Guilderland High School

Infobox School
name = Guilderland High School


imagesize =
logo =
caption = Guilderland High School's rear entrance, near the New Gym
location = Guilderland Center, New York
country = USA
district=Guilderland Central School District
coordinates =
principal = Brian McCann
viceprincipal =
faculty = 134.0 (on FTE basis) [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=361308001070&ID=361308001070 Guilderland High School] . National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.]
ratio = 14.0
enrollment = 1,880
enrollment_as_of = 2005-06
type = Public
grades = 9–12
conference =
mascot =
colors =
newspaper = "The Journal"
founded = 1953
footnotes = [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/About.htm About Guilderland] . Guilderland High School. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.]
homepage = [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/hshome.htm Guilderland High School]

Guilderland High School is a public high school located in Guilderland Center, New York. It is part of the Guilderland Central School District. Constructed in 1953, the high school has since undergone additions in 1955, 1959, 1965, and 1997. Originally, the building functioned as a Junior-Senior High School, but after the construction of Farnsworth Middle School in 1970, the district divided the schools into two.

Currently, the school runs on block scheduling.

Alma Mater

Oh Guilderland, dear Guilderland
Beneath the stately Helderbergs.
We're here to sing our praise of thee
And ever loyal we shall be.
We raise our voice in song and know,
That our victorious school shall grow,
In spirit strong and o'er the rest,
Our Alma Mater is the best.

Course levels

Guilderland High School boasts a variety of different course levels and types to accommodate the different needs of students. Types include Advanced Placement, SUPA (Syracuse University Project Advance), Honors, Regents, Core, Focus, Vo-Tech, and ESL.

Courses in advanced study

Guilderland High School offers numerous opportunities for students to take Advanced Placement examinations, as well as place a year ahead in various courses. Advanced course standing may first be attained when a student is in eighth grade through the math A course (for more information about advancement opportunities, see Farnsworth Middle School article).

Accelerated foreign language study is available for students in French and Spanish (but not German) during student's freshman year. The "2A" course selection allows for two years of study condensed into one year. Therefore, a student is able to progress from "French 2A" directly to "French 4." Effectively the acceleration allows for a one-year advancement in foreign language study.

Additionally, Guilderland High School offers numerous Advanced Placement courses to its students, regardless of acceleration. Decision to enroll in AP courses is at the discretion of the student and his or her guidance counselor, though teacher recommendations may also be influential. At present, AP courses available to GHS students include European History, American History, Microeconomics, English Language, English Literature, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Music Theory, Studio Art, and US Government and Politics, but students have been known to take the Macroeconomics, Biology, Physics, Computer Science, Statistics, Psychology, and Human Geography exams after self-preparation and/or preparation in non-AP classes.

The Guilderland Players

Guilderland High School is also known for its theatre program. The group, called the Guilderland Players, was organized in the 1968-69 school year by English teacher Bob Scrafford, but did not put on their first performance, Bye Bye Birdie, until the next year. Producing two shows each year, a drama in the fall and a musical in the spring, the Guilderland Players, known as 'GP' by its members, is one of the largest extracurricular activities at Guilderland High School, including more than one hundred students in its cast, stage crew, and pit.

Staffed by Bob Oates (choreographer), Kathleen Ehlinger (Pit Conductor), Rae Jean Teeter (music director), and Andrew Maycock (director) since the 1997-1998 season, the Guilderland Players have recently lost all staff except for Maycock. At the end of the 2005-2006 season, Oates' last year, GP won the SLOC Award for 'Best Choreography.' Mike Gatzendorfer briefly stepped in as choreographer for the 2006-2007 season, with Oates returning for yet another final year in the upcoming 2007-2008 season. Kerry Dineen, a GP alumnus herself, has replaced Teeter as the music director, Lenore Snow is the designated pianist, and Alexis St. Clair (also an alumnus) is the pit conductor.

Various alumni of the Guilderland Players have also gone on to other acting opportunities, including appearing on the TV show American Dreams, the Original Broadway Cast of La Bohème, and in the cast of multiple seasons of Park Playhouse.

Music

Guilderland High School is home to an award-winning music department. Consisting of eight credit-bearing ensembles and six extracurricular ensembles, the department holds eight concerts a year in addition to participating in other events or area concerts.

The Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra are directed by Jeffrey Herchenroder. Herchenroder is a bassist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. He also directs the Chamber Strings, a select, extracurricular ensemble consisting of approximately 15 string players, with occasional guest winds, including many players in the Empire State Youth and Repertory Orchestras. The orchestra was featured on WMHT's "Music for the Holidays" program in 2004.

The Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are directed by Kathleen Richards Ehlinger. Ehlinger, a trumpetist for the Tri City Brass Quintet and a graduate of the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She also directs the Guilderland Town Band during the summer and is an active clinician throughout the state. The Wind Ensemble traveled to Annapolis, Maryland in April 2007 for a music festival and received the award for best instrumental group. The oboe section also received the best section award. In addition, the ensemble received a rating of Gold with Distinction at its NYSSMA evaluation in 2007 and 2008. The Concert Band, and extracurricular Jazz and Stage Bands are directed by Lee Russo, an accomplished saxophonist who leads a trio and has a CD. Jazz Band is composed of many members of the Empire State Jazz Ensembles.

