Hempfield Area High School
Encyclopedia
Hempfield Area High School is a high school
for students in the Hempfield Township
area of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
.
in Hempfield Township occurred June 8, 1898, when the Board of Education recorded a proposal to investigate the possibilities of building a secondary school
in the area. From that time until 1956, students attended nearby high schools. On November 17, 1952, the Articles of Agreement of the Hempfield Area Joint Schools were adopted and work began in earnest to establish a high school.
The different needs and abilities of all student
s were taken into consideration when the building was designed. The building included 39 classroom
s, 9 vocational
areas, an auditorium
that seated 1,242, a gym
nasium with a 2,200 seating capacity
, cafeteria
, band
and chorus
rooms, and a large modern library
. The original building and grounds occupied a 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) area. The size and capacity of the senior high school were determined by a review of the student population
of 1952 and a projected six year enrollment. The new building accommodated 1,200 pupils. The Board of Education recognized potential growth and included provisions for additions to meet future needs. Finally, the school opened September 5, 1956, with an enrollment of 1,037 students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Currently there are 3,500 enrolled. Although the entire building was not completed, sufficient sections were available to begin the school year
.
Construction began on February 10, 1964, of an approximate two million dollar addition to the original senior high building. The addition was complete for student use in September, 1965. The addition increased the capacity of the school to 3,500 students including an addition to the cafeteria and extensive remodeling in the “C” wing. A highlight of the new addition was a 75 by 42 feet (12.8 m) indoor swimming pool. The main addition housed twenty regular classrooms, a new planetarium
, faculty cafeteria, an enlarged area for art classes, and rifle
range. A total of seven rooms in the “C” wing that included four biology
labs
was completed. An additional chemistry
-physics
laboratory and chemistry classroom were added in the main wing. Administration offices were moved to permit the addition of three classrooms on the first floor.
In October 1978, Hempfield Area High School was once again altered by an addition to the building. New facilities were added to provide additional teaching space at an approximate cost of 1.5 million dollars. A physical fitness room, two instructional classrooms, a laundry area, coaches room, press box, additional space in the locker rooms, and a concession room were added. The new addition was completed in 1980.
At the beginning of the 1988-89 school term, another extensive renovation was begun at the senior high school. Completed for the opening of the 1990-91 school term, this project virtually remodeled the entire interior of the existing structure. All areas of the building including the library, auditorium, science labs, cafeteria
and classrooms were remodeled and thirteen classrooms were added. In 2001, additional renovation was done to add two more chemistry labs in the science area, as well as a new resource room and a few additional classrooms.
In 2004, even more renovations took place. The baseball
field was removed so that the student parking lot could be moved on campus for safety reasons. It was located across busy Route 136. Also, new bleachers, press box and concession stands were added at Spartan Stadium. Also new athletic fields were added behind the stadium. Finally, a state of the art field house complete with new wrestling facilities, locker rooms and athletic offices was added in the north endzone of Spartan Stadium. Hempfield Area High School is now the most up-to-date and modern educational facility in Western Pennsylvania.
In March 2007, a 15 year old student was mistakenly jailed for 12 days in a juvenile detention facility for allegedly making a bomb threat over the school district hotline, because school officials had overlooked daylight saving time
while evaluating the calling records. Afterwards, the teen, an honors student
, stated that principal Kathy Charlton had humiliated him in the process and that he did not want to return to the school. An editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
called the incident an "Orwellian
nightmare".
is part of a district-wide library department that includes libraries in each of the elementary
and middle school
s with a professional librarian
assigned to each library. The high school library opened for use in March 1990, and offers 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) of space.
There are three computer
areas, two containing 30 computers each and one with 20 computers, designed for class instruction and for individual research. All computers have Internet
access and CD-ROM
capability. Workspace for research
is available at each. In addition, there are tables for individual and small groups to study, as well as a leisure area for reading. Shelving areas house the print collection of books, magazines, and newspapers.
