Indian Trail Academy

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Indian Trail Academy
Image:Logo2small.jpeg
Motto "Do not follow the path made by others. Rather, go where no path exists and blaze new trails."
Established 1998
Type Public, grades 9-12
Head Richard Aiello
Location Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
Campus Urban
Enrollment 1,116 (2004-2005 school year)
Faculty 79
Colors Black and Gold
Mascot Tiko the Tiger
Homepage Homepage

Indian Trail Academy is a public high school in Kenosha, Wisconsin, part of the Kenosha Unified School District. In addition to the core subjects, students choose to emphasize one of three themes: Biotechnology and Environmental Studies, Business and International Studies or Communications. In 2002, the Kenosha Military Academy was created within the school.

[edit] The Houses

Indian Trail has four different "Academies" in which students may be enrolled. These houses emphasize a certain area of study. As the students complete their high school journey, more sophisticated classes are taken. Students at Indian Trail are required to take the traditional "core" classes (English, science, math, and social studies) as well as physical education and their required house classes. Students may also take a foreign language (either Spanish or Chinese is offered) or join the music department (band, orchestra, choir) as a class.

The Biotechnology and Environmental Studies Acadmey emphasizes the field of science, offering a combined four years of 12 credits of science, greater than the traditional eight. This house prepares high school students who are interested in perusing a career in any science field. Classes include: Scientific Forensics, Biotechnology, Lab Equipment and Techniques, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Human Anatomy and Physiology.

The Communications Acadmey offers an in-depth look at technology used in media centers and throughout the world. Students in the house of communications take classes in graphic design, media advancement, and many other classes in media and technology. Students in the Communications House do many video projects using the iMac computers within the buildings. Students of the Communications House are in charge of producing the daily announcements broadcast to every classroom in the school as well as the weekly LIVEWIRE video segment which is played weekly on the Public School Channel (Channel 20).

The Business and International Studies Academy teaches students to run a business, manage money, and work on a computer. Students in this house run the school store, The Trail Mix, and do everything from stocking food supplies to managing the money first-hand. The school store is in association with the American Motors Community Credit Union.

It is important to note that students in one house do not have the eligibility to take classes offered in another house.

Indian Trail Academy runs on the block-schedule system (4 classes per day, 1 hour and a half per day) but also runs on an A-B schedule. Every other day students will take their four 'A' day classes, while the next day a student will have their four 'B' day classes, different than those of the 'A' day. During each semester, students take eight (8) classes at once (unless student has a "release" period), as opposed to the traditional four, so parent-teacher conferences and final exams happen only twice per year, at the end of each semester. In 2008 there were plans to extend the academy to incorporate a traditional high school.

[edit] Sports

Because Indian Trail Academy is a non-traditional high school, it does not have state-recognized sports teams. Students that wish to participate in high-school sports are bused over to the two main high schools in Kenosha Unified School District Mary D. Bradford High School and Tremper High School. There, the students from Indian Trail may participate in sports as a member of either Bradford or Tremper's team.