Littleton High School (Colorado)

Infobox School
name = Littleton High School


imagesize =
caption =
motto =
established = 1907
type = Public High School
affiliation =
district = Littleton Public Schools
grades = 9-12
president =
principal =
head of school =
dean =
faculty = approximately 97
staff =
students = 1600
enrollment =
athletics =
conference =
colors = Purple and Gold color box|purplecolor box|gold
mascot = Lion
campus type =
campus size =
free_label = Phone
free_text = 303-347-7700
free_label2 = Fax
free_text2 = 303-347-7750
free_label3 =
free_text3 =
location = 199 East Littleton Boulevard, Littleton, Colorado
country = United States of America
coordinates =
website = http://www.littleton.littletonpublicschools.net/

Littleton High School is a public high school located in Littleton, Colorado, United States. It is a part of Arapahoe County School District.

Littleton High School has earned a special distinction -- one of eight "World Class Schools" in the U.S. and Canada, selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The eight schools all exhibit outstanding characteristics:

*1. Clear Vision and High Standards
*2. Collaborative Structure
*3. Culture of Life-long Learners

History

The first Littleton High School building was finished in 1920 and cost $100,000. It served 225 students initially. Architect Robert K. Fuller designed this two-story Art Deco building with decorative brickwork and ceramic tile details. A basement garden level with above ground windows contained a gymnasium, locker rooms, and mechanical rooms. On the first level were an auditorium with stage, four classrooms, and offices. The second level contained four additional classrooms, a library, and a balcony that overlooked the auditorium.

In 1935, funding was acquired to construct three new wings to double the floor space and reduce the overcrowding. Fuller also designed these improvements.

In 1956-8 the school was converted into Grant Junior High School. Further improvements were designed by Alfred Watts, Architect, including a one-story cafeteria with kitchen and six additional classrooms. An annex was added in 1958 to provide space for a music room, shop, home economics rooms, and labs. The additions of 1956-8 were built in a modern 1950s style emphasizing larger windows and different shades of brick. In 1958, a football field was added at the east end of the site and tennis courts were constructed near the corner of Littleton Blvd. and Windermere Street. Grant Junior High was later converted into use by the Littleton School District as administrative offices.

The current Littleton High School, located at 199 E. Littleton Blvd., was completed in 1956 and contained convert|101600|sqft|m2. It was designed by Earl C. Morris and built by Mead & Mount. A 1958 addition added convert|7092|sqft|m2 of classrooms and was designed and built by the same companies for $87,875. In 1961, convert|78000|sqft|m2 of new classrooms were added for $1,235,000. Earl C. Morris also designed this addition, with general contracting work completed by Weaver Construction Company. Langfur Construction Co. completed remodeling behind the stage in 1968, with designs by Bourn & Dulaney. A new pool was added in 1969 for $394,369. The architect was Nixon-Brown-Brokaw-Bowen, and the contractor Hezlep Construction Co. A new convert|1200|sqft|m2|sing=on shop area was designed by Nixon-Brown-Brokaw-Bowen and built by Weaver Construction in 1979. The auditorium was remodeled and enlarged by convert|2400|sqft|m2 in 1985. That project went to Allred/Fisher, Architects and Van I. Warden general contractors. These additions more than doubled the original size of the high school. It is interesting to note that the gymnasium is one of few in the area to still have balcony seating for spectators.

Athletics

Sports programs at LHS include baseball, men's and women's basketball, cheers, cross country, football, men's and women's golf, gymnastics, men's and women's lacrosse, poms, men's and women's soccer, softball, swimming, men's and women's tennis, track, wrestling, and volleyball. In 2005 the Littleton Men's track team placed 2nd overall in 5A led by 4x100 Gold Medalists Nate Yorks and Shane Cronin who won individual Silver medals 2nd only to 100m/200m State Record breaker Jeremy Dodson(Yorks 2nd place 100m/200m, Cronin 2nd place 400m) and 4x400 relay Silver medal performances splitting 45.9 and 47.0, breaking the LHS 100 m, 200m, 400 m, 4x100m Relay records.

