Cape Elizabeth High School
Encyclopedia
Cape Elizabeth High School is a public high school in Cape Elizabeth
, Maine
, United States
.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
CEHS is consistently ranked in US News and World Report's list of "America's Best High Schools" and Newsweek Magazine's annual list of "America's Top High Schools".
The school offers Advanced Placement courses to earn college credit. Foreign languages offered include French, Spanish, and Latin. Cape Elizabeth is well known for its substantial music department supporting a Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, Select Choir, and a Treble Choir. A broad selection of elective courses are also offered, ranging from the most unique like motion picture production, boat building, metal working, drafting, and digital design, to more standard fare like art fundamentals, ceramics, photography, painting and drawing, illustration and design, art studio, and typing.
The average class size is 22 students. There are 63 professional staff members; 71% have advanced degrees. Cape Elizabeth High School students average the highest SAT scores in the state of Maine. Last year 100% of 11th grade students students took the SAT in accordance with Maine Law, which requires at least 95% of students in each junior class to take the test in order to meet the standards set up by the No Child Left Behind Act
.
Athletic facilities at the high school include a gymnasium, the Don Richards 25-yard swimming pool and weight lifting facility, a multi-purpose lighted turf field, six tennis courts, a baseball field, a softball field, a recently resurfaced six-lane track, and two other multi-purpose fields. In 2003 the Gull Crest Fields were built to support the Football program, and in 2006 five kilometers of 12 to 15 ft (3.7 to 4.6 m) of multi-purpose trails were added for running and nordic skiing.
70% of Cape Elizabeth High Schools students participate in athletics. Teams from all sports in which students currently participate have won at least one state championship except downhill skiing and girls' lacrosse. The Maine Principals' Association
recognized the following teams from Cape Elizabeth as having won state titles this decade in Class B:
(Cape Elizabeth is in Class A for both girls and boys soccer and boys and girls swimming):
CEHS Theatre is a leader in State One-Act Festival plays and is often commended for its technical merits and inventive design. Over a hundred students participate in theater each year.
Cape Elizabeth Mock Trial competed in State Finals six times since 2002. In 2002 and 2011, the team represented Maine at the National High School Mock Trial Championships.
Other extracurricular activities include National Honors Society, Boys/Girls State, Robotics Team, Math Team, Yearbook Committee, Prom Committee, Graduation Committee, Student Rescue, Amnesty International, Siddartha School Project, Gay/Straight Alliance, Ultimate Frisbee, and the BBQ Team.
Notably, The Cape Elizabeth Educational Foundation is a private not-for-profit charitable corporation that lends additional support to programming in all of the Cape Elizabeth Schools (Elementary, Middle, High). Their mission statement reads (in part): "CEEF is committed to fostering innovation and excellence in the Cape Elizabeth school district by 1. Funding initiatives that fall outside the school budget; 2. Partnering with the school district to help achieve its vision; and 3. Building community-wide support for the benefit of our schools."
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Awards and recognition
During the 2004–05 school year, Cape Elizabeth School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.
CEHS is consistently ranked in US News and World Report's list of "America's Best High Schools" and Newsweek Magazine's annual list of "America's Top High Schools".
Academics
Cape Elizabeth High School students undertake a college preparatory curriculum that includes at least 4 years of English, 3 years each of Math and Science courses, 2½ years of history courses, 1 year each of technology, art, and physical education courses, ½ year of government courses, and ½ a year of health education. Students are required to take at least 6 courses every semester and may take as many as 8.The school offers Advanced Placement courses to earn college credit. Foreign languages offered include French, Spanish, and Latin. Cape Elizabeth is well known for its substantial music department supporting a Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, Select Choir, and a Treble Choir. A broad selection of elective courses are also offered, ranging from the most unique like motion picture production, boat building, metal working, drafting, and digital design, to more standard fare like art fundamentals, ceramics, photography, painting and drawing, illustration and design, art studio, and typing.
The average class size is 22 students. There are 63 professional staff members; 71% have advanced degrees. Cape Elizabeth High School students average the highest SAT scores in the state of Maine. Last year 100% of 11th grade students students took the SAT in accordance with Maine Law, which requires at least 95% of students in each junior class to take the test in order to meet the standards set up by the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
.
Facilites
Cape Elizabeth High School was built in 1969 directly adjacent to the middle school and elementary schools creating a large campus. The high school has about 40 classrooms, a theater, auditorium, 10,000 volume library, a computer lab, and cafeteria. The building was renovated in 2005-06.Athletic facilities at the high school include a gymnasium, the Don Richards 25-yard swimming pool and weight lifting facility, a multi-purpose lighted turf field, six tennis courts, a baseball field, a softball field, a recently resurfaced six-lane track, and two other multi-purpose fields. In 2003 the Gull Crest Fields were built to support the Football program, and in 2006 five kilometers of 12 to 15 ft (3.7 to 4.6 m) of multi-purpose trails were added for running and nordic skiing.
Athletics
There are 36 teams as CEHS, 23 of which are varsity. Sports include Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Football, Swimming, Diving, Indoor Track, Nordic Skiing, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, Track, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Softball, and Sailing. Unlike most other high schools, Cape Elizabeth does not have a mascot. Sports teams are referred to as The Cape Elizabeth "Capers".70% of Cape Elizabeth High Schools students participate in athletics. Teams from all sports in which students currently participate have won at least one state championship except downhill skiing and girls' lacrosse. The Maine Principals' Association
Maine Principals' Association
The Maine Principals’ Association is the governing body for sports competitions among all public and some private high schools in the state of Maine. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations...
recognized the following teams from Cape Elizabeth as having won state titles this decade in Class B:
(Cape Elizabeth is in Class A for both girls and boys soccer and boys and girls swimming):
- Boys' Ice Hockey – 2003, 2005, 2006
- Boys' Cross-Country – 2005 and 2006
- Girls' Softball – 2007
- Boys' Baseball – 2004
- Girls' Swimming – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009
- Girls' Tennis – 2000 and 2007
- Boys' Tennis – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010
- Boys' Track and Field – 2005
- Girls' Track and Field – 2000
- Boys' Lacrosse – 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010
- Boys' Nordic Skiing – 2005
Arts
CEHS Music has 3 large Jazz Ensembles, 3 Jazz Combos, Concert Choir, Select Choir and Treble Choir that participate in District, State and National competitions and festivals. CEHS has won first place in the Berklee College Jazz Festival for Small American High Schools five of the past six years.CEHS Theatre is a leader in State One-Act Festival plays and is often commended for its technical merits and inventive design. Over a hundred students participate in theater each year.
Publications
Students publish the Cape Insight, the school's monthly newspaper. The Bartleby is a quarterly arts publication featuring student works. The Nautilus is the CEHS yearbook.Clubs and more
Student Advisory Council is the high school's student government, and provides a student representative to the Cape Elizabeth School Board.Cape Elizabeth Mock Trial competed in State Finals six times since 2002. In 2002 and 2011, the team represented Maine at the National High School Mock Trial Championships.
Other extracurricular activities include National Honors Society, Boys/Girls State, Robotics Team, Math Team, Yearbook Committee, Prom Committee, Graduation Committee, Student Rescue, Amnesty International, Siddartha School Project, Gay/Straight Alliance, Ultimate Frisbee, and the BBQ Team.
Notably, The Cape Elizabeth Educational Foundation is a private not-for-profit charitable corporation that lends additional support to programming in all of the Cape Elizabeth Schools (Elementary, Middle, High). Their mission statement reads (in part): "CEEF is committed to fostering innovation and excellence in the Cape Elizabeth school district by 1. Funding initiatives that fall outside the school budget; 2. Partnering with the school district to help achieve its vision; and 3. Building community-wide support for the benefit of our schools."