St. Charles High School (Missouri)

St. Charles High School
Address
725 N. Kingshighway
St. Charles, Missouri 63301
USA
Information
Type Public
Established Before 1918
Opened 1919
School district City of St. Charles School District
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Marion
Principal Mr. Jeff Walker
Grades 9 ā€“ 12
Number of students 848
Color(s) Navy Blue and White
Fight song Notre Dame Victory March
Mascot Pirate
Nickname High
Team name Rad Fighting Pirates
Rival St. Charles West High School
An official White House photo shows a member of the audience holding a "Thank You" sign during President Barack Obama's speech on medicare fraud and health care insurance reform in the auxiliary gym on March 10, 2010.

St. Charles High School is a public high school serving grades 9 through 12 in the city of St. Charles, Missouri, USA. The other high school in St. Charles, MO is St. Charles West High School.

History

The original St. Charles High School was located at Fourth and Jefferson Streets. In 1918, after a fire partially destroyed the building, it was moved to its present location on the corner of North Kingshighway and Waverly Streets at what was then the St. Charles Military Academy. In 1923, the present Building 'A' was built on a 6.4-acre (26,000 m2) site at the old military academy. Four acres were added in 1938 for an athletic field. A WPA project built the bleachers. In 1943, the Vocational Shop (Industrial Technology Building ā€œDā€) was constructed. In 1951, 5 acres (20,000 m2) next to the athletic field were purchased for a new junior high school (Building 'B'), which was built in 1955. In 1957-58, the building was expanded, adding five new classrooms and special service rooms along with a larger gymnasium. When a new junior high school was built in 1960, Building 'B' became part of the high school. A 15-room addition (Building 'C') was started in 1964 and opened for the 1965-66 school year.[1]

In 1975, St Charles High School was overcrowded with 1957 students. The district split into two high schools, with 425 students from the St Charles West attendance area moving to the new high school. The exterior of Building 'A' was renovated in 1978. In 1981, a ninth grade was added, making it a 4-year high school. The school was expanded in 1988 with a new band room, renovations to Building 'D', an all-weather track and student parking lot. In 1994, a $15 million bond issue resulted in a 5-year program that demolished the 1957 gym, 1960 wing and the 1970 wing; new construction provided continuity inside and outside the building. Building 'D was renovated for the Success Campus in 2007.[1] On August 11, 1995, during the renovations of the oldest section of the building (long known as A-building), the structure caught fire. A-building was saved only because of its hardy brick walls; the rest of the school was destroyed. The renovations resumed after the fire, and were completed. The fire coincidentally took place on the very day of the 20th year class reunion of the class of 1975.

Visit by President Obama

On March 10, 2010, President Barack Obama made a visit to St. Charles and gave a speech at St. Charles High school, in the older gym on the campus. His speech dealt primarily with the proposed health care reform legislation, and while access to the speech was by invitation only, hundreds of supporters and opponents of the president were outside to witness the historic event.

Curriculum

The student-teacher ratio is 15, slightly higher than the state average of 14.

A+ Program

In addition to typical high school courses, St. Charles High School offers an A+ Program, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The major goals of the A+ Schools Program are that:

Financial incentives may be offered to students who attend an A+ school for three years prior to graduation, maintain at least a 95 percent attendance record and a 2.5 grade point average, exhibit good citizenship, complete 50 hours of tutoring and mentoring and avoid the unlawful use of drugs.[2]

Grading

St. Charles High School uses a hybrid of Standard Based Grading. There is an A-F scale matched with percentages, but some of the SBG aspects are still in place.

Extracurriculars

Clubs and organizations

Numerous clubs exist to serve the interests of all students, including:

  • SCHS Band of Pirates (Marching/Concert Band)
  • Pirate Players (Drama/Theater)
  • Blue & White Ink (Emo Gazette) - Student Written Creative Writing Tabloid
  • Boosters
  • Board Game Club (Losers)
  • Choir
  • DECA
  • Ultimate Frisbee Club
  • Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
  • Future Teachers of America (FTA)
  • FCCLA
  • Galley (AKA Cookie Store) Student-Run Store
  • LGBT
  • National Honor Society
  • Orchestra
  • Renaissance
  • SADD
  • Science Club
  • STEP Team
  • Student Council
  • Peer ficilatators
  • Winter Guard

Sports

Interscholastic sports include:

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross-Country
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Marching Band
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track
  • Wrestling

Performance

61% of students took the ACT test in 2006; their average score of 21 equaled the national average.

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 History of St Charles High School
  2. ā†‘ A+ Program
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