West Haven High School

West Haven High School
Gardez Bien
Address
1 McDonough Plaza West Haven, Connecticut USA
Information
Type	Public
School district	West Haven Public Schools
Principal	Ms. Pamela Gardner
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1800
Color(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Blue Devils
Yearbook	Blue Flame
Website	West Haven High School

West Haven High School is a secondary school located in West Haven, Connecticut, which educates students in grades 9–12. The mascot of West Haven is the Blue Devil.

Administration and Campus

As of July 1, 2009, the school principal is Pamela Gardner.^[1] Her predecessor, Ronald Stancil, Sr., served as principal for ten years. West Haven High School enrolls about 1,800 students each year even though it was only designed for 1,500, in contrast to the state average of 524.4.^[2]

The current campus opened September 1963 at 1 Circle Street (also known as McDonough Plaza). Its previous location was the Dr. Carl C. Gianotti Jr. High School on Main Street, a building now used as a residential complex. Before that, it was on the corner of Center Street and Union Avenue, a building since used as a grammar school and senior housing.

Academics

West Haven High School offers various non-core courses, including automotives, wood shop, metal shop, photography, graphic arts, drafting, video production, academics, art, and music courses. Among its notable programs are the Theater Workshop, Dr. JoAnn Andrees' Pillow Time Theatre and, in music, marching and concert bands, Bel Canto, Camerata and Concert Choir. Its chess team has won ten state championships and the school also has a successful mock trial team.

Athletics

West Haven High School athletic facilities include Ken Strong Stadium (an artificial turf football field and track), an enclosed ice skating rink, indoor gymnasium and swimming pool, tennis courts, and baseball and softball fields. The Blue Devils soccer and lacrosse teams use the Ken Strong field. West Haven High is part of the Southern Connecticut Conference, Quinnipiac Division,^[3] for athletics. In wrestling, they share a co-op team with Platt Regional Vocational Technical School, which competes in the Constitution State Conference. Visit The West Haven Athletic Hall of Fame online.

• 1968 Football, State Championship, Team ranked 1st in Conn. (New Haven Register Sportswriters Poll, 9-0, Class LL),^[4] 4th in the United States (National Sports News Service Poll).^[5]
• 1972 Football, State Championship, Team ranked 1st in Conn. (New Haven Register Sportswriters Poll, 10-0, Class LL)^[6]
• 1986, 1987, 1989 Football, Class L State Championships, under the leadership of Coach Ed McCarthy.^[7][8]
• 2002 Football, Class LL State Championship, also under Ed McCarthy, Team ranked 1st in Conn. (New Haven Register Sportswriters Poll, 12-0, Class LL)^[9]
• 2003 Football, Class LL Semifinals Winner (Lost to New Britain in the Championship)^[10]
• 2009 Wrestling, CSC Championship Runners-up (4-0)^[11]
• 1984 Baseball, Class LL State Championship. The team defeated Crosby High High School 7-4 to capture the title.
• 2009 Baseball, Class LL State Championship. The team defeated Brian McMahon High School 1-0 to win

Note: 1976 was the first year of CIAC football playoffs; 1968 and 1972 Championships are unofficial.

• 1994 Division I State Champions in Ice Hockey
• 1990 Division I State Champions in Ice Hockey defeating Greenwich 4-0
• 1988 Division I State Champions in Ice Hockey

Notable alumni

• Ulish Booker, professional football player, won a World Bowl with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 2005. He was signed by the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 but did not play because of injury,^[12] then was released in 2007.^[13]
• Art Ceccarelli, former MLB player (Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs)
• Melanie Chartoff, actress and inventor; best known for providing the voice of Didi Pickles in the animated series Rugrats
• Jim Greco, professional skateboarder
• Patrick Earl Hammie, contemporary visual artist
• Rob Jackson, NFL linebacker
• Rob Radlosky, former MLB player (Minnesota Twins)
• Ken Strong, professional football player, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967^[14]

Miscellaneous

• In addition to the computer lab in the library, the school has a second computer lab, CyberCafe, inside its cafeteria where students can study (food is not allowed in the CyberCafe).
• Each of the school's sporting facilities is named for an alumnus.
• The school's foreign language department offers courses in Spanish, French, and Italian.
• The school's slogan is "Westie Pride is on Our Side!"
• After graduation, the school sponsors an all-night, substance-free celebration for the outgoing senior class, called "Blue and White...Up All Night!" and "Project Graduation", at the Jewish Community Center in Woodbridge, CT
• The movie Another Earth has scenes filmed in and set at West Haven High School.

References

1. West Haven High School Administration, West Haven Public Schools Website. Retrieved 05-Feb-2010.
2. West Haven High School. Schooltree.org. Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
3. West Haven SCC Profile, Southern Connecticut Conference Website. Retrieved 05-Feb-2010.
4. State Polls p.41, Conn. High School Football Record Book, 2007 ed.
5. National Sports News Service Poll, High School Football Database, 1968
6. State Polls p.42, Conn. High School Football Record Book, 2007 ed.
7. West Haven's McCarthy Named Lou Rettino Coach of the Week for Week 3. New York Giants. Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
8. State Championships p.47, Conn. High School Football Record Book, 2007 ed.
9. State Polls p.44, State Championships p.47, Conn. High School Football Record Book, 2007 ed.
10. State Playoffs p.49, Conn. High School Football Record Book, 2007 ed.
11. Wrestling Conference Champions. Constitution State Conference. Retrieved on 2008-07-28.
12. "#77 ULISH BOOKER". Admirals.nl (Amsterdam Admirals). Retrieved 2006-06-02.
13. Steelers cut Joey Porter Associated Press, March 1, 2007, retrieved March 18, 2007.
14. • William Carr - Western Connecticut Footballer Team Captain
    Garber, Greg. "NO. 16: KEN STRONG - A football Giant and more". The Dallas Morning News / Associated Press Sports Edition. Retrieved 2006-06-02.

External links

• Official page of West Haven High School
• West Haven High School profile provided by schooltree.org
• Official page of West Haven High School Blue Devil Marching Band
• West Haven High School "Strategic School Profile 2005-2006", Connecticut Department of Education
• West Haven High School Web page at Great Schools Web site

Coordinates: 41°15′36″N 72°57′31″W / 41.26°N 72.9585°W