Manchester High School West
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2015) |
| Manchester High School West | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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9 Notre Dame Avenue , 03102 | |
| Coordinates | 42°59′10″N 71°28′31″W / 42.9862°N 71.4752°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | "West is Best" |
| Established | 1923 |
| School district | Manchester School District |
| Principal | Christopher Motika |
| Teaching staff | 82.8 (FTE) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1192 (2012-2013) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.40 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Blue & White |
| Mascot | Blue Knight |
| Website | west |
| [1] | |
Manchester High School West, known as West High or West, is a public high school located in Manchester, New Hampshire. According to the Blue Book: Manchester High School West Hand Book (1940), the school was officially opened in September 1923 as a grade school and high school, hosting the seventh and eighth grades. In 1924, with an upsurge in enrollment to 136 pupils, the school became a dedicated high school. The first graduating class was in June 1925.
According to the 1940 Blue Book, the mission of the school was to give "each pupil an opportunity to find a career to which he is best adapted and to establish its basis by diligent study in order to promote his progress in life and to give him confidence in facing the world." The courses of study originally offered by Manchester High School West were manual arts, home economics, the commercial course, the classical course (for those planning to go on to university) and the general course.
Students living in Hooksett and Manchester attend West High School. West is one of three public high schools in Manchester. Well over 2,000 students attended West at its peak enrollment.
In the past, Bedford, a suburb of Manchester, sent its high school-aged students to West. After a generation of debate and several votes, the town of Bedford eventually voted to build its own high school. The expanding class sizes at West and growing population of Bedford finally convinced Bedford voters of a need for a new high school. Bedford High School opened at the beginning of the 2007–2008 school year. With the opening of Bedford High School, Bedford students were phased out of West High School, reducing the enrollment at West to around 1,300 students.[2]
West High School's mascot is the Blue Knight.
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 1192 students enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year was:[1]
- Male - 56.9%
- Female - 43.1%
- Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
- Asian/Pacific islander - 5.0%
- Black - 8.3%
- Hispanic - 10.4%
- White - 72.2%
- Multiracial - 3.4%
Clubs and activities
West has an active FIRST Robotics team.[3] The award-winning "Powerknights" won the BAE Systems Granite State Regional in 2004 and 2007, the Chairman's Award in 2005, the Spirit Award in the Southern California Regional 2006, the Engineering Inspiration Award in 2008, and have won several other notable awards. In 2008, the team traveled to a regional event in Texas (where they finished second) and to the international championships in Atlanta.
West High School's acting company is known as the Theatre Knights. Theatre Knights made NH history in 2010 when they were invited to the international Fringe Festival in Scotland for the second time. The school's math team has won SMASH league championships for the past three years. Over a 23 year history, the school has won 15 championships, making them the state leaders.
West High School is home to a chapter of DECA, a marketing and entrepreneurship organization. This chapter is very active both within school and the community. The West chapter competes at the New Hampshire DECA state conference and the International Career Development Conference.
West High School is home to an FBLA chapter. FBLA is a program that promotes business education and teamwork through meetings, activities, and conferences. West is the only school within the Manchester school district with an FBLA chapter.
The school newspaper is the Blueprint. The school yearbook is the Thesaurus. It was one of the first clubs at West, with the first yearbook released in 1931.
DECA; is a country wide club specializing in business and is one of the top in the state for competition
Athletics
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West athletics have a particularly strong rivalry with another city high school, Manchester Central.
The girls soccer team has been consistently ranked as one of the top in the nation by national soccer publications as well as winning several state Class L championships. Longtime coach Jack Amero (affectionately called "Captain") recently retired, leaving the program in a state of limbo.
The men's tennis team were state champions in 2005 and runners up in 2007.
Notable alumni
- Janel Bishop, 1991 Miss Teen USA
- Carrie Jones, young-adult novelist
- Dick and Mac McDonald, founders of McDonald's fast-food restaurants
- Josh Meyers, comedian and actor, MADtv and That '70s Show
- Seth Meyers, comedian (Saturday Night Live), brother of Josh
- Rand Pecknold, ice hockey coach
- Patricia Racette, internationally known opera soprano
- Charles Revson, founder of Revlon
- Laura Silverman, actor
- Sarah Silverman, actor and comedian (attended freshman year)
References
- ^ a b "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Manchester West High School". ed.gov. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "NH School and District Profiles; Manchester West High School, 2011-12 School Year". NH Department of Education. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ Fun is the FIRST Priority. Union Leader March 1, 2008[dead link]
Sources
- "Bedford Withdrawal from West Approved" by Riley Yates, The New Hampshire Union Leader, January 10, 2006, retrieved January 10, 2006.