Selinsgrove Area High School

Selinsgrove Area High School is a public school located in Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the Selinsgrove Area School District. The school's enrollment is approximately 980 students in grades nine through twelve. The school serves an immediate community of 23,000 residents, while also serving as one of the larger schools in the Selinsgrove-Sunbury-Lewisburg region, which has a total population of approximately 117,000.

Curriculum

Course Offerings

, History, Geography, Business) as well as more practical applications, such as Agricultural Science, Family and Consumer Science and Technology. Selinsgrove High has a Music Department which is home to the Selinsgrove Area High School Marching Band and two choruses. Advance Placement courses are offered in several subjects. Students in Calculus, Statistics, and European History have regularly scored 5's on the exam.

A dual enrollment program allows juniors and seniors to attend local universities at little or no cost. Students must have attained proficient or advanced on the PSSA's to qualify for this program. Successful students can enter the college of their choice with credits sufficient to eliminate a semester or more and the associated costs. College classes are scheduled through the Guidance Department and the Principal.

The curriculum is currently under revision to align it with the 1999 [http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=76716 Pennsylvania Academic Standards] . These standards are assessed in the eighth and eleventh grades under the guise of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. These tests last several days and cover Reading, Writing, Speaking, Mathematics and Science. Additionally, the school is seeking accreditation through the Middle States organization.

Graduation Rate
2006: 94.09%
2007: 96.62%
2008: 91.6%

PSSA Scores

Reading (percent proficient or better)
2001: 61.1%
2002: 63%
2003: 56.6% - State Avg 59.2%
2004: 64% - State Avg 60.8%
2005: 73% - State Avg 65%
2006: 72% - State Avg 65.1%
2007: 68.7% - State Avg 65.4%
2008: 69% - State Avg 65%

Math (percent proficient or better)
2001: 48.8%
2002: 49.4%
2003: 41.4% - State Avg 49.1%
2004: 47.1% - State Avg 49.1%
2005: 49% - State Avg 51%
2006: 48.6% - State Avg 52%
2007: 52.7% - State Avg 53.7%
2008: 60.3% - State Avg 56%

In 2005, [http://www.schooldigger.com/schoolrank.aspx?Level=3&findschool=2274006280 SAHS ranked 306th out of 601 PA high schools] for test scores on PSSAs. In 2007, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the district 235th out of 499 Pennsylvania school districts based on three years of Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment test scores. [ Valley schools all over the chart, Daily Item June 6, 2007 http://www.dailyitem.com/archivesearch/local_story_163000144.html ] In 2006, the high school was ranked 313 out of 607 Pennsylvania high schools based on PSSA scores combined. [ High school rankings by Schooldigger.com] .

Writing (percent proficient or better)
2003: 62.4%
2004: 76.9%
2005: 67.8%
2006: 90.1% - State Avg 85%

AT Scores

2006: 139 students Verbal 514, Math 508, State - Verbal 493, Math 500
2005: 141 students Verbal 518, Math 521, State - Verbal 501, Math 503
2004: 124 students Verbal 493, Math 490, State - Verbal 501, Math 502
2003: 124 students Verbal 490, Math 503, State - Verbal 500, Math 502
2002: 136 students Verbal 495, Math 500, State - Verbal 498, Math 500
2001: 120 students Verbal 531, Math 520, State - Verbal 500, Math 499

Graduation Project

Also essential to graduation is the Pennsylvania state-mandated "Graduation Project." This [http://www.seal-pa.org/sahs/mediacenter/grad-project-info.asp four-year project] often takes on many forms, including entrepreneurship and community service. It is paired with a final paper and presentation to a faculty panel. The panel then decides whether the project is below average, average, or commedable. Students must achieve at least an "average" score on all parts of the project in order to graduate.

cheduling

Selinsgrove uses "block scheduling." This method of scheduling divides the day into four blocks, all of which are approximately 90 minutes in length. Full-credit classes meet once per day for an entire semester. Half-credit classes meet every other day for a semester. A total of 27 credits are required to graduate.

In addition to the traditional bricks-and-mortar format, the school offers alternative education, dual enrollment, technology and job skills training at SUN Area Career and Technology Center and a program called "Seals Den".

afety

In the 2005-2006 School Violence Report to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Selinsgrove Area School District reported 38 incidents including: 8 assaults on students, 7 arrests, 3 ethnic/race intimidation incidents, 8 fights, 1 indecent assault, and 2 incidents involving weapons on school grounds. [School Safety Annual Report 2005-2006 to Pennsylvania Department of Education.]

tudent Activities

Clubs and Organizations

Selinsgrove's student life programs number in the twenties and include both national and local programs such as Technology Student Association, Forensics (of the National Forensic League), Chess club, FFA, Student Government, Web Heads, and an anime club .

Music and Performance

The school's music program offers both band instrumental and voice training.

