Bellmont High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Bellmont High School
type = Public
accreditation= North Central Accreditation

city = Decatur
state = IN
country = USA
district = North Adams Community Public Schools
motto = Profiles of Our Future
colors = Navy Blue, Red, and White
mascot = Braves and Squaws
established = 1967
principal = Adrian Ritchie
grades = 9–12
students = Approximately 900
newspaper = The BraveTalk
yearbook= The Legend
website = [http://www.nadams.k12.in.us/bhs/default.htm Bellmont High School]

Bellmont High School, located in Decatur, Indiana, boasts a 2007-2008 student population of 907. The school was founded in 1967. The men's athletics teams are known as the Braves, and the women's teams are called the Squaws [http://www.nadams.k12.in.us/bhs/default.htm] .

About Bellmont High School

A member of the North Central Accreditation and rated as a comprehensive high school by the Indiana Department of Education, Bellmont offers over 100 subject offerings, numerous clubs, and 19 varsity athletic teams. In addition, students may choose from 11 departmental areas. Bellmont High School has been in existence since 1967. As with many schools of the time, Bellmont was a consolidation of Decatur Catholic High School, Monmouth High School, and Decatur High School. It was originally located on 4th and Madison St. Two years later, the school moved to its current location at 1000 E North Adams Drive on the site of the former Bellmont Park. Since that time, the building has been expanded a number of times to include improvements to the expansion of the athletic complexes and the widening curriculum. Bellmont has two gymnasiums as well as modern facilities for all varsity sports. Bellmont also has an award-winning JROTC and widely recognized band and arts program. The Reid Erekson Theatre seats 820 and is renowned as one of the finest high school theatres in the state.

Mission Statement

The mission of the students, teachers, parents and administrators of Bellmont High School is to be personally and collectively responsible to learn, grow and succeed in our constantly changing world.

Academics

Bellmont High School has 60 teachers in 11 departments, 3 guidance counselors, and 8 full-time administrators for the 2007-2008 school year. Each department includes a wide variety of classes such as the Business department, which includes such classes as accounting, DECA, and Business and Personal Law. Currently, three foreign languages are offered, German, Spanish, and French, though Latin was taught for over 30 years by the late Bob Scheidler. Bellmont has had numerous National Merit Scholars, and students annually receive thousands in local scholarships. The class of 2006 had a graduation rate of 78.1% [ [http://mustang.doe.state.in.us/SEARCH/snapshot.cfm?schl=0029 "Indiana Department of Education"] , May 2006.]

Mascot/School Colors

Since its inception in 1967, the mascot of Bellmont High School has been the Braves and Squaws. One of the few schools in the country to have a mascot for each gender, Bellmont was listed along with more than 300 high schools and colleges as offensive by USA Today in 1992. When the school was originally formed, the Bellmont Bruins was considered as a possible nickname as well as the North Adams Arachnids or Arabians.

School Song

Set to the tune of "Hail Purdue", Bellmont's school song can be heard at most school athletic events.

Lyrics:

"Hail Bellmont"

Hail, Bellmont Braves, all hail,

All hail to our colors so true!

Hail, Bellmont Braves, all hail!

We'll ever be loyal to you.

Ever faithful ever true,

Thus we raise our song anew,

Spread the fame of our dear name,

O Bellmont Braves, all hail!

The Block B

During the 1967-1968 school year, Bellmont's Student Council adopted the "Block B" symbol. To this day the Block B is awarded to students who earn a letter academically or athletically and is proudly displayed on letterman jackets school wide.

Extracurriculars

Bellmont offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities. Activities include:

Scholastic Bowl Team

Athletics

Concert and Marching Band

Orchestra

JROTC

"The BraveTalk" Newspaper

"The Legend" Yearbook

Brave Generation Show Choir

Athletics

Bellmont Offers a wide variety of competitive sports teams.

Baseball Team

Boys & Girls Basketball Teams

Cheerleading Squad

Boys & Girls Cross Country Teams

Dance Team

Football Team

Boys & Girls Golf Teams

Boys & Girls Soccer Teams

Rifle Team

Softball Team

Boys & Girls Swimming Teams

Boys & Girls Tennis Teams

Boys & Girls Track Teams

Volleyball Team

Wrestling Team

Clubs

Bellmont offers a large number over 20 clubs in which students can participate.

Art Club

Beta Club

Deutsche Klub (German Club)

Drama Club

FBLA

FFA Club

Le Cercle Français (French Club)

Future Educators of America

National Honors Society

ROTC

SADD Club

Speech & Debate

Spanish Club

Sports

Many sporting events are carried by the local radio affiliate WZBD 92.7. The station is, in fact, one of only two in the state of Indiana to carry a full season of high school wrestling. The wrestling team is currently ranked in the top ten and won the state team title in 1987 and 1988 under former coach Denny Hayes. In 1994, under current coach and alumnus Brent Faurote, they won their third state title. Faurote won a state title himself for Bellmont in 1980 in the 98 pound weight class. The team has also won semi-state (17), regional (26), sectional (33) championships.

The boys basketball team was the state runner-up to rival Evansville Mater Dei in 2004.

In 2007 under the direction of alumnus Craig Krull, the girls volleyball team won the school's first girls' team sport championship.

The softball team received 3rd in state in 2006 and region runner up in 2007.

Notable Alumni

*Eric R. Bittner is an associate professor at the University of Huston in theoretical chemical physics. His honors include National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemistry in (1995), an NSF CAREER Award in Chemistry (1999), and a Guggenheim Fellowship(2007) [http://k2.chem.uh.edu/] .

*Seth Colclasure a star guard for the Braves, set the national record for free throws hitting 167 of 171 in 2001. He also finished as the state scoring champion that year and was considered for Mr. Basketball. Colclasure later played at Valparaiso University.

*Kip Jones scored over 1,600 points in his Bellmont career, was runner-up for Mr. Basketball 1985, and was a McDonald's All-American in 1985. Jones played collegiately at Purdue for Gene Keady, and professionally in Hong Kong and in Turkey, as well as in training camps with the Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks.

*Robert Spaull returned to his native South Africa from a year abroad at Bellmont as a Rotary Exchange Student to run for office in the first South African democratic local government elections as an independent candidate - believed at that time to be the youngest South African ever to have done so. Currently, he works for the Median Fund in investor relations and communications.

*Heckles the Rodeo Clown, a 2000 graduate, has 19,127 career saves as a distinguished traveling rodeo clown. Working in San Antonio he received a key to city, from mayor Amerigo Vespucci, after defeating King Kong, Megatron, and Opera in cardboard boat building contest. Currently, Heckles the Rodeo Clown, is working to fix the American credit crisis by teaching the values of the barter system at local elementary schools around the country.

References

External links

* [http://www.nadams.k12.in.us/bhs Official website]
* [http://www.nadams.k12.in.us/bhs/new_web/Athletics/athletics.htm Athletics home]
* [http://www.wzbd.com/sports_list.php Sports Broadcast Calendar]