Apponequet Regional High School
Encyclopedia
Apponequet Regional High School opened September 21, 1959, and serves secondary academic education students from the towns of Freetown
, Assonet
, and Lakeville
, Massachusetts
.
sent their older students to other cities' or towns' high school
s on a tuition basis to avoid the cost of building and maintaining their own secondary facility. As towns with high schools grew, they became unable to provide tuition spaces, needing the space for their own students. This created the need for more high schools, as tuition contracts slowly began to expire and not be renewed.
The communities of Freetown
, Berkley
, Carver
, Lakeville
, and Rochester
, Massachusetts
formed a planning committee for a regional high school, as each town needed a location for its secondary school students. Carver dropped from the board in 1955 after forming a region with Plymouth, and the remaining towns voted. Freetown and Lakeville approved the school, while Berkley and Rochester did not. Berkley would go on to form a tuition agreement with Somerset
, and Rochester formed a region with Marion
and Mattapoisett
(Old Rochester Regional).
On April 8, 1957, town meeting
s were held in Freetown and Lakeville on the issue of the two towns building and operating a high school together. The vote in Freetown was 140-22 in favor, and in Lakeville 160-90, also in favor.
Freetown appropriated $20,347 for the preliminary planning of the school, and Lakeville appropriated $18,152 as its share. Land for the school was given by Paul Leonard and Frank Mello on Howland Road in Lakeville. On September 10, 1957, Israel T. Almy, a Fall River
architect
used for the original Freetown Consolidated Elementary School
, was selected as the architect for the school. Charles Sawyer was chosen to be the first principal for the school.
Apponequet Regional Jr./Sr. High School opened on September 21, 1959, with an initial enrollment of 610 students in grades 7 through 12, including students from Freetown and Lakeville and tuition students from Berkley and Middleboro
. The facility originally housed a vocational school, the Apponequet Regional Vocational High School, in addition to the current academic program. Apponequet Voke admitted students in grades 9-12. Phased out in the early 1990s in favor of sending students to Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School
in Rochester
, the vocational program at Apponequet remains in several independent living classes and a woodshop.
With the building of the former George R. Austin Middle School in 1972, Apponequet became a senior-only high school, enrolling grades 9-12 in both the academic and vocational schools.
Major additions and renovations were completed in 1972 (8 classrooms), 1989 (9 classrooms, a new Library/Media Center, and a TV studio/choir room) and 2000 (two classrooms, an Art Room, a Lecture Hall/choir room, and extensive renovations throughout the building). The 2000 renovation was noted for the destruction of many murals throughout the building that had been designed by students in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
. It later removed itself to the Mayflower League for the 1970s and early 1980s, and finally joined the South Coast Conference
upon its founding in 1986. The 2000 renovation, noted above, also updated the athletic complex, including the football
field (Griffith Field), the gym
nasium, several Baseball
fields, a Softball
field, six Tennis
courts, and provisions for Soccer, Field Hockey
and Ultimate Frisbee venues. The school also boasts a championship girls' swim team and a separate boys' team, coached by Brett Pacheco, which practices at the George R. Austin Intermediate School. The swim team is part of the Southern Conference.
The school's traditional Thanksgiving Day
football
rival is Old Rochester Regional High School
in Mattapoisett
.
The football team has won the South Coast Conference Championship 5 times - 1997, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010
In 2008, the football team completed an undefeated regular season (11-0), won its first outright SCC Championship, and earned a spot in the EMass D-IIA Playoffs for the first time. Unfortunately, Apponequet was defeated in the first round by powerhouse Duxbury
by a score of 31-13.
In 2007 the Apponequet Cheerleading Squad was featured on the MTV
reality show MADE.
groups. One is the general concert choir, which is led by Dennis Robinson. Anyone can join the concert choir, and it rehearses during the school day. They are accompanied by the talented Regina Lopes. There are also three select choral groups, which are led by Beth Anne Young. In order to be in these groups, one must try out at the beginning of the year. The Femmes are the women's group, Har-Men-Ized is the men's group, and the Sandpipers and Tribesmen, or S&T, are a combined group. All have won multiple awards at regional and national competitions under the leadership of, now retired, Denise Haskins. Apponequet also has a summer choir led by Benjiman Durfee, an alumnus studying Music Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The summer group meets once per week during the summer and performs at the beginning of August. All money raised is donated to the Apponequet Music Boosters, a fundraising group led by the devoted parents of the music students.
