Croton-Harmon High School

Croton-Harmon High School (CHHS) is a secondary school located in the village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, United States. It is administered by the Croton-Harmon School District, and serves 9th-12th grade students. There were 542 students enrolled in the 2006-2007 school year. Due to an increase in students since its original construction, it was expanded in the 1950s with a gym, and again in 2005/06 with eight new classrooms, an auxiliary gym, and a new library.

History

• The school was built in 1923.
• During the second World War, a small radar post was placed on the roof; it has long since been dismantled.
• In the 1950s, the first expansion was made onto the school.
• The school has a time capsule donated by the Class of 2006 to be opened by the Class of 2056.
• In 2005 and 2006, the school underwent an expansion of several classrooms.
• The school has a plaque donated to the first World War I soldier from Croton-on-Hudson who died.

Classes

The school offers the usual range of high school classes, as well as the following AP classes: Biology, Macroeconomics, Calculus AB and BC, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish Language, French Language, English Language, English Literature, Statistics, Studio Art, Environmental Science, World History, US History, and Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics.

Language classes include Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The school also offers a number of electives including music and art classes.

Honors courses are not offered. All ninth grade and tenth grade students are enrolled in Regents level English courses. Exceptional performance in these classes will place an honors ("H") merit on the student's transcript. Juniors and seniors have the option of enrolling in AP level English courses instead of taking further Regents level courses.

Unique opportunities

Croton-Harmon Options and Opportunities for a Senior Experience

Croton-Harmon Options and Opportunities for a Senior Experience (CHOOSE) is an experiential education opportunity that invites seniors to apply their knowledge and skills to an area of personal interest. In lieu of attending traditional classes, students spend their last eight weeks of high school serving as an intern in an apprenticeship in the greater community. Students keep a daily journal of their experiences and complete a research project. The experience culminates with a presentation to an audience of peers, faculty and community members.

Student-Faculty Congress

Student-Faculty Congress (SFC) ensures that all members of the school community have a voice in shaping the direction of the school. The congress has authority to recommend action on school rules, scheduling, and other non-curricular matters. There are 26 voting student members and 10 voting faculty members in the congress.

Croton-Harmon Advisory Program

Croton-Harmon Advisory Program (CHAP) offers each student a personalized experience. Students meet in a relaxed atmosphere under the guidance of a teacher or administrator who serves as a facilitator throughout a student’s high school years. Discussions are centered around school-related problems, communication skills, leadership skills, and class events. Advisory groups have a student-faculty ratio of 1:3.

Helping period

Helping period is offered at Croton Harmon High School for thirty minutes in replacement of customary class time in the afternoon from 2:30-3:00. During this time students are encouraged to speak to their teachers about any academic help that they might need (social issues and troubles are assessed by the school psychologist who is available at all times). This program's open and accepting environment provides incentives for students to voice their concerns about what they might be unsure about, or what they may need help with, without fear of repercussions of lack of support. Teachers are required to stay during helping period, and occasionally schedule meetings during this time with students who are taking their classes independently (who are not in the actual class because of scheduling issues or demanding work loads, but who would like to engage in and get credit for the course). Usually, as students progress in their seniority at Croton Harmon High School, their use of helping period increases in accordance with more difficult and demanding workloads.

Objectives

The Croton-Harmon School District states several objectives for their students on the school district website:

• Challenging all children to reach high expectations
• Including parents and the wider community as partners in the educational endeavor
• Fostering a climate of mutual respect for classmates and teachers alike
• Developing student skills that will enable them to meet the challenges that lie ahead in a responsible manner
• Teaching students to communicate effectively and confidently to various audiences using appropriate strategies
• Teaching students how to listen and respond effectively
• Teaching students to use the research process appropriately
• Emphasizing depth of learning over breadth of curricular content
• Individualizing teaching strategies to meet the unique educational goals of each student
• Learning which emphasizes the interaction of students with students as well as students with teacher
• Learning to think freely and to appreciate the serendipitous nature of life
• Committing to both the entire school program and one’s particular discipline
• Developing and maintaining an optimum learning environment through continued commitment to small class size

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References

1. ↑ Croton-Harmon High School Mission Statement

External links

• CHHS website

Coordinates: 41°12′24.5″N 73°52′55.05″W / 41.206806°N 73.8819583°W / 41.206806; -73.8819583