Joel Barlow High School

Joel Barlow High School is a high school (grades 9-12) in Redding, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The school serves Redding and Easton students.

The school is the sole institution in the Region 9 School District of Connecticut, made up of the towns of Redding and Easton, which each have their own public school systems for education up to the eighth grade. The Board of Education acts as its own Board of Finance, and although it reports to the boards of finance in both towns, they have no control over the school budget. Each year a referendum is held on the school budget and must be passed by a majority of voters in the two towns. [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joel_Barlow_High_School&action=edit] Caldwell, Maggie, "Region 9 budget: Redding sees 6.66% increase / Capital items will be dealt with separately", news article in "The Redding Pilot", March 22, 2007, accessed March 28, 2007]

Academic standards

Graduation Requirements: Students must accumulate 48 credits: 8 in English; 4 in fine/applied arts; 5 in health/physical education; 6 in history/social studies, including 2 in western civ, 2 in U.S. History and 1 in non-western studies; 6 in mathematics; 6 in science; and 15 electives from any area. A semester of computer technology and a junior writing portfolio are also required.

Course offerings

Health & Physical EducationHonors Introduction to Medical Care with EMT certification. Full year Health/PE in Grade 9, semester Health in Grade 10, and semester Health/PE in Grades 11, 12. Elective courses in Dynamics of Sport, Lifetime Sports and Activities, Sports Forms.

Humanities

English: AP Language and Composition in Grade 11; AP Literature and Composition in Grade 12. English I, II, III, IV required. There are additional electives for juniors and seniors.

World Languages: AP Spanish Language, and AP French Language with University of Connecticut Co-op credit. Advanced section in French IV. Honors sections in French V, Spanish V, and Latin III, IV, V.

Fine Arts: AP Studio Art (drawing or design portfolios). Elective courses in art, music, theater.

History/Social Studies: AP U.S. History in Grade 11, and AP Comparative Government. Honors courses in Anthropology, Art History, and Madman as Hero.

"Interdisciplinary/Independent Study"Senior project elective (CAPstone). Elective courses in Advanced Verbal Skills, College Reading, College Writing, Connections (Community Service), History and Technology of Great Architecture, Strategies in Learning. Magnet and regional programs in Asian studies, aquaculture, fine and performing arts. Opportunities for distance learning and independent study, with guidelines for approval and final performance.

Math: AP Calculus (BC) with University of Connecticut Co-op credit; AP Statistics. Honors sections in Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-calculus. Advanced and college preparatory sequence from Algebra I through Calculus. Elective courses in mathematical problem solving.

Science: AP Biology, with University of Connecticut Co-op credit, AP Chemistry. Honors sections in Biology, Chemistry, Physics. Laboratory experience in all courses including Applied Chemistry and Physics, Earth Science, Forensics, and Environmental Biology.

Technology Education: Elective courses in CISCO, CADCAM, computer networking, two and three dimensional Computer Drawing, Computer Programming, Electronics and Video, Engineering, Flight Technology, Imaging, Web Page Design.

Business: Elective courses in Accounting, Business Law, Computer Applications, Desktop Publishing, Entrepreneurship.

Special EducationThere are specialized instruction in all academic areas through the Alternative Learning Program (ALPS). Courses in English Skills, Reading, Resource (Transition and Application), Math Skills. Collaborative teaching in all major subject areas. Transition planning for all students.

Theater

The school performs a musical in the fall and a play during the winter. The 2008 fall musical is "Into the Woods." Other recent musicals include "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Grease", "The Music Man", and "Once on This Island".

Every year, the senior class puts on a production that is open to everyone. It is a chance for the senior class to come together for one last time and work cooperatively with each other to put on a play. There is a different theme each year. In 2003, the senior class decided to spoof MTV by creating, JBTV making parodies off of television programs shown on MTV. In 2005, the senior class decided to spoof Alice and Wonderland by forming Alice in Barlowland, poking fun of the then on going construction issues, cafeteria food, and office announcements.

In the winter of 2007, Barlow Players, the Joel Barlow High School theater group, performed in a series of one acts originally entitled Not Another High School Musical, but most called it The Winter Show.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.er9.org/jbhs/index2.html Joel Barlow High School Website]
* [http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/SCH0506/sr149.pdf Joel Barlow High School "Strategic School Profile 2005-2006", Connecticut Department of Education]
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ct/802 Joel Barlow High School Web page at Great Schools Web site]
* [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1344 Easton Courier newspaper web site]
* [http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/redding.shtml Redding Pilot newspaper web site]