Shepaug Valley High School

Infobox School
name = Shepaug Valley High School


imagesize =
address = 159 South St.
Washington, Connecticut 06793
district = Region 12
country = United States
principal = Eugene Horrigan
faculty = 46 [http://www.homescape.com/local/school/53421-Shepaug_Valley_High_School]
enrollment = 400 [http://www.homescape.com/local/school/53421-Shepaug_Valley_High_School]
type = Public
grades = 9 to 12
ceeb = 70830
conference = CIAC
mascot

team_name = Spartans
colors = White and Blue
established = 1969
homepage = http://www.region-12.org/shs/

Shepaug Valley High School is a four-year public, coeducational high school in rural Washington, Connecticut, although it draws residents from nearby Roxbury, Bridgewater, and Sherman as well. It neighbors prep school The Gunnery, and is the only public high school in Region 12. It was chosen as Connecticut's only blue-ribbon school in 1998, and one of only two in New England.

Mission statement

"For our students, our community, our nation, and our world, we, the educational community, challenge, inspire, counsel, and teach students so that each, in a changing global society, will become a knowledgeable, educated, and competent adult." [http://www.region-12.org/shs/site/files/06-07smission.pdf]

In addition to following the mission statement, each graduating student is expected to demonstrate a set number of moral "character competencies" as well as technology proficiency with "computer competencies."

Ground plan

Shepaug is a one-floor building housed on an eighty-acre campus. Since the space is shared with students of Shepaug Valley Middle School, who have their own wing in the building, high schoolers take courses in their own section of the building, a long hallway off of which classrooms branch.

The rest of the building is shared between middle and high school students. It consists of a cafeteria, a large, central cavity known as "the mall," a library resource center with over 10,000 print volumes, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, band and choir practice rooms, fine arts, shop, cooking studios, and professionally equipped theater.

Outdoors on campus, there is a peace pole and reflection area, a swingset, and a memorial to former student Tam Farrow. Shepaug also hosts soccer and field hockey fields, a competitive cross country trail, and a track that is [http://www.newstimes.com/spectrumnews/ci_9841273 currently under renovation] .

Features

Because of its small size, Shepaug is able to provide a number of unique events and services for its students. The most defining of these features is the Senior Project, a year-long course taken during the ultimate year which results in the student presentation of a project, performance, or event. Past senior projects have ranged from humanitarian work for [http://www.progeriaresearch.org/senior_project_produces_awareness_and_funds_for_prf.html The Progeria Research Foundation] to artistic endeavors such as [http://www.relatednotes.com/sfom/news_archive_1.htm CD production] and even [http://www.washingtonct.org/min-pr-05.html athletic events] .

Other unique features of Shepaug include its block scheduling, ground-breaking [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1380&dept_id=157533&newsid=12100507&PAG=461&rfi=9 smoking patio] , Holiday Bazaar, [http://www.newstimes.com/spectrumsports/ci_9911501 Swanson/Horrigan Memorial] Slowpitch Softball game, and Sophomore Talent show.