Garden Spot High School

Garden Spot High School
File:GardenSpotArial.JPG USGS image of Garden Spot HS and MS
Address
669 East Main Street New Holland , Lancaster , Pennsylvania 17557 United States
Coordinates	40.1109°N 76.0692°W / 40.1109; -76.0692
Information
School type	Public, Secondary
Established	1950s
School district	Eastern Lancaster County School District
Superintendent	Robert Hollister
Principal	Carol Kelsall
Grades	9th – 12th
Gender	Co-educational
Schedule type	Block scheduling
Campus	Rural
Color(s)	Blue and gray
Mascot	Spartans
Rival	Conestoga Valley High School
Yearbook	Spartanus
Feeder schools	Garden Spot Middle School
Information	(717) 354–1550
Website	Garden Spot High School

Garden Spot High School is located in New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Founded in the 1950s, this is the only Senior High School in the Eastern Lancaster County School District.

Extra-curricular activities

Garden Spot Performing Arts

Garden Spot High School is quite possibly most famous for its theater program, "Garden Spot Performing Arts" (GSPA). GSPA began in 1967, founded by then-High School English Teacher Stanley D. Deen. Deen lead the organization for 30 years. Credit also goes to Deen's earliest collaborators, fellow Garden Spot teachers Bill Reilly (set and lighting design), Francis A. Palumbo (costume design and make up), David Martin (set construction) and Marlin Houck (music director). Deen retired from teaching and directing at Garden Spot in 1997. To honor his legacy as both a teacher and theater director, Garden Spot's auditorium was named after him in the year 2000. Deen returned in 2010 to direct their spring musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown".

Now internet famous for creating "The Worst Video on the Internet" with the Gangnum Style parody "Spartan High School Style": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTin-eTnkOM

KGSH

Garden Spot High School is also known for its Television news team, called KGSH. KGSH is a morning news program that informs students and teachers of upcoming school events, weather reports, sports news, and the ever popular e-news. Originally a radio station, KGSH converted to an in-house TV station in 1991 The station is currently run by Mr. Mike Stitzer. KGSH is also a class taught in the high school. In which students learn how to use video editing software to create original or parodied graphics/openings.

Orchestra

The Garden Spot High School Orchestra is a symphonic orchestra directed by Jeff Hackenberger, who has appeared in numerous motion pictures. String musicians are school students selected by audition with the director; wind players are selected based on their audition performance in the Garden Spot High School Concert Band. The orchestra performs a holiday concert in December and an end-of-the-year concert in May. Musicians routinely appear in county and district orchestra festivals.

Hackenberger has since retired, and due to the decision of ELANCO School District superintendent, a part-time position was created to handle the senior high orchestra program. The middle school and elementary string programs have been assigned to the existing music staff. Although this new format is not ideal and has required some adjustment from both teachers and students, it has proven to be beneficial in some aspects. The new format has allowed for the creation of a string quartet, which performs several throughout the community during the school year. The orchestra will continue to perform a holiday concert and a spring concert.

Sports

Boys basketball

The basketball team won back to back to back Section 2 Championships from 1999–2001. They won a record 34 straight league games, and were ranked no lower than No. 2 each year in districts. The teams qualified each of those years for the league, district, and state playoffs, and placed 2nd in Districts in the 2001 season. The team were "coached" by George Stroup, who "coached" the team from 1998–2001. The 1999 team, which was known as the "Blonde Bombers", after every member of the team, including the coaching staff, dyed their heard blond, was led by Chad Heller, who went on to continue his basketball career at Elizabethtown College. The 2000 team was led by current Head Basketball Coach at Garden Spot, Ryan Trupe, who went onto play at Alvernia College, and Mike Snader, who was nominated to the All Section 2 Team. The 2001 was led by the only starter on all three section championship teams, Curtis Waltman. Waltman would finish his career as the schools all time leading scorer, finishing with 2,690 which currently ranks 2nd in Lancaster-Lebanon League History and 15th all time in Pennsylvania History. He also set Lancaster-Lebanon League records for most points scored in a game, 60, highest average of points per game in a season, 36.0, and most points scored in a season, 1,089. He was nominated to the 2001 All-State Team, the 1st player in school history, and finished 2nd in Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball voting. He went on to attend Villanova University on a football scholarship. Listed below are the contributing members from each Varsity team.

1999	2000	2001
Ed Carvajal (Sr.)	Ryan Trupe (Sr.)	Curtis Waltman (Sr.)
Chad Heller (Sr.)	Mike Snader(Sr.)	Nate Washabuagh (Sr.)
Brian Laub (Sr.)	John Wenger (Sr.)	Kyle Chapin (Sr.)
Jeremy Graybill (Sr.)	Marshall Usner (Sr.)	Jeremy Gresh (Sr.)
Ryan Trupe (Jr.)	Matt Usner (Sr.)	Rob Harris (Jr.)
Mike Snader (Jr.)	Jared Ruth (Sr.)	Dustin Musser (Jr.)
John Wenger (Jr.)	Scott Messner (Sr.)
Marshall Usner (Jr.)	Curtis Waltman (Jr.)
Jared Ruth (Jr.)
Curtis Waltman (Soph.)

Todd O'Brien, class of 2007, currently is the starting Center on the St. Josephs's Basketball Team. He is the only Garden Spot High School Basketball player to play at a Division 1 School. He was a three-time All-Section 2 First Team selection, averaged over 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in his scholastic career, recorded over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 blocked shots in his career and led the 2007 team to the District 3 playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season.

