| Enfield High School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Dignity, Pride, Tradition |
| Established | 1893 |
| Type | Public high school |
| Principal | Thomas Duffy |
| Students | 922 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 1264 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut, United States |
| District | Enfield Public Schools |
| Colors | Green and White |
| Mascot | Raider |
| Newspaper | ''The Spearhead Press" |
| Athletic rival | Enrico Fermi High School |
| Website | Enfield Public Schools |
Enfield High School's B Building. |
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Enfield High School is a secondary school located in Enfield, Connecticut. Enfield High School was established in 1893. The facility used currently was built in the 1960s and replaced the previous building which is now used as Thomas Alcorn Elementary School. The Enfield High School Complex and Campus is located in the Connecticut River Valley, on Enfield Street (U.S. Route 5) in Enfield's Historical District. Enfield High School is one of two high schools in town. The school has an enrollment of approximately 900 students. In May 2010, it was voted that Enfield High School and Enrico Fermi High School would be undergoing a consolidation process as part of the restructuring and improvement plan of Enfield Public Schools.[1]
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| Athletic Director: Barry Bernstein | |
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| Head Coaches | |
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SPRING Baseball: Jay Gaucher FALL Football: Jay Gaucher WINTER Boys basketball: Corey O'Connell |
Enfield High School is locationed on a steep hill off the Connecticut River. On a clear winter day, the Appalachian Mountains can be seen from the campus. Having been built during the Cold War, the facility was constructed with a bomb shelter that can be accessed through "The Tunnel" located in the basement level of A and B Buildings, respectively. The boiler room's pipe tunnels were designed to serve as bomb shelters. The architecture of the building was inspired by contemporary Japanese school design. The EHS complex and campus consists of five buildings:
The library was previously located on the third floor of Enfield High School's A-Building.
The Enfield High School Campus consists of an outdoor congregating area outside of C Concourse, the "Walk-of-Fame" located in front of the flag pole outside of D Building, six tennis courts located at the main gate, as well as athletic fields (some with artificial turf) which were renovated in 2008. The athletic complex is located down the hill off the Connecticut River.
Head Start is a state sponsored program which allows young children an early start to an education. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that encompasses Early Child Development and Health Services, Family and Community Partnerships, and Program Design and Management. These areas include family support, education, health, mental health, disabilities, nutrition, social services and family involvement. Previously part of the EHS's A Building, Head Start currently houses its own new building (built in 2004) adjacent to Enfield High School as part of the complex. Enfield's Head Start began in 1978 and now has 104 children in 6 classrooms.
A graduate of the Enfield Public Schools must have earned a minimum of 22 credits, must have met the established credit distribution requirement, and must have earned a 4.0 (C-) average for all courses required for graduation. In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, students must also meet additional performance standards. Beginning with the graduation class of 2006, literacy and numeracy performance standards shall be required with an ultimate goal to improve learning for every student. In the future, additional performance standards may be considered.
MINIMUM CREDITS, COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Credits and Required Courses:
Credit from one of the following courses:
*This credit may be taken in any one or a combination of the following areas: Business, Art, Music, Technology Education, and Family and consumer Sciences.
Core Curriculum: Enfield High School emphasizes the core curriculum as a comprehensive liberal arts education through learning and cultural experiences within and beyond the classroom. The school offers a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum in which students may participate in Advanced Placement courses, and in University of Connecticut Early College Experience courses.
Advanced Placement Courses: Enfield High School provides a variety of Advanced Placement courses for students who show an interest in the subject and excels academically.
UCONN ECE (Early College Experience): The University of Connecticut Early College Experience (UConn ECE) is an opportunity for students to take college courses in high school. Every UConn ECE course is equivalent to the same course at the University of Connecticut. There are approximately forty courses in over twenty disciplines made available to partner high schools. UConn ECE courses are taught on the high school campus by UConn certified high school instructors. UConn ECE students benefit by taking college courses in a familiar setting with an instructor they know. [1]
College Career Pathways (Tech-Prep): This program links high school courses with programs at Asnuntuck Community College. Depending on the program, students may earn up to 13 semester hours of college credit at no cost.
Vocational Education: Programs offered at Enfield High School include Marketing Education and Automotive Mechanics.
Every student is encouraged to participate in one or more sports on the Freshmen, Junior Varsity, or Varsity level. Enfield High School is part of the North Central Connecticut Conference. Several teams are associated with Central Connecticut Conference as well.
