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Concord High School (Delaware)
Encyclopedia
Concord High School is a public secondary school
located in Wilmington, Delaware
, one of three high schools in the Brandywine School District
. There were 1,353 students enrolled in the fall for the 2008-2009 school year.
's top 1300 high schools, which uses a ratio of the number of AP
, IB
and/or Cambridge
tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Concord participates in DCAS
(DIAA). The Raiders compete in the Blue Hen Conference, and are currently assigned to Flight A based on the school’s enrollment size falling below the conference’s average. For those sports which the DIAA has split schools into divisions for playoffs or state championship meets based on enrollment size, Concord is assigned to Division I. Concord fields a full slate of teams in all three sports seasons:
Mixed Chorus: Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Selection Women's Chorus, is an audition-only choir for women. Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Chorale, is an audition-only group of the top 40 singers in Concord High School. Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Madrigals, the top 12-16 voices from the Concord Chorale are selected for the Concord Madrigals, an a cappella group which is student-run and meets after school.
Sweet Adelines, is a Barbershop for Women, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
Barbershop, is the Men's Barbershop, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
Concord has the only full orchestra in the state of Delaware that meets every day.
Also during this year, a course entitled "Technical Theatre" was introduced into the master schedule, taught by Thomas Sabatino (vocal music director) and John C. Scali (chemistry teacher and set construction crew advisor).
2006-2007 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," directed by Sheri Williamson. The spring musical was "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
," directed by Thomas Marshall.
2007-2008 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "Rumors
," and the spring musical was "The Pajama Game
," both directed by Thomas Marshall. The set for "Rumors
" won a national first place recognition from Scenographics, a distributor of blueprints for set design.
2008-2009 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "Charlotte's Web
," and the spring musical was "Mame," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
2009-2010 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "You Could Die Laughing," and the spring musical is "Once Upon a Mattress
," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
2010-2011 school year: The fall play was the stage adaption of "You Can't Take It With You
," and the spring musical is "Anything Goes
," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
Chorale is an audition-only group of the top 40 singers in Concord High School. In addition, the top 12-16 voices from the Concord Chorale are selected for the Concord Madrigals, an a cappella
group which is student-run and meets after school.
The student body for the new high school was developed slowly. At first, students from the existing two junior high schools (Forwood and Springer) were selected based on where they lived to attend the yet to be built high school. The first year (1967 – 68), Concord High School was held at the then new Hanby Junior High and consisted of 9th and 10th graders. The students met in the top floor while elementary students attended classes in the lower floor while their school was being built. The following year (1968 – 69), the student body was expanded to 9th, 10th and 11th grades and the elementary students were moved out to their new home.
During this period, the Concord High School building was under construction and planned to open in the fall of 1969. However, a worker strike and construction issues delayed its opening. Since the school was not completed, the student body now consisting of 10th through 12th grades was forced out of their temporary home at Hanby Junior High and into the Brandywine High School building on double sessions. Brandywine High School students attended their school in the morning, while the Concord students attended in the afternoon.
Concord High School finally opened in January 1970 and the first senior class graduated a few months later in June. Even though the school was open, construction was not completed in several areas including the gym, auditorium and swimming pool until the fall of 1970.
The first principal, Dr. William J. Bailey, promoted what was, at the time, a progressive environment that emphasized trust and responsibility among the students. Students were given then unheard of freedoms and responsibilities, which worked extremely well during the progressive periods of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bailey left in the mid-1970s to become a professor of education at the University of Delaware.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, one of three high schools in the Brandywine School District
Brandywine School District
Brandywine School District is a public school district in northern New Castle County, Delaware in the United States. It serves a portion of the city of Wilmington.-Current members:...
. There were 1,353 students enrolled in the fall for the 2008-2009 school year.
Academics
Concord has a range of levels: AP (Advanced Placement), Honors, College Preparatory "CP" "College-Prep", Traditional, and classes for those with special needs. In 2008, Concord ranked #1378 in NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's top 1300 high schools, which uses a ratio of the number of AP
Advanced Placement Exams
Advanced Placement examinations are taken each May by students at participating American, Canadian, and international educational institutions. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement courses. All but one of the AP exams combine multiple-choice questions with a...
