Connersville High School

Connersville High School
Location
100 Spartan Drive Connersville, Indiana, Fayette County, 47331 USA
Coordinates	39°38′11″N 85°09′39″W / 39.636329°N 85.160944°W / 39.636329; -85.160944Coordinates: 39°38′11″N 85°09′39″W / 39.636329°N 85.160944°W / 39.636329; -85.160944
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1875
School district	Fayette County School Corporation
Principal	Randal Judd
Faculty	62
Grades	9-12
Number of students	1,101
Color(s)
Athletics conference	Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference
Mascot	Spartans
Website	Official Website

Connersville High School is the only high school in Fayette County, Indiana. Connersville High School is located in Connersville, Indiana.

Sundial in Connersville High School courtyard

Connersville High School Courtyard

The bell is a popular landmark at the entrance to the campus.

Jackson building houses the main office, classrooms, and the Media Center on the second floor.

Administration

Administrative Staff:

• Principal: Mr. Randal Judd
• Assistant Principal: Mr. Scott West
• Assistant Principal:

Guidance Staff:

• Coordinator: Ms. Jaime Hamm
• Counselor: Mr. Jeremy Corn
• Counselor: Mrs. Ann Shannon

Teaching Staff: 72% have at least a Master’s Degree. The faculty averages 17.6 years of experience.

Data

Enrollment in 2012-13: 1063

Male: 558, Female: 505

School Year: 185 days, 2 semesters

Accreditations: AdvancEd

Minimum graduation requirements:

• English – 8 semesters
• Science- 6 semesters
• Government- 1 semester
• Physical Education- 2 semesters
• Geography or World History-2 semesters
• Math- 6 semesters
• US History- 2 semesters
• Econ/ App. Econ- 1 semester
• Health- 1 semester

Total number of credits needed to graduate: 69.

History

Connersville High School was the first (and remains the only) consolidated high school in the county, opening in fall of 1875, in the building that later became Connersville Junior High School North, in Connersville. The first graduating class was in 1878, nine persons. The high school was later moved to a building further north in the 1960's, and still later to a campus in west Connersville where it resides today. The new High School has had the same buildings and open concept since the day it opened. Each of the buildings is named after one of the townships in Fayette County. Connersville High School had the first public school marching band in the United States.^[1] Rushville gave Connersville the name Ikmiks, but that was an unofficial nickname, and in 1924 Connersville officially changed the name to the Spartans.^[2]

In 1969, Connersville High School/Vocational School opened its doors nearby on Ranch Road.

Curriculum

Connersville High school offers a wide variety of curriculum and diploma choices. There are 3 different diplomas currently offered: Academic Honors diploma, Technical Honors diploma, and the Core 40 diploma. Each diploma has a wide variety of requirements to receive the diploma of your choice. The Academic diploma requires 3 years of a foreign language while the technical honor diploma has an internship requirement and the Core 40 diploma just has the basic classes needed to get your High school diploma. The different types of diplomas can affect your chances of getting more scholarships and getting into various colleges.^[3]

Typical School Day

In this school we hold to a block seven schedule, with periods that last around an average of fifty minutes each, and a period of SRT (on days Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). SRT lasts thirty minutes in the student’s third period classroom. This Student Resource Time is meant for reading, homework, and if the teacher permits, talking to other students quietly. But this time can be used to go to another room to get help from other teachers, and or for club activities. With a moderately sized campus, the students have five minutes to roam to their lockers if they need to, and to get to their next class. During this passing period there is a minute bell, which indicates that all students have one final minute to get within their next period class. The lunch session of the day is separated within the fourth period class. There are three lunches: A (first), B (split), and C (last). Lunches last around thirty minutes each. If you have A lunch, after SRT students will go straight to the cafeteria. Once lunch is over, you will head to your fourth period class. As the bell ending the first lunch session chimes, the split lunch has then started, and so on.

