ^ "Delegate of Connecticut Branch of FPM unjustly arrested". The Free Press, Volume 2 Issue 3
- ^ "Drop Charges Against Student", The Hartford Courant, 2007-02-12. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ Conard student activities page
- ^ Official website of the school musical
- ^ ESPNMAG.com - ESPN The Magazine: Skeleton Crew
[edit] External links
- Conard High School is at coordinates Coordinates:
