Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School | |
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Location | |
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Coordinates | 42°32′41″N 70°58′27″W / 42.54472°N 70.97417°W |
Information | |
Type | Public high school |
Motto | "Believe and Achieve"[5] |
Opened | 1970[4] |
Principal | Eric Buckley |
Assistant Principal | Judith Maniatis |
Faculty | 134.32 (on FTE basis)[1] (2015–16) |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1,480[2] (2017–18) |
Student to teacher ratio | 11.7[2] (2017–18) |
Color(s) | Blue and White |
Athletics conference | Northeastern Conference (NEC) |
Nickname | Tanners |
Accreditation | NEASC |
Website | peabody.k12.ma.us/schools/pvmhs/ |
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School (PVMHS), also known as Peabody High School, is a comprehensive public high school in Peabody, Massachusetts. It is the only comprehensive public high school in the Peabody School District, spanning grades 9–12 in the U.S. education system. It is particularly known for its drama program, called Stage One.
Academics
The school's academic departments include AFJROTC, Business & Technology, Career and Technical Education, English, Family & Consumer Science, Foreign Languages, Health & Physical Education, Mathematics, Performing Arts, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, Technology Support, and Visual Arts.[5]
The Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC) program is a military-based set of courses for students interested in pursuing a military career.[5]
The Career and Technical Education Program has five approved career pathway programs: Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Electronics and Engineering, and Medical Assisting.[5]
The Peabody Community School Program is a separate special education day school operated by PVMHS that assists students with emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. The school is a therapeutic environment with extensive differentiation, small classes, and focused behavioral programs.[5]
Stage One: the drama club at PVMHS
The PVMHS theater program, known as Stage One, is one of the most well-known in the state of Massachusetts. Stage One was founded when the school was new in 1970 by faculty member Father Frank Toste, who was a Catholic priest and member of the Congregation of Holy Cross – a teaching order of the priesthood.[6] Toste, who was also a Navy veteran of World War II and an actor who performed at the North Shore Music Theatre and in several films and television programs including Oliver's Story, The Proposition, and American Playhouse, was a particularly dynamic and energetic teacher, and he continued to run the program until 1990.[6][7] In January 1994, Mr. Richard Carey was hired to be the new director,[8] and Mrs. June Kessel came on board as Stage One advisor. Both Carey and Kessel continue their roles through the present.
For more than three decades, Stage One has competed in the Massachusetts High School Theater Festival, run annually by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild. The school routinely makes it to the finals of the Festival competition, and has been one of the three selected winners on five occasions (with Equus in 1983,[9] La Bête in 1997,[10] Alchemy of Desire / Dead Man's Blues in 2012,[7][10] Eurydice in 2015,[10] and The Long Christmas Ride Home in 2016[10][11]). The school is known for often bringing especially serious material to the Festival.[8] The company puts on three shows a year: a fall show, a Festival home show which competes at the High School Theater Festival, and a spring musical.[7][8]
Demographics
The reported racial makeup of PVMHS is 76.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic, 3.4% African American, 2.2% Asian/American Indian, 2.0% multiracial (non-Hispanic), and 0% Native Hawaiian, Native American, and Pacific Islander.[2]
For assessment of selected populations, the reported statistics are 43.9% high needs, 28.7% economically disadvantaged, 19.7% students with disabilities, 7.0% students with their first language being non-English, and 3.8% English language learner.[2]
Ratings
The Massachusetts Department of Education School and District Accountability program to assess overall performance rated the school as "among lowest performing 20% of schools" in 2017.[2]
Notable alumni
- Jeff Allison, baseball player, instructor, and coach (minor league 2003–2011)
- Samantha Arsenault, swimmer (gold medal in women's 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics)
- Matt Bloom, professional wrestler, commentator, and trainer (wrestling professionally 1997–2014)
- Steve Lomasney, baseball player (signed in 1995, one major league game in 1999, minor league until 2006)
- John Tudor, baseball player (major league 1979–1990)
- Nancy Werlin, author of young-adult novels (published works 1994–present)
Notable alumni of public high school in Peabody prior to the establishment of the current PVMHS in 1970 include the National Football League players Tom Alberghini (NFL 1945) and Jerry DeLucca (NFL 1959–1964).
References
- ^ "School Directory Information (2017–2018 school year) – Peabody Veterans Memorial High". National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "School and District Profiles – Peabody Veterans Memorial High School – General". Massachusetts Department of Education. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "School and District Profiles – Peabody Veterans Memorial High School – 2016–17 SAT Performance Report". Massachusetts Department of Education. 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Peabody Public School District – Peabody Veterans Memorial High School". Massachusetts School Building Authority. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "PVMHS Program of Studies 2018–19". PVMHS. pp. 2, 10, 12, 15. Retrieved September 19, 2018 – via Google Docs.
- ^ a b Roy, Matthew K. (July 18, 2011). "Peabody Priest made a dramatic difference at public high school". Salem Evening News. Retrieved September 19, 2018 – via St. Peter's Boys High School.
- ^ a b c Castelluccio, John (March 25, 2012). "Peabody High Theater Troupe Wins Big at DramaFest 2012". Patch. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c Goldman, Gabriel (September 10, 2018). "A Brief Interview with Mr. Carey". Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Massachusetts State Festival History – Winning Productions 1976–1991". Massachusetts High School Drama Guild. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Massachusetts State Festival History – Winning Productions 1992–Present". Massachusetts High School Drama Guild. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Swift, Adam (April 6, 2016). "High School's Stage One Group Captures State Drama Award". Patch. Retrieved September 19, 2018.