Needham High School
| Needham High School | |
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| File:Needhamhighschoollogo.gif | |
| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1938 |
| Principal | Paul Richards |
| Faculty | 90 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | 1432 (06-07) [1] |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Rockets |
| Newspaper | The Hilltopper |
| Yearbook | The Advocate |
| Website | Needham High School |
Needham High School is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, educating grades 9 through 12. Its current principal is Mr. Paul Richards. Its two assistant principals are Ms. Tamatha Bibbo and Dr. Leo Hogan. As of 2006, it has over 1440 students and over 90 part-time and full-time instructional staff members, plus many additional support staff employees. Needham High School was awarded a national Silver Medal by US News & World Report for its academic excellence.[2]
History and current state
Needham High School is situated on a hill overlooking Memorial Park, and is located at approximately the geographical center of town. The original building (now A Building) was dedicated in 1930. As a result of the town's rapid growth following World War II, additions were opened in 1955 (B and C Buildings) and in 1967 (D and E Buildings). The newer additions have been recently demolished due to extensive renovation of the school. A new wing was open in the fall of 2006 and another new wing is currently under construction and will be open in the fall of 2007.[1] The renovated high school offers state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, new computer equipment, and Smart Boards throughout the school, which help to provide a learning environment that extensively supplemented by technology.
Needham High School is an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The reaccreditation report issued in 1998 states, "Needham High School is an excellent school. Through student achievements and a positive environment for learning, Needham High School has consistently demonstrated outstanding and rigorous achievement. The dedicated highly able, and talented faculty and staff ensure that the needs of students are met in ways that exceed the expectations of the community. Needham High School is a source of pride to the community largely due to its rich history of accomplishment from previous and current students and to its large record of achievement."[1]
Governing bodies
- Students: Student Council
- Teachers: Advisory Board
- Legislative: School Council
- District Wide: School Committee
- Class Officers
- Senior Class
- Junior Class
- Sophomore Class
- Freshman Class
Extracurricular activities
Sports
Needham is a town which prides itself on athletics, and students in Needham participate in athletic activities throughout the school year. Needham High School is a member of the Bay State Conference of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and Needham competes with other towns in the state. While Needham works hard to maintain an excellent athletic program, athletic fees are rising rapidly and are now becoming unaffordable for some families. Recently the high school athletic fee increased dramatically to $285 per person per season, causing many town citizens to become very upset.[3]
Fall Sports
- Football (Varsity, JV)
- Boys and Girls Soccer (Varsity, JV)
- Field Hockey (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
- Girls Volleyball (Varsity, JV)
- Girls Swimming (Varsity)
- Cross Country (Varsity, JV)
- Cheerleading (Varsity)
- Golf (Varsity, JV)
- Dance Team (Varsity)
Winter Sports
- Hockey (Varsity, JV)
- Boy's Swimming
- Winter Track
- Downhill Skiing (Varsity, JV)
- Basketball (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
- Cheerleading (Varsity)
- Gymnastics
- Wrestling
- Dance Team (Varsity)
Spring Sports
- Lacrosse (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
- Baseball (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
- Softball (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
- Tennis (Varsity, JV)
- Spring Track
- Boys Volleyball
Club Sports
- Ultimate - Needham High School's Ultimate Team was founded in 2001. It was ranked was 9th in the country in 2004 and 7th in 2007. The team beat Amherst Regional High School March 24th, 2007, ending ARHS' 4 year long win streak dating back to April 2003 and is coached by a former member of the original team and an alumni from the 2004 team, but throughout the fall and pre-spring seasons it is largely student run and directed.
- Rugby (Boys and Girls) - recently formed
Football and Thanksgiving Rivalry
The Needham High School football team is known as the Rockets. The school continues to participate in the oldest public high school rivalry in the nation, between Needham, Massachusetts and Wellesley. The game is played every Thanksgiving and began its tradition in 1882 when Wellesley player Arthur Judson Oldman challenged the Needham team. The game was played at Wellesley's Morton Field and had little in common with modern football. The rivalry has continued uninterrupted since the event, with Wellesley maintaining the slight edge, 58-53-9.
Performing arts
The Needham High School's Performing Arts department has had multiple successes over the past years. The students can partake in the musical, which is more widely recognized, or in a theater arts society. The musical has, over the past few years, become increasingly more popular; in 2006, its production of West Side Story was sold out in the week before the show. It was even said that people were scalping tickets. The theater arts society recently had a change from doing one show per year, directed by an advisor, to a more student-run production group.
