| Granville Junior/Senior High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 58 Quaker Street Granville, New York, 12832 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public central school district |
| Motto | Changing The World... One Student at a Time! |
| Established | 1929 |
| School board | Granville CSD |
| Superintendent | Mark Bessen |
| CEEB Code | 332165 |
| Principal | James Donnelly (Interim) |
| Asst. Principal | Daniel Poucher |
| Faculty | 68[1] |
| Grades | 7–12 |
| Number of students | 766[2] |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Mongolian Warrior on Horseback |
| Nickname | Golden Horde |
| Newspaper | 'The Granville Gossip' |
| Information | 518 642 1051 |
| Website | www.granvillecsd.org |
Granville Junior/Senior High School, colloquially referred to as Granville High School, is a public secondary school located in the Village of Granville, New York. Situated in Washington County to the northeast of New York State's Capital District, it is a component school of the Granville Central School District and serves the district's 7th through 12th grade student population.[3] Approximately 10% of the building's students are drawn from neighboring communities in the state of Vermont.
The main high school building is located on Quaker Street in the Village of Granville and school colors are gold and royal blue. The western portion of the school building houses primarily 9th through 12th grades while the east wing of the building is populated largely by 7th and 8th grade students. Additionally, district campuses include Mary J. Tanner Elementary School (K-2),[4] and Granville Elementary School (3-6).
The mission statement of the Granville Central School District reads as follows: "We, the Granville School Community, will provide a safe, respectful environment where all students, using their full potential, achieve academic excellence, develop individual strengths and become responsible caring citizens. We will foster the value of lifelong learning."
The school motto as established during the tenure of former superintendent Daniel Teplesky, reads: "Changing the world... One student at a time."
The Granville Central School District, from which 90% of the student population is drawn, borders the following educational entities: Whitehall Central School District and Fort Ann Central School District to the northwest; Hartford Central School District to the west; and Salem Central School District to the south. Poultney High School, the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union (Wells Village School), and the Mettawee Community School (Pawlet and Rupert) border the district to the east in Vermont.[5]
As of 2007, 99% of students in the school were described as white. 1% of students were described as African American or Asian in descent. During the 2006-2007 academic year 6% of the student body received out of school suspension as a disciplinary consequence.[6] 45% of graduates in 2008 planned on attending a 4-year post secondary institution. 29% planned on attending a 2-year college. 3% joined the military. 4% entered the workforce. 20% were reported as "future plan unknown."[7] Regarding graduation rate, 67% of the 2004 cohort had obtained a diploma by August 31, 2008.[8]
The Junior/Senior High School employs approximately 100 faculty and staff (including teachers, monitors, aides, and paraprofessionals) as well as a total of two school-level administrators, excluding the director of special education position. Granville faculty possess a variety of educational backgrounds, having earned graduate and post-graduate degrees from among the following institutions: Brigham Young University, Cornell University, Ithaca College, King’s College, Northeastern University, Old Dominion University, Rutgers, Siena College, St. Lawrence University, Syracuse University, Union College, University of Hawaii, and the University of Vermont.[9] Between 2005 and 2008 the district experienced a turnover rate among teachers of nearly 20% each year.[2] This trend became less notable as economic difficulties associated with the Great Recession made finding alternative employment in the education field difficult.[2]
Motivated students may pursue a rigorous education at Granville Junior/Senior High School. In excess of 50 college credits are available to students from 10th to 12th grades. However, the district struggles to provide a relevant education for less-motivated members of the student population.[10]
In conjunction with facility upgrades in 2009 the district has begun to implement Project Lead the Way. The High School Technology Education Department, through teacher Gary Gendron, offers four Project Lead the Way® courses that are eligible for course credit from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Within the context of this program Granville students may complete the following courses:
Students may enroll in AP Biology, AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP Psychology, AP United States History, and AP World History. Grades for these courses are weighted as described in the policy outlined below under Valedictorians. Granville's Advanced Placement program is being partially phased out in favor of courses offered through Syracuse University's Project Advance. However, Advanced Placement remains a preferred option for exceptionally talented students whose capabilities allow them to readily earn top scores on the Advanced Placement exams corresponding with the SUPA course in which they are enrolled. In the case of Biology, Psychology, and Calculus, SUPA and AP students are enrolled in the same course sections, simplifying the process of scheduling for these students.
Technically becoming students of Syracuse University, Students are able to register for "SUPA" Biology (8 Credits), Psychology (3 Credits), Calculus (4 Credits), English Composition (3 Credits) and American Literature (3 Credits). During the 2010-2011 academic year these courses cost students $110 per credit with a 60% discount offered for students qualifying to receive free or reduced priced school lunches. Most students enrolled in SUPA classes do not qualify for this discount. SUPA courses typically offer three credits each, however, the course in biology includes a lab component earning students a total of eight credits. Lab fees are also charged for this course.
Implementation of SUPA has generated supportive and opposing factions within the school community. Concerns regarding the cost of these programs are most often cited by those opposed, while the greater odds of any given student receiving college credit are most often cited by those supporting this district initiative. During 2010-2011, the first academic year SUPA was implemented, the program was popular among students and families with nearly 50 course registrations generated from members of the senior class.