The district’s professional education library
is maintained in an area adjacent to the main entrance. A conference area is available for teachers, parents, and staff. The periodical and audiovisual room contains back issues of magazine
s and audiovisual materials and equipment.
An electronic security system is installed at the library exit. All materials must be passed to the attendant before exiting the gate.
that is used as a base for all Internet research. Students can use the online library catalog
from school or home to access the bibliographic information on all the books and audiovisual materials available in the library, as well as Web Path Express to access safe and educationally sound websites. As a member of the ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA statewide database, the library also provides students with access to over 18,000,000 books from over 600 school, public, and college
libraries by way of interlibrary loan
.
The library is an information center. Each of the 80 computers in the main room has access to the Internet and to CD-ROM products. Among the databases available to students on the Internet are the ACCESS POWER databases, which include a full-text periodical database
, an online encyclopedia
, and a photo database. The library also subscribes to additional online databases for students to access reliable information. Each of the computers has access to Microsoft Office
, the school’s standard productivity software.
In order to take full advantage of the electronic and online databases available to students, it is important that students have parental permission to use the Internet. Internet Permission Slip
s, along with the school district's Acceptable Use Policy
, are sent home with ninth grade students. These completed forms, which must indicate if parents allow or do not allow their children to use the Internet, must be returned promptly to the schools. No student may use the Internet without a parental permission slip on file. While parents may have some trepidation about allowing their children to use the Internet, please consider the benefit of the vast amount of information it allows students to use. Further, the Hempfield Area School District’s Acceptable Use Policy, adopted by the Board of School Directors, provides that Internet access includes an Internet filtering
service.
Each student is issued a library card and is responsible for all materials checked out on that card. When a student loses his/her library card or damage is so severe that the barcode
cannot be used, a $3.00 replacement charge is assessed. It is the student's responsibility to notify the library if his/her library card has been lost or stolen.
Although fines are not charged for overdue books, report cards are held each quarter for students with library obligations. Students are responsible for payment for lost or damaged library books. The charge is for the current replacement cost of the book, plus any charges for processing, shipping and handling. If the book is subsequently found within the school year
, reimbursement will be made.
When a student removes and/or damages any part of the security system detection tag from a book, $5.00 per occurrence will be charged. If the damage to the book results in the book needing to be replaced, the student will be assessed the replacement cost plus shipping and handling. The library is open on school days from 7:15 AM – 2:50 PM. The library is also open during after school tutor
ing sessions. Students are encouraged to use the library during activity periods and study halls. Library passes are required from subject teachers or from the library staff each morning from 7:15 AM – 7:35 AM.
entered the first phase of a major technological advancement program. All teacher
s were given access to computers, which enabled them to receive electronic mail
; maintain grades
; do word processing
, database
and spreadsheet
tasks; and access student software.
Computer lab
s were upgraded and networked in the business and math departments. Computers were phased in to several other departments in individual classrooms or in labs, depending upon the needs of the department.
Since then the school has continued to upgrade and implement more and newer equipment. The district is now undergoing an ongoing, rotating upgrade of technology. All classrooms are now equipped with networked computers for teacher and student use so they can access data and software from anywhere in the building. The library provides Internet access to all students at the high school, while the Business Department teaches computer concepts and Web Page construction
. CADD classes are also offered to students.
was added to the high school in 1965 to improve aerospace
education
throughout the school district
. Planetarium projectors include the Spitz Laboratory Model A3 Projector and various supplementary projectors such as the meteor
, solar eclipse
, lunar eclipse
, and auroras
projection devices. It can show the sky
visible from any location on the earth
. The planetarium supplements class work in astronomy
, earth science
s, and physics
. Beyond the normal school day, the planetarium serves varied community groups including the P.T.A.
