Helena High School
Coordinates: 46°35′43″N 112°01′08″W / 46.59528°N 112.01889°W
| Helena High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
1300 Billings Avenue Helena, Montana U.S. | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1876 |
| School district | Helena Public School District |
| Principal | Steve Thennis |
| Teaching staff | Staff Directory |
| Grades | 9 through 12 |
| Enrollment | 1,674 |
| Color(s) | Cardinal red and white |
| Athletics | AA (largest class in Montana) |
| Mascot | Bengals |
| Rival | Helena Capital High School |
| Accreditation | Montana Office of Public Instruction |
| Website | Helena High Web site |
Helena High School is a public high school for grades 9 through 12 located in Helena, Montana. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana.[1] A new building was completed in August 1935 and it was almost destroyed a few months later in the 1935 Helena earthquake.[2] In 1955, the building became Helena Junior High School (now Helena Middle School) and Helena High School moved into its present location at 1300 Billings Avenue, just off Montana Avenue.
Curriculum
Four foreign languages are taught at Helena High: French, German, Latin, and Spanish. The English Department, with 22 faculty, offers instruction in English literature and composition, as well as elective studies. Students are encouraged to take honors English and Advanced Placement (AP) during junior and senior year. Elective offerings include debate, speech, journalism, and creative writing. An AP Language elective for juniors and seniors is new for 2009-2010.
Notable alumni
- Max Baucus, the former Senior United States Senator from Montana and soon-to-be United States Ambassador to China graduated in 1959[3]
- Steve Bullock, the Governor of Montana
- Dan Carpenter, placekicker for the Buffalo Bills
- Pat Donovan, Pro Bowl tackle for the Dallas Cowboys
- L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, enrolled at Helena High during his junior year
- Carol Judge (1958), First Lady of Montana (1973–1980), healthcare activist and registered nurse[4]
- Bob McCullough, player for the Denver Broncos
- Colin Meloy, the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists.
- Maile Meloy, author
- Major General John E. Prendergast, adjutant general in the Montana National Guard for 12 years
- Kimberly Reed, director and producer of the film Prodigal Sons
- William V. Roth, Jr., the late Delaware senator
- A. L. Strand, president of Montana State College (1937-1942) and Oregon State University (1942-1961)[5]
Footnotes
- ↑ Superintendent of Public Instruction, p. 57. Accessed 2011-05-10.
- ↑ "Helena, Montana 1935 10 19 04:48 UTC (local 10/18) Magnitude 6.3 Intensity VIII". Historic Earthquakes. USGS. 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ↑ Max Baucus. "A National Leader With Montana Values". Max Baucus. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- ↑ "Carol Ann Judge, 73". Daily Inter Lake. 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ↑ "Dr. A.L. Strand Elected President State College to Succeed Dr. Atkinson." Helena Independent. July 13, 1937.
Bibliography
- Superintendent of Public Instruction. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Vol. II. Montana Department of Public Instruction. Helena, Mont.: Independent Publishing Co., 1903.