Clubs and Extracurricular Activities

Littleton High School offers more than thirty clubs and extracurricular activities to its students. These include nationally competing FBLA, DECA, TSA, and Speech and Debate. Volunteer and community outreach activities include Key club, Amnesty International,G.R.E.E.N. club, GSA, and FCCLA. Performance oriented activities include the International Thespian Society, Drama club, Improv club, Speech and debate, Littleton Cinema Society, Choral/Vocal music groups, and extracurricular band and orchestra. Activities with a more literary focus include Yearbook, Ink Literary Magazine, and the monthly Lion Roar newspaper. More intellectually focused groups include the Philosophy club, Math Club, Chess Club, Destination Imagination, International Affairs club, National Honor Society. For advising activities, there is the LINK crew, Positive Peer Counceling, and S.A.F.E. There are two language clubs, Spanish and Japanese. Political organizations include or sometimes include a Young Democrats group, Young Republicans group, Political committee, Lion's council, and Student Council.

Performing arts

Littleton High school has a long and proven history of exceptional performing arts in theater, band, and vocal music since its inception in 1907.

The drama program presents several productions each year, with auditions open to all students. These productions include a fall play and a winter musical. Additionally students may have opportunities to audition for, or work on crews for student directed plays throughout the year. Generally rehearsals are every night starting at 3:00, or evenings, during the run of the production.The theater has been home to hundreds of productions since the school's inception more than one hundred years ago, including Camelot, Dark at the top of the stairs, Prom Queens Unchained, Taming of the Shrew, Antigone, Chess, Bye Bye Birdie, Urinetown, Oklahoma, Seussical, Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Laramie Project, The Crucible, The Odd Couple, and All in the Timing. Additionally in the Spring of 2008 they housed the original play The Cliffs Edge written and directed by the students of the senior Thespian class. Many of these performances have been recognized and reviewed by "Colorado Backstage", a web theater critic site for professional productions across the state of Colorado.

The LHS Instrumental Music Department consists of two concert bands (Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band), one strings-only class (Chamber Orchestra), and two Jazz bands (Jazz Ensemble 1-2 for younger musicians/ Jazz Ensemble 3-4 for more advanced musicians). The department also includes a Marching Band, Basketball Band, Pit Orchestra for the Musical and several smaller ensembles for various performances. The Marching Band currently competes in the 4A bracket under the direction of Don Emmons and has performed shows such as Locomotion, Midnight in Transylvania, Medusa, Pirates, and Machines. The LHS Vocal Music Department consists of one non-audition ensemble: Women's Ensemble; and five audition only ensembles: Concert Choir, Troubadours, Manwich, Syrens, and Vocal Jazz. Both the Concert Choir and Troubadours have performed in many distinguished locations, such as the Kings Center at Metro State University and Boettcher Concert Hall. The Vocal Jazz group, under the direction of Jim Farrel, is known throughout the state as an excellent High School Jazz group, consistently winning state jazz competitions, the Chaparral High School High Plains Jazz Festival, UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival and the Arapahoe School District Jazz showcase. It is also known for having at least one student from the group be a member of the Colorado All State Jazz Group every year, the only high school to do so since the creation of the Colorado ASJ program.

International Baccalaureate

In 1997, Littleton High School applied to become an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program School. After approval, the first class of 14 students graduated in 1999 and had a 100% passing rate: all students earned their IB diploma. Since then, the program has flourished. In May 2007, 46 seniors graduated from the program, with 44 of them earning their diplomas. Over the program’s 9 year history, 96% of the diploma candidates have earned their diploma. In addition, over 35% of Littleton High School’s teachers have attended a four day intensive training on the curriculum and assessments.

Distinguished Alumni

Famed Hispanic business men, brothers, Sam J. Chavez, Jr. and Lloyd G. Chavez, Sr.

JT Scheuerman Track & Field Gold Medalist 100 m, 200m, 400 m, 4x200m Relay (Baylor)

Shannon Flahive Track & Field 4x200 Gold Medalist (Harvard)

Nate Yorks, Shane Cronin, Chris Romero, Marcus Brogan Track & Field 4x100m Relay Gold Medalists (Butler CC, Utah State/Colorado)

Donald Adetoye, Dan Huck, Mark Gradisharr, Noah Feruzi Track & Field 4x400m Relay Gold Medalists (Doane, Colorado School of Mines, Central Arizona CC)

Brad Corrigan (Dispatch, Braddigan) rock drummer, guitarist, and singer

External links

* [http://littleton.littletonpublicschools.net Littleton High School Web Page]
* [http://web.mac.com/lhsperformingarts/Site/Mane_Page.html Littleton High School Performing arts page]