Concord-Carlisle High School

Concord-Carlisle Regional High School (CCHS) is a public high school located in Concord, Massachusetts, USA, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Boston. The school serves grades 9–12, and as part of the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District, has students from both Concord and Carlisle, Massachusetts. The school also has a notable portion of minority students from Boston (particularly Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan) enrolled as part of the METCO program. Concord-Carlisle Regional High School is widely regarded as one of the top public high schools in the state, with the September 2009 issue of Boston magazine rating it the number one public high school in cost efficiency and third in academic performance in eastern Massachusetts.^[2]

Academics

Class subjects include the normal core subjects of English, mathematics, science and social studies, but a number of elective studies are offered as well, including programming, music and photography.

In social studies or English, a broad course selection is offered. CCHS chooses not to offer AP classes in the humanities in order to allow for a more flexible curriculum, but students may choose to take the AP tests. For students' freshman and sophomore years, they are required to take world cultures and US history respectively, neither of which are levelled classes. The English department offers classes on topics such as rhetoric and debate, American literature, British literature, contemporary literature, world literature and black literature. The social studies department curriculum includes classes on ancient Greece, ancient Rome and 20th century United States history, as well as psychology, economics, sociology, world religions and Russian history.

Foreign languages offered are French, Spanish, Latin and Chinese.

Educational experiences and trips to other countries include one to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2008, two to Prague in the Czech Republic, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria in 2001 and 2005, a trip which explored the entire length of Italy from north to south in 2003, and a trip to Spain in 2004, staying in Madrid and Málaga. In 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014 there were trips to Quito, Ecuador. In 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010 there were trips to Hokkaido, Japan, for the Concert Band and the Sci Fi club. There have been trips to China, East Timor and Estonia.

A staple of recognition, the school's old campus had a one-of-a-kind attribute – a giant 30-foot (9.1 m) high purple crayon covering an exhaust pipe in the middle of the courtyard. Later, a double-rainbow sculpture was added in the memorial of Richard Koch.

Extracurriculars

Extracurricular activities are strongly encouraged. CCHS has over 42 after-school activities that do not include sports. Many of the activities have been created and maintained by the students for many years. The school supports a political journal (The Third Wing), moot court, Spectrum: Gay/Straight Alliance, Dance Club, The Voice (newspaper), Reflections (a literature and art review) and high school radio station (WIQH 88.3 FM), among others. Concord-Carlisle also hosts local chapters of Model United Nations, Amnesty International, Academic Bowl and a Math Team.^[3]

Arts

Musical arts are very prominent and respected extracurricular activities at CCHS. The music department currently supports a Concert Band, Repertory Band, orchestra, chorus and numerous jazz ensembles. Several groups from the theatre department were selected to perform in Europe during the 2007–2008 school year.

In 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2010 the Concert Band, led by Alfred Dentino, traveled to Japan in celebration of their national recognition for achievement and played with the Sapporo Shiroishi High School wind ensemble, which is currently ranked as the second best high school band in Japan. The joint concert by these two bands took place in Sapporo at the world-renowned Sapporo Concert Hall. Additionally, the CCHS Concert Band has won a gold medal at the annual Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association invitational for the past 19 consecutive years, earning the chance to perform at Tanglewood, Boston's Symphony Hall and Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts numerous times.

In April 2008, the Orchestra and Chorus traveled to Walt Disney World to perform in Festival Disney. Competing separately, this was the Orchestra's first trip with Scott Knopf as conductor. The orchestra received an "Excellent" rating, the highest ranking given at the competition.

CCHS is also known for presenting very high caliber theatrical performances. In winter 2011, over 120 students participated in a musical production of The Producers. Other shows performed at Concord-Carlisle include, A Little Night Music, West Side Story and Falsettos. In early 2013, the theatre department performed A Chorus Line, and was recognized with nominations from the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild for outstanding production and performance in three separate categories. A production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance the following year received five nominations, winning one. In April 2014, an adaptation of the play Nation, based on the novel by Terry Pratchett, was selected to represent Massachusetts at the New England High School Drama Festival in St. Johnsbury Vermont.

Athletics

CCHS supports all of the 33 available sports teams organized by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The fall sports include soccer, girls' field hockey, girls' volleyball, cross country, boys' American Football and boys' golf. Winter sports are fencing, basketball, indoor track and field, ice hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, swimming, diving and wrestling. The spring sports are baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, outdoor track and field, boys' volleyball and gymnastics. Concord Carlisle has made its cheerleading team a sport with fall (American football) and winter (basketball) cheerleading. They compete in competitions and support the school's teams.

Fencing

Concord-Carlisle's fencing team was the first in the state of Massachusetts at a high school level.^[4] This winter sport has men's and women's teams, with JV and Varsity levels. One of the coaches, Ariana Klinkov, is the world's highest rated female sabre referee, and the first female three-weapon referee in the world.^[5] CCHS's fencing team has produced two individual Olympic Champions,^[6] and numerous individual state champions.

Swim and dive team

One of the largest sports team at this school, there are members every year who make it to the Sectionals and State meets. The team is split between swimming and diving with their practice facility right opposite the school at the Beede Center, a private pool operated by the Town of Concord Recreation Department. The team is mixed sex. The dive team competes in most meets, competing by sex, not age. Jerry Moss is the swim coach and the dive coach is Tracey Bird.

The diving team has produced several individual state champions. 2011 graduate Sloane Brazina was a three-time Div. 1 individual state champion and three-time All-American. She dives for Stanford University.^[7] 2012 graduate Sean O'Brien was a three-time individual state champion and set Massachusetts state records while at CCHS.^[8] 2015 graduate O'Brien's younger sister Meghan is a four-time Div. 1 individual state champion who now dives for the Texas Longhorns. Between Brazina, the younger O'Brien, and freshman Livy Poulin^[9] who in 2016 won an individual state champion, CCHS had the best female diver in the state for eight years running.