Another noteworthy performing arts group at Needham High School is the Dance Team. The Dance Team is in its sixth year of existence, and was only recently recognized as a Varsity Sport as opposed to a Club team. The team performs at football and basketball home games during halftime. The team also participates in multiple competitions each year. One competition that they compete in every year is the BayState Competition. Their biggest competition is the rival Braintree Dance Team. The team also takes trips to compete in other states. In 2003 they came in First place at a National Competition in Orlando, Florida, and got to perform their routine before the Outback Bowl in front of 17,000 people. In 2007 they traveled to New York City for a competition. The team's popularity grows each year, creating more competition to get a spot on the team. Tryouts are held each year in late May/early June for the following year.
Other Clubs and Teams
Needham High School has over thirty extracurricular clubs and activities including a speech and debate team, a mock trial team, an academic bowl team, a model congress team, a business club, a robotics team, and a gay-straight alliance. Needham High School's speech and debate team has consistantly produced winners at both local and national tournaments and competition. Needham High School's extracurricular organizations are coordinated by faculty advisors although they have student-elected officials and are largely run by students.
Curricular Offerings
Foreign languages
Regular classes are offered in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Latin. [4] Additionally, there is a program called INDEX, short for independent exploration, which allows high-ability and highly motivated students to pursue languages or levels which are not offered.
The foreign language program offers beginning courses in all the languages as well as logical continuation sequences from the middle school language programs. French, Spanish, and Mandarin courses extend from introductory levels to Advanced Placement courses. Needham High School students often succeed on National Language Contests.
Science
The science department at Needham High School offers a comprehensive laboratory-based science curriculum. The departmental sequence in science consists of biology in ninth grade, physics in tenth grade, chemistry in eleventh grade, and Advanced Placement and elective courses in the twelfth grade. AP courses are offered in chemistry, biology, and physics. Science elective courses offered at Needham High School include Environmental Science, 20th Century Physics, and Anatomy and Physiology. [4]
Social studies
The social studies department requires students to complete a three year sequence including World History (9th grade), World and American History (10th grade), and an American History course (11th grade). The social studies department also offers a several elective majors, available for junior and senior students. These include Psychology and Sociology, Economics, the World Since 1945, American Legal System, and Chinese Traditions. The department offers two advanced placement courses: AP United States History and AP United States Government. [4]
Mathematics
Standard mathematics classes are offered through AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics, and there is also a separate Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) track through junior year. In addition, Computer Science courses are offered at the introductory and AP levels. [4]
Fine and Performing Arts
Along with elective fine arts courses in architectural design, graphic design, ceramics, photography, production printing, the school offers a four year art sequence for serious students. Additionally, the school offers several courses in the performing arts, such as Orchestra and Chorus. Certain music courses at Needham High Schools, such as Concert Chorale and Jazz Ensemble require an audition and have practices and rehearsals after school; additionally, there is an after-school chorus course for students who are not able to take chorus during the day. The Needham High School Fine and Performing Arts department offers two Advanced Placement courses: AP Music Theory and AP Studio Art Certain courses (particularly the second, third, and fourth-year courses) in the art sequence, as well as the AP Music Theory course, are weighted into a student's GPA. As a graduation requirement, Needham High School requires that students complete the equivalent of two full year art courses. [4]
Community Classroom
As a graduation requirements, students must complete sixty hours of community service or alternatively at least twelve hours of work per week for one semester during the school year. Community service opportunities include volunteer service, internships, and a world of work program which emphasizes work experience.
Associated Programs
METCO Program
Needham is a member of the METCO Program, which allows inner-city Boston students to attend the school.
Notable alumni and teachers
- Eric Johnson, NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints
- Mike Tannenbaum, current NFL New York Jets General Manager
- Bert and John Jacobs, founders of the 'Life is Good' t-shirt company
- Robbie Ftorek, NHL coach, was born and raised in Needham. He attended Needham High School and was considered one of the best high school hockey players in the history of the state.
- Karl Ravech, ESPN Baseball Tonight anchor, was born and raised in Needham and attended Needham High School.
- Sarah Saltzberg, actress/singer, star of Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com, attended Needham High School.
- Sunita Williams graduated from Needham High School in 1983, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, and is currently a NASA astronaut
References
- ^ a b c "Needham High School Overview". Needham Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ "Needham High: Best High Schools". U.S. News & World Report, L.P. 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Pay to Play - Globe West Updates". The New York Times Company. 2006-07-14. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e "Needham High School Program of Studies". Needham Public Schools. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
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