| Housatonic Valley Regional High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 246 Warren Turnpike Road Falls Village, Connecticut, Litchfield, 06031 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School type | public secondary |
| Motto | Felix Prole Virum |
| Established | 1937 |
| Opened | 1939 |
| School district | Region One |
| Superintendent | Patricia Chamberlain |
| CEEB Code | 070205 |
| Principal | Matthew Harnett |
| Vice principal | Ian Strever |
| Staff | 90 |
| Teaching staff | 54 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrolment | 510 |
| Number of students | 510 |
| School Colour(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Athletics conference | Berkshire League |
| Mascot | Mountaineer |
| Nickname | Mountaineers |
| Rival | The Gilbert School |
| Accreditation(s) | NEAS&C |
| Publication | The Acorn |
| Newspaper | The Northwest Corner |
| Yearbook | The White Oak |
| Communities served | Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon |
| Feeder schools | North Canaan Elementary School, Cornwall Consolidated School, Kent Center School, Salisbury Central School, Sharon Center School, Lee H. Kellogg School |
| Website | http://www.hvrhs.org/ |
Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) is a regional high school in the town of Falls Village, Connecticut in Litchfield County. The school currently has a student population of approximately 590 in grades 9 to 12. It serves six towns: Sharon, Kent, North Canaan, Canaan (Falls Village), Salisbury, and Cornwall, including the unincorporated villages (such as Lime Rock and Lakeville) within those towns. It was established in 1939 as a result of a special act of the Connecticut State Legislature in 1937. It is the first regional high school in New England.
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Prior to the opening of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, four of the six towns it currently serves each had its own tiny high school. In the 1920s, William Teague, the state's rural supervisor of schools, suggested that Connecticut's sprawling Northwest Corner consolidate its public schools. In 1937, the Connecticut legislature authorized the formation of the first regional school district in the state (hence the name of the new district, "Regional School District Number One"). The newly formed school board purchased the 75-acre (300,000 m2) former Lorch farm at the junction of the Salmon Kill and the Housatonic River near the Canaan-Salisbury town line for $8,000. The school was subsequently constructed on that site, opening in the fall of 1939.
In recent years, the school facility has been expanded; the most recent addition is the new agricultural education center, library, and science labs completed in 2001. The school facility includes one gymnasium, an auditorium, a cafeteria and dozens of classrooms. The school sat under the shadow of a white oak, from which the yearbook The White Oak takes its name. The historic White Oak was so badly damaged in a storm on Monday, July 5, 2004, shortly after the arrival of previous principal Dr. Gretchen Foster, that it was taken down.[1] The School also has two other courtyards: the Sophomore Courtyard located near the cafeteria, and the Faculty Courtyard (formerly Freshmen courtyard). In 2007, HVRHS became the North American Champions of the Canon Envirothon competition,.[2]
In early 2008, a plan was unveiled to renovate the former Clark B. Wood Agricultural Center on campus. Part of that building, closed in 2001 after a renovation project, has already been turned into the artgarage, an afterschool activity center. Completion is expected in 2011.
In addition to the standard high school curricula, the school offers a variety of elective classes including drawing, color and design, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, wood technology, metal technology, drafting, and a wide array of courses in agriculture.
Housatonic supports a large number of sports in comparison to other schools in its league. Housatonic has earned three state championships; Girls Track (1985 and 1988) and Division IX Golf (2007). Its notable alumni to continue on to professional sports careers are John Lamb and Steve Blass, both Major League Baseball pitchers for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Blass was drafted out of HVRHS, and pitched in the 1971 World Series. He is currently a sportscaster for the Pirates.
The Housatonic mascot is The Mountaineer. The school's colors are royal blue and gold, and is a member of the Berkshire League (it is a member of the Pequot Uncas for football). The school has the following sports:
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