Hamden High School
Encyclopedia
Hamden High School is a four year high school
for grades 9 through 12. It is located at 2040 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut
. It is part of the Hamden Public School System and is the only public high school within the town of Hamden.
The school was built in 1935 and is still in operation today, although it has gone through major renovations, the most recent renovation being the addition of 3 additional wings (B-wing, C-wing, D-wing) all of which are attached to the other to form a square along with the A-wing. One of its most notable features is a golden cupola atop a clock tower, at the front of the building. Below the clock tower sits a small circular window, with two draping plaster banners on the sides seeming to form the letter 'M,' and giving the building the nickname 'the MOM building.'
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had roughly 2,000 students. While most students come from the Hamden Middle School
, many others come from private and magnet schools in the surrounding area.
in December 1994.
Hamden High has four main wings. These are the A, B, C, and D wings. Each wing is sometimes called by a nickname. A is the "Dixwell Side", B is the "Parkway Side", D is the "Chili's
Side", and C is the "Backyard" and is the only side with four accessible floors. The C wing has an auditorium and gym on its first floor. A public pool is in the C-Wing basement. On the second floor is the Cafe and School Store. The library is located on the first floor A-Wing with the Career Center located just above it. The school restaurant is located on the first floor D-wing. In the middle of HHS, there is a courtyard, which students usually use as a thru-way. The A wing is generally for the social sciences and humanities, B wing for English and Science classes, C wing for lecture halls, chemistry, physics and some miscellaneous offices, and D wing for math, foreign languages and technical studies. The school's culinary arts program is located in the D wing. The first floor's B and C wings are noted as being the HQ for the HHS Art classes, the B wing primarily for visual arts such as ceramics or graphic design, and the C wing for the performing arts; acting, concert band, orchestra, and choir.
Experience levels are 1,2,3,4, and sometimes 5, 1 meaning a freshman or first year course, and 4 meaning a senior or fourth year course. A student could possibly get a "5" experience course if they studied that subject at Hamden Middle School and couldn't get it as an AP course (mostly for Foreign Languages).
A level of difficulty would then be chosen: 5,7,or 9 (or AP). A "5" course is easiest and is an average/beginner course. A "7" is above average, and a "9" is advanced, the hardest possible class if it can't be given as Advanced Placement credit (AP). A "9" class is equal to an honors class. "9" classes and AP classes are the same, except for AP, the student can receive college credit after the Advanced Placement exam. "9" classes and AP classes are given the same weight on the weighted GPA scale.
The two numbers from "year" and "difficulty" are combined to describe a class. For instance, "English 19" is a freshman honors English class (only given to students from HMS in TAG teams during their 8th grade year, with permission from their 8th grade English teachers). "Spanish 55" would be an average level Spanish course for seniors who took Spanish at HMS. "AP Calculus" is advanced placement Calculus for students at any grade level who has already completed the math curriculum through "Precalculus 49" (or "Precalculus 47" with teacher approval). An example of a class that experience levels aren't determined by grade would be "Concert Band 25", which means it is the student's second year of Concert Band at Hamden High School (regardless of grade; this person could be a junior) and they are taking it at the most basic level.
In 2010, student Justin Ahn (class of 2011) was named to play clarinet
with the United States All-American Marching Band which is part of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. The game was nationally televised on NBC in January 2011.
, and class LL. Sports offered are:
Fall:
Winter:
Spring:
(there is also a competitive dance club and a competitive marching band)
rivalry with Notre Dame High School. Hamden's Green Dragons and Notre Dame's Green Knights have met in the "Green Bowl" on Thanksgiving Day for 60 consecutive years.
