Hershey High School (Pennsylvania)

Hershey High School
Location
550 Homestead Road, PO Box 898 Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Information
School type	Public High School Public
Established	1924
School district	Derry Township, Dauphin County
Superintendent	Joseph McFarland
Rector	Brian Passuello
Principal	Dr. Dale Reimann
Vice principal	Peter Ebert
Faculty	74
Grades	9 to 12
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	1,142
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
Campus size	201,000 square feet (18,700 m2)
School colour(s)	Blue and Orange
Athletics	Varsity and JV basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, field hockey, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, lacrosse, softball, track and field, tennis, snowboarding, volleyball, wrestling, ice hockey
Mascot	Trojan
Rival	Lower Dauphin High School, Milton Hershey School and Palmyra Area High School
Newspaper	The Broadcaster

Hershey High School is one of four buildings which comprise the campus of the Derry Township School District in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In 1996, the school was nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for its academic excellence.^[1]

Philosophy

Hershey High School's philosophy is as follows:^[2]

Fostering success in an ever-changing global society is the driving force behind Hershey High School’s program of studies. High school offerings are dynamic and continuously evolving to encourage the development of life-long learning skills. Classroom instruction and the many alternative programs available, such as work and independent studies, internship opportunities, and concurrent enrollment in a college or university, are designed to accommodate learners with divergent goals, capabilities, and interests. While the cultivation of individual proficiencies and needs is accentuated, several additional goals are prevalent including enabling students to effectively communicate, to apply everyday mathematical skills to real life problems, and to employ prudent analytical and critical thinking skills, all contributing to a rich and rewarding high school career.

Curriculum

The curriculum at Hershey High School is dynamic and changes frequently. There is an English Department which includes courses in journalism, speech, composition (language), literature, and other concepts of the English language. The Mathematics Department offers courses in geometry, algebra, trigonometry, precalculus and calculus (and advanced calculus), finance, statistics, and computer science. The Social Studies department has courses in American and world history as well as courses which focus on aspects of society such as law and money. The Science Department offers classes in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and biotechnology. There are elective courses offered in foreign languages, music, drama, engineering and AutoCAD, accounting and business, and computers. Health courses include physical education, strength and conditioning, health, and driver's education.

Graduation project

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.^[3]

Graduation rate

The school's graduation rate is 85.2% ^[4]

Academic achievement

In 2011 and 2010 the school achieved AYP status.^[5]

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

• 2011 - 88% on grade level, (3% below basic). 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[6]
• 2010 - 76%, State - 66% ^[7]
• 2009 - 75%, State - 65% ^[8]
• 2008 - 85%, State - 65% ^[9]
• 2007 - 85%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math:

• 2011 - 81%, on grade level (5% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2010 - 71%, State - 59% ^[10]
• 2009 - 75%, State - 56%
• 2008 - 82%, State - 56%
• 2007 - 75%, State - 53% ^[11]

11th Grade Science:

• 2011 - 72% on grade level (3% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2010 - 61%, State - 39%
• 2009 - 57%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 65%, State - 39%^[12]

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 31% of Derry Township School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges.^[13] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years.^[14] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

Dual enrollment

The high school offers a Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.^[15] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[16]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $1,628 for the program.

Extracurricular activities

Hershey High School has a drama program which produces a large musical each year, in addition to smaller productions throughout the year. The 2004 musical was The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. In 2005 the High School performed Les Misérables. In March 2006, Hershey High became the first high school to perform Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 2007, the musical was Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. In 2008, the school put on Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. In 2009, Rodger and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music was performed. The past three years and in years before the musical has been highly successful, consistently selling out. Their most recent productions are Aida, Seussical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Damn Yankees for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively. The pit orchestra for Hershey's musicals has won the Hershey Theater Apollo Award for Best Student Orchestra in four of the last six years.

There are a number of clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, Youth and Government, Young Democrats, Young Republicans, C.A.L.L., Student World Action Committee, and other organizations available for students. A student-produced newspaper, the nationally-accredited "Broadcaster", is distributed throughout the year. A literary magazine, "Nexus", is also produced with works by students.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in all the extracurricular programs offered by the district, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.^[17]

Athletics

Hershey High has football, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, powerlifting, field hockey, boys and girls golf, boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, track, cross country, swimming and diving,boys and girls lacrosse,boys and girls tennis, and a hockey team. Hershey High is a member of the Mid-Penn Conference of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, or PIAA. It is a AAA school. Hershey High has a marching band, cheerleading squad, and pep band,which support athletics throughout the year.