On Wednesdays, however, things are set up differently. On Wednesdays, there is a shortened schedule. As students would normally be out of school at 3:40pm, on Wednesdays students would be out at 2:55pm. There is no SRT on this day, and classes are only an average of forty-five minutes. Lunch runs the same way on this day; but, rather than leaving after SRT, the students would leave to their next destination right after their third period.^[4]

Food Service

The Cafeteria Building was built in 1969 and the food changed over the time. When it first opened there was only one choice of food each day. Today the Cafeteria requires a fruit or a vegetable with every meal. They also want the students to take a protein, grain, or milk to make their meal complete. There are three lunches and it depends on the location of the fourth period teacher which lunch the students are in. The company Chartwells takes care of the food that is served in the CHS cafeteria. Chartwells serve over 2.5 million students throughout the country.^[5] They order their food from a lot of different distributors and the deliveries come many times a week. One lunch is $2.10 and 56% of the students get a reduced or free lunch. Other than lunch, Chartwells offer a breakfast in the morning in the cafeteria and a food truck that helps families with financial problems in the summer by bringing them food. In the summer of 2012 Chartwells helped 300 families in Connersville.^[6]

Band, the Marching Spartans

Connersville High School is home to the nation’s first public school band. The band was founded by W. Otto Miessner in 1906. The band performed in front of the Indiana Teachers Association. And the band was written about in the School Music magazine which was the most popular publication for music teachers around the country.

The RICHER Program

Connersville High School rewards students for good behavior. CHS's reward program is called R.I.C.H.E.R. It stands for respect, integrity, caring, harmony, excellence, and responsibility.^[7] If the students show these things, they will receive a R.I.C.H.E.R ticket from a staff member. With a ticket you can get a snack or turn it in for a chance to win a prize. The school financially supports the programs. By rewarding the students there has been a decrease in the write ups.^[8]

Clubs and Programs

Connersville High School offers students several clubs. Students join clubs because they "like to express themselves and show that they too want to be part of the community" said a Connersville Spartan student.^[9] Students join clubs because they find people that have common interests. The freshman success coach said that she "enjoys being the sponsor of the 2014 class." She helps the class of 2014 by planning fundraisers for prom and other fun activities. She enjoys her job because she gets to see students happy and joyful instead of upset and depressed.^[10] Connersville Senior High School has many after school activities, such as BPA (Business Professionals of America), CHS Theatre, Class Councils, EIAL (Eastern Indiana Academic League), FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), FFA, French Club, Guitar Club, H.E.L.P. the Animals, Japanese Club, Key Club, Magic Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Spartan Speakers, Spartan Writers Club, Star Wars Club, Hula Hoop Club, Student Council, and Student Government.^[11]

• The Business Professionals of America program prepares students for careers in business and entrepreneurship.
• CHS Theatre allows students to experience showing creativity while exploring theatre production.
• Class Council consists of self nominated students that interview sponsors so the school may experience social and service events.
• EIAL is an organization that consists of six student teams that compete in the basic studies (English, Fine Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Interdisciplinary rounds).
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a group for Christian athletes and non athletes to have a religious atmosphere.
• National FFA Organization is an agricultural group that provides leadership, personal growth, and career success.
• French Club is a club that helps fellow students learn about the French culture and language through fun games, field trips, and holiday celebrations. Société Honoraire de Français, or French Honor Society, is for those who meet high requirements and are willing to participate in volunteer service to the community.
• Guitar Club is for students that like to play or would like to learn how to play guitar.
• H.E.L.P. the Animals is an organization for students that love and would like to help save animals.
• Japanese Club is for students that would like to learn about the Japanese activities.
• Key Club shows the opportunity for service leadership organization sponsored jointly by local Kiwanis Club and CHS.
• Magic Club for fellow students that are interested in the rational, logical side of Magic the gathering.
• National Honor Society a program for the more advanced students that meet the criteria, so they can learn about leadership and services.
• Spanish Club is open to students who are interested in the Spanish culture.
• Spartan Speakers is an option for students to speak in the public and compete in various styles of verbal expression.
• Spartan Writers Club is for students interested in creative writing.
• Star Wars Club is for those interested in Star Wars or anything extraterrestrial.
• Student Council involves all class council members so they can decide what events should be done during the school year.
• Student Government is an organization that involves a student from each 3rd period; they discuss issues such as study groups, research, propose, and serve to improve the school and community.
• Hula Hoop Club is a club that focuses on teaching students how to trick hula hoop and hoop dance.

FFA

This FFA logo is painted on the wall of the Ag classroom.