, IB
International Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate , formerly the International Baccalaureate Organization , is an international educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and founded in 1968. IB offers three educational programmes for children ages 3–19.The organization's name and logo were changed...
and/or Cambridge
UCLES
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge and is a not-for-profit organisation...
tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Concord participates in DCAS
Student organizations
- Academic Bowl
- Future Educators of America
- The Grapevine
- Interact Club
- Leader Corps
- Math League
- Mock Trial
- National Honor Society
- Raider Reader (School Newspaper)
- Science National Honor Society
- Science Olympiad
- Technology Student Association
- Yearbook
Athletics
Concord is a member of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic AssociationDelaware Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association oversees and regulates interscholastic athletics in the US State of Delaware. Membership is voluntary and as of spring 2006 includes 50 high schools and 23 middle schools.The DIAA is headquartered at the John W...
(DIAA). The Raiders compete in the Blue Hen Conference, and are currently assigned to Flight A based on the school’s enrollment size falling below the conference’s average. For those sports which the DIAA has split schools into divisions for playoffs or state championship meets based on enrollment size, Concord is assigned to Division I. Concord fields a full slate of teams in all three sports seasons:
Fall
- Crew
- Boys Cross Country
- Girls Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Boys Soccer
- Volleyball
- Fall Cheerleading
Winter
- Boys Basketball
- Girls Basketball
- Ice Hockey
- Boys Indoor Track
- Girls Indoor Track
- Boys Swimming/Diving
- Girls Swimming/Diving
- Wrestling
- Winter Cheerleading
Spring
- Baseball
- Crew
- Golf
- Boys Lacrosse
- Girls Lacrosse
- Girls Soccer
- Softball
- Boys Tennis
- Girls Tennis
- Boys Track
- Girls Track
Choirs
Freshmen Women's Chorus: Under direction of Thomas SabatinoMixed Chorus: Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Selection Women's Chorus, is an audition-only choir for women. Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Chorale, is an audition-only group of the top 40 singers in Concord High School. Under direction of Thomas Sabatino
Madrigals, the top 12-16 voices from the Concord Chorale are selected for the Concord Madrigals, an a cappella group which is student-run and meets after school.
Sweet Adelines, is a Barbershop for Women, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
Barbershop, is the Men's Barbershop, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
Marching Band
The Concord Golden Raider Marching Band is under the direction of Domenic Pisano.Concert Band
Concord also has 2 concert bands: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and 2 Jazz Bands: Concord Creators, and Raider Jazz.Concord has the only full orchestra in the state of Delaware that meets every day.
The Concord Players
2005-2006 school year: In Spring 2006, the Concord Players put on the production "Singin in the Rain" in which an actual rain stage was built. Both productions were produced and directed by Thomas Marshall.Also during this year, a course entitled "Technical Theatre" was introduced into the master schedule, taught by Thomas Sabatino (vocal music director) and John C. Scali (chemistry teacher and set construction crew advisor).
2006-2007 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," directed by Sheri Williamson. The spring musical was "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
," directed by Thomas Marshall.
2007-2008 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "Rumors
Rumors
Rumors is a farcical play by Neil Simon.At its start, several affluent couples gather in the posh suburban residence of a couple for a dinner party celebrating their hosts' tenth anniversary. When they arrive, they discover there are no servants, the hostess is missing, and the host - the deputy...
," and the spring musical was "The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game
The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded...
," both directed by Thomas Marshall. The set for "Rumors
Rumors
Rumors is a farcical play by Neil Simon.At its start, several affluent couples gather in the posh suburban residence of a couple for a dinner party celebrating their hosts' tenth anniversary. When they arrive, they discover there are no servants, the hostess is missing, and the host - the deputy...
" won a national first place recognition from Scenographics, a distributor of blueprints for set design.
2008-2009 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web is an award-winning children's novel by acclaimed American author E. B. White, about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte. The book was first published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams.The novel tells the story...
," and the spring musical was "Mame," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
2009-2010 school year: The fall play was the stage adaptation of "You Could Die Laughing," and the spring musical is "Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway...
," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
2010-2011 school year: The fall play was the stage adaption of "You Can't Take It With You
You Can't Take It with You
You Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances...
," and the spring musical is "Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
," both directed by Thomas Marshall.
Chorale is an audition-only group of the top 40 singers in Concord High School. In addition, the top 12-16 voices from the Concord Chorale are selected for the Concord Madrigals, an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group which is student-run and meets after school.
History
In the 1960s, the area north of Wilmington (referred to as Brandywine Hundred) was growing rapidly. The school district (then known as the Alfred I. DuPont School district) was opening new schools as rapidly as possible. Soon, it became apparent that the one high school in the district, Brandywine High School, would not be able to handle the increase in students. The district decided to open a second high school rather than expand the existing one.The student body for the new high school was developed slowly. At first, students from the existing two junior high schools (Forwood and Springer) were selected based on where they lived to attend the yet to be built high school. The first year (1967 – 68), Concord High School was held at the then new Hanby Junior High and consisted of 9th and 10th graders. The students met in the top floor while elementary students attended classes in the lower floor while their school was being built. The following year (1968 – 69), the student body was expanded to 9th, 10th and 11th grades and the elementary students were moved out to their new home.
During this period, the Concord High School building was under construction and planned to open in the fall of 1969. However, a worker strike and construction issues delayed its opening. Since the school was not completed, the student body now consisting of 10th through 12th grades was forced out of their temporary home at Hanby Junior High and into the Brandywine High School building on double sessions. Brandywine High School students attended their school in the morning, while the Concord students attended in the afternoon.
Concord High School finally opened in January 1970 and the first senior class graduated a few months later in June. Even though the school was open, construction was not completed in several areas including the gym, auditorium and swimming pool until the fall of 1970.
The first principal, Dr. William J. Bailey, promoted what was, at the time, a progressive environment that emphasized trust and responsibility among the students. Students were given then unheard of freedoms and responsibilities, which worked extremely well during the progressive periods of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bailey left in the mid-1970s to become a professor of education at the University of Delaware.
Notable alumni
- Rob Brooks-BilsonRob Brooks-BilsonRob Brooks-Bilson is a contributor to the ColdFusion community, known for authoring one of the bibles of the field, the O'Reilly book . He also helped create the CFLib.org and CFCzone.org sites as repositories for community contributions of several libraries of freely available functions and CFCs,...
, Author - Terri DendyTerri DendyTerri A. Dendy is a former Olympic track and field athlete from Wilmington, Delaware. Dendy was ranked among the top ten women in the U.S. for the 400 meters event from 1986 through 1989 and again in 1993. She was an alternate on the U.S. 4 x 400 meters relay team at the 1988 Summer Olympics...
, track and field athlete - Vicki HuberVicki HuberVicki Huber is a retired American middle distance and cross country runner.-Biography:Vicki Huber was born on May 29, 1967 in Wilmington, Delaware. Huber attended Concord High School where she began running as conditioning for field hockey...
, Olympian - Javor Mills, former NFL athlete
- Mary Schilly KniselyMary KniselyMary Knisely is a retired female middle distance runner from the United States. She set her personal best in the women's 3000 metres on 13 July 1987 at a meet in Nice. Knisely is a two-time US national champion in the 3000 metres...
, U.S. and Pan Am champion at 3,000 meters - Montell OwensMontell OwensMontell Ernest Owens is an American football fullback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Maine. He was listed in the Top 200 Players in the NFL Today by NFL Power Rankings 2011...
, NFL athlete - Darren Walters, co-founder of Jade Tree RecordsJade Tree RecordsJade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....
- Ronald Suskind, Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author
- Adam Ruben, '97, author of "Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School" and a co-star on the Food Network's "Food Detectives."
- J. Nick Koston, who created cPanelCPanelcPanel is a Linux based web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a web site...
while a student at Concord. - Luke MathenyLuke MathenyLuke Matheny is an American actor, writer, and director. Matheny is an Academy Award winner, receiving the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for God of Love.-Early years:...
, Academy Award winning motion picture director, writer and actor