, Boy Scouts
, and non-public school students with programs of current interest and sky drama
s.
in New Stanton
for the students there who wish to chose a vocational or technical program.
program consists of three different teams, according to grade level: varsity
(grades 9–12), junior varsity
(grades 9–12), , and freshman (9th grade only). The varsity and junior varsity begin their season in August with football camp, which involves three practices per day. There is also a one-week session held every year to help team members get better acquainted and prepared. All home games are held at the Spartan Stadium. The ninth grade team starts practice prior to the beginning of the school year and competes in a seven-game schedule. Regular attendance is expected of all candidates. All essential equipment and transportation are provided to and from the games.
within the PIAA
. The teams, both varsity and junior varsity, play approximately twenty-four games a year. The Boys' team went 6-16, tied for second worst record all-time in spartan history.
within the PIAA
. The cross country team consists of a varsity
(usually the top 7 runners)
squad and a junior varsity
squad. The teams compete in triple-dual meets, double-dual meets, and invitations. The cross country teams are coached by Ronald Colland and Tom McGuire.
with director Dr. Roderick T. Booker, who retired in 2006.The band was also honored greatly when they were chosen as the featured band for the 2003 Burbank on Parade. In particular, Flutist Clayton Nichols was honored with the Golden Flute for his rendition "My Heart Must Go On." Dr. Booker was also honored by being chosen as the grand marshal of this event in Burbank, California. The band was once again honored when they were selected as the official band in the Orange Blossom Parade in Riverside California. Dr. Booker was a teacher for 35 years in the Hempfield Area School District, and he served as the director of high school bands for 29 years.
Since 2006, the band has been under the direction of Brian A. Tychinski. He is assisted by assistant directors Michael Matteo and Nancy Flinner, majorette instructor Shana Murphy, and colorguard instructor Amanda Montell.
Hempfield is also the home of the Hempfield High School Jazz Band. This group has performed in Kentucky, California, and all over Pennsylvania. The Hempfield Jazz Band also had the special opportunity to play for President Bill Clinton
during his visit to Greensburg, Pennsylvania
.
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....
for students in the Hempfield Township
Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Hempfield Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,241 at the 2010 census, making it the largest suburb in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area by population.- Geography :...
area of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
.
History
The first official move to establish a high schoolHigh 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....
in Hempfield Township occurred June 8, 1898, when the Board of Education recorded a proposal to investigate the possibilities of building a secondary school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in the area. From that time until 1956, students attended nearby high schools. On November 17, 1952, the Articles of Agreement of the Hempfield Area Joint Schools were adopted and work began in earnest to establish a high school.
The different needs and abilities of all student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s were taken into consideration when the building was designed. The building included 39 classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
s, 9 vocational
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
areas, an auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
that seated 1,242, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium with a 2,200 seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
, cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, band
School band
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
and chorus
Choir
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...
rooms, and a large modern library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. The original building and grounds occupied a 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) area. The size and capacity of the senior high school were determined by a review of the student population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1952 and a projected six year enrollment. The new building accommodated 1,200 pupils. The Board of Education recognized potential growth and included provisions for additions to meet future needs. Finally, the school opened September 5, 1956, with an enrollment of 1,037 students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Currently there are 3,500 enrolled. Although the entire building was not completed, sufficient sections were available to begin the school year
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
.
Construction began on February 10, 1964, of an approximate two million dollar addition to the original senior high building. The addition was complete for student use in September, 1965. The addition increased the capacity of the school to 3,500 students including an addition to the cafeteria and extensive remodeling in the “C” wing. A highlight of the new addition was a 75 by 42 feet (12.8 m) indoor swimming pool. The main addition housed twenty regular classrooms, a new planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
, faculty cafeteria, an enlarged area for art classes, and rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
range. A total of seven rooms in the “C” wing that included four biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
labs
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
was completed. An additional chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
-physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
laboratory and chemistry classroom were added in the main wing. Administration offices were moved to permit the addition of three classrooms on the first floor.
