Minnechaug Regional High School
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Minnechaug Regional High School is a public high school located in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and has a student population of approximately 1,400. It is the flagship school of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. The current principal is M. Martin O'Shea. The school's official colors are green and white, and its mascot is the Falcon.
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[edit] Academic program
Minnechaug is considered as one of the finest secondary schools, public or independent, in Western Massachusetts. The faculty offers a curriculum geared toward a wide range of students, including an extensive Honors/Advanced Placement program, a highly successful special education service, and collaborative arrangements with vocational opportunities in the area. Typically, around 90% of each graduating class goes on to pursue higher education, and about 75%-80% of each class enrolls in a four-year undergraduate program. In recent years, graduates have been accepted to many prestigious institutions of higher learning, including six of the eight Ivy League schools, and MIT.
[edit] Extracurricular Activities
Many of the extracurricular organizations also have a high degree of prestige, including the award-winning school newspaper (The Smoke Signal), various debate and mock-trial teams, and the school's literary magazine, Emeralds.
The school also has many different clubs that appeal to a wide range of student interest, including the Equine Club, Black Culture Club (BCC), Snowboard Club, Art Club, School Store, Lumberjack Club, Outing Club, Scottish Culture Club, Key Club, Model United Nations, Model Congress, Mock Law, Chess Club, Computer Club, Mathletes, Trivia Club, Student Council, and WAB LAB (Wicked Advanced Biology).
[edit] Sports
The MIAA Division I athletic program has teams in many different sports, and the school almost always captures at least one divisional championship each year. Athletically, Minnechaug's biggest rival is Longmeadow High School. Minnechaug has won numerous Western Massachusetts Division first place titles, as well as some state titles.
In the 2005 Fall Season, the Minnechaug Girl's Varsity Soccer, Boy's Varsity Soccer, Varsity Field Hockey and Girl's Varsity Volleyball teams all captured the Western Massachusetts Title on the same day known as "Green M Day." It has been one of the proudest days for Minnechaug Athletics.
[edit] Physical plant improvements
Several areas within Minnechaug's physical plant, first constructed in the middle of the twentieth century, are beginning to fail, causing the communities of Hampden and Wilbraham to investigate how these issues should be resolved. Proposed solutions range from moderate renovation to the construction of a completely new facility on the current site of some of the athletic fields. Actual work is not expected to begin until at least 2009.
[edit] Notable graduates
- Janice E. Voss, astronaut
- Erin Crocker, american race car driver