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FALL
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WINTER
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SPRING
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EHS has a number of extracurricular activities including:
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Within the past decade, Enfield High School has gone through great lengths in order to enhance its security and discipline policies. After events such as September 11th Attacks, the Columbine High School Massacre, and the Virginia Tech Shootings, the school has vowed to make the school a safe and welcoming learning environment for students and staff, through increased security measures, practices of the School Lock-down procedure, and through the use of Security Checkpoints.[2]
In April 2007, a student was arrested for violently threatening other classmates. After several complaints and reports, police investigated his home to find a hit list of more than a dozen names. The fifteen year old student was immediately arrested and charged with a breach of peace. The student had apparently been bullied and hoped "to get even." He has since been placed into juvenile court.[3]
After the Christmas break and the 2008 New Year, Enfield High School was closed for five extra days due to a water main break underneath the school which flooded the entire A, B, and C buildings, the lower basement level, the auditorium, and the gymnasium. As a result of the damage the gymnasium and the auditorium were rendered useless. The water had caused the floors to buckle in the gymnasium, while mold formed in the auditorium. The damage also caused two fires at the main building, one in the basement, and one in the gymnasium.[4]
Days lost due to the flood and fires at Enfield High were made up during April vacation per request of the State of Connecticut's mandatory 180 day school year. During the Summer of 2008, the school campus was under full construction. The new athletic fields were finished by Fall 2008, the new gymnasium floors were completed for the school opening, and the damaged lecture halls were completed in January 2009.
Enfield High School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and has been awarded its accreditation status. Under recent years, Enfield High School has fallen under controversy after receiving a "warning status" for each of its consecutive visits. Recommendations from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges included problems with organization and its outdated facility which have recently been addressed. However, Enfield High School may be in danger of closing. If its accreditation status is lost, then the students who attend the school at that time will have difficulty applying to college institutions as legitimate colleges generally will not accept students from an unaccredited high school. Controversy amongst town residents has called for a major restructuring of the town's schools in order to improve education and create a more efficient way of allocating its money to the town's schools.[5]
The Town of Enfield and its Board of Education has long considered the redistricting of Enfield Public Schools due to recent decreases in student enrollment. The Enfield Public School district currently governs two high schools, one middle school, nine elementary schools, and three parochial schools. Current population shows that there is no need for the abundance of elementary schools and two high schools. Enrico Fermi High School opened in 1971 not long after the present Enfield High School opened due to large graduating classes of the baby boomer generation when double sessions were required and graduating classes exceeded 700 students each session. Graduating sizes for each school today are presently around 200 students. Enfield High School enrolls 900 students while Enrico Fermi High School enrolls a little more than 1,000 students.
It is said that the consolidation will save money in the future and the town will no longer struggle with two high school budgets. Academically, the plan is seen as high priority in order to improve the town's educational system on the secondary level. An architect will be drawing out plans for the expansion and renovation of the likely location, Enrico Fermi High School in order to add new student gathering facilities, classrooms, and lecture halls.[6] This may include a "like-new" renovation of the current facility and may include air conditioning and implementing LCD projectors for science and math classrooms. The architect will have sketches and a floor plan design ready for the Board of Education by October 2010.[7] By 2012, students will be transitioning into the updated high school facility. It was recommended that an expansion and "like-new" renovation to Enrico Fermi High School would take place prior to the consolidation. Expansion would include newer facilities with more classrooms for use in the rest of the high school. Enfield High School's location is difficult to expand on because of its placement on government protected wetlands and the hilly terrain that the facility is situated on would be costly to level off and build upon.
On May 25, 2010, Enfield Schools voted on the concept of a single high school and a middle school for sixth through eighth-graders. Enfield Schools also approved reconfiguring all the elementary schools, which could lead to the closing of multiple elementary school facilities.[8] The Strategic Planning Committee recommended redrawing school districts in 2011 by having separate schools for pre-K to second grade and grades 3-5 and to account for the single middle and high schools. The closed elementary school(s) could be closed and reused for other town purposes.
Four elementary school principals explained the proposed redistricting choices in which the town would close Hale Elementary School and move its students to Whitney Elementary School; close Hale and move its students to Hazardville Elementary School; close Stowe Elementary School and move its students into Parkman Elementary School; close Alcorn Elementary School and splitting its students between Parkman and Stowe schools; close Enfield Street School and splitting its students between Parkman and Stowe.[9]
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As the two high schools in Enfield are combining, town residents have questioned the new school name, colors, and mascot. Controversy in the past with Enfield High School’s mascot may force the new high school remain with Enrico Fermi’s “Falcon” mascot or adopt a new one. Sports leagues regulations also have strict guidelines on mascots found offensive by different minority groups. These issues are not the main concern of the restructuring plan says both principals, Thomas Duffy and Paul Newton.[10] The mascot "Chief Wahoo", was taken away after complaints from a teacher were received concerning the controversy about the presentation of the mascot. The students have shown much dissatisfaction and would like him returned. The school administration currently does not allow the use of the mascot during public events. However, the school still uses the Raider logo on the basketball court, school flyers and notices and school sponsored events. Notable alumni and Staff
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