- Monacan High School
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Coordinates: 37°28′44.6″N 77°36′48″W / 37.479056°N 77.61333°W
Monacan High School 
Address 11501 Smoketree Drive
Richmond, Virginia 23236Information School type Public high school Founded 1979 School district Chesterfield County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marcus J. Newsome Principal William Broyles, Jr. Assistant Principals Belinda Merriman
Laura Hebert
Brian RussellGrades 9-12 Enrollment 1,650 (2010-2011) Language English Campus Suburban Mascot Chief Atlhetic Conference Virginia High School League
AAA Central Region
AAA Dominion DistrictWebsite Official Site Monacan High School is a public secondary school in unincorporated Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States (near the city of Richmond).
The school is a part of Chesterfield County Public Schools. The school was founded in 1979, and its enrollment is roughly 1650 students.
Contents
Sports
Sports include Field Hockey, Tennis, Football, Soccer, Track, Indoor Track, Cross Country, Baseball, Softball, Wrestling, Basketball, Cheering, Volleyball, Forensics, Debate and Golf.
Monacan High School is a member of the Dominion District in all sports. Notable moments in Monacan Sports include:
- 1980 - Boys Cross Country Team wins Group AAA State Championships
- 1981 - Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams win Group AAA State Championships
- 1979 - 1986 Boys Cross Country went undefeated in Dual Meets and won 8 straight Dominion District Championships
- 1982 - Boys Tennis Wins Dominion District and Central Regional Championships
- 1983 - Boys Baseball Team wins the Central District Baseball Championship and Central Region Baseball Championship
- 1985 - Boys Basketball Team beats Number One Ranked Petersburg Team and goes to State Playoffs
- 1985 - Boys Baseball Team completes an undefeated regular season; Six members of the Boys Baseball Team help American Legion Post 186 win the World Series
- 1989 - Boys Baseball Team wins Central Region Baseball Championship, Football Team wins Central Region Football Semifinals
- 1994 - Girls Basketball Team wins Central Region Girls Basketball Championship (63-62)
- 1998 - Boys Volleyball Team wins State Group 3A Championship
- 2000 - Forensics Team wins 3A State Tournament
- 2002 - Boys Volleyball Team wins State Group 3A Championship
- 2004 - Boys Tennis Team wins Dominion District Championship (15-0) Central Region Finalists
- 2006 - Baseball wins State Group 3A Championship
- 2007 - Dominion District Forensics Sweeps
- 2007 - Boys Volleyball Dominion District Regular Season And Tournament Champions
- 2008 - Dominion District Forensics Sweeps
- 2008 - Central Region Forensics 2nd Place Sweeps
- 2009 - Dominion District Debate Sweeps
- 2009 - Golf Team wins Dominion District Regular season and Tournament Champions
- 2010 - Dominion District Debate 2nd Place Sweeps
- 2010 - Central Region Debate Sweeps
- 2010 - Boys Basketball Team wins Dominion District
Academics
Monacan offers standard core classes along with honors classes, electives, and Advanced Placement Program classes.
Advanced Placement Program classes at Monacan currently include Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Environmental Science, Physics, Spanish, Statistics, U.S. History, and U.S. Government.
Advanced Placement classes such as Art History, European History, French, German, Latin, Vergil, Music Theory, and World History are offered on an enrollment basis, if there are enough interested students to create the class.
Monacan's World Language Department offers Latin, Spanish, and French. In the past, Japanese and Greek have been taught, but in the 2006-2007 school year, these subjects were not offered. German was taken out of the course offerings in the 2009-2010 school year.
In 2008, Monacan's music department earned the Virginia Music Educators Association Blue Ribbon Award. The Performing Arts at Monacan offer classes in choir, band, orchestra, guitar, and theatre.
