Blue Valley North High School
Encyclopedia
Blue Valley North High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Overland Park, Kansas
, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of the five currently-operated high schools in the Blue Valley School District. The principal is Dr. Tonya Merrigan, the associate principal is Mark Dalton and the assistant principals are Bob Duncan, and Mickey Masterson. The school colors are navy blue and silver. Blue Valley North is a two-time Blue Ribbon School
. The current enrollment is approximately 1,524 students.
Blue Valley North High School was established in 1986 in order to help educate students due to the rapid development of the Overland Park, Kansas area. Blue Valley North is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A Division and are known as the "Mustangs". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
in the 1990-1991 academic year, one of the most successful years for the school. Blue Valley North won the award again in the 2007-2008 academic year, due in no large part to receiving the best overall academic results in the Kansas Assessment examination. Only three Blue Ribbon Awards have been issued to the state of Kansas, two of which were given to Blue Valley North.
Blue Valley North is currently ranked 721st in Newsweek's rankings of the top 1,500 schools in the United States.
. Throughout its history, Blue Valley North has won several state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics. The Blue Valley North Mustangs are considered rivals with the Blue Valley Northwest Huskies
. The two schools, along with Blue Valley West High School
, share the District Athletic Complex located on the corner of 135th and Quivira as a home stadium for football, soccer, and baseball games. The Mustangs also compete against the rest of the Blue Valley High Schools, the nearby Shawnee Mission School District
, and the Olathe School District
.
Concert Choir - SATB freshmen; no audition necessary.
Choraliers - SATB; sophomores; must audition.
Chorale - SATB; selective juniors, and seniors; must audition.
Chamberettes - SSAA; selective juniors and seniors; must also be in Chorale; audition
Chamber Singers - SATB; highly selective sophomores, juniors, and seniors; must also be in Chorale; must audition and be willing to skip multiple hours of school to perform at events throughout the area.
Under the direction of Mary Bodney, North has accomplished multiple records, including having the maximum (20) singers make KSMEA Northeast District Choir in 2009. In 2011, North had 11 students make KSMEA All State Choir, more than all the other BV schools combined. Katie Hoefer was chosen for both the Northeast District scholarship, as well as the All State Scholarship, in a selective process for those who want to pursue a Music Education degree at a Kansas school. In 2009 and 2011, Shelby Floyd and Sarah Hennessey had been chosen to perform solos for District and All State festivals.
In May 2011, Mary Bodney announced her retirement after 37 years of vocal music conducting.
Under directors Steve Wood and Max Brown, the forensics team at North has won some outstanding titles.
In Spring 2009, the BVN Forensics team won first place in the state out of 28 other 6A schools. In the National qualifying tournaments, nearly every first and second place slot went to Blue Valley North. Also, in Spring 2010, the BVN Forensics team won first place in state for 6A schools. The forensics team is currently ranked #5 in the nation.
State
Maps
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of the five currently-operated high schools in the Blue Valley School District. The principal is Dr. Tonya Merrigan, the associate principal is Mark Dalton and the assistant principals are Bob Duncan, and Mickey Masterson. The school colors are navy blue and silver. Blue Valley North is a two-time Blue Ribbon School
Blue 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...
. The current enrollment is approximately 1,524 students.
Blue Valley North High School was established in 1986 in order to help educate students due to the rapid development of the Overland Park, Kansas area. Blue Valley North is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
Kansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A Division and are known as the "Mustangs". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
History
Blue Valley North High School was established in 1986 in order to help educate students due to the rapid development of Overland Park, Kansas. Throughout its relatively short history, Blue Valley North has made significant strides in both educational and non-educational aspects. During the 1990-1991 school year, Blue Valley North was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence in Education, awarded to the top schools in the country according to most publications. The school was awarded a second Blue Ribbon Award in 2008. In addition to educational achievements, Blue Valley North has had a great amount of success in athletics, having won nearly 60 state championships in various sports over the span of 25 years.Academics
Blue Valley North won the Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon Award
Blue Ribbon Award can refer to:* Blue Ribbon Award , an annual award presented by the Japan Railfan Club* Blue Ribbon Awards, annual Japanese film awards* Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence in Education, awarded by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program...