Swimming and Diving

Hershey High School has a strong swimming tradition. In the 2009-2010 season the men's team went 13-0 in their duel meets and moved on to win both their district championship meet and the PIAA State championship. At the state meet David Nolan set a national age group record for high school boys going a time of 1:43.43 in the 200 yard IM, as well as setting the state record in the 100 yard freestyle. The medley relay consisting of David Nolan, Kyle Ruddle, Sean Grier, and Jeffery Young set the national age group record with a time of 1:30.27. They earned 7 gold medals out of a possible 12 and had 17 swimmers qualify and participate at the meet. Hershey also set the record for the highest points ever scored at a PIAA state meet with 416. The Hershey High School boys' swim team was the top-ranked boys' public high school team in the United States in 2010 according to Swimming World Magazine.^[18][19]

For the 2010-2011 season, both the Hershey men's and women's high school swimming and diving teams remained undefeated, winning the Commonwealth division 13-0 each, the Mid-Penn conference meet (seven combined meet records for swimming and one for diving) and the District III meet (seven first place and three district records for women; nine first place and five records for the men).

At the 2011 PIAA state championship meet, the women's 400 yard freestyle relay team of Sam Surfus, Meaghan Raab, Yurie Nakano, and Katelyn Miller (in order of the swims) set the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) public school record (3:22.85). The men's 200 yard freestyle relay team of David Nolan, Ben Bauchwitz, Shota Nakano, and Jeff Young, set the NFHS and NISCA national records (1:21.01) as the fastest high school team to that time in any class, public or independent. The men's 400 yard freestyle relay team of David Nolan, Shota Nakano, Philip Mancuso, and Ben Bauchwitz, also set the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) public school record (3:00.71). As the lead-off swimmer in the 400 yard freestyle relay, senior David Nolan set the individual 100 yard national freestyle record (42.34). Nolan also set two other individual national records during the state meet: 45.49 in the 100 yard backstroke, and 1:41.39 in the 200 yard IM.

Both the men's and women's swim teams won their 2011 state meets, with nine first place finishes and eight state records combined (including the national records). The women's team accumulated a state record 269.5 points. By the end of the season, the men's team had produced ten NISCA All-America swimmers and one diver, and the women's team seven All-America swimmers, for a total of 56 event honors. In addition, four swimmers were also named Academic All-America. Swimming World magazine chose the Hershey High School men's swim team as the best in the nation in 2011 (Swimming World magazine, September 2011, 52(9):14). Greg Fastrich has been the head coach of the men's and women's swim teams since 1997. John Ricci has been the diving coach.

Previous results:
2008:
Mid-Penn Conference AA Champions - Boys^[20]
Mid-Penn Conference AAA Champions - Girls^[21]
District III AA Champions - Boys^[22]
2nd Place, District III AA - Girls^[23]

2007:
2nd Place, Mid-Penn Conference AA - Boys^[24]
2nd Place, Mid-Penn Conference AAA - Girls^[25]
3rd Place, District III AA - Boys^[26]
2nd Place, District III AAA - Girls^[27]

2006:
Mid-Penn Conference AA Co-Champions - Boys^[28]
Mid-Penn Conference AA Champions - Girls^[28]
2nd Place, District III AA - Boys^[29]
District III AA Champions - Girls^[29]
PIAA AA Champions - Girls^[30]

2005:
Mid-Penn Conference AA Champions - Boys^[31]
Mid-Penn Conference AA Champions - Girls^[31]
PIAA AA Champions - Boys^[32]
PIAA AA Champions - Girls^[30]

2004:
Mid-Penn Conference AA Champions - Boys^[33]
Mid-Penn Conference AAA Champions - Girls^[34]
PIAA AA Champions - Boys^[32]

2003:
PIAA AA Champions - Boys^[32]

1995:
PIAA AA Champions - Girls^[30]

School symbols

• Hershey High's school colors are blue and orange. The mascot is the Trojan, and on November 16, 2007, a costumed mascot made its debut. Hershey's principal rivals are the Lower Dauphin Schools. They also have minor rivalries with the Milton Hershey School, and Palmyra Schools, all of which are in the vicinity of Hershey.

