Brockton High School

Brockton High School, established in 1871, is a high school located in Brockton, Massachusetts and is the largest high school in New England.cite web
last = Winokoor
first = Charles
url=http://www.tauntongazette.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16667289&BRD=1711&PAG=461&dept_id=24232&rfi=6
title=Brockton bad rap not fair?
accessdate=Jan 5|accessyear=2006
Publisher=The Taunton Gazette
work=The Taunton Gazette]

History

When Brockton High was established, it could house only 125 students. As the population of Brockton grew, there was increasing demand for a larger building. In 1906, a new high school was constructed, consisting of an "A" building and a "B" building, but again, student body growth was so severe that upper classmen and freshmen attended school at different times of the day. The freshmen attended in the afternoon while the upperclassman took their classes in the morning. In 1965, the City Council Finance Committee approved an $8 million proposal to construct a new high school to accommodate the swelling student body. In 1965, the ground for the new building was broken and 1970, the school was complete. The "A" building has since been torn down, and the "B" building currently houses a pre-K school. As of May 2007, there were about 4,300 students in the nine buildings which comprise the current high school. The building is approximately the size of an aircraft carrier (1/3 mile long) and has 13.5 acres of floor space, about half the size of the Prudential Center in Boston. [http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/uploaded/Schools/BrocktonHigh_School/bhs-school-profile-06-07.pdf]

Campus

Brockton High School is set on a large urban campus comprising 9 buildings including 4 student academic buildings. The campus also features a gym, football stadium, swimming pool, 1608 seat theater, TV and Radio stations, and a planetarium.

The current Brockton High School campus was state of the art for its time when it first opened in 1970, for it featured a modern greenhouse, planetarium, a modern public address system with a tone used for class-change signaling (in contrast to standard class-change bells) and telephones, and a high-tech (for 1970) TV studio. It was also built backwards. It's grand Fine arts building was supposed to face belmont street and now faces the Asiaf skating rink and the swamp.

Academics

In 2005 98% of the senior class (850 students) graduated. However, in 2003 only 43% of the graduating senior class planned to pursue a college degree In 2006, Brockton High School was a recipient of the National School Change Award. Brockton High School was one of 7 schools in the United States to receive this award. Out of the seven schools, there were only two high schools. [http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/nclb_report_cards2004/BHS.pdf]

Athletics

Brockton High is quite well known for its athletics. In the past 21 years, the football team has achieved 9 perfect or one-loss seasons. In 2004 and 2005, the Brockton High School football team won the state championships. [http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/schools/high/athletics/footballhistory/index.htm]

The school's mascot is the Boxer. The actual mascot is a dog, but the name is a pun in reference to Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, two famous boxers from Brockton. The stadium in which the Brockton High School Boxers football, soccer and outdoor track teams play is called Rocky Marciano Stadium. The BHS baseball team plays in the newly constructed Campanelli Stadium, which also plays host to the professional baseball team, the Brockton Rox, of the Can-Am League.

Clubs and Activities

Brockton High School offers a wealth of extra-curricular activities that appeal to all interests, purposes and cultural groups. Just to name a few: African-American Club, Asian Club, Amnesty International, The Boxer Bulletin (school newspaper), Canoe Club, Chess Club, Cheerleading, DECA, Drama Club, Ecology Club, Future Teachers of America, Garden Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Greek Club, Haitian Club,Half-Time Dancing, International Club, Jamaican Club, Key Club, Latin American Club (LASO), Literary Review, Majorettes, Mathematics Club, National Honor Society, Powerlifting Club, Ski Club, STEP, Student Council, TV and Radio Club, Writing Club, Junior Classical League Honor Society (with 67 qualified members this year), Latin Club,Cape Verdean Student Organization, JROTC Drill Team, JROTC Color Guard, ROTC Orienteering (“Raider”) Team JROTC Command and Staff Council, Yearbook and many more.

Music Department

The music department has won many state, national, and even international awards. It consists of a concert band and advanced concert concert band, two jazz ensembles, a wind ensemble, marching band, a repertory choir and concert choir, jazz choir, and harmonics choir. Many students of the music program participate in district and all-state groups. Some have even gone on to become professional musicians and educators in their adult life.

In 2006, the BHS wind ensemble competed in the Music Festival's competition in Virginia. They were awarded first place and received a superior ranking.

Drama Club

The Brockton High School Drama Club is outstanding, not only with its acting, but tech and wardrobe skills as well. This is one of the largest clubs in the school, and it is the recipient of a myriad of awards, including but not limited to, 40 awards at the 2007 MHSDG Festival. Putting on roughly four shows per year, the Drama Club has most active participants. Past shows include "Bone Chillers", "The Baseball Show" "Wiley And The Hairy Man", "Class Action", "Fools (play)", and the musical "Footloose". And in 2008 they performed "Anything Goes" [http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/page.cfm?p=1413]

JROTC-Boxer Battalion

This Army JROTC battalion is one of the best in the U.S. As of the 2008, they held 2 state champion drill teams. Their Raider and P.T. Teams are one of the best in the state. This battalion takes part in several volunteer events throughout the year and including the summer.

Notable Alumni

Notable alumni are those people who have gone on after graduation to make substantial contributions to society whether it be arts, athletics, economics, or politics.
*Kristian Alfonso - Actress
*Kenneth Feinberg - Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
*Rocky Marciano - Heavyweight boxing champion
*Garfield Bright - Pop singer in R&B group Shai (band)
*Ken MacAfee - Professional football player, College Footbal Hall of Fame Notre Dame
*Greg McMurtry - Professional football player
*Rudy Harris - Professional football player
*Robert Skaltsis - Professional musician
*Herbert Warren Wind , Author, Credited with naming Amen Corner
*Jan A. Goldstein - Painter and Founding member/bass player of the jamband Desert Rain, Writer/Director of "The Great War In The Air" film and creator of The Rain Desert Cafe Chain

References

* [http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/alumni/history/bhs-history.html History of Brockton Public School] Add to Alumni, Steven Wilbur international aid worker, see obituary in Washington Post April 10, 2008Ken Pittman talk radio personality, Fox News contributor