Band

The Selinsgrove Area High School Marching Band supports the community by playing at local events like the annual Memorial Day ceremony and the Market Street Festival. Selinsgrove's band also performs each week at the school's football games; they perform in concert form at least once per semester. The band has played at Canadian football games and marched in several Disney World holiday parades.

Chorus

The Honors Chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall and at the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC as the representative of Pennsylvania. The 2005-2006 chorus premiered Matthew Harris' piece, "Oceanic Eyes".

Theater

Students can also elect to participate on-stage in Selinsgrove's 2 plays or annual musical. Notable productions in recent years include "The Little Shop of Horrors", "Annie Get Your Gun", Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Footloose", and "Copacabana".

Accolades

Students from the school have been notably successful in participating in Pennsylvania History Day and the Pennsylvania Mock Trial Competition.

Athletics

The interscholastic athletic program offers students a plethora of opportunities to develop sport-related skills. Several of the school's teams have excelled recently, including the Bowling, Field Hockey, Girls Basketball and Football teams. Selinsgrove participates in various sports through the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and will be a member of the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference beginning in 2008-2009. [Stafford, Todd [http://www.dailyitem.com/archivesearch/local_story_139203100.html "New athletic League becomes a reality"] , The Daily Item, May 19, 2007.]

A fee of $25 is charged for students to participate in the athletics program. Students who qualify for free and reduced price meals are exempted from the fee.

In 2003-2005 the district spent over $2.5 million dollars to update and extend its athletic facilities. This ambitious project included: a new all weather track, major renovations to the football stadium including installing artificial turf, adding locker facilities and a deluxe food service area for the boosters, two new soccer fields, and a renovated field hockey field. Improvements were also made to the baseball and softball facilities. [ Larson Design Group Selinsgrove Project http://www.larsondesigngroup.com/project-selinsgrove-hs.asp ]

Boys Sports

Baseball
Basketball
Bowling
Cross-Country
American football
Golf
Soccer
Tennis
Track and Field
Wrestling

Girls Sports

Basketball
Bowling
Cheerleading
Cross-Country
Field Hockey
Soccer
Softball
Tennis
Track and Field
Wrestling

Alma Mater

Selinsgrove's Alma Mater was written by Harold W. Follmer, Jr., Class of 1942.
:High o'er towering the town - Stands the school we love.:No more beautiful school is there to be found.:We love its great halls, winding malls, ivied walls.:We love all its fields, courts and classrooms, They are so dear!:Many happy hours have we spent here.:Here friendships have been made that will never die.:We shall never, ne'r forget those, we here have met.:Time cannot loose the bonds that unite us all.:For we pledge to keep alive our deep brotherhood.:All hail and praise be e'er given to thee our loved old "S-H-S.":Memories we cherish will never perish memories of SHS.:Here we have worked, played, foundations strong laid; to be prepared for life.:We thank the people for our free school; teachers to give it life.

:Hail Alma Mater - our cherished mother.:Hail to thy glorious name! May it have wide fame,:God grant that we be - of your past worthy:And in future years - you may have no peers."

Faculty

The students are served by approximately 70 unionized faculty. The majority are considered [http://www.seal-pa.org/dnn/Portals/0/Administration/Curriculum/certifications.pdf highly qualified] under the No Child Left Behind Act. There are also a variety of classified staff who provide classroom support, clerical services, grounds and building services and food services. The current teachers' union contract is in effect from July 2005 until July 2010.

Building

The current high school building was built in the 1930's through funding from "The New Deal". The building was designed by Lawrie and Green architects of Harrisburg, PA. It is a concrete with steel framing construction, masonry walls and has a red brick exterior.

A two story addition was added to the rear of the building that provides a sizable Media Center, several technology labs, a four office Guidance suite, as well as, science and social studies classrooms. There is a cafeteria, a gymnasium with locker rooms, weight lifting rooms and secondary gym space. Parking is available on all four sides of the building. The Harold L. Bolig Memorial football field and Simon R. Rhoads Memorial Track are located behind the high school building.

External links

* [http://www.seal-pa.org Selinsgrove Area School District]
* [http://www.paayp.com/index.html Selinsgrove Area School District report card]
* [http://www.sun-tech.org/ SUN Area Career and Technology Center]
* [http://www.dailyitem.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/NEWS04/605030317/-1/LIVING0208 Seals Den teaches skills for independent living]
* [http://www.lycolaw.org/public/mock_trial/2006.htm Pennsylvania Mock Trial Competition]
* [http://www.outreach.psu.edu/c&i/historyday/ National History Day in Pennsylvania]
* [http://www.dailyitem.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20060925/news04/609250308/-1/news04&template=printart Selinsgrove Tolerance Troupe sends a message]
* [http://www.dailyitem.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS01/703260303/-1/NEWS Selinsgrove team strives to be smart about money]

References