Several members of the Apponequet Choir have been recognized by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association over the years. Students have auditioned and earned acceptances into the Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association Choruses, Southeastern Massachusetts Junior and Senior District Choruses, Massachusetts All State Choruses, and All Eastern Choruses.
On July 12, 2007 the Apponequet Summersing choir performed both The Star Spangled Banner and O, Canada at Fenway Park
for a Boston Red Sox
game versus the Toronto Blue Jays
.
Freetown, Massachusetts
Freetown is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,870 at the 2010 census.Freetown is one of the oldest communities in the United States, having been settled by the Pilgrims and their descendants in the latter half of the 17th century. The town once included...
, Assonet
Assonet, Massachusetts
Assonet is one of two villages in the town of Freetown, Massachusetts in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. An original part of the town, Assonet was settled in 1659 along with the city of Fall River, then a part of Freetown. It rests on the banks of the Assonet River...
, and Lakeville
Lakeville, Massachusetts
Lakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,821 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Lakeville, please see the article North Lakeville, Massachusetts.-History:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
History
In the early 20th century, many small towns in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
sent their older students to other cities' or towns' high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s on a tuition basis to avoid the cost of building and maintaining their own secondary facility. As towns with high schools grew, they became unable to provide tuition spaces, needing the space for their own students. This created the need for more high schools, as tuition contracts slowly began to expire and not be renewed.
The communities of Freetown
Freetown, Massachusetts
Freetown is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,870 at the 2010 census.Freetown is one of the oldest communities in the United States, having been settled by the Pilgrims and their descendants in the latter half of the 17th century. The town once included...
, Berkley
Berkley, Massachusetts
Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated town in the county.-Geography:...
, Carver
Carver, Massachusetts
Carver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,163 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2008 population of 11,574. It is named for John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony.- Demographics :...
, Lakeville
Lakeville, Massachusetts
Lakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,821 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Lakeville, please see the article North Lakeville, Massachusetts.-History:...
, and Rochester
Rochester, Massachusetts
Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.-History:Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
formed a planning committee for a regional high school, as each town needed a location for its secondary school students. Carver dropped from the board in 1955 after forming a region with Plymouth, and the remaining towns voted. Freetown and Lakeville approved the school, while Berkley and Rochester did not. Berkley would go on to form a tuition agreement with Somerset
Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
, and Rochester formed a region with Marion
Marion, Massachusetts
Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
and Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,463 at the 2008 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Mattapoisett Center, please see the article Mattapoisett Center, Massachusetts....
(Old Rochester Regional).
On April 8, 1957, town meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
s were held in Freetown and Lakeville on the issue of the two towns building and operating a high school together. The vote in Freetown was 140-22 in favor, and in Lakeville 160-90, also in favor.
Freetown appropriated $20,347 for the preliminary planning of the school, and Lakeville appropriated $18,152 as its share. Land for the school was given by Paul Leonard and Frank Mello on Howland Road in Lakeville. On September 10, 1957, Israel T. Almy, a Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
used for the original Freetown Consolidated Elementary School
Freetown Elementary School, Massachusetts
Freetown Elementary School opened in 1950 and serves grammar school students from the town of Freetown, Massachusetts. It educates around 546 students in grades PK-4 as part of the Freetown & Lakeville Public Schools....
, was selected as the architect for the school. Charles Sawyer was chosen to be the first principal for the school.
Apponequet Regional Jr./Sr. High School opened on September 21, 1959, with an initial enrollment of 610 students in grades 7 through 12, including students from Freetown and Lakeville and tuition students from Berkley and Middleboro
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts....
. The facility originally housed a vocational school, the Apponequet Regional Vocational High School, in addition to the current academic program. Apponequet Voke admitted students in grades 9-12. Phased out in the early 1990s in favor of sending students to Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School
Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School
is located on a 80-acre campus in Rochester, Massachusetts, the geographical center of the five-member town school district that includes Acushnet Carver,Mattapoisett, Rochester and students from Freetown & Lakeville Public Schools....
in Rochester
Rochester, Massachusetts
Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.-History:Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay...
