Needham High School

Needham High School
File:Needhamhighschoollogo.gif
Location
Needham , Massachusetts USA
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1938
Principal	Mr. Paul Richards
Faculty	90
Grades	9-12
Number of students	approx. 1400 .
Color(s)	Blue and Gold
Mascot	Rockets
Newspaper	The Hilltopper
Website	Needham High School

Needham High School is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, educating grades 9 through 12. Its current principal is Mr. Paul Richards. Its two assistant principals are Dr. Alixe Callan and Dr. Leo Hogan. As of 2006, it has over 1440 students and is one of the most academically challenging public high schools in Massachusetts. Needham is home to the Needham High Rockets.

Governing bodies

• Students: Student Council
• Teachers: Advisory Board
• Legislative: School Council
• District Wide: School Committee
• Class Officers
  • Senior Class
  • Junior Class
  • Sophomore Class
  • Freshman Class

Extracurricular activities

Sports

Needham is a town which prides itself on athletics. Recently, as the high school athletic fee increased dramatically $285 per person per season, many town citizens became very upset.

Fall Sports

• Football (Varsity, JV, Freshman)
• Boys and Girls Soccer (Varsity, JV)
• Field Hockey (Varsity, JV)
• Girls Volleyball (Varsity, JV)

Winter Sports

• Hockey

Spring Sports

• Lacrosse

Club Sports

• Ultimate Frisbee - Nationally ranked and tournament winning
• Rugby (Boys and Girls) - recently formed

Football and Thanksgiving Rivalry

The Needham High School football team is known as the Rockets. The school continues to participate in the oldest high school rivalry in the nation, between Needham and Wellesley. The game is played every Thanksgiving and began its tradition in 1882.

Departments and programs

Foreign languages

Regular classes are offered in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Latin.

The foreign language program offers beginning courses in all the languages as well as logical continuation sequences from the middle school language programs. French, Spanish, and Mandarin courses extend from introductory levels to Advanced Placement courses. Needham High School students often succeed on National Language Contests.

Science

The science department at Needham High School offers a comprehensive laboratory-based science curriculum. The departmental sequence in science consists of biology in ninth grade, physics in tenth grade, chemistry in eleventh grade, and Advanced Placement and elective courses in the twelfth grade. AP courses are offered in chemistry, biology, and physics. Sciende electives courses include Environmental Science, 20th Century Physics, and Anatomy and Physiology.

Social studies

The social studies department offers several elective majors, available for junior and senior students. These include Psychology and Sociology, Economics, the World Since 1949, American Legal System, and Chinese Traditions. The department offers two advanced placement courses: AP United States History and AP United States Government.

Mathematics

Standard mathematics classes are offered through AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics, and there is also a separate Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) track through junior year. In addition, Computer Science courses are offered at the introductory and AP levels.

Art

Along with elective courses in architectural design, graphic design, ceramics, photography, and production printing, the school offers a four year art sequence for serious students. Certain courses (particularly the second, third, and fourth-year courses) in the art sequence are weighted into the student's GPA.

METCO Program

Needham is a member of the METCO Program, which allows inner-city Boston students to attend the school.

Notable alumni and teachers

• Former Needham High School graduate Eric Johnson currently plays in the NFL.

External links

• Needham Public Schools Web State
• Official Needham High School website