The Women's Choir and Concert Choir are directed by Rae Jean Teeter. Teeter is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and has served as the director for All-County choirs across New York, and serves as the New York ACDA High School Repertoire and Standards Chairperson. In April 2007, the choir travelled to Annapolis, MD, where it received an award for scoring above 95, and the choir lost the top prize by only one point. Teeter also conducts the extracurricular Chamber Choir, a select group of 16-24 singers. In December 2006, the Chamber Choir performed at the NYSSMA Convention in Rochester, NY. In March 2007, the ensemble won the New York State High School A Cappella Championship. They have also appeared at the Albany Pro Musica High School Choral Festival and on WMHT's "Music for the Holidays". The Mixed Choir is conducted by Nancy Casellini. The Mixed Choir, with the Women's Choir, performed at the State Capitol as part of Music in Our Schools Month in 2007. Casellini also directs the extracurricular Select Tones and Singing Dutchmen. The Select Tones is an auditioned female ensemble, singing a large repertoire of mostly a cappella music. The Singing Dutchmen is a mostly a cappella group open to participation in by all men in the music department.

Extracurricular music ensembles rehearse during the high school's "Advisory" time. Credit-bearing ensembles rehearse as a regular course in a student's schedule. The music department also offers AP Music Theory, Music Theory I, Music Technology, and a new course in 2007, Music in Our Lives, as courses for credit. Students also have the option of taking Applied Music, whether they are members of the music department or not. Credit can be received for regular private music lessons and regular practice, with occasional performance examinations.

Extracurricular activities

Student media

The school has an award-winning student newspaper named "The Journal", which is published seven times in the school year and is available free at the school or can be delivered to any address in the United States with a one year $10 subscription. The school's Media Club produces a news magazine program "The GHS Reporter" that runs at the start of advisory period prior to the televised announcements, replays on Time Warner Cable Educational Access Channel 16 in Guilderland, and is available to view in the Media’s section of the school website, accessible [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/Media/Media_home.htm here] .

The GHS Reporter covers many stories each show, such as the ones seen [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/Media/ReporterFiles0506/ghs%20reporter%2011-21-06.wmv here] and [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/Media/ReporterFiles0506/ghs%20reporter%2011-17-06.wmv here] .

In the 2005-2006 school year, the GHS Reporter won an award in New York City for a production titled "Motivation" that was produced during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years. The video was centered on the club's trip to New York City and the various news packages produced. Three packages were made: Fleet Week, Safety and Security, and the Impact of 9/11 on Surrounding Businesses. Students from the Guilderland High School Media Club as well as the student newspaper "The Journal" participated.

Guilderland High School also features the yearly "Graffiti" Literary Magazine, run by students to publish poems, stories, and other literary works.

"The Journal" has won numerous student journalism awards. The newspaper commonly receives multiple awards at the Empire State Student Press Association's annual convention, including awards for Best Overall Newspaper, Best Design and individual writing, design, photography and graphics awards. "The Journal" was awarded Best Overall Newspaper by the New York State Press Association in the high school newspaper category in 2005 Better Newspaper Contest, in addition to a Best Design award and individual awards for writing.

Student Government

The student body of Guilderland High School is represented by the GHS Student Government, a group of elected and appointed officers and volunteers who serve both to serve as a link between the student body and administration, and also to improve student life by hosting events and aiding clubs among other duties.

Sports

Guilderland is home of the Flying Dutchmen. Guilderland offers 19 sports at all levels. Guilderland is home to one of the top cross-country programs in the Northeast, a strong tennis program, a skilled boy’s soccer team that won the Class A State Championship in 1989, the 2006 and 2007 co-ed cheerleading national champions,the 2007 New York State Section II Class A Girls lacrosse team and New York State’s 2007 section 2 class AA champion baseball team. The baseball team won its first title since the 1970s and the girls lacrosse team ended Bethlehem High School's run of eight titles to win their first ever Section II and Suburban Council Title. The 2007 football team is the first in school history to make it to the Section II Class AA Finals. The 2007 guys lacrosse team made it to the Suburban Council final. The 2008 girls lacrosse team made an even bigger impact on the school history; they won back to back Suburban Council and Section II Championships. They also were able to continue their run through the regional play and become Regional Champions after defeating Lakeland-Panas High school and Kingston high school. They will next be representing Section II and Guilderland High School in the State Semifinals on June 13.

Each Year the graduating class of Guilderland High School collects a "Senior Superlative" survey to be presented in the yearbook. Superlatives include Best Friends, Best Smile, Easiest to talk to, Best Laugh, etc.

Clubs and Organizations

Guilderland High School sponsors dozens of student-organizations, each advised and supervised by a teacher who may participate in the club's activities. They include but are not limited to:

Alliance, Amnesty International, Chess Club, S.T.A.T.I.C. (Christian Fellowship),Debate Club, English Club, Environmental Club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Free the Children, German Club, Graffiti - Literary Magazine, the Guilderland Players, International Club/Cultural Fair, Jewish Student Union (JSU) Journal Newspaper, Key Club International, [http://www.lastchanceghs.com Last Chance for Animals GHS] , Math League, Masterminds, Media Club, Medical Club (Club Med), Model United Nations, Music Council, National Honor Society, Natural Helpers, Ski Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Students for Improving Health Care (SIHC), Student Government, Students/Teachers Against Racism (STAR), Students Environmental Action Coalition, Travel Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Young Democrats of America, Yearbook - Tawasenthan, and Youth Ending Hunger.

The school's Math League is a member of the New York Math League, a contest consisting of six timed exams administered throughout every academic year. Since 2005, the Guilderland team has come first in the region and, in 2008, placed 10th in the region.

Recent Controversy

Recent controversy over the forced transfer of social studies teachers Ann Marie McManus and Matt Nelligan has sparked a heated debate between members of the Guilderland school board and the citizens and students that reside in the school district. One student organization "United for McManus and Nelligan", headed by Elijah Sharma and fellow students, has played a large part in getting local and statewide press coverage on this issue.

References

External links

* [http://www.guilderlandschools.org/highschool/HShome.htm Guilderland High School]