, the vocational program at Apponequet remains in several independent living classes and a woodshop.
With the building of the former George R. Austin Middle School in 1972, Apponequet became a senior-only high school, enrolling grades 9-12 in both the academic and vocational schools.
Major additions and renovations were completed in 1972 (8 classrooms), 1989 (9 classrooms, a new Library/Media Center, and a TV studio/choir room) and 2000 (two classrooms, an Art Room, a Lecture Hall/choir room, and extensive renovations throughout the building). The 2000 renovation was noted for the destruction of many murals throughout the building that had been designed by students in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Sports
In the mid-to-late 1960s the school belonged to the South Shore LeagueSouth Shore League
The South Shore League is an athletics conference that is part of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association . The League consists of 9 schools, ranging from as far north as Hull, Massachusetts, to as far south as Harwich, Massachusetts. The South Shore League participates in Division 3...
. It later removed itself to the Mayflower League for the 1970s and early 1980s, and finally joined the South Coast Conference
South Coast Conference
The South Coast Conference is an athletics conference that is part of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association .-League Members:There are currently nine schools that compose the South Coast Conference...
upon its founding in 1986. The 2000 renovation, noted above, also updated the athletic complex, including the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
field (Griffith Field), the gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, several Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fields, a Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
field, six Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, and provisions for Soccer, Field Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and Ultimate Frisbee venues. The school also boasts a championship girls' swim team and a separate boys' team, coached by Brett Pacheco, which practices at the George R. Austin Intermediate School. The swim team is part of the Southern Conference.
The school's traditional Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
rival is Old Rochester Regional High School
Old Rochester Regional High School
Old Rochester Regional High School serves the towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester in Plymouth County of Massachusetts. The school was originally built in 1961 and underwent a major renovation beginning in 2001. This project added additional classrooms and combined the high school with...
in Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,463 at the 2008 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Mattapoisett Center, please see the article Mattapoisett Center, Massachusetts....
.
The football team has won the South Coast Conference Championship 5 times - 1997, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010
In 2008, the football team completed an undefeated regular season (11-0), won its first outright SCC Championship, and earned a spot in the EMass D-IIA Playoffs for the first time. Unfortunately, Apponequet was defeated in the first round by powerhouse Duxbury
Duxbury High School
Duxbury High School is a public high school in New England, located in Duxbury, Massachusetts a small sea-side town. The superintendent of the district is Dr. Benedict Tantillo, III...
by a score of 31-13.
In 2007 the Apponequet Cheerleading Squad was featured on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show MADE.
Choir
Apponequet has five choralChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
groups. One is the general concert choir, which is led by Dennis Robinson. Anyone can join the concert choir, and it rehearses during the school day. They are accompanied by the talented Regina Lopes. There are also three select choral groups, which are led by Beth Anne Young. In order to be in these groups, one must try out at the beginning of the year. The Femmes are the women's group, Har-Men-Ized is the men's group, and the Sandpipers and Tribesmen, or S&T, are a combined group. All have won multiple awards at regional and national competitions under the leadership of, now retired, Denise Haskins. Apponequet also has a summer choir led by Benjiman Durfee, an alumnus studying Music Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The summer group meets once per week during the summer and performs at the beginning of August. All money raised is donated to the Apponequet Music Boosters, a fundraising group led by the devoted parents of the music students.
Several members of the Apponequet Choir have been recognized by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association over the years. Students have auditioned and earned acceptances into the Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association Choruses, Southeastern Massachusetts Junior and Senior District Choruses, Massachusetts All State Choruses, and All Eastern Choruses.
On July 12, 2007 the Apponequet Summersing choir performed both The Star Spangled Banner and O, Canada at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
for a Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
game versus the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
- http://youtube.com/watch?v=gGDVuLf9eOQ Youtube Video of Fenway Performance.
External links
- Apponequet Regional High School > Home (Official Site)
- Apponequet.com (Alumni Site)