Darien High School
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| Darien | |
| Established | 1927 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public |
| Principal | Dr. Jerome Auclair |
| Location | Darien, Connecticut, United States of America |
| Students | 1,149 (October 1, 2006) |
| Mascot | Blue Wave |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Website | http://www.darienps.org/dhs/ |
Darien High School is a public high school located in Darien, Connecticut, open to students in grades 9 through 12.
Dr. Jerome Auclair, the school principal, was named "Connecticut High School Principal of the Year" for 2004 by the Connecticut Association of Schools.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Academic achievement
In the 2004-2005 school year, Darien had the highest SAT math score in the state, the second highest CAPT score in the state and the highest Advanced Placement scores in the schools history, with a 100-percent pass rate on AP math exams and more than 85 percent of students getting the top score of "5". About one out of every three students in the high school takes an AP math course.[2]
Of the 200 graduating seniors in June 2005, 24 won national recognition in the National Merit Scholarship program, with 20 as "commended scholars" and four as National Merit Scholars.[3]
[edit] Academic statistics
Class of 2005 average SAT scores:
- Verbal 585
- Math 612
Class of 2004 average SAT scores:
- Verbal 575
- Math 612
A total of 86.6 percent of graduating seniors go on to four-year colleges, and 6.7 percent go on to two-year colleges.
The May 2005 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) results (administered to students in the 10th grade): Of the 238 students who took the test, 62.2 percent scored at or above the state goal in all four content areas.[4]
[edit] The Building
The original high school building opened in 1927. A new high school building was built in 1960, and the former high school structure became Mather Junior High School. Upon the closing of Mather Junior High, the building became Darien's Town Hall.
The second high school building opened in 1960 and was torn down in 2005. The current high school was constructed from 2003 to 2005, opening in the fall of 2005. The project cost roughly US$76 million. Among the major innovations were the introduction of a campus-wide wireless network and fiber-optic networking to all classrooms. Construction costs of the new building significantly exceeded the original budget, mostly due to the cost of asbestos removal from the old building. The high school's artificial turf field is one of the largest in the state and its cost of $1 million was raised in only 6 weeks by parents of the town.
[edit] Athletics
More than 72 percent of the student body participated in at least one of the school's 59 teams in the 2004-2005 school year.[2]
DHS is part of the FCIAC, the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. The school's main sports rival is New Canaan High School. Darien has one of the best high school lacrosse teams in the county, winning eight of the last 10 FCIAC titles and the 2004 and 2005 Boys Division I state championship. The school mascot is the Blue Wave, and its colors are blue and white.
These freshman (F), junior varsity (JV) and varsity (V) sports are offered at the school:[1]
- Fall: cheerleading (V); cross country (JV, V); field hockey (F, JV, V); football (F, JV, V); boys and girls soccer (F, JV, V); girls swimming (V); girls volleyball (F, JV, V)
- Winter: boys and girls basketball (F, JV, V); cheerleading (V); girls gymnastics (V); boys ice hockey (JV, V); girls ice hockey (V); boys and girls indoor track (JV, V); boys and girls skiing (V); boys swimming (V); boys wrestling (JV, V)
- Spring: baseball (F, JV, V); boys and girls golf (JV, V); boys and girls lacrosse (F, JV, V); boys and girls outdoor track (V); sailing (V); softball (F, JV, V); boys and girls tennis (JV, V); boys volleyball (V)
[edit] Extracurricular activities
These nonsports extracurricular activities are offered at the school (subject to change based on student interest): Art Club, Barbershop Quartet, Blue Wave Dancers, Book Club, Chamber Choir, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Culture Club, Dance Dance Revolution Club, Dariannus yearbook, Debate Club, Diversity Day, French Club, Fuel Cell Project, Future Problem Solvers, Gay Straight Alliance, JETS, Kids Giving Back, Literary Magazine, Marching Band, Math Team, Model United Nations Club, National Honor Society, Neirad student newspaper, Nutmeg Express, Outdoors Club, Science Club, Set Crew, Ski Club, Spanish Club, Squash Club, Student Council, Swing Choir, Technology Club, Theatre 308, Tri-M Advisory, Tudor Singers, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Wave TV.[4]
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Actress, Chloe Sevigny attended the high school.
- Actor, Garett Maggart attended the high school.
- Musician, Moby attended the high school.
- Novelist Joanna Scott graduated from the school (Class of 1978), was in Post 53 and wrote for the school literary magazine.
- Congressman, Christopher Shays (R), CT 4th District, attended the high school.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Darien Answerbook, 2006, published by the Darien Times weekly newspaper, page 26
- ^ a b Revitalization: Town of Darien Annual Report, 2004-2005, page 5
- ^ Revitalization: Town of Darien Annual Report, 2004-2005, page 4
- ^ a b Darien Answerbook 2006, page 28