In October 1978, Hempfield Area High School was once again altered by an addition to the building. New facilities were added to provide additional teaching space at an approximate cost of 1.5 million dollars. A physical fitness room, two instructional classrooms, a laundry area, coaches room, press box, additional space in the locker rooms, and a concession room were added. The new addition was completed in 1980.
At the beginning of the 1988-89 school term, another extensive renovation was begun at the senior high school. Completed for the opening of the 1990-91 school term, this project virtually remodeled the entire interior of the existing structure. All areas of the building including the library, auditorium, science labs, cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
and classrooms were remodeled and thirteen classrooms were added. In 2001, additional renovation was done to add two more chemistry labs in the science area, as well as a new resource room and a few additional classrooms.
In 2004, even more renovations took place. The 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...
field was removed so that the student parking lot could be moved on campus for safety reasons. It was located across busy Route 136. Also, new bleachers, press box and concession stands were added at Spartan Stadium. Also new athletic fields were added behind the stadium. Finally, a state of the art field house complete with new wrestling facilities, locker rooms and athletic offices was added in the north endzone of Spartan Stadium. Hempfield Area High School is now the most up-to-date and modern educational facility in Western Pennsylvania.
In March 2007, a 15 year old student was mistakenly jailed for 12 days in a juvenile detention facility for allegedly making a bomb threat over the school district hotline, because school officials had overlooked daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
while evaluating the calling records. Afterwards, the teen, an honors student
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
, stated that principal Kathy Charlton had humiliated him in the process and that he did not want to return to the school. An editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
called the incident an "Orwellian
Orwellian
"Orwellian" describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society...
nightmare".
Administration
- Kathy Charlton (Principal)
- Chris Brasco (Assistant Principal)
- Steven DeLisle (Assistant Principal)
- David Vezendy (Assistant Principal)
Library
The high school libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
is part of a district-wide library department that includes libraries in each of the elementary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s with a professional librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
assigned to each library. The high school library opened for use in March 1990, and offers 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) of space.
There are three computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
areas, two containing 30 computers each and one with 20 computers, designed for class instruction and for individual research. All computers have Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access and CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
capability. Workspace for research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
is available at each. In addition, there are tables for individual and small groups to study, as well as a leisure area for reading. Shelving areas house the print collection of books, magazines, and newspapers.
The district’s professional education library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
is maintained in an area adjacent to the main entrance. A conference area is available for teachers, parents, and staff. The periodical and audiovisual room contains back issues of magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s and audiovisual materials and equipment.
An electronic security system is installed at the library exit. All materials must be passed to the attendant before exiting the gate.
Services
The high school library maintains a Web pageWeb page
A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...
that is used as a base for all Internet research. Students can use the online library catalog
Library catalog
A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations...
from school or home to access the bibliographic information on all the books and audiovisual materials available in the library, as well as Web Path Express to access safe and educationally sound websites. As a member of the ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA statewide database, the library also provides students with access to over 18,000,000 books from over 600 school, public, and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
libraries by way of interlibrary loan
Interlibrary loan
Interlibrary loan is a service whereby a user of one library can borrow books or receive photocopies of documents that are owned by another library...
.
The library is an information center. Each of the 80 computers in the main room has access to the Internet and to CD-ROM products. Among the databases available to students on the Internet are the ACCESS POWER databases, which include a full-text periodical database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
, an online encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
, and a photo database. The library also subscribes to additional online databases for students to access reliable information. Each of the computers has access to Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
, the school’s standard productivity software.
In order to take full advantage of the electronic and online databases available to students, it is important that students have parental permission to use the Internet. Internet Permission Slip
Permission slip
A permission slip in the United States is a form that a school or other organization sends home with a student to a parent in which the parent provides authorization for minor children to travel under the auspices of the school or organization for some type of event, such as a field trip.Permission...
s, along with the school district's Acceptable Use Policy
Acceptable use policy
An acceptable use policy is a set of rules applied by the owner/manager of a network, website or large computer system that restrict the ways in which the network site or system may be used...
