| James Madison Memorial High School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1966 |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Principal | Bruce Dahmen |
| Students | 2,200- 2,400 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | Madison, Wisconsin, USA |
| Oversight | Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) |
| Colors | Green and White |
| Mascot | Bruce the Spartan |
| Yearbook | The Olympian |
| Newspaper | The Sword and Shield (official), The Independent. |
| Website | http://memorialweb.madison.k12.wi.us |
James Madison Memorial High School is a public school located at 201 South Gammon Road, Madison, Wisconsin, 53717, serving students in grades 9 through 12. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. One of four Madison public high schools, it is commonly referred to as "Memorial" or "JMM".
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Memorial offers Chinese, German, French and Spanish language classes.[1]
The Memorial Art Department offers a wide variety of courses engaging a comprehensive array of media. The department also offers opportunities for portfolio development, artistic skill development and membership in art-based clubs (The Art Klub, Animation Club). Memorial student-artists compete in many visual competitions. The Art Department has supported the installation of art throughout the school including: ceramic murals, artwork profesional artists, and student-created artwork found in the Memorial Art Garden.
The Memorial Science Department offers a wide variety of science courses. Integrated Science is the introductory ninth grade course. The Science Department offers 4 AP courses: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Environmental Science. Courses in the Biological Sciences include Biology, AP Biology, Fundamentals of Biology, Conservation Biology, Anatomy and Physiology,Forensics Science, and Molecular Biology. Chemistry Courses include AP Chemistry, Math Chemistry, and Chemistry in the Community. Physics courses include AP Physics, Math Physics, and General Physics. The school offers courses in Earth Science including Earth Science 1, Earth Science 2, Astronomy, and AP Environmental Science. Other courses include Aerospace and Mechanical World.
The school also hosts a planetarium and holds an Astronomy class.
The school principal is Bruce Dahmen. Memorial's athletic director is Tim Ritchie.[2]
In 2001, Memorial received a U.S. Department of Education Small Learning Communities federal grant to support a "neighborhood" reorganization.[3] Students would be assigned to "backyards" consisting of approximately twenty students and a staff member, Backyards are grouped together to form "blocks" which are grouped to form "neighborhoods".[3] In total there would be 100 backyards which combine to form 5 blocks which combine to form 4 neighborhoods.[3] Started during the 2002-03 school year, the goal was to create a smaller environment where students would feel connected to each other and staff members. Different from a traditional homeroom concept, students are assigned to "backyards" consisting of approximately 20 students and 2 staff members (teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors, etc.) Students remain in the same backyard with the same students and teachers for their entire high school career. Backyard is currently receiving mostly negative views from students, and is under debate for improvement. Each neighborhood is assigned a vice principal to help ensure consistency in administration as students matriculate. In total there are 100 backyards which combine to form 20 blocks which combine to form 4 neighborhoods (Rock, Wolf, Fox, and Wisconsin).
The official school newspaper is The Sword and Shield. Independent newspapers, The Spartacus and the Aficionado existed at one time, but have both discontinued distribution.
The Independent was created after the 1990-91 school year by The Sword and Shield staff in response to censorship of the school's paper by then Principal Carolyn Taylor. The Independent had a tradition of printing annual April Fool's editions, which were published under names such as The Inebriated, The Insolent, and The Indyan. Past controversy over the April Fool's editions led to The Independent being temporarily banned, sparking the creation of The Spartacus in 2003.
Memorial offers 25 interscholastic sports and 55 extramural activities that cover a broad array of interests.
The James Madison Memorial Forensics Team is one of Wisconsin's most successful speech programs, participating in the competitive Wisconsin Forensics Coaches Association (WFCA) league. At the end of the 2011 season, JMM had won eight state championships in the previous eleven years. Memorial emerged victorious in 2002,[4] 2003,[5] 2004,[6] shared the title with Appleton East in 2006,[7] and won additional championships in 2008,[8] 2009,[9] 2010[10] and 2011. In the three seasons Memorial did not win the WFCA state tournament, the team placed second twice (2001 and 2007) and third once (2005) - all seasons in which the teams from Appleton East or Brookfield East prevailed. Memorial maintains rivalries with both schools, along with neighboring Sun Prairie High School.
This activity includes public speaking, interpretive reading, and acting events. Memorial students begin preparing for the season, which runs from late January through mid April, in September. The team is coached by Tom Hardin, Tim Scheffler, David Olson, Joshua Newland, and other JMM staff, alums, and volunteers.