Exeter High School (New Hampshire)

Coordinates: 43°01′00″N 71°00′02″W / 43.01677°N 71.00042°W / 43.01677; -71.00042

Exeter High School
Address
1 Blue Hawk Dr. Exeter, New Hampshire USA
Information
Type	Public
Established	September 9, 1912
Principal	James Tremblay
Faculty	204
Grades	High school (9-12)
Enrollment	1704
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Silver and Navy
Mascot	The Blue Hawk
Newspaper	The Talon
Website	ehs.sau16.org

Exeter High School is a public high school in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the communities of Exeter, Stratham, Kensington, Newfields, Brentwood, and East Kingston, New Hampshire.

History

Origin

The Exeter Area Public School was established in 1848 as a co-educational institution and became a school for boys twenty years later when Robinson Female Seminary was founded.^[1] The school was originally located on Court Street until 1912 when it was moved to Linden Street and changed to Exeter High School. The new school opened September 9, 1912, and most of the town stores declared a half-holiday for the occasion. The school was nicknamed "Tuck High School", thanks mainly to a gift of $5,000 by philanthropist Edward Tuck.^[2]

The "Pinnacle" yearbook was first produced in 1949 as a joint effort by Exeter High School and Robinson Female Seminary. On April 7, 1954, an affirmative vote of a $760,000 bond was passed to construct a new coed Exeter High School and elementary school; the school opened in September 1956.^[3]

Today

After years of a growing population and structural problems experienced in the old building, it was determined that a new 227,000-square-foot (21,100 m²) building would be built. The new Exeter High School opened on the outskirts of town, at 1 Blue Hawk Drive, on New Hampshire Route 27 in September 2006. The original Tuck School/Exeter High School was renovated into the Seacoast School of Technology, and an annex building (formerly Exeter Area Junior High School) was razed to make way for a new YMCA facility.

Academics

Honors societies

• National Honor Society: members are academically proficient and are supporters of the Exeter community, volunteering around Exeter and throughout the Seacoast region.^[4]
• The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH), or Spanish National Honor Society^[5]
• La Société Honoraire Française (SHF) or French National Honor Society
• The Social Studies Honor Society, administered by the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society program

Extra-curricular activities

The school has over 60 clubs listed, and many play an important role in student life and the Exeter community. The number of operative clubs fluctuates yearly; the main clubs are listed on the school website.

Campus

Student body

Student enrollment at Exeter High School fluctuates around 1,700 students.

Sustainability

The Exeter High School campus surpasses most schools across New Hampshire in environmental sustainability.^[6] In 2010 the installation of 465 solar panels (supplied by AltE) generates about 100 kilowatts of power and offsets the school's energy consumption by 5%.^[7] The addition of a community garden in the spring of 2011 provided further learning opportunities for the school and agricultural benefits for the local community.^[8] Exeter has an active Environmental Club and Recycling Committee that have overseen many of the green innovations around the school and community.

Facilities

• Theater: The Arthur L. Hanson III Center for the Performing Arts was dedicated to the superintendent of schools on June 13, 2008. The Drama Department has been able to produce hit shows such as Grease, Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, Sweeney Todd, and many other plays in the theater.
• Cafeteria: The Latvis Cafeteria was dedicated to Mike and Gail Latvis in November 2007 for their years of service and dedication to the SAU 16 school district.
• Conference hall: The Roy Morrisette Alumni Room was dedicated to Roy Morrisette for his 29 years of service to the SAU 16 school district.
• Gymnasium: The Exeter High school building has a large and a small gymnasium which are used throughout the year for hosting events and tournaments.
• Stadium: William D. Ball Stadium at Eustis Field, a grass-turf, multi-sport facility, is home to the football, soccer, and lacrosse teams.

Athletics

Students at Exeter High School are required to participate in two semesters of athletic programs. The school offers more than 30 interscholastic teams at the varsity and junior varsity level. Other various physical fitness programs are also available.

Interscholastic sports

Football

The school's football team has won the state championship 14 times since 1955: Class M (1955), Division III (1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1965), Division II (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007), Division I (2011, 2012)

Beginning in 1996, the Blue Hawks played in 11 of 14 Division II state championship games before moving to Division I in 2010. During the seasons of 1997-1999 Exeter won 26 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in school history. Exeter has sent over 65 representatives to play in the New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. The Blue Hawks have nine members in the New Hampshire Chapter of the Joe Yukica Hall of Fame. Zack Dziama (class of 2003) and Tyler Grant (2013) have won the Gatorade Player of the Year for football in New Hampshire. Head Coach William Ball has won over 100 games with Exeter and has been inducted into the New Hampshire Coaches Hall of Fame.