Our National FFA Organization chapter has 238 active AET students’ accounts and 2 teachers who participate in the program. The FFA helps students develop their potential for premium leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education. The students participate in an annual conference. At the conference the students teach others about the farming they have learned and win awards for how well they do. The chapter helps the school and community by raising money. The also teamed up with Key Club to bring Willie from Duck Dynasty to Connersville.

Scholarships

Connersville High School and the community are very helpful towards the high school seniors each year. At least one hundred seniors receive scholarships each year. There are 105 local scholarships here in town that help. The amount of all scholarships each year is close to $90,000. The first Lilly scholarship given here was back in 1998 at our Connersville High School. The Lilly scholarship is sponsored by the Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis organization to promote the welfare of others in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family- J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons J.K. Jr and Eli.

Athletics

The sports team mascot is the Spartan.
CHS entered the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference (EIAC) in the 2013-2014 season. The conference consists of the following teams: Connersville, Franklin County, East Central, Batesville, Greensburg, South Dearborn, Lawrenceburg, and Rushville.

Baseball

CHS started offering a baseball program in the 1930s. The Spartan hurlers have won 15 sectional championships, 7 conference championships, and 6 Regional championships. The best record noted was 30-2 at the Varsity level. CHS has a Varsity, JV, and a freshmen team. The current coach for the Connersville Spartan Varsity baseball team is Scott Sargent and he has been the coach for 7 years.

Basketball

CHS started offering a basketball program in the 1930s. CHS competes in the 4A class. The Spartan Bowl (School's Gym) is ranked among the top 25 largest gymnasiums in the state of Indiana. The Spartan Bowl announced its opening and first game was played on November 8, 1958. The team's best record at the Varsity level was the 1983 season (26-2). The current head coach at the Varsity level is Kerry Brown and he has been coaching here for 4 years. The boys' basketball team won the state championship in 1972, and Phil Cox was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball that year.^[12] They also won in 1983.^[13] In 1999 April McDivitt was named Indiana Miss Basketball.^[14]

Cross Country

The Connersville Girls Cross Country team won sectionals in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, and 2013. For 4 years, the CHS girls cross country team held the sectional title. Boys Cross Country won sectionals in the years of 1981, 1982, and 1996. The boys later won regionals in 1981.

Gymnastics

Banners celebrating three state championships in gymnastics.

Our gymnastics teams have been very successful over the years. They have won 15 sectional championships, 5 regional championships, and 3 state titles. The last sectional the gymnastic team won was back in 2000.

Sectional Championships 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013

Regional Championships: 1979, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989

State Titles: 1987,^[15] 1988,^[16] and 1989.^[17]

Swimming

Girl’s swimming teams have won nine sectional championships. The most recent sectional that the girl’s swimming won was in 2013.

Sectional Championships: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2011, 2013

Track

Banner celebrating Girls Track victories.

The Connersville High School girls track team has been successful winning sectionals in 1989, 1992, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2013. The boys track team hasn’t been as successful. They won sectionals in 1990 and 2013.

Notable Alumni

• Robert Wise – A Hollywood director and producer who graduated from CHS in 1932, and the CHS auditorium, "Robert E. Wise Center for Performing Arts" was named in his honor.
• Phil Cox – 1972 Indiana Mr. Basketball, who lead the CHS boy’s basketball team to the school’s first state basketball championship title, and graduated from CHS in 1972.^[18]
• Betsy Ross - 1968 graduate, ESPN SportsCenter and ESPNews anchor, author of "Playing Ball With the Boys."
• Greg Stotelmyer – Known as the “Voice of the Colonels” for the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team, won three Emmy awards, and graduated from CHS in 1974.
• Scott Halberstadt – Known for being a television actor, playing in several Nickelodeon shows, graduated from CHS in 1994.
• April McDivitt – 1999 Indiana Miss Basketball, played college basketball for Tennessee and University of California at Santa Barbara, and graduated from CHS in 1999.^[19]
• Matt Howard – Basketball player. Graduated in 2007; played four seasons at Butler University, ending with two appearances in the NCAA championship game. Has since played for professional teams in Greece, France, and now Germany.

See Also

• List of high schools in Indiana

References

External Links

• Official website