| Norwell High School | |
|---|---|
| Norwell High School as seen from the back parking lot. | |
| Location | |
| 18 South Street Norwell, Massachusetts, USA |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary |
| Established | 1888 |
| Superintendent | Donald Beaudette |
| Principal | William Fish |
| Asst. Principal | Warren MacCallum, Andrea Keating |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Campus | Suburban, 100 acres |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Clipper Ship |
| Rival | Hanover High School (Massachusetts) |
| Accreditation(s) | NEASC |
| Newspaper | 'The Navigator' |
| Website | http://norwellschools.schoolwires.net/nhs/site/default.asp |
Norwell High School is a public secondary school, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). It is located in Norwell, Massachusetts. The school includes approximately 50 full-time teachers. Its students consistently score above state and national averages on the SAT and other standardized tests, and on average, 97% of students from each graduating class at Norwell High School continue on to post-secondary education.[1]
NHS has been ranked as the 12th best secondary school in Massachusetts by Newsweek Magazine [2] and the 57th best public school in the country by Neighboorhood Scout. [3]
Contents |
To provide an engaging, supportive environment where students strive for excellence, practice respect, and contribute to society.
Norwell High School graduates will meet expectations regarding:
On July 1, 2011, William Fish became the new principal of Norwell High School, replacing Matthew Keegan, who had been serving the school since 2006. [4] The school's administration includes assistant principals Warren MacCallum and Andrea Keating.[5] The school's administration also includes three guidance counselors [6]
Toward the end of the 1980s Norwell High School lowered their grading system, as the numbers were higher than standard grading systems. (For example, a final grade of 82 was a C+ versus a B-)
The school's staff also includes nine cafeteria workers and six custodians.
A full list of teachers can be found here.[7] The list includes all the teachers in the school and the courses they teach, as well as the nurse, secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers and other aides that work in the school.
The school's faculty offers a wide array of academic courses in several departments. Students that attended NHS are required to take four years of English, History, Mathematics and Science courses. Students are required to take at least three years of a Foreign Language. Some students complete their first year of foreign language while in middle school so they will only have to complete two years; some students choose to take their fourth and fifth year of a language and continue these courses into college. Students are required to take at least two years of Health/Physical Education(Gym Class). Students are also allowed to take other courses including classes in art, music and technology, as seen below.
| Course Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| English | Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors take classes involving American and World Literature. Seniors are allowed for their final year school to choose through array of courses for their English class including a class on the study of Shakespeare's work, a creative writing class, Nonfiction, Adolescent in Literature and two other AP courses. |
| Social Studies | Classes offered for students include: World History, US History (including AP), European History (including AP), Psychology(Including AP), Global Studies, Law, Gender/Race/Class, American Government (AP), The Holocaust and Human Behavior, Modern War |
| Mathematics | Classes offered for students include: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics and Discrete Mathematics (including AP), Calculus (including AP) and Problem Solving. |
| Science | For science freshmen take Biology. NHS also offers an AP course for biology that students are allowed to take after freshmen year. Sophomores are required to take Chemistry in their second year at the school. Like biology, NHS offers an AP course for chemistry that students are allowed to take after their sophomore year. Juniors are required to take Physics. Like that of biology and chemistry, NHS offers an AP class for students to take after their Junior year. Seniors are allowed to choose which science class they want for their final year at the school. These classes include Anatomy, Astronomy, Marine Biology and Renewable Energy. |
| Foreign Language | NHS offers four languages for students to choose from. The classes include: Arabic, Spanish, French and Latin, including AP course offerings in each and courses specializing in Vergil, Horace and Catullus. |
| Art | Studio Art (Art 1, Art 2, AP Art). When students reach a certain level in their art studies they are allowed to paint a painting on a wall located somewhere in the school. The school also offers Digital Photography classes and a Film class. |
