Conestoga High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Established | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Type | Public secondary school |
| Principal | Timothy Donovan |
| Students | approx. 1,900 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 200 Irish Road, Berwyn, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Colors | garnet and gray |
| Mascot | The Pioneer |
| Yearbook | 'The Pioneer' |
| Newspaper | 'The Spoke' |
| Website | www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/ |
Conestoga High School, located in the Berwyn community in Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania, United States, is the only secondary school in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District.
Conestoga (also known as "'Stoga" or less popularly as "The Big C") is located 15 miles northwest of Philadelphia in the suburbs known as the Main Line. Frequently ranked by organizations one of the best schools in Pennsylvania and currently ranked as the seventy-ninth best high school in the United States,[1] Conestoga offers more Advanced Placement (AP) classes and boasts more National Merit Semifinalists than any other school in the state, public or private. Last year, students took 1,148 AP tests in total, of which 93% were passed with a 3 or higher. The average SAT score for the Class of 2005 was 1180.[2]
As of 2008 Timothy Donovan is the principal.
Contents |
[edit] College and university matriculation
95% of Conestoga graduates advance to colleges and universities; 93% of them to four-year colleges and universities. The graduating Class of 2006 sent one or more students to Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Brown University, Georgetown University, Brigham Young University, Syracuse University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Neumann College, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Stanford University, Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Villanova University. The most popular university choice for Conestoga students is Pennsylvania State University. The second most popular choice is the University of Pittsburgh. Fifty-six percent of Conestoga students leave Pennsylvania to attend colleges and universities, and more than 60% attend private institutions after graduation.[3]
[edit] Departments
Conestoga has eight academic departments: Business/Technology, English, World Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, and Wellness/Fitness/Family & Consumer Science. Students must earn 24 credits in order to graduate. 1 credit is equivalent to a year-long class, which meets every day for 43 minutes. Thus, the seven periods at Conestoga are 43 minutes in length, but the 8th period meets for 44 minutes, so that Conestoga’s school day can be precisely 7 hours long (7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.). Students must earn 4 credits in English, 2 in Languages, 3 in Math, 3.5 in Social Studies, and 3 in Science.
[edit] Distinctions and honors
Newsweek magazine has consistently rated Conestoga highly in its annual ranking of public high schools. Conestoga has been ranked 170th (1st in Pennsylvania) in 2006,[4] 195th in 2005,[5] and 197th in 2003.[6]
The US Department of Education has acknowledged Conestoga as a Recognized School of Excellence.[7]
U.S. News & World Report ranked Conestoga 79th of America's Gold Medal High Schools in 2007.[8]
[edit] SAT
In 2006, Conestoga seniors performed above the national average:[9]
| Test Type | National Average | Conestoga |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 503 | 583 |
| Math | 518 | 596 |
| Writing | 497 | 578 |
[edit] National Merit/College Board Recognition
The Conestoga Class of 2007 includes 19 National Merit Semifinalists, 33 National Merit Commended Students, 2 National Achievement Scholars, and 2 National Hispanic Recognition award recipients.[10]
[edit] Advanced Placement Program
In May 2006, 604 Conestoga students, or 32% of the student body, completed 1100 College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. A score of 3 or higher was earned on 95% of the tests. AP courses offered at Conestoga are listed under Curriculum. This school year, the College Board will recognize 260 of these students as a Scholar, Scholar with Honor, Scholar with Distinction, State Scholar, or National Scholar.[11]
The Siemens Foundation for Advanced Placement has honored Conestoga twice with the 2006-07 High School Award and a 2005-06 Student Award. This program highlights exceptional achievement in science, math and technology.[12][13]
[edit] Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
Conestoga students consistently perform well on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), which is administered in Reading, Mathematics and Writing to every eleventh grader in public schools throughout the state. The average scaled scores for Conestoga students were among the very highest in the state in 2006.[14]
| Test Type | State | Conestoga |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 1370 | 1610 |
| Math | 1340 | 1600 |
| Writing | 1520 | 1730 |
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
- Conestoga competes in 17 different sporting events generally within the Central League. These include:
Club Teams:
Ice Hockey (Boys)
Ice Hockey (Girls)
Rugby (Boys)
Rugby (Girls)
Crew
Fall: Soccer (Boys)
Soccer (Girls)
Football
Golf
Cross Country
Tennis (Girls)
Volleyball (Girls)
Field Hockey (Girls)
Winter: Basketball (Boys)
Basketball (Girls)
Swimming
Wrestling
Indoor Track and Field
Spring: Baseball
Softball
Track and Field
Lacrosse (Boys)
Lacrosse (Girls)
Tennis (Boys)
[edit] Notable former students
- Craig Lucas - CHS '69. Tony-award nominated American playwright, has written a number of plays, including Reckless which Conestoga performed in 2006.[15]
- Grant Shaud - CHS '79. actor best known for his role as Miles Silverberg on the hit CBS show Murphy Brown
- Jennie Eisenhower - CHS '96. Actress, granddaughter of Richard Nixon and great-granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower - currently directing the fall drama and spring musical at Conestoga. [16]
- David Bush - CHS '98. Starting Pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.[17]
- Marquis Weeks - CHS '00. Running Back for the Seattle Seahawks, has gone back and forth from their practice squad to active roster, played in college for the University of Virginia.[18]
- Pat Heim - CHS '03. First round first pick overall in the Major League Lacrosse 2006 Summer Draft to the Chicago Machine out of Penn State, member of the Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse team (NLL), and member of Team USA Lacrosse 2007
[edit] References
- ^ Gold Medal Schools - US News and World Report
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - MSNBC.com
- ^ [1]
- ^ 2003 List: The Top High Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - MSNBC.com
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ Gold Medal Schools - US News and World Report
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/stoga/profile.pdf
- ^ The Suburban and Wayne Times - Conestoga play unexpectedly leads to the playwright - in the yearbook
- ^ MainLineLife.com
- ^ ESPN - Dave Bush Stats, News, Photos - Milwaukee Brewers - MLB Baseball
- ^ CSTV.com: #1 in College Sports