in the 1990-1991 academic year, one of the most successful years for the school. Blue Valley North won the award again in the 2007-2008 academic year, due in no large part to receiving the best overall academic results in the Kansas Assessment examination. Only three Blue Ribbon Awards have been issued to the state of Kansas, two of which were given to Blue Valley North.
Blue Valley North is currently ranked 721st in Newsweek's rankings of the top 1,500 schools in the United States.
Athletics
The Mustangs compete in the Eastern Kansas League (EKL) and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
. Throughout its history, Blue Valley North has won several state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics. The Blue Valley North Mustangs are considered rivals with the Blue Valley Northwest Huskies
Blue Valley Northwest High School
Blue Valley Northwest High School is a high school in Overland Park, Kansas. It is part of the Blue Valley Unified School District. Blue Valley Northwest is one of several schools located within the city limits of Overland Park. The school colors are purple, black, and white...
. The two schools, along with Blue Valley West High School
Blue Valley West High School
Blue Valley West High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Overland Park, Kansas, and one of five currently operated high schools in the Blue Valley Unified School District. The school opened in August 2001, and has a current enrollment of approximately 1600 students...
, share the District Athletic Complex located on the corner of 135th and Quivira as a home stadium for football, soccer, and baseball games. The Mustangs also compete against the rest of the Blue Valley High Schools, the nearby Shawnee Mission School District
Shawnee Mission School District
The Shawnee Mission School District is one of the major school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Located in northeast Johnson County, Kansas, the school district enrolled approximately 40,000 students in the 2009-2010 school year...
, and the Olathe School District
Olathe School District
The Olathe Unified School District is one of the major school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. , the district comprises 4 high schools, 9 middle schools, and 34 elementary schools.-Administration:...
.
State Championships
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Soccer, Boys | 4 | 1992, 2000, 2001, 2007 |
| Soccer, Girls | 3 | 1998, 2002, 2007 | |
| Cross Country, Girls Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... |
1 | 2002 | |
| Gymnastics, Girls Gymnastics Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body... |
1 | 1997 | |
| Winter | Swimming and Diving, Boys Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... |
9 | 1987*, 1988*, 1991, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2011 |
| Swimming and Diving, Girls Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... |
4 | 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006 | |
| Basketball, Boys Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
2 | 1997, 2010 | |
| Basketball, Girls Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
3 | 1998, 2000, 2005 | |
| Spring | Golf, Boys Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
2 | 1992, 1993 |
| Golf, Girls Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
3 | 1988, 2009, 2010 | |
| Track & Field, Boys | 2 | 1993, 1999 | |
| Tennis, Boys 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... |
7 | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2010 | |
| Tennis, Girls 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... |
12 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 | |
| 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... |
1 | 1993 | |
| 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... |
1 | 1997 | |
| Total | 56 | ||
- * championships shared with Blue Valley High SchoolBlue Valley High SchoolBlue Valley High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Stilwell, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school currently operates in the Blue Valley Unified School District. The principal is Scott Bacon, the associate principal is Bob Whitehead, and the assistant...
Vocal music
Blue Valley North has five choirs:Concert Choir - SATB freshmen; no audition necessary.
Choraliers - SATB; sophomores; must audition.
Chorale - SATB; selective juniors, and seniors; must audition.
Chamberettes - SSAA; selective juniors and seniors; must also be in Chorale; audition
Chamber Singers - SATB; highly selective sophomores, juniors, and seniors; must also be in Chorale; must audition and be willing to skip multiple hours of school to perform at events throughout the area.
