New Castle Chrysler High School
Encyclopedia
New Castle High School is a public high school
in New Castle
, Indiana
whose name is commonly abbreviated to NCCHS. It is part of the New Castle Community School Corporation
and has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. NCCHS is the largest high school in Henry County
.
The present high school originated from the New Castle Academy in 1870. In 1895, New Castle High School was constructed. Because of its distinctive appearance, the building became known as "The Castle." In response to a significant increase in enrollment, a new senior high school was constructed in 1923-24 at 14th and Walnut Streets. Plans to construct an additional wing and a multi-purpose facility were never developed. Instead, physical education classes were conducted at the National Guard Armory across the street and basketball games were played at the YMCA in the "Church Street Gym." The Walnut Street location served as the senior high school until 1958 when a new high school facility was completed. The 1924 structure then joined the 1895 "Castle" building as a junior high school. In 1973, eighth and ninth grade students began attending the newly-constructed Parkview Junior High School. The "Castle" was subsequently demolished, and the Walnut Street school exclusively housed seventh grade students until 1999. The location was home to the Raintree Education Center until 2010; the building was sold to a private owner in 2011.
In 1998, the school board began a $25 million project to significantly renovate the high school, add air conditioning, and upgrade its technological infrastructure. The former business wing, or "C" wing, was demolished to make room for a new entrance and improved parking. A new three-story academic wing was built to provide more classroom space and improved science facilities. In 1999, freshmen students were moved from Parkview Junior High School to the newly-expanded high school.
During the summer of 2011, most of the vocational (New Castle Area Career) programs that had been formerly housed at the Eder site in Knightstown (Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Home campus) was moved primarily into the E and T-wings of New Castle High School. Only the student radio station, WKPW (90.7 FM), remained in Knightstown, Indiana where it had been moved from the Eder site to Knightstown High School by early-2010.
http://www.curriculummapping101.com/curriculum-mapping-general
and has programs in football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, track, golf, softball, and baseball. The boys basketball team won the state championship in 1932 and the Class 3A state championship in 2006. In 2007, the volleyball team won the Class AAAA state championship. The New Castle Fieldhouse is home of Trojan athletics and is billed as the largest high school fieldhouse in the world. The facility was profiled in a 2004 USA Today article.
The Trojan Marching Band is the school's largest performance group and has earned numerous awards throughout its history. The band is a frequent top finisher in the Indiana Marching Band State Finals
at the RCA Dome
. In 2005, the band received the ISSMA All-Music Award. Prior to 1979, the Trojan Marching Band participated in "track style" shows and was a regular performer at the Indiana State Fair
, twice earning first place in the marching band contest. During its history, the band has performed in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
and Disney's Magic Music Days.
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....
in New Castle
New Castle, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,780 people, 7,462 households, and 4,805 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.5 people per square mile . There were 8,042 housing units at an average density of 1,351.3 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
whose name is commonly abbreviated to NCCHS. It is part of the New Castle Community School Corporation
New Castle Community School Corporation
The New Castle Community School Corporation is a public school corporation located in New Castle, Indiana. In addition to New Castle, the district serves all of Henry Township and an adjoining portion of Liberty Township in Henry County, Indiana. The district has one high school, one middle school,...
and has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. NCCHS is the largest high school in Henry County
Henry County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,508 people, 19,486 households, and 13,971 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 20,592 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
.
The present high school originated from the New Castle Academy in 1870. In 1895, New Castle High School was constructed. Because of its distinctive appearance, the building became known as "The Castle." In response to a significant increase in enrollment, a new senior high school was constructed in 1923-24 at 14th and Walnut Streets. Plans to construct an additional wing and a multi-purpose facility were never developed. Instead, physical education classes were conducted at the National Guard Armory across the street and basketball games were played at the YMCA in the "Church Street Gym." The Walnut Street location served as the senior high school until 1958 when a new high school facility was completed. The 1924 structure then joined the 1895 "Castle" building as a junior high school. In 1973, eighth and ninth grade students began attending the newly-constructed Parkview Junior High School. The "Castle" was subsequently demolished, and the Walnut Street school exclusively housed seventh grade students until 1999. The location was home to the Raintree Education Center until 2010; the building was sold to a private owner in 2011.
Present location
Located just west of Baker Park at the corner of Parkview Drive and Ross Street, a new three-story Walter P. Chrysler Memorial High School opened to students in the fall of 1958. The structure was modern for its era and featured an expansive facade of windows on the north and south sides. Two new cafeterias, a business wing, and a vocational wing were in place by the 1960s. Construction of Bundy Auditorium in 1972 as part of the adjoining Parkview Junior High School provided a place for school events and activities. A new swimming facility was put into use at this time. In 1979, the school board renamed the facility New Castle Chrysler High School.In 1998, the school board began a $25 million project to significantly renovate the high school, add air conditioning, and upgrade its technological infrastructure. The former business wing, or "C" wing, was demolished to make room for a new entrance and improved parking. A new three-story academic wing was built to provide more classroom space and improved science facilities. In 1999, freshmen students were moved from Parkview Junior High School to the newly-expanded high school.
During the summer of 2011, most of the vocational (New Castle Area Career) programs