The Exeter High football team has played rival Winnacunnet in neighboring Hampton 76 times since 1924. Exeter leads the all-time series 53-22-2. The two schools have played for three state championships in Division II, with Winnacunnet winning in 1983 and 2000, while Exeter won in 2003, one of Exeter's perfect seasons (others being 1964 and 1999). The teams have played each other every year since 1947. The last Exeter/Winnacunnet game played at the original Eustis Field in 2005 was a 26-0 victory for Exeter.

The Blue Hawks' home games are held at William D. Ball Stadium at Eustis Field, a grass-turf stadium facility. In 2005 the 'Hawks won the last game on the original Eustis Field, defeating Merrimack in the semifinals before falling to Bishop Guertin in the Division II championship game.

Exeter was reclassified as a Division I football program for the 2010 season, replacing Manchester West, which moved down to Division II.^[10] On November 19, 2011, playing at the home of defending champion Pinkerton Academy of Derry, Exeter won its first Division I title, 23-13.

Soccer

The Exeter High School boys varsity soccer team has won the New Hampshire state championship four times since 2002. Head Coach Jim Tufts led his boys to the Final Four or further for sixteen years running, until 2008.

The Exeter High School girls' soccer team won the Class L state championship for the first time in 2006 after defeating Merrimack 1-0 and again in 2007 after defeating Pinkerton Academy 2-1 in overtime. They won state championships in Division I four years in a row (2009 - 2012), but lost to Bedford in 2013.^[11] They reclaimed the division title in 2014.^[12] In 2013 the team was ranked the number one high school team in America in the National Soccer Association of America's weekly poll.

Track and field

Exeter High School has very solid boys and girls track and field teams that compete in the Division I track meet each year. The girls track and field team won the Division I state championship meet in 2012 and runner up in 2013

Field hockey

The Exeter High School field hockey team was the runner up in the 2006 Class L championship game after losing 3-2 in overtime to Salem High School. Seeded #4 going into the NHIAA tournament Exeter High School Girls beat Pinkerton High School's field hockey team to become 2013 Division I State Champions. This is the first championship for the program.

Swimming & Diving

The Exeter High School boys swimming & diving team won the NHIAA Division I state title in 2013 for the first time ever in the school's history.

Golf

The Exeter Golf Team has recorded multiple state tournament appearances including back to back in 2006 and 2007.

Alpine skiing

The Exeter High School Ski team was established in 2006. The team had only 12 skiers its first year and had grown to 35 as of 2011. The women's ski team took second place in the NHIAA Division I state championships in 2010, and won the state title in 2011. The boys team came in third in the Division I state championships in 2010 and second in 2011.

Championships

The Exeter Bluehawks football team won the Division I championship in 2012.

The tennis team won the Division I state championship in 2009.

School spirit

The school mascot is the blue hawk, and the school colors are silver and navy blue.

The Exeter High School song was composed by Harriet M. Ford, an English teacher, in 1927. It is sung to the tune of "The Stars and Stripes Forever":

"Other schools may deem their banners best

And cheer them with fervent elation

But the schools of the north and south and west

Cannot beat our school, the best in the nation.

Then cheer for dear Exeter High

May we ever unite in our effort

To make it the pride of the state

And never show it hate.

Let rivals remember the day

When our heroes with mighty endeavor

Proclaim as they march to the fray

That by their right and by their might

We win forever."

Important events

On January 6, 2008, Barack Obama held a rally in the Exeter High School gymnasium.

Notable alumni

• Lloyd Ahlquist, comedian, class of 1995
• Victoria Arlen,^[13] paralympian swimmer

Student magazine

The Talon Magazine, an outgrowth of a newspaper founded in 1957, is the school's independent student magazine. The publication has received numerous awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the New England Scholastic Press Association. Printed by Cummings Printing in Hooksett, New Hampshire, the 20-page full-color newspaper is published eight times each school year and distributed to students, faculty, local businesses and parents.

The publication transitioned from a newspaper to a magazine format during the 2009-2010 school year under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Chris Allen and Assistant Editors Chris Pope and Nick Ferreri. The first issue of the magazine was released on the first day of the school year. It then returned to a newspaper setting in the winter of 2011.

The magazine is produced by students who research, write, and design each issue. A variety of topics are covered in each issue, ranging from news and politics to sports and entertainment. Since 1986, the group has been advised by Rob Schneider, an English teacher at Exeter High School. As of 2015, librarian Kathy Vetter is running the Talon.

In 2010, The Talon was recognized as the best high school magazine in New England by the New England Scholastic Press Association (for schools with over 1,000 students).

In the summer of 2014, The Talon switched to an on-line platform.

References

External links

• Exeter High School official website
• SAU 16 website