, are sent home with ninth grade students. These completed forms, which must indicate if parents allow or do not allow their children to use the Internet, must be returned promptly to the schools. No student may use the Internet without a parental permission slip on file. While parents may have some trepidation about allowing their children to use the Internet, please consider the benefit of the vast amount of information it allows students to use. Further, the Hempfield Area School District’s Acceptable Use Policy, adopted by the Board of School Directors, provides that Internet access includes an Internet filtering
Content-control software
Content-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
service.
Each student is issued a library card and is responsible for all materials checked out on that card. When a student loses his/her library card or damage is so severe that the barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
cannot be used, a $3.00 replacement charge is assessed. It is the student's responsibility to notify the library if his/her library card has been lost or stolen.
Although fines are not charged for overdue books, report cards are held each quarter for students with library obligations. Students are responsible for payment for lost or damaged library books. The charge is for the current replacement cost of the book, plus any charges for processing, shipping and handling. If the book is subsequently found within the school year
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
, reimbursement will be made.
When a student removes and/or damages any part of the security system detection tag from a book, $5.00 per occurrence will be charged. If the damage to the book results in the book needing to be replaced, the student will be assessed the replacement cost plus shipping and handling. The library is open on school days from 7:15 AM – 2:50 PM. The library is also open during after school tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
ing sessions. Students are encouraged to use the library during activity periods and study halls. Library passes are required from subject teachers or from the library staff each morning from 7:15 AM – 7:35 AM.
Technology
During the 1993-94 school year, Hempfield Area School DistrictHempfield Area School District
Hempfield Area School District is a large school district in western PA. It is the largest in Westmoreland County with a resident population of over 50,000, and covers approximately and lies southeast of Pittsburgh...
entered the first phase of a major technological advancement program. All teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s were given access to computers, which enabled them to receive electronic mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
; maintain grades
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
; do word processing
Word processing
Word processing is the creation of documents using a word processor. It can also refer to advanced shorthand techniques, sometimes used in specialized contexts with a specially modified typewriter.-External links:...
, database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
and spreadsheet
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
tasks; and access student software.
Computer lab
Computer lab
A computer lab, also known as a computer suite or computer cluster is typically a room which contains many networked computers for public use...
s were upgraded and networked in the business and math departments. Computers were phased in to several other departments in individual classrooms or in labs, depending upon the needs of the department.
Since then the school has continued to upgrade and implement more and newer equipment. The district is now undergoing an ongoing, rotating upgrade of technology. All classrooms are now equipped with networked computers for teacher and student use so they can access data and software from anywhere in the building. The library provides Internet access to all students at the high school, while the Business Department teaches computer concepts and Web Page construction
Web design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
. CADD classes are also offered to students.
Planetarium
The Hempfield Area School District’s planetariumPlanetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
was added to the high school in 1965 to improve aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
throughout the school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
. Planetarium projectors include the Spitz Laboratory Model A3 Projector and various supplementary projectors such as the meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
, solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
, lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a...
, and auroras
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
projection devices. It can show the sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
visible from any location on the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The planetarium supplements class work in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, earth science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
s, and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. Beyond the normal school day, the planetarium serves varied community groups including the P.T.A.
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
, Boy Scouts
Scouting in Pennsylvania
Scouting in Pennsylvania has a long and rich tradition, from 1908 to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
, and non-public school students with programs of current interest and sky drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s.
Vocational-Technical Services
HAHS uses the services of Central Westmoreland Career and Technology CenterCentral Westmoreland Career and Technology Center
Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, or CWCTC, is located in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. CWCTC is a part-time Vocational-Educational School with 10 sending school districts...
in New Stanton
New Stanton, Pennsylvania
New Stanton is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,906 at the 2000 census. New Stanton is often used as a control city in western parts of Pennsylvania, as I-70 joins the Pennsylvania Turnpike eastbound towards Breezewood, Pennsylvania in New...
for the students there who wish to chose a vocational or technical program.