Under the direction of Mary Bodney, North has accomplished multiple records, including having the maximum (20) singers make KSMEA Northeast District Choir in 2009. In 2011, North had 11 students make KSMEA All State Choir, more than all the other BV schools combined. Katie Hoefer was chosen for both the Northeast District scholarship, as well as the All State Scholarship, in a selective process for those who want to pursue a Music Education degree at a Kansas school. In 2009 and 2011, Shelby Floyd and Sarah Hennessey had been chosen to perform solos for District and All State festivals.
In May 2011, Mary Bodney announced her retirement after 37 years of vocal music conducting.
Theatre
In 2011, North was the first school in Kansas to perform the critically acclaimed broadway show "The Phantom of the Opera". All shows were sold out.Forensics
Under directors Steve Wood and Max Brown, the forensics team at North has won some outstanding titles.
In Spring 2009, the BVN Forensics team won first place in the state out of 28 other 6A schools. In the National qualifying tournaments, nearly every first and second place slot went to Blue Valley North. Also, in Spring 2010, the BVN Forensics team won first place in state for 6A schools. The forensics team is currently ranked #5 in the nation.
Notable alumni
- Wes Bergmann, cast member of the MTVMTVMTV, 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....
show The Real WorldThe Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
. - Todd BosleyTodd BosleyTodd Bosley , is an American actor. Bosley lives in Los Angeles, California.He is best known for playing the role of Howie in the sitcom Scrubs. He began his acting career a child, having notable roles in Little Giants and Jack alongside Robin Williams...
, actor, credits include: Little GiantsLittle GiantsLittle Giants is a 1994 family comedy film, starring Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill as brothers in a small Ohio town, coaching rival Pee-Wee Football teams.-Synopsis:...
, SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, The OC, Jack. - Casey CrawfordCasey CrawfordCasey Crawford is an American professional basketball player. He signed to Canadian team Edmonton Energy in May 2011.He has played in the FIBA and IBL leagues...
, professional basketball player - Andy GruenebaumAndy GruenebaumAndy Gruenebaum is an American soccer player who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
, backup goalkeeper for the Columbus CrewColumbus CrewThe Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. - Jon KempinJon KempinJon Kempin is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.Kempin studied at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas.-Professional:...
, professional goalkeeper for Sporting KC of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. - Tara KraftTara KraftTara Kraft is an American actress. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington.- Background :Tara attended Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas...
, actor, credits include: Lost On the B Side, Neck Bomb. - Dan Renzi, cast member of the MTVMTVMTV, 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....
show The Real WorldThe Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
. - Jack SockJack SockJack Sock is an American tennis player. The men's junior US Open champion in 2010, he is best known for winning the 2011 US Open mixed doubles title with fellow American Melanie Oudin.-Junior Career:...
, professional tennis player
See also
- Blue Valley Unified School DistrictBlue Valley Unified School DistrictThe Blue Valley Unified School District is one of the major school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Located in east central and southeast Johnson County, Kansas, covering of Overland Park including parts of Leawood and Stilwell...
- Other Blue Valley High Schools:
- Blue Valley High SchoolBlue Valley High SchoolBlue Valley High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Stilwell, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school currently operates in the Blue Valley Unified School District. The principal is Scott Bacon, the associate principal is Bob Whitehead, and the assistant...
- Blue Valley Northwest High SchoolBlue Valley Northwest High SchoolBlue Valley Northwest High School is a high school in Overland Park, Kansas. It is part of the Blue Valley Unified School District. Blue Valley Northwest is one of several schools located within the city limits of Overland Park. The school colors are purple, black, and white...
- Blue Valley Southwest High School
- Blue Valley West High SchoolBlue Valley West High SchoolBlue Valley West High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Overland Park, Kansas, and one of five currently operated high schools in the Blue Valley Unified School District. The school opened in August 2001, and has a current enrollment of approximately 1600 students...
- Blue Valley High School
External links
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