- Stamford High School, founded in 1874 in Stamford, Connecticut. Famous alumni of the school include U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman.
- The current student body includes natives of countries such as Albania, Germany, Haiti, South Africa, Philippines, Poland, China, Japan, Spain, Russia, Jamaica, India, and many countries of Latin America.
- The school's extracurricular activities include mock-trial and debate teams, student liaisons to the Board of Education, multicultural groups, various team sports, chapters of buildOn, the Future Business Leaders of America, National Art Honor Society, and National Honor Society, Strawberry Hill Players theater troupe, and the Stamford High Winter Percussion ensemble whose members are a part of the Stamford High School marching band and the Stamford High School Jazz band.
- The Strawberry Hill Players perform two major plays—one in the fall, the other in the spring—and a series of short, student-directed one-act plays called "Senior Scenes" in the winter. They also participate in the annual Connecticut Drama Association Festival in March, and, since joining the association in 2003, they have won in 2003, 2005, and 2007!
- The school's halls have in recent years been adorned with numerous paintings by students, depicting various figures including the black knight mascot. The school's cafeteria is decorated on one wall by a large mural of the school's facade and scenes of student life, painted in 1997 by members of the Strawberry Hill Players technical crew. Murals from the 1930s also adorn the "small auditorium" in Stamford High, having been uncovered and restored in the 1990s.
- History
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In 1878 junaid the Stamford Town Committee decided to create a high school for the growing community after deciding there was the lack of sufficient secondary education. They created Stamford High School the following year in a single rented room. Students attending SHS starting in 1874 had one teacher who taught reading, spelling arithmetic, grammar, history, and philosophy. Drawing, Latin, Greek, physical geography, and geometry were added to the curriculum in 1876.
- In 1881 four young women comprised the first graduating class. By 1886 increasing enrollment forced a move into a new four-room building on the site of the former Franklin Elementary School. Ten years later, in 1896, a new high school building was completed on Forest Street. To attend, students were required to pass entrance examinations in five subjects, and out of 40 applicants, only 15 were accepted. SHS gradually relaxed its requirements, and by 1905, entrance examinations were abolished. The multiplying number of students at SHS once again made a move necessary.
- The school moved from the site of the since-demolished Burdick Junior High School to its present location on Strawberry Hill Avenue in 1928. SHS now consists of three buildings which house over 100 regular classrooms along with special rooms for science labs, computer labs and shops for woodworking and automobile-repair classes which they got rid of why?.
- With the start of the new school year in September 2006, a $21 million addition to the building was opened after 18 months of construction. The addition has 22 classrooms, five science labs, a computer lab, a multi-purpose room, a gymnasium and locker rooms. The addition also features wireless computer access and a drop-off area for entering students near Strawberry Hill Avenue.
[Gosier, Chris, "New day at Stamford High: School celebrates $21 million addition", The Advocate of Stamford, September 27, 2006, page A13] - The new addition was part of $59 million in upgrades for the school begun in 1997, including replacing four boilers, new roofs and expanding the school cafeteria by . Increasing enrollment in the city school system spurred the upgrades, and Westhill High School also received them.
- At the start of the 2009-2010 year, Stamford High School received a new principal, John Goetz.
- Stamford High School's Mission Statement
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"Stamford High School junaid brokeis a comprehensive high school whose students reflect the community. The students represent a wide range of intellectual capabilities and social and cultural attitudes. We, the faculty and staff, realize that our roles are to provide students with the opportunities to acquire the academic discipline, skills, and attitudes necessary to contribute to society in a responsible and productive way. We recognize that our roles are ever evolving and our purpose is to educate. Instructional programs are based on clearly established goals with high expectations of achievement. A common core of learning experiences is the foundation for social, emotional, ethical, and physical development, leading to self-motivation and responsible behavior. Integral to the education process is a safe environment, fair and consistent discipline, effective communication, and mutual respect, trust, and cooperation. The active participation of the student, family and community is essential to attain our purpose."
- Traditions
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School colors: Orange and black. The colors date back to the opening of the school and are used on all athletic team uniforms. School teams' name: "The Black Knights". This nickname evolved in the 1950s. All the athletic teams use the name, and it is connected with many school publications and activities. The School mascot is a Black Knight. This originated in 1969 for a magazine drive. It can be seen on sports updates, in a library mosaic, and other places around the school.
- Each year on December 7, a 9-by-17-foot American flag that flew over the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial is to be flown from the flagpole in front of the school as part of a memorial ceremony for Pearl Harbor Day. Everett Hyland, an alumnus of the school who was wounded in the attack, donated the flag in 2007 on condition that it be raised each year on that date. At the first ceremony, in 2007, a small group of veterans attended, some of them speaking to the school's students about the event. "It's one thing to read a book that 2,400 people died," Doug MacLehose, head of the school's history department, told a newspaper reporter. "Talking to someone who was there or can remember is very powerful."
[Morganteen, Jeff, "Sharing their sacrifice: USS Arizona flag flies above Stamford High", article, The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, December 8]], 2007, pp 1, A4, Norwalk edition] - Notable alumni
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Graduates of Stamford High School known well beyond the city:
- Garry Cobb, former football player for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions
[[1]Stamford High School Web site, Web page titled "Stamford High School Wall of Fame", accessed October 11, 2006]
- Peter Hebert, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Lux Capital
- Jimmy Ienner, music producer of the "Dirty Dancing" album. He worked with John Lennon, Pink Floyd and Donna Summers.
- J. Walter Kennedy, former Stamford mayor and first commissioner of the National Basketball Association
- Joseph Lieberman, United States Senator, former vice presidential candidate
- Andy Robustelli, former New York Giants football player
- Stephanie Izard, winner of Season 4 of the Bravo Network show Top Chef
- See also
- Education in Stamford, Connecticut
- Notes
- External links
- Stamford High School Web site
- Stamford Public School System Web site
- The Stamford High School Alumni Website
- Stamford High School Web pages at Great Schools website
- Stamford High School Round Table Website
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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