• Every year, Hershey plays a football game against the Milton Hershey School, which is called the "Cocoa Bean Game". This, along with homecoming, is generally the best-attended game each year.

• The fight song is "Onward Trojans", which is sung to the tune of "On, Wisconsin." The lyrics are as follows:

Onward Trojans, onward Trojans,
To the Victory!
Hershey High School is the best school,
Show your loyalty, RAH RAH RAH!
Onward Trojans, onward Trojans,
Live up to your name.
Fight, Trojans fight and we will win this game!

• Hershey High's Alma Mater is as follows:

Let us tune our hearts and voices
Every care defy,
Let us sing with one accord, our praise to Hershey High.
Lift the chorus, speed it onward, over hill and dale,
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Hershey High, all hail!

Graduation

Hershey High School seniors graduate at Founders Hall, a building on the campus of the nearby Milton Hershey School. Its largest graduating class thus far graduated in 2009.

Notable alumni

Jules Jordan, Male film director and actor born Ashley Gasper, is a Hershey High School graduate, class of 1992.

Michael Horrocks, the co-pilot (first officer) of United Airlines flight 175, which struck Tower 2 of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM on September 11, 2001, was a graduate of Hershey High School.

Mark Malkoff, Class of 1994, is a comedian and writer. He gained fame when he made videos detailing his attempt to visit all 171 Starbucks franchises in Manhattan in a single day during the summer of 2007, again when he moved into an IKEA store in Paramus, New Jersey for a week as his apartment was fumigated and for his latest project, in June 2009, Malkoff lived on an AirTran jet for 30 days in order to conquer his fear of flying. Malkoff has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Inside Edition, and ABC World News Tonight.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, an actress known for playing Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical on Broadway. She was nominated for a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Cirle Award for her performance.

Gavin Ferguson, Class of 1998, is a Morning Radio host. He started on WHKF (99.3 Kiss FM) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on a show called The Morning Mess with Jason, Kelly & Gavin. That show was moved to Sacramento, California to become The Wake Up Call with Jason, Kelly & Gavin in May '07 on KDND (107.9 The End). Kelly left the show in April '10 to become a full-time mother. Gavin is also a movie critic in the Sacramento area creating "Gavin Grades the Movies."

Former National Football League players Scott Campbell, Chris Villarrial, and Jay Taylor are Hershey High School graduates.

Michelle Wolf, comedian and writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, graduated from Hershey High School in 2003. She was named to Complex Magazine's 50 Funniest Comedians on Twitter in 2013.^[35]

Kellen Kulbacki is a left fielder in the San Diego Padres organization. Kulbacki was colliegate player of the year in 2006 and was the 40th overall draft pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.

Joe Gunkel is a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. Gunkel graduated from Hershey High School in 2010 and attended West Chester University where he was named MVP for the DII National Championship in 2012. In 2013, Gunkel was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 533rd overall pick (18th round) in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.

History

The Philadelphia Phillies held their spring training in Hershey, Pennsylvania prior to the 1943 season. They opened camp on March 18, 1943 with batting practice on the baseball field at Hershey High School.^[36]

Towson football tight end John Godlasky, and member of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, was a graduate of Hershey High School class of 2005.

References

External links

• Hershey High School

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Schools Main School Districts Central Dauphin Central Dauphin High School Central Dauphin East High School Derry Township Hershey High School Halifax Area Halifax Area High School Halifax Area Middle School Harrisburg Harrisburg High School Harrisburg University of Science and Technology High School Lower Dauphin Lower Dauphin High School Middletown Area Middletown Area High School Millersburg Millersburg Area High School Steelton-Highspire Steelton-Highspire High School Susquehanna Township Susquehanna Township High School Upper Dauphin Upper Dauphin Area High School Other Schools Charter schools Capital Area School for the Arts Infinity Charter School Pennsylvania Distance and Electronic Learning Charter School Premier Arts and Science Charter School Sylvan Heights Science Charter School Private schools Berrysburg Christian Academy Covenant Christian Academy Emmanuel Wesleyan Academy Harrisburg Christian School Middletown Christian School Milton Hershey School Wordsworth Academy Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt High School Susquenita School District (partially located in Perry County) Susquenita High School Williams Valley School District (partially located in Schuylkill County) Williams Valley Junior/Senior High School

Coordinates: 40°16′36″N 76°38′28″W / 40.2767°N 76.6411°W / 40.2767; -76.6411