Thomas McKean High School
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| Established | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Principal | Sherry Gross |
| Asst. Principal | Steven Schmidt, Michael Simmonds, Lisa Ueltzhoffer |
| Students | 1062 as of 2007 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 301 McKennan's Church Rd., Wilmington, Delaware, USA |
| District | Red Clay Consolidated School District |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association’s Commission on Secondary Schools |
| Mascot | Highlander |
| Newspaper | Minstrel |
| Website | http://www.mckeanhs.com |
Thomas McKean High School is a comprehensive public high school located on 301 McKennan's Church Road in Wilmington, Delaware. The school opened in December, 1966, and graduated its first class in June of 1967.
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[edit] Traditions
Having selected Thomas McKean, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, as its namesake, the school followed several traditions associated with the Scottish heritage of Thomas McKean. The mascot is a fierce Highlander, wearing a kilt made of the tartan of the Clan MacDonald. Among the dominant colors of the plaid are blue and green, the school's colors. In addition, the names of the school newspaper—Minstrel—and the yearbook—Talisman—reflect the culture of the Scottish Highlands. The Minstrel is headed by Junior Catherine Gillette who is also the Editor of the Minstrel.
[edit] Physical Building
Originally designed as a model school for flexible scheduling, the building has several unique features and has proven adaptable to many situations. The school expanded in 1972, adding ninth grade to the student body and a new wing to the building. Thus, the class of 1976 was the first to spend four years at McKean.[1] The school is currently going under construction for updating labs as well with safety equipment and slowly upgrading the schools internal computer network. Also a new band room and several other new rooms are being constructed currently as well.
[edit] Problems Facing McKean High School
According to the Delaware School Profiles, Thomas McKean High School is currently declining in enrollment. In the year 2001, there were 1,354 students enrolled at Thomas McKean High School. By the year 2007, there were 1,062 students enrolled, which is a 259-student drop.
[edit] Sports
McKean has been known to be one of the top public powerhouse men's swimming teams. They are constantly finishing in the top three for States. Here is a chart of some of the team's accomplishments.[2]
| Year | Men's Swimming Season Accomplishment |
|---|---|
| 1980 |
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| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
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| 1998 |
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| 1999 |
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| 2000 |
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| 2001 |
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| 2002 |
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| 2003 |
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| 2004 |
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[edit] Administration
The current principal is Sherry Gross. Mrs. Gross previously worked for more than a decade in the Christina (Delaware) school district, then accepted a position in April of 2006 in Jacksonville, Florida. However, instead of moving to Florida, she chose to remain in Delaware and accepted the position at Thomas McKean.
The assistant principals at the school are Steven Schmidt, Michael Simmonds, and Lisa Ueltzhoffer.
[edit] Points of Pride
- McKean's current Marching Band is lead by Drum Major Paul Braden. The Director is Wes Morton.
- McKean has its' own radio station, WMHS 88.1 FM[1]. The instructor is Fran Kulas, who started the program. WMHS 88.1 FM "The Boss" has several shows that run on a regular school seasonal basis. On Tuesdays after school, "Classical Reactions" takes the floor hosted by Doc Stemniski, a former chemistry teacher at McKean now teaching at the University of Delaware. He plays selections from the classical genre. On Thursdays, also just after school, "Forgotten Favorites" takes place hosted by Gus Highfield with the help of Pete Murphy, Andrew Neber, and Kevin "Tater" Stewart. Gus Highfield plays songs for a theme of the week on the air. Highfield's "Forgotten Favorites" is currently airing along with Michael "Doc" Stemniski's "Classical Reactions" on their respective scheduled days for the 2007-2008 school year. In addition to these teacher-run shows, Seniors Andrew Neber and Mitch Thomas provide live play-by-play coverage of all of McKean's home football games.
- The school's most famous alumnus is former Dallas Cowboys great Randy White, who has the football field named in his honor. The school also produced National Public Radio producer, John Barth and televangelist, John Kendrick.