Boys football

Mike Harris, class of 2005, was named the PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Player of the Year, Daktronics All-Super Region 1 First Team selection, and AFCA All American Team in 2009. He concluded his tenure at Shippensburg as just the 14th player in PSAC history to compile 3,000 receiving yards (197 career receptions, 3,000 career receiving yards). Just the second player in program history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season, Harris's 62 receptions for 1,018 yards during the 2009 season marks just the second time in school history that a player achieved this feat in back-to-back campaigns. Harris finished his career with the school record for the most career games with a touchdown reception (20). His 25 career touchdowns are also just one short of the school's record. At Garden Spot, he led the 2005 Football Team to the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 1994, and was named 1st Team All Section 2 Wide Receiver.

Curtis Waltman, class of 2001, was the 1st Garden Spot football player nominated to the AP All State team in the year 2000. He was nominated as Section 2 Wide Receiver and Defensive Back of the year in 1999, and in the year 2000 went on to be named 1st team Section 2 Quarterback after rushing for over 1,000 yards, 1st Team Section 2 Defensive Back, Defensive Back of the Year, and Section 2 Player of the Year. He went onto attend Villanova University on a football scholarship, where he lettered two years and was a part of the 2001 Atlantic 10 Championship Team, and the 2002 Team which reach the final four of the Division 1AA playoffs. He is currently the Head Football Coach at Pequea Valley High School.

Nate Musselman, class of 1996, played on the 1994 Section 3 Championship Team, the last team to win a Section Championship. He led the 1995 and 1996 teams to the District 3 playoffs, falling in the District Final in 1996. He was named to the All Section Team in 1996. He became the 1st Garden Spot Football player to attend a Division 1 School, Bucknell, and was named 1st Team First Team All-Patriot League selection in 1997 when he intercepted seven passes and registered 27 tackles (17 solo). The seven interceptions were the most in a single season by a Bison player since 1970 and tied for third on the all-time list.

The 2008 Football team proved to be one of the best in recent memory, making it to the District 3 Semi-Finals. The last team to make it past the first round was the 2004 squad led by then Quarterback Shane Martin. The 2008 team led by Quarterback Weston Martin, Wide Receivers Tyler Eby, Kyle Kelley and Derrek Deshaw, and the ever resilient backfield of Anderson Beamer, and Joe Strangarity. The regular season was somewhat of an oddity in which the team only went 6–4, but they peaked at the right time. In the first round of the playoffs the team looked to be out after heading into the half down 34–10 to Lebanon in Lebanon, but the Lebanon team had fought hard all day and was very tired. The Spartans were able to score 36 straight to win the game in the second half. They would put the cherry on top the next week by beating Number 2 seed, Greencastle-Antrim. The Spartans would only falter in the snow at West York.

Also of note was the 2011 football squad witch although finishing third in the section advanced to playoffs with a 7-3 record, which surely would have been a 9-1 record if not for a suspect loss against Lampeter Strasburg in the late weeks of the season. The refs repeatedly made bad calls throughout the game, at least 5-8, and were denounced throughout many media sources in the days following. The team later lost once again to Mannheim Central in one of their best chances to ever beat the Barons. The team would fall in the first round of playoffs to Conrad Weiser. The team was led by 3 year starter Connor Schlegel, who had 19 touchdowns and his quarterback John Armbrust. Other seniors of note on the team included: Robbie Barret, Ben Sensenig, Robbie King, Ryan Connel, Dakoda Leid, Jason Nolt, and Nathan Shimp. The team also had many promosing junior and sophomore players that show promise going into next year which will mark the first year for them since the early 90's in Section 3. The team also had an above par student following, and a rowdy student section throughout the season.

Boys soccer

The 2002 Lancaster Lebanon League Section 2 Soccer team won 14–0, and are the only undefeated soccer team in the school's history.

The 1968 soccer team was 12–1–3 winning the League Championship, the PIAA District 3 Championship and the Inter-District 1–3 Championship (over Ridley Twp. 2–1). There was no State Tournament during this era. The team was coached by Bob Weaver and captained by Terry Myer, Ed Ludwig, and Larry Overly. The other starters were Bob Kuipers, Bob Walters, Carl Sollenberger, Bob Longer, Dan Lowry, Rick Sanger, Rick Witwer and Bob Hurst.

Among other memorable players, Garden Spot High School would like to mention Josh Trimby (Class of '98). His punishing style of play put fans in the seats and made the weekly, fall soccer games a buzz within the school walls. He was known for his thunderous shots on goal and the intensity he brought to the game.

School changes

Block scheduling

Close-up image of Garden Spot Senior High School

GSHS has decided to shift to block scheduling for the 2008–2009 school year, and for all following years.

Renovations

GSHS will be undergoing major renovations in 2010 and 2011 [1]. Changes will be made to the science wing, family consumer science classrooms (middle and high school), art and visual arts classrooms, cafeteria, performing arts (band, orchestra, chorus rooms), auditorium, library, stair cases, health room, and the administration and guidance offices (middle and high school.) There will also be renovations to the middle school, high school and main entrances. The side of the middle schools towards Tower Road will also be renovated along with the courtyards in the high school. New bleachers and scoreboard will also be added along with a newly constructed concession stand and bathrooms.