Football
The Hempfield Area footballAmerican 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...
program consists of three different teams, according to grade level: varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
(grades 9–12), junior varsity
Junior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
(grades 9–12), , and freshman (9th grade only). The varsity and junior varsity begin their season in August with football camp, which involves three practices per day. There is also a one-week session held every year to help team members get better acquainted and prepared. All home games are held at the Spartan Stadium. The ninth grade team starts practice prior to the beginning of the school year and competes in a seven-game schedule. Regular attendance is expected of all candidates. All essential equipment and transportation are provided to and from the games.
Head coaches
| Name | Year(s) | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Abraham | 1956–1971 | 106-39 |
| Ralph Short | 1972–1974 | 12-12-3 |
| Joe Hamilton | 1975 | 4-4-1 |
| Rich Erdelyi | 1976 | 1-9 |
| Bill Abraham | 1977–1982 | 34-25 |
| Joe Naunchik | 1983–1985 | 15-15 |
| Gene Epley | 1986–1990 | 19-26 |
| Greg Perschetti | 1991–1995 | 24-30 |
| Casey Cavenaugh | 1996–2000 | 21-28 |
| Gary Dongilli | 2001–2002 | 1-19 |
| Bo Ruffner | 2003–2004 | 5-15 |
| Greg Meisner Greg Meisner Gregory Paul Meisner is a former American football defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants of the National Football League.... |
2005–present | 15-37 |
Basketball
The Hempfield Area Boys' and Girls' Basketball teams participate each year as a member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic LeagueWestern Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
within the PIAA
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
. The teams, both varsity and junior varsity, play approximately twenty-four games a year. The Boys' team went 6-16, tied for second worst record all-time in spartan history.
Cross country
The Hempfield Area boys' and girls' cross country teams participate each year as a member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic LeagueWestern Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
within the PIAA
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
. The cross country team consists of a varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
(usually the top 7 runners)
squad and a junior varsity
Junior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
squad. The teams compete in triple-dual meets, double-dual meets, and invitations. The cross country teams are coached by Ronald Colland and Tom McGuire.
Band
Hempfield is home to the Hempfield Area Spartan Marching Band. The band has between 180 and 300 members yearly. It has performed in Texas, Florida, Colorado, California, New York, Washington DC, Virginia, Kentucky, and many other places. The band has received invitations to perform in Australia, France, England, and China; the band was invited to perform in China for the 2008 Olympics and well as Rome to perform for the Pope in his New Year's parade. The HAHS Marching Band also marched in the 2005 Tournament of Roses ParadeTournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
with director Dr. Roderick T. Booker, who retired in 2006.The band was also honored greatly when they were chosen as the featured band for the 2003 Burbank on Parade. In particular, Flutist Clayton Nichols was honored with the Golden Flute for his rendition "My Heart Must Go On." Dr. Booker was also honored by being chosen as the grand marshal of this event in Burbank, California. The band was once again honored when they were selected as the official band in the Orange Blossom Parade in Riverside California. Dr. Booker was a teacher for 35 years in the Hempfield Area School District, and he served as the director of high school bands for 29 years.
Since 2006, the band has been under the direction of Brian A. Tychinski. He is assisted by assistant directors Michael Matteo and Nancy Flinner, majorette instructor Shana Murphy, and colorguard instructor Amanda Montell.
Hempfield is also the home of the Hempfield High School Jazz Band. This group has performed in Kentucky, California, and all over Pennsylvania. The Hempfield Jazz Band also had the special opportunity to play for President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
during his visit to Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
.
External links
- Official website
- "Hempfield High School Daze 1976" video, A look back at the class of 1976 at Hempfield Area High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.