| Music | NHS offers students Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, mixed Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Workshop, Music Theory, and Music Appreciation. The ensembles usually perform four to five major concerts a year, on special occasions including graduation, and for dozens of other events each year in the community. |
| PE/Health | Students are required to take two years of Health/Physical Education. After they complete course, students are allowed to choose between other Physical Educations classes. These classes include: Strength Training, Lifetime Activities, Yoga, Pilates and Lifetime Fitness |
| Applied Technology | Students are allowed to take other classes during their time at NHS. Students can take classes that include: Java, Publications and Presentations, Web Design, Computer Animation, Computer Repair, TV Studio, Robotics, CAD, Engineering the Future and Building Construction |
| Special Education | Skills Program, Direct Academic Instruction, Life Skills, Work Experience, Life Skills Reading, Content Area Reading |
| Theater | Students may also take a Theater class and/or a Public Speaking/Acting class taught by the school's current director of the Fourth Wall Players, Chris Lacy |
Norwell High School offers several sports programs for students that include:[8]
| Sport | Notes |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Boys JV, Boys Varsity |
| Basketball | Boys Freshman Team, Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Freshman Team, Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Cheerleading | Girls Game Team, Girls Competition Team |
| Cross Country | Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Field hockey | Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Football | Boys Freshman Team, Boys JV, Boys Varsity |
| Golf | Boys JV, Boys Varsity |
| Gymnastics | Girls Varsity |
| Hockey | Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Varsity |
| Lacrosse | Boys Freshman, Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls Freshman, Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Skiing | Boys & Girls Co-ed Varsity & JV |
| Spring track and field | Boys & Girls Co-ed |
| Soccer | Boys JV, Boys Varsity, Boys Freshman / Girls JV, Girls Varsity, Girls Freshman |
| Softball | Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Swimming and Diving | Boys & Girls Co-ed |
| Tennis | Boys JV, Boys Varsity / Girls JV, Girls Varsity |
| Winter track and field | Boys & Girls Co-ed |
| Wrestling | Boys & Girls Co-ed |
Roughly 90% of Norwell High School's students participate in co-curricular activities. An means the club is now defunct. The school boasts a wide range of clubs and activities, including but not limited to:[9]
| Club | Notes |
|---|---|
| Amnesty International student chapter | |
| A.F.S. | |
| Animal Activist club | |
| Art club | |
| Pep Band | |
| Best Buddies | |
| Book Club | |
| Bowling club | |
| Chess Club | |
| Dance Team | |
| Decibelles | A cappella vocal group |
| Diversity Club/Gay-Straight Alliance | |
| Fourth Wall Players | Norwell's Fourth Wall Players are an accomplished, award-winning group of actors and theatre artists. They compete in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival, and were state finalists in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2008, they represented Massachusetts in the New England Drama Festival and were invited, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, to represent the USA in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. |
| Environment Club | |
| Equestrian Club | |
| French Club | |
| Film Club | |
| The Halyard | The school's award-winning literary and art magazine |
| Junior State of America | |
| Invisible Children | |
| Latin Club | |
| Math Team | |
| Mock Trial | |
| National Honor Society | |
| Norwell Navigator | The school's newspaper. |
| Paint Ball Club | |
| Peer Education | |
| Robotics Club | |
| Sailing Club | |
| Snowboarding Club | |
| Space Cadet Club | |
| Spanish Club | |
| Surf culture | |
| Student Government | |
| Ultimate Frisbee | |
| Yearbook | |
| Young Democrats | |
| Young Republicans |
| Name | Year of Graduation | Claim to Fame |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Coolidge | Class of 1982 | Actress who has appeared in American Pie aka Stiffler's mom, Click, For Your Consideration and other films.[10] |
| Jeff Corwin | Class of 1985 | Host of The Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin's Quest, two television programs on Animal Planet. He often visits Norwell to help at the Norwell Science Center.[11] |
| Jennifer (Bond) Reed | Class of 1985 | Award winning children's book author. Published The Falling Flowers in 2005 and many books since. Creator/editor of the first online children's magazine, Wee Ones Children's Magazine. |
| Susan Tedeschi | Class of 1988 | American Blues and soul singer. Received Grammy nominations in 2000, 2003, and 2007.[12] |
| Colin Reed | Class of 2002 | Press Secretary for Senator Scott Brown and former roommate of Jason Kustka.[13] |