Newtown High School (Connecticut)
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Principal | Charles Dumais |
| Students | 1,740 (2007-2008) |
| Grades | High school (9-12) |
| Location | Sandy Hook, CT, USA |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Nighthawk |
| Newspaper | 'The Hawkeye' |
| Website | [1] |
Newtown High School is a public school in Newtown, Connecticut. As of 2007, the school serves about 1,740 9-12 grade students. Newtown High is accredited, and was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award for Schools of Excellence in 2000.
Contents |
[edit] Academics
NHS offers numerous AP-level courses and language studies in French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin. Electives are offered in band, orchestra, chorus, theater, art and technology.
Major department areas:
- English
- Fine and Applied Arts
- Mathematics
- Music
- Science
- Social Studies
- World Languages
[edit] Sports
The school offers a wide range of sports, including football, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, track & field, field hockey, lacrosse, cheerleading, tennis, swimming & diving, golf, volleyball, wrestling, and cross country. They are part of the South West Conference.
The Boys and Girls Soccer teams both won state titles in 2004. The Boys cross country team were the 2005 State Open champions. The Girls cross country team has been league Champions for 6 consecutive seasons (2002 through 2007). The Girls Swim team had three undefeated seasons from 2003 until 2005, and also were SWC Champions in 2003, 2004, 2005, and Class L State Champions in 2005. The Girl's Outdoor Track team has also had success, winning SWC Championships in 2004 & 2005. The Newtown High School Girl's Lacrosse team were also Southwest Conference champions for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The school marching band, the Newtown High School Marching Nighthawks, went undefeated in their 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons under their director Kurt Eckhardt. The band has earned 3 straight Musical Arts Conference Class IV championships, the USSBA 2006 CT State Class IV championship, and placed in the top 10 in the USSBA 2007 Group IV Nationional Championships,[3] where the color guard was ranked #1 overall. The NHS Marching Band looks to continue its campaign for expressivity in music. The NHS varsity winterguard has been undefeated for five consecutive years in the MAC Winter Color Guard season.
Until 1996, the school's teams were called "The Indians"; they featured an Indian mascot. This was changed among controversy of the mascot being racist in nature. They were re-named the Newtown Nighthawks. Immediately following the change, outraged nighthawks petitioned the school to change its mascot yet again, claiming that it "set back generations of social advancement for the American nighthawk community."
[edit] Notable Alumni
Wake Forest University soccer star Marcus Tracy graduated from Newtown High School in 2005. After being one of the most versatile sports performers Newtown has ever seen, he ventured south for college attending Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Marcus helped lead the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to the NCAA soccer championships in 2007. He scored twice in the semi-final game and also scored one of the Demon Deacons goals in the final game against Ohio State to give Wake Forest the win. He was awarded the college cup Offensive MVP. [2]
Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner graduated from Newtown High School; the school's football stadium was originally named after him. In 2004, the stadium was re-named "Blue and Gold Stadium".
[edit] Renovations
In 1997 the school went under a major reconstruction, including the addition of a 250,000 square foot addition to the eastern side of the school. A new track and football field were also constructed, and extra seating was installed in the stadium. The reconstruction was complete by January of 1998 and the school fully re-opened. In 2004, the athletic fields behind the school underwent major reconstruction. The entire area was leveled, and new baseball, softball, soccer and football fields were built.
The school also boasts the largest auditorium of any school in the state, with a seating capacity of over 1200 persons.
Also new renovations will be going on from the summer of 2008-2009 or 2010.
[edit] MRSA Scare
On October 17, 2007, 2 cases of MRSA strain staph infections were reported at Newtown High School. The school put precautions in place to protect students from this potentially fatal bacterial infection. A letter from the school's principal was posted on the schools website outlining the issue, causing controversy over its claim that "only gross kids" had contracted the infection.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ United States Department of Education (2000-05-22). "Riley Names 198 Blue Ribbon Schools". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
- ^ USSBA 2007 National Championship Scoresheet (webpage). ????. Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
[edit] External links
- [3] Newtown High School Web site
- [4] Newtown High School "Strategic School Profile 2005-2006" from the state Department of Education
- [5] School's Web page at Great Schools Web site
- [6] Nighthawk Nation, Newtown High School's Sports Page
