Monacan High School

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Monacan High School is a public secondary school in unincorporated Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States (near the city of Richmond).

The school is a part of Chesterfield County Public Schools. The school was founded in 1979, and its enrollment is roughly 1650 students.

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[edit] Sports

Sports Include: Field Hockey, Tennis, Football, Soccer, Track, Indoor Track, Cross Country, Baseball, Softball, Wrestling, Basketball, Cheering, Volleyball, Golf.

Monacan High School is a member of the Dominion District in all sports. Notable moments in Monacan Sports include:

  • 1980 - Boys Cross Country Team wins Group AAA State Championships
  • 1981 - Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams win Group AAA State Championships
  • 1979 - 1986 Boys Cross Country went undefeated in Dual Meets and won 8 straight Dominion District Championships
  • 1985 - Boys Basketball Team beats Number One Ranked Petersburg Team and goes to State Playoffs
  • 1989 - Boys Baseball Team wins Central Region Baseball Championship, Football Team wins Central Region Football Semifinals
  • 1994 - Girls Basketball Team wins Central Region Girls Basketball Championship (63-62)
  • 1998 - Boys Volleyball Team wins State Group 3A Championship
  • 2002 - Boys Volleyball Team wins State Group 3A Championship
  • 2006 - Baseball wins State Group 3A Championship

[edit] Academics

Monacan offers standard core classes along with honors classes, electives, and Advanced Placement Program classes.

Advanced Placement Program classes at Monacan currently include Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Environmental Science, Physics, Spanish, Statistics, U.S. History, and U.S. Government.

Advanced Placement classes such as Art History, European History, French, German, Latin, Vergil, Music Theory, and World History are offered on an enrollment basis, if there are enough interested students to create the class.

Monacan's World Language Department offers Latin, Spanish, French, and German. In the past, Japanese and Greek have been taught, but in the 2006-2007 school year, these subjects were not offered.

[edit] Center for the Humanities

The Center for the Humanities is a selective specialty center at Monacan High School. Eighth-grade students must apply and be reviewed, which includes an interview. The Center for the Humanities has a rigorous curriculum that requires all of its students to take certain courses and receive an Advanced Studies Diploma. The program enrolled its first students in the fall of 2000 and the first class graduated in 2004. The goal is an enriched, advanced liberal arts education. Requirements include:

  • Three years of a foreign language
  • Four years of the course Perspectives on the Human Experience
  • English 9,10,11, and AP English
  • World History/Geography up to 1400 BC, World History/Geography 1400BC-Present, AP United States History, AP Government
  • Four years of science including Biology and either Chemistry or Physics
  • Two semesters of Health and two semesters of Physical education
  • Participation in an extended service learning class

One of the foundations of the Humanities Curriculum is the Perspectives on the Human Experience course. The course is unique to the Center for the Humanities, and integrates art, art history, history, and other disciplines.

Another foundation of the Humanities Curriculum is the Socratic Seminar, a student-led group discussion that focuses on one specific topic. Socratic Seminars aim to foster student leadership, communication skills, and discussion techniques.

Students in the Humanities program are required to read an extensive number of books, including:

Grade 9:

Grade 10:

Grade 11:

Grade 12:

[edit] Extracurriculars

Monacan offers a wide variety of after-school activities, both school sponsored and independent. These include:

[edit] Stephen Murmer Controversy

Monacan High School became internationally known after art teacher Stephen Murmer was suspended from his post following renewed interest in his out-of-school activities. Murmer, an artist and teacher of the year, paints floral and abstract pieces using his buttocks and genitalia. He offers the pieces, which are acrylic on canvas, for sale at prices from $400 to $900 at ButtPrintArt.com and is featured in a video demonstration of technique on YouTube. The video was apparently part of a television broadcast from Unscrewed with Martin Sargent that was filmed several years prior to 2006. Fans of the canceled television show posted it on YouTube.

Although the Chesterfield County Administration investigated his activities in 2004, it was not until late 2006 that the issue resurfaced and Murmer faced reprimand. Murmer was told, following his suspension, not to speak to the media. Chesterfield County spokeswoman Debra Marlow stated that a teacher was placed on administrative leave because of the way he does his art[1] and that teachers are required to set an example for students[2].

Many have noted, however, that Murmer went to lengths to conceal his identity. He is shown in the video clip wearing a fake nose and glasses, and calls himself "Stan Murmur" online.

In the days following his suspension, outraged students called a local news channel and asked them to feature the story. The channel complied and the news media quickly focused on the story.

Murmer was subsequently fired from his teaching post. He publicly stated that teaching was very important to him and that he wanted to let his students know how much he appreciated them. He hopes to teach in the future.

On Jan. 20, 2007, ACLU board members voted to take Stephen Murmer’s case. The Associated Press reported that the ACLU was seeking volunteer lawyers and considering whether to appeal the school board’s decision to a state circuit court or to file suit in federal district court on constitutional grounds. The ACLU has condemned Chesterfield County's School Board for their actions, stating that Murmer's activities are an expression of his First Amendment Rights. ACLU representatives have said that had Chesterfield County not suspended Murmer, the issue would have blown over within a few days.

[edit] See Also

[edit] External Links

  1. ^ YouTube - Offensive Art? Fox News, December 11, 2006
  2. ^ School troubled over teacher's butt art - USATODAY.com