Comparable to the SUPA program outlined above, several Granville faculty members have achieved "Adjunct" status as instructors in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Students are thus able to enroll, and earn college credit after successful completion of Granville and SUNY requirements. These course offerings, including Statistics and Spanish, are made available through the SUNY University in the High Schools program.
SUNY Adirondack - The Mathematics department offers a Statistics course in conjunction with SUNY Adirondack. This course is also offered to other regional schools via the district's distance learning facility.
SUNY Plattsburgh - North Country High School Model OAS: The North Country High School Model OAS (Organization of American States), is a college-credit bearing course in Latin American Studies offered to seniors in the spring semester providing them the opportunity to improve skills related to collaboration, cooperation and extemporaneous speaking.[11]
Held annually the first Sunday through Tuesday in June, when the OAS is holding its annual General Assembly, the high school OAS model provides students an opportunity to develop skills largely ignored by other content-based high school courses. High school students from across Northern New York and Western Vermont participate, representing the various countries from the Western Hemisphere.
A two-night trip to the SUNY Plattsburgh campus to attend the model assembly is required. In addition, participating students attend a briefing session in Washington, D.C. with embassy officials from the nation students will later represent at the model assembly.[11]
Seniors are able to participate in the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (WSWHE) Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) programs in Engineering and Health Careers Exploration as an alternative to a traditional senior year at the high school. Seniors admitted to this college credit bearing program engage in a combination of classroom and practical professional experiences.[12]
Traditionally, the school board grants approval for a small number of students to attend a full load of courses at nearby SUNY Adirondack, located in Queensbury, New York.
Granville's business education department has earned a number of accolades as a consequence of its activities, including being named New York State High School Business Education regional "Department of the Year."
Beginning in 2006 the school began to send and receive classes through a newly constructed distance learning facility. Granville faculty members have offered Marine Science and a variety of mathematics classes—including SUNY Adirondack Statistics—through the distance education program. Incoming courses are more variable in content from year to year. During the 2009-2010 academic year courses in Adolescent and Developmental Psychology were offered. 2010-2011 saw these courses dropped in conjunction with the addition of Hotel and Resorts Management. The Distance Learning program has been increasingly viewed as an opportunity to expose Granville students to academic programs the school is not capable of offering. For example, a nanotechnology course was made available in 2010.
The Board of Education is composed of nine unsalaried citizens elected to serve overlapping terms of three years each. There are no term limits. Meetings are generally held two Mondays of each month in the high school library beginning at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.[13] Minutes for board meetings are posted on the Granville Central School District website.[14]
Current Board of Education Members:
Former Board of Education Members:
Instructional Leaders are paid a stipend, currently $2000.00 per academic year, to act as liaisons between the members of their respective departments and school administration. These positions were re-introduced beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year after having been eliminated during a 1990s budget crisis.
Mathematics: Mr. Willard Hardin (2010-
Social Studies: Mrs. Christine Cook (2010-
Science: Mrs. Susan Kenyon (2010-
English Language Arts: Mr. James Marsfelder (2010-
Business/Technology: Mrs. Susan Hosley (2010-
Encore: Mr. Timothy Patrick (2010-
Primarily, Granville has a closed campus. Seniors meeting academic and behavior standards, however, are permitted to leave campus for lunch on selected days.
Each fall the school holds a homecoming dance which is preceded by a football game and a week of sports contests held under temporary lights erected over the school's various athletic fields. Generally field hockey, boys soccer, girls soccer, Junior Varsity Football and Varsity Football teams each play a game under lights beginning Monday evening and concluding Friday evening. The homecoming dance is ordinarily held the following Saturday evening. A bonfire has been traditionally included in these festivities, although this has occurred only intermittently in recent years.
Girls varsity basketball coach Lance Jordan organized a student-staff 3-on-3, double-elimination basketball tournament beginning in the winter of the 2010-2011 academic year. Granville students, teachers, and staff were invited to participate as well as community members including notables such as Granville town Supervisor Matt Hicks. Fullertime, consisting of students Emily Fuller and Michael Resetar with faculty member Mark Valentine defeated G-Loco (Counselor Geoff Loiacono, along with students James Hicks and Meghan O'Brien) in two consecutive games to win the tournament after playing through the loser's bracket in this double-elimination tournament.
Recent years have seen members of the graduating class travel as a group to Williamsburg, VA, Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach, Virginia during a three day tour that includes a visit to Busch Gardens Amusement Park as well as museums in Washington, D.C.
Due to low participation, the trip was scaled back to an overnight stay in New York City for 2009. The full trip to Virginia and Washington, D.C. was restored in 2010. More recently, participating students determined through a vote that the 2011 senior trip will go to Boston, Massachusetts.
The cost of the trip, and students' ability to provide personal funds for the trip represents an ongoing dilemma for the school and community.
