Berkley High School

Not to be confused with Berkeley High School.

Coordinates: 42°29′44.41″N 83°10′50.23″W / 42.4956694°N 83.1806194°W / 42.4956694; -83.1806194

Berkley High School
Location
2325 Catalpa
Berkley, MI 48072
Information
Type Public high school
Established 1922
Current high school 1949
School district Berkley School District
Principal Randy Gawel
Faculty 74.6 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades 9 - 12
Enrollment 1,330 (as of 2007-08)[1]
Student to teacher ratio 18.1[1]
Color(s) Maroon and Blue
Athletics conference Oakland Activities Association
Team name Bears
Newspaper The Spectator
Yearbook Bear Tracks
Website http://www.berkleyschools.org/bhs
Image of Berkley High School in Berkley MI.

Berkley High School is a public high school in Berkley, Michigan.

Berkley High's colors are Maroon and Blue and the school's mascot is a Bear. Berkley is well known for its college prep courses, high standardized test scores, and teachers and administrators. BHS offers 20+ Advanced Placement courses at its campus. Additional Advanced Placement courses and electives are available to students who elect to attend the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA), an afternoon consortium school run jointly by Berkley and six neighboring school districts. Their newspaper is The Spectator, which is a member of the High School National Ad Network. The principal is Randy Gawel. The assistant principals are Andrew Meloche and Ronald Kane.

Berkley High School has been accredited by the Michigan North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement since the 1928-29 school year.[2]

As of the 2012-13 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,250 students and 74.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 18.1.[1]

Berkley High School was named to Newsweek’s 2013 list of 2,000 Best High Schools[3] in the nation—ranked 22nd in Michigan. This ranking highlights the schools that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready graduates. BHS has been on the Newsweek Best High Schools list since 2008.

The high school scored above state averages in all MME/ACT categories in 2013.[4]

Demographic

Berkley High School has approximately 1,250 students. The student body is diverse in race, religion and socio-economics.

Berkley High is a member of the Berkley School District, which encompasses the cities of Berkley, Huntington Woods, the part of Oak Park that is north of 10 Mile Road and the few blocks of Royal Oak that are west of Woodward Avenue and directly behind the Detroit Zoo.

Performing arts

Berkley High School is home to a variety of musical ensembles. The wind ensembles are made up of the BHS Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. Marching Band is only the first semester, and Symphonic Band takes its place second semester. Jazz band is also available for students. The symphonic band is reputed for playing pieces such as On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss, First Suite in E-Flat for Military Band, and Second Suite in F for Military Band. Alan Posner became the band director in 2011. BHS has two string orchestras, Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra, both lasting all year. In January 2009 and again in 2013, the Symphony Orchestra took first place at the Presidential Inaugural (Heritage Festival). BHS also has four choirs: Concert Choir, Encore!, Belle Tones, and A Cappella. Encore! and A Cappella are audition only. All people from these organizations are able to collaborate through BHS' Musical National Honor Society, known as Tri-M. Tri-M puts on a concert in the spring showcasing the musical talent at BHS. In May 2007, the Berkley High School A Cappella choir was invited to New York City where they performed Beethoven's Mass in C Major in New York City's Carnegie Hall. In May 2013, the Berkley High School Symphony Orchestra and A Cappella Choir performed the American premiere of "My Name is Anne Frank" a cantata.[5] In addition to the musical ensembles, BHS also has a drama program.

Student life

Berkley High School students have many opportunities to get involved. Options included Jewish Student Union, SADD, DECA, Robotics (Da Bears), Student Leadership, BeDrama student club, National Honor Society, Volunteer Club, Environmental Club, Advanced Survival Club, Advanced Video, yearbook, student newspaper and more![6]

Sports

Berkley High School has many distinct courses available for incoming students of all backgrounds.

Berkley's athletic teams currently compete in the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) with the exception of the Rugby teams (club) and the Junior Varsity hockey team (Southeast Michigan Prep Hockey League). Lori Stone became the Athletic Coordinator in 2012.

Although the school nickname is "The Bears," the boys' and girls' Swimming and Diving teams are known as the "Bearracudas" or "Cudas."[7] Their basketball court is known as the "Bear's Den".

The Berkley football team, soccer teams, and track & field teams compete at Hurley field located less than a half-mile from the high school at Anderson Middle School. The field was renovated during the spring of 2002 and re-opened with many new facilities at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year. The field was also updated in 2010 with a new track and 2012 with a new turf field. The field is also used for many other high school tournaments, community sporting events, and semi-pro soccer leagues. Next to Hurley Field is Pop Lewis field where the high school baseball games are held along with other community baseball leagues. The softball teams play at the two neighboring fields located south of Pop Lewis field. The tennis courts are also next to Hurley Field. Berkley Varsity Hockey[8] and JV/Prep Hockey[9] compete at the Berkley Ice Arena, which is also adjacent to Hurley Field and tennis courts. The cross-country team competes at Catalpa Park, which is about a mile from the school and half mile from Hurley field. The golf team competes at Detroit Golf Club and won their league with an undefeated record in 2009. The bowling team competes at Hartfield Lanes. The rest of the teams compete within the school building or outside (rugby) on other school grounds.

The BHS boys rugby team was the state champion in 2009 after an undefeated season, and the girls rugby team was state runner-up that year as well.

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Berkley High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 19, 2007.
  2. ↑ Oakland County accredited schools, accessed October 22, 2006
  3. ↑ BHS Newsweek's Best High Schools List 2013
  4. ↑ "Berkley High School Aces 2013 Michigan Merit Exam". Huntington Woods-Berkley, MI Patch. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "'My Name is Anne Frank' Brings History to Life in Berkley". Huntington Woods-Berkley, MI Patch. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Opportunities to get involved
  7. ↑ "Berkley High School & Middle School Swimming & Diving Teams". leaguelineup.com. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "http://www.berkleyvarsityhockey.com
  9. ↑ "
  10. ↑ Sandoval, Emiliana. "Five Things: about Curtis Armstrong.", Detroit Free Press, May 1, 2006. Accessed May 31, 2007. "Local guy Curtis Armstrong has carved out a steady film career. Vinces most recent movie, "Akeelah and the Bee," came out Friday. STARTING OUT Armstrong was born in 1953 in Detroit and graduated from Berkley High School."
  11. ↑ "Bruce Flowers Past Stats, Playoff Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". databasebasketball.com. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Robert Gosselin, The Detroit News voter guide. Accessed November 19, 2007.
  13. ↑ Aric Morris NFL Draft profile, USA Today. Accessed April 22, 2008.
  14. ↑ Obituaries, Daily Tribune, March 20, 2005. Accessed April 6, 2008. Archived October 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.

External links

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