Center for the Humanities
The Center for the Humanities is a selective specialty center at Monacan High School. Eighth-grade students must apply and be reviewed, which includes an interview. The Center for the Humanities has a rigorous curriculum that requires all of its students to take certain courses and receive an Advanced Studies Diploma. The program enrolled its first students in the fall of 2000 and the first class graduated in 2004. The goal is an enriched, advanced liberal arts education. Requirements include:
- Three years of a foreign language
- Four years of the course Perspectives on the Human Experience
- English 9,10,11, and AP English
- World History/Geography up to 1400 BC, World History/Geography 1400BC-Present, AP United States History, AP Government
- Four years of science including Biology and either Chemistry or Physics
- Two semesters of Health and two semesters of Physical education
- Participation in an extended service learning class
One of the foundations of the Humanities Curriculum is the Perspectives on the Human Experience course. The course is unique to the Center for the Humanities, and integrates art, art history, history, and other disciplines.
Another foundation of the Humanities Curriculum is the Socratic Seminar, a student-led group discussion that focuses on one specific topic. Socratic Seminars aim to foster student leadership, communication skills, and discussion techniques.
Students in the Humanities program are required to read an extensive number of books.
Extracurriculars
Monacan offers a wide variety of after-school activities, both school sponsored and independent. These include:[1]
Curriculum Based French Club, French Honor Society, PEER Facilitators, Technical Student Association, Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Club, Science Club (temporarily disbanded), National Honor Society, Art National Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, Latin Club, International Thespian Society, Forum Committee, Coordinator’s Council, FBLA, Act I/Drama Club, Art Club, Bodhisattra Committee, Graffiti Literary Society, Japanese Club, National Beta Club, Marching Band,
School Sponsored YADAPP, Student Leadership Council, Student Government, Senior Class, Sophomore Class, Red Cross Club, Key Club, Junior Class, IMANI, Freshmen Class, Monacan Greens, Ruriteen,
Student Interest Chess Club, Bible Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Film Club (temporarily disbanded), Monacan Maniacs, Gay Straight Alliance, Philosophy Club (temporarily disbanded), Teenage Republicans, Rock Climbing, Step Team, Young Democrats
Stephen Murmer Controversy
Monacan High School became internationally[citation needed] known after art teacher Stephen Murmer was suspended from his post following renewed interest in his out-of-school activities.
Murmer, a Marine Corps veteran and teacher of the year, offers pieces called "Anthropometric Monotypes" at his website selling from $400 to $2,100. A video demonstration of Murmer's unique technique was available on YouTube, apparently originally part of a segment of a TV show was filmed several years prior to 2006. Fans of the canceled cable television show posted it on YouTube.
Although administrative officials of the school system had investigated his activities in 2004, it was not until late 2006 that the issue resurfaced and Murmer faced reprimand. Murmer was told, following his suspension, not to speak to the media. Murmer was subsequently fired from his teaching post.
On Jan. 20, 2007, ACLU board members voted to take Stephen Murmer’s case. The Associated Press reported that the ACLU was seeking volunteer lawyers and considering whether to appeal the school board’s decision to a state circuit court or to file suit in federal district court on constitutional grounds. The ACLU has condemned Chesterfield County's School Board for their actions, stating that Murmer's activities are an expression of his First Amendment Rights. ACLU representatives have said that had Chesterfield County not suspended Murmer, the issue would have blown over within a few days. Judge Robert Payne agreed and objected to a county schools' motion to dismiss the case on February 15, 2008.
On March 7, 2008 Stephen Murmer won a $65,000 settlement from the Chesterfield County School Board. The Chesterfield County School Board issued this statement at the time: “The Chesterfield County School Board stands behind its 2007 decision to dismiss an art teacher at Monacan High School. The School Board strongly believes that its decision was justified based on its core values and the disruption in the classrooms. The School Board does not admit any liability. The decision to settle for $65,000 was a business decision that is in the best interest of Chesterfield County Public Schools, given the costs of continuing with the litigation, the risks, however remote, that the court would reinstate the teacher to the classroom and award him damages and the potential for costly appeals. Settling this case ends this matter and allows our school staff to focus on their primary mission of providing quality education to the children of this county.” [2][3] "I am glad the School Board saw fit to pay Mr. Murmer about two years' salary to compensate him for the harm he suffered," said ACLU of Virginia cooperating attorney Tim Schulte.
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Schools in Chesterfield County, Virginia
- Educational institutions established in 1979
- High schools in Virginia
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