The name for school athletic teams is the "Golden Horde." A Mongolian warrior in the image of Genghis Khan, sometimes mounted on horseback, serves as mascot. Khan's systematic slaughter of civilians and widespread reputation as a destructive and genocidal warlord are traits that convey the aggressive attitude and competitive nature present in athletic competition. Genghis Khan's responsibility for the deaths of perhaps 15 million people coincides with related values. No significant mascot controversy has emerged regarding the use of this historical figure to represent the school and community.
As of the 2010-2011 school year, a senior, Chelsea Simpson, took on the role of Mascot for several school events.
Samuel R. Eppolito, (December 23, 1899-October 10, 1964), educator and coach is a legend of Granville Athletics who was inducted into the New York State High School Athletic Hall of Fame housed in the Glens Falls Civic Center. Born December 23, 1899 in Buffalo, New York, Sam moved(1903) with his family to LeRoy, New York. Sam graduated from LeRoy High School in the midst of World War I in 1918. Upon graduation, he entered St. Bonaventure (Olean, New York) in 1919. He participated in football, basketball, and track during his college years. From St. Bonaventure, Sam entered the Cortland Normal School in 1923, specializing in physical education. He graduated from Cortland Normal in 1926 and was promptly hired by Professor Claude McMaster, Granville High School Principal, to teach and coach at Granville.
Coach Eppolito was at the helm of the Granville Football Programs from 1926-1956. [1945 Photo and News Article—See footnote 36] He and his team's accomplishments were incredible. His teams won 130 games and were outright Northern Conference Champions in 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1943, 1946, 1948, and 1949. They were Co-Champions in 1942, 1944, and 1945. The teams of 1930 (9-0-0) and 1933 (7-0-0) were undefeated, untied, and unscored upon. The teams of 1932, 1934, 1946, and 1948 were all undefeated. Speak of football and Granville in the same breath and the name of Sam Eppolito is always mentioned. His impact upon the youth and the community of Granville will long be remembered
Fall Season:[22]
Winter Season:
Spring Season:
Since the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year class rank has been calculated using a weighted average of all courses taken in grades nine through twelve. Individual course grades are not impacted by this weighting policy; grades are weighted only when school officials determine class rank.
College credit bearing courses are multiplied by a factor of 1.07 and honors courses by a factor of 1.04. As a consequence of this policy, students are encouraged to enroll in academically challenging courses that better prepare them for post-secondary education. In addition, it is more difficult for students enrolled in predominantly academically inferior classes to rank near the top of the class based upon cumulative average.
Annually, the Capital Area School District Development Association requests that schools from 11 counties surrounding New York's capital region identify a single student exemplifying scholarly virtues. These criteria do not require that the chosen individual be the class valedictorian. Traditionally, the recipient has taken the most challenging courses that Granville Jr/Sr High School offers while performing at an outstanding level. Selected students are announced in a supplementary publication by the Albany Times Union newspaper and are recognized at a special dinner held at the Desmond hotel and resort in Albany, NY. Recent years have seen the following individuals receive this award, which can carry greater prestige than recognition as class valedictorian:
During each academic year The Chronicle, an area newspaper based in Glens Falls, New York, consults the high school administration and recognizes students whose contributions exemplify both academic and athletic excellence. Chosen students are presented with a plaque as well as featured in the newspaper, an area weekly with a circulation near 30,000 copies.[24]
Each May, during the second semester of the academic year, an awards ceremony is held where the highest achieving students in each course and grade-level are recognized. Students to receive awards are invited to attend this event along with their families.
Where the rippling Indian River
Joins the Mettowee
There, thou standest, Alma Mater
Hail, all hail, to thee.
Lift her standards high and higher
Cheer with right good will
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Rah! The Blue and Gold Forever
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Granville.
When the days to years have lengthened
Though afar we stray
Still thy loyal sons and daughters
We will be for aye.
Construction on the oldest portion of the current Junior/Senior High School building was carried out beginning in 1928 and finished the following year. This portion of the junior-senior high building is constructed in the Greek Revival architectural style.
Another major building project was completed from 1974 to 1975.
A much smaller facilities expansion occurred during 2009. This most recent building project provided upgraded first floor space for technology education in the form of Project Lead the Way, as well as four classrooms dedicated to offering special education services.
From 2003 through 2009 campus upgrades included the construction of tennis courts, a baseball field and additional minor upgrades to athletics facilities. Together this construction is referred to as the "Ken Burch Athletic Complex," and is located south of the high school's main campus buildings. Sam Eppolito Field, reserved almost exclusively for Varsity and Junior Varsity football games, remains distinct from this area as it is located immediately behind the newly constructed east wing of the high school building.
During the 2006-2007 school year, district-wide total expenditures per pupil equalled $15,256.00, $2074.00 below the New York State average of $17,330.00.[7] In recent years, the district's annual budget has exceeded $20,000,000. Proposed expenditures for the 2007-2008 academic year were $21,737,394.[35] This figure was $23.2 million during the 2008-2009 budget year.[36]
These figures include the two primary schools that feed into the junior/senior high school building: Mary J. Tanner Elementary School and Granville Elementary School.