Manchester Memorial High School

Manchester Memorial High School
Location
Manchester, NH, USA
Information
Type	Public high school
Motto	"scientia est potentia" (Knowledge is power)
Established	1960
Principal	Arthur L. Adamakos
Staff	168
Number of students	2,100
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Red, White, Blue
Nickname	Crusaders
Website	[1]

Manchester Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive school in Manchester, New Hampshire, with an enrollment of approximately 2,100. The school's Latin motto is "scientia est potentia."

Manchester Memorial accepts students from Manchester as well as the suburban-rural communities of Auburn, Hooksett, and Candia.

Academics

Manchester Memorial High School (MMHS) has received accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and from the New Hampshire Department of Education.

The curriculum offers a wide selection of courses to meet the needs and the abilities of all students. Classes are offered in English, social studies, mathematics, science, foreign languages, art, music, physical education & health, business, family and consumer science, library science, technology education, special education, and vocational education at the Manchester School of Technology. All classes meet five times a week. However, some classes, including Marketing and several science classes with a lab, meet seven periods a week.

The school has a variety of Advanced Placement Program classes. As of the 2011- 2012 school year these included AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Latin: Vergil, AP Physics B, AP Studio Art, and AP United States Government and Politics.

Athletics

Memorial High School is a member of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA). It participates in Division I for hockey and football and Class L for the remaining sports.

The Crusaders had great success in Division I hockey in the late 1980s into the mid 1990s. They were crowned state champions in 1989, 1991, and 1995.

In 2006 the softball team competed for the Class L championship under the coaching of David Hedge, but lost to Salem. The baseball team, however, won the Class L championship game against Bishop Guertin in that same year, led by coach Don Menswar. It was the first title for Memorial in any team sport since the baseball team won the Division I title in 1998, ending a title drought of eight years.

From 1991-1993, the Memorial boys' basketball team suffered through a horrendous losing streak, dropping 50+ straight games. The streak received national attention, and when the team finally won a game (during the Queen City Invitational Basketball Tournament against Laconia of Class I), it was reported on Boston television stations.

The Memorial boys' track team has been one of the most accomplished team in the 2000s, winning eight consecutive City Championship titles and ranking as one of the top teams in the state each year. In 2008 and 2009, the Memorial boys' outdoor track and field team won back-to-back NHIAA Class L championships under former Head Coach Richard Provencher. This was the first time such a feat had been accomplished since the 1980s.

History

Memorial High opened in 1960. Originally, the school had a statue of a crusader (the school's mascot) outside the administrative office, but this was stolen in the first year and was never replaced.

In 1992, the first annual FIRST Robotics Competition was held in the gymnasium. FIRST is a robotics competition in which high school students design and build robots to play a game. The first one was held in the gymnasium, but has grown into an international competition involving 5,000 teams across 3 leagues (FIRST Lego League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition) from over 30 countries. The FIRST world championship is now held in the Georgia Dome and World Congress Center.

Grading system

4.0 grading scale (unweighted) up to 15.0 (weighted) with weighted and unweighted rankings.

Notable alumni

• Robert A. Baines, 3-term mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire
• Steve Balboni, Major League Baseball player (New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners)
• Gen. Robert W. Cone, United States Army, Commanding Officer of III Corps (United States)
• Mike Flanagan, pitcher and Cy Young Award winner with the Baltimore Orioles
• Don Florence, pitcher with the New York Mets
• Mike LaValliere, catcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates^{[citation needed]}
• Joseph W. McQuaid, publisher, New Hampshire Union Leader