Ski team

Nationally recognized in 1998 as a top ski school,^[10] the CCHS ski team has the best record in the state since its origin. The team competes at a local ski area in both slalom and giant slalom races. Dr. Bob Furey, head ski coach since 1972, was awarded the National Coaches Association Ski Coach of the Year Award in the early 1990s with assistance from 1988 Men's Olympic Biathlon coach Duane "Dusty" Johnstone. Johnstone retired in 2007. In 2007, he was awarded a Boston Globe All-Scholastic Coach of the Year.^[11]

The ski team is the leading ski team in eastern Massachusetts with respect to league championships, undefeated seasons and sportsmanship awards.

Nordic ski team

The 2016 Nordic state team

The Nordic ski team won the Mass Bay West Divisional title for both the girls' varsity and boys' varsity team. The team also did well in state competitions: the girls' team secured second place and the boys' team had a close third-place finish. Outstanding skier Tyler Lee lead the league and was first in the division. Lee was also selected for the 2016 Boys' Scholastic Team by the Boston Globe. Coach Jeff Campbell also was named to the 2016 Coaches of the year Scholastic Team by the Boston Globe for coaching the girls' varsity team to a first-place finish.^[12]

American football

The CCHS American football team has a long history with significant success recently. The Patriots made it to the 2010 MIAA Eastern Mass Div. 2A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium before losing to Duxbury High School. It was the team's first Super Bowl place since 1978. On December 3, 2011, the Patriots football team returned to Gillette Stadium and beat Oliver Ames High School by a score 42–9, to finish the season undefeated at 13–0, as the MIAA Eastern Mass Div. 3 Super Bowl Champions.

In 1978, the year of their first Super Bowl title, the Patriots' head coach was Al Robichaud, who was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Robichaud was CCHS's head coach from 1972 to 1990 and coached CCHS to three Dual County League titles and one Super Bowl title.^[13]

In 2011, the year of their second Super Bowl title, the Patriots' head coach was one of Robichaud's sons, Mike, who in his six years as the head coach at CCHS has won four Dual County League titles, advanced to two Super Bowl games, and was named the 2010 Boston Globe Division 2A Coach of the Year. His all-time record at CCHS stands at 52-16.^[14]

On February 26, 2012, running back George Craan committed to Boston College, becoming the first CCHS player to earn a scholarship there since 1987. Craan finished his senior season at CCHS with 24 touchdowns and 1,800 rushing yards.^[15]

Soccer

The CCHS boys' soccer team is also consistently highly ranked, not just in the state, but nationally. In 2010, CCHS was ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in New England by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The team also won its second straight state championship and its third in five years.

In 2014, the CCHS boys' team finished with a record of 20-0-1 and won the school's fourth state championship. The team was ranked No. 1 in Massachusetts by ESPN Boston and No. 8 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The team conceded only eight goals all season and posted the school's first no-loss record.

The team has been coached by CCHS alumnus Ray Pavlik since 2002. Pavlik has been the coach for all four of the team's state title runs (2006, 2009, 2010, 2014).^[16]

Golf

In 2013, the golf team captured the second state title in program history (the first in 2008), winning the Division 2 state championship by 12 shots. The program has placed in the top four in the state five of the last six years, including a third-place finish in 2011. The program has won Dual County League Small Division titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Ryan Harris (2012) (University of Akron), Andrew Wester (2012) (University of Rhode Island) and Karolyne Shieh (2013) (Florida Institute of Technology) all played NCAA college golf.

Track and field

In 2016, the boy's indoor track and field team won the MIAA All State Meet and exceptional senior athlete Thomas Ratcliffe set a state record in the 1 mile run; 4:06.92. He went on to smash that record several months later at the Adrian Martinez Classic, a meet that CCHS hosts for professional and semi professional athletes to fund the Adrian Martinez scholarship and the school's cross country and track and field programs. At this meet, Ratcliffe ran a 4:01.5 1 mile, his personal best. Ratcliffe's senior class was filled with exceptional track and field and cross country athletes, notably Lior Selve, Meg Wilson, Eli Decker and Cole Winstanley.

Notable alumni

• Chester G. Atkins, former Congressman from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district^[17]
• Bob Diamond, chief executive officer of Barclays
• Will Eno, American playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist
• Richard Fadden, CSIS Director
• Kristin Hedstrom, USA rowing national team member and London 2012 Olympian
• Sam Presti, general manager of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder^[18]
• Ted Sarandis, sports radio personality
• John Tortorella, former head coach of NHL's New York Rangers

New school building project

Concord Carlisle High School moved to a brand new, eco-friendly building in mid-April of 2015, after almost 18 years of planning.^[19] The old school was built in the 1960s and 1970s, with a one-level "California Layout" that was unsuitable for Massachusetts weather and conditions. Initial approval for the building of the school was granted by the towns of Concord and Carlisle in 2011. The school took around 4 years to build, and is situated directly behind where the former CCHS building once stood. The entire project cost $93 million dollars.

Interesting features of the new school include a 600 seat auditorium, a black box theater, 2 attached gyms, a 'media wall' consisting of 24 flat-screen televisions in the cafeteria - which lists water usage and air quality facts about the building in real time. The new building also includes many updated safety features that the old building lacked, including fewer exits and entrances, and automated doors with security cameras and alarms.^[20]

References

^[19]

External links

• Concord-Carlisle High School website
• District website
• Alumni website
• Graffiti Incident
• 9/11 Pledge Incident

Coordinates: 42°26′54.29″N 71°20′50.81″W / 42.4484139°N 71.3474472°W / 42.4484139; -71.3474472