) and George Jerolman (member of the 89' state championship team) The team recently claimed its first state title in 20 years during the 2008-2009 Season. Hamden then repeated as state champions the following year 2009-2010, beating Fairfield Prep by a score of 6-5. This was the first time a public school had repeated as division 1 state champions since the 1976 Hamden national championship team. Hamden is consistently competitive year in and year out and has many rivals, the longest standing being its rivalry with West Haven High School, but also Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame High School
Hamden Boys' Track and Field had a tremendous showing in 2010. The team won three United States High School National relay titles. During the indoor season, the team won the Nike Indoor National Distance Medley Relay title in Boston, MA. The team ran the seventh fastest time in United States history. During the outdoor Season, the team won the New Balance National Distance Medley Relay and 4 x 800 meter Relay title. The team ran the sixth and twelfth fastest times in the United States in the two events. The times run by the team were national leaders in each of the events. The relay teams were named by Track and Field News as US #1 and all earn All-American status. Senior Chris FitzSimons was named Gatorade track athlete of the year in the state of Conn.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for grades 9 through 12. It is located at 2040 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
. It is part of the Hamden Public School System and is the only public high school within the town of Hamden.
The school was built in 1935 and is still in operation today, although it has gone through major renovations, the most recent renovation being the addition of 3 additional wings (B-wing, C-wing, D-wing) all of which are attached to the other to form a square along with the A-wing. One of its most notable features is a golden cupola atop a clock tower, at the front of the building. Below the clock tower sits a small circular window, with two draping plaster banners on the sides seeming to form the letter 'M,' and giving the building the nickname 'the MOM building.'
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had roughly 2,000 students. While most students come from the Hamden Middle School
Hamden Middle School
Hamden Middle School is a two-year middle school for grades 7 and 8, located at 2623 Dixwell Ave. in Hamden, Connecticut. It is the only public middle school within the Hamden Public School District. It was the 1998-99 Connecticut School of the Year. The current principal is Daniel Levy...
, many others come from private and magnet schools in the surrounding area.
Administration
Each assistant principal is in charge of a "house" organized by the students' last names, with the exception of freshmen, who are together in one house, lead by the same administrator.Campus
Hamden High School's historic main building was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in December 1994.
Hamden High has four main wings. These are the A, B, C, and D wings. Each wing is sometimes called by a nickname. A is the "Dixwell Side", B is the "Parkway Side", D is the "Chili's
Chili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
Side", and C is the "Backyard" and is the only side with four accessible floors. The C wing has an auditorium and gym on its first floor. A public pool is in the C-Wing basement. On the second floor is the Cafe and School Store. The library is located on the first floor A-Wing with the Career Center located just above it. The school restaurant is located on the first floor D-wing. In the middle of HHS, there is a courtyard, which students usually use as a thru-way. The A wing is generally for the social sciences and humanities, B wing for English and Science classes, C wing for lecture halls, chemistry, physics and some miscellaneous offices, and D wing for math, foreign languages and technical studies. The school's culinary arts program is located in the D wing. The first floor's B and C wings are noted as being the HQ for the HHS Art classes, the B wing primarily for visual arts such as ceramics or graphic design, and the C wing for the performing arts; acting, concert band, orchestra, and choir.
Daily schedule
First period starts at 7:31am while school ends at 2:00pm. Lunch is held beginning at period 4 and ends after period 8. Each lunch wave is a period long, which makes for 5 lunch periods throughout the school day. Eight periods are held each day. Students are required to take a minimum of 5.5 credits per year. 4 minutes are given to pass between each period. etc. Extracurricular activities are held after the final bell commences at 2:00pm.Academics
Students at the high school register for classes depending on their years of experience in that course and the difficulty.Experience levels are 1,2,3,4, and sometimes 5, 1 meaning a freshman or first year course, and 4 meaning a senior or fourth year course. A student could possibly get a "5" experience course if they studied that subject at Hamden Middle School and couldn't get it as an AP course (mostly for Foreign Languages).
A level of difficulty would then be chosen: 5,7,or 9 (or AP). A "5" course is easiest and is an average/beginner course. A "7" is above average, and a "9" is advanced, the hardest possible class if it can't be given as Advanced Placement credit (AP). A "9" class is equal to an honors class. "9" classes and AP classes are the same, except for AP, the student can receive college credit after the Advanced Placement exam. "9" classes and AP classes are given the same weight on the weighted GPA scale.
The two numbers from "year" and "difficulty" are combined to describe a class. For instance, "English 19" is a freshman honors English class (only given to students from HMS in TAG teams during their 8th grade year, with permission from their 8th grade English teachers). "Spanish 55" would be an average level Spanish course for seniors who took Spanish at HMS. "AP Calculus" is advanced placement Calculus for students at any grade level who has already completed the math curriculum through "Precalculus 49" (or "Precalculus 47" with teacher approval). An example of a class that experience levels aren't determined by grade would be "Concert Band 25", which means it is the student's second year of Concert Band at Hamden High School (regardless of grade; this person could be a junior) and they are taking it at the most basic level.
Arts
Hamden High School is home to Hamden Mainstage Ensemble, the school's resident theatre company. The fall plays and spring musicals are normally directed by Mr. Eric Nyquist, one of the HHS acting teachers. The winter plays are directed by Mr. Tim Brown, another acting teacher at HHS. Hamden Mainstage shows have high attendance rates, especially for the spring musicals. In 2010, Backstage Ensemble was created. It is a completely student-run branch of Mainstage Ensemble. The first show was "The Last Five Years". And in 2011 they presented their sophomore production of Sondheim's "Putting It Together." The production was directed by Leroy J.R. WaltonIn 2010, student Justin Ahn (class of 2011) was named to play clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
with the United States All-American Marching Band which is part of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. The game was nationally televised on NBC in January 2011.
Athletics
Hamden High School competes in the CIAC of Connecticut, within the Southern Connecticut ConferenceSouthern Connecticut Conference
The Southern Connecticut Conference is a high school athletics conference in Connecticut. The conference comprises schools located along the Long Island Sound...
, and class LL. Sports offered are:
Fall:
- Badminton (Woman)
- Cheerleading
- Cross-Country
- Field-Hockey (Woman)
- Football
- Soccer
- Swimming (Woman)
- Volleyball (Woman)
Winter:
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Gymnastics
- Ice Hockey
- Indoor Track & Field
- Swimming (Men)
Spring:
- Baseball (Men)
- Golf (Men)
- Lacrosse
- Softball (Woman)
- Tennis
- Track & Field
(there is also a competitive dance club and a competitive marching band)
Green Bowl
Hamden High School maintains a long-standing footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
rivalry with Notre Dame High School. Hamden's Green Dragons and Notre Dame's Green Knights have met in the "Green Bowl" on Thanksgiving Day for 60 consecutive years.
Boys' hockey
Hamden High School also has a storied boy's ice hockey program. The team has won a combined 17 CIAC sanctioned state championships and also a National Championship in 1976. The team is currently coached by Bill Veneris(member of the 76' national championship team) Todd Hall (member of the 89 state championship team, Hartford Wolf PackHartford Wolf Pack
The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center....
) and George Jerolman (member of the 89' state championship team) The team recently claimed its first state title in 20 years during the 2008-2009 Season. Hamden then repeated as state champions the following year 2009-2010, beating Fairfield Prep by a score of 6-5. This was the first time a public school had repeated as division 1 state champions since the 1976 Hamden national championship team. Hamden is consistently competitive year in and year out and has many rivals, the longest standing being its rivalry with West Haven High School, but also Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame High School
Notre Dame High School (West Haven)
Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in West Haven, Connecticut, a coastal suburb of New Haven, Connecticut.- History :...
Hamden Boys' Track and Field had a tremendous showing in 2010. The team won three United States High School National relay titles. During the indoor season, the team won the Nike Indoor National Distance Medley Relay title in Boston, MA. The team ran the seventh fastest time in United States history. During the outdoor Season, the team won the New Balance National Distance Medley Relay and 4 x 800 meter Relay title. The team ran the sixth and twelfth fastest times in the United States in the two events. The times run by the team were national leaders in each of the events. The relay teams were named by Track and Field News as US #1 and all earn All-American status. Senior Chris FitzSimons was named Gatorade track athlete of the year in the state of Conn.
Notable alumni
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, journalist and author - Scott BurrellScott BurrellScott David Burrell is an American retired professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Quinnipiac University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player...
, former professional basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
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player - Lawrence DeNardisLawrence Joseph DeNardisLawrence Joseph DeNardis is a former U.S. Congressman and university president.-Early life and education:DeNardis was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 18, 1938; graduated from Hamden High School, Hamden, Connecticut, in 1956 and received a B.A. from Holy Cross College in 1960, an M.A. and...
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, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
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, professional football player - Frederick W. Kagan, architect of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007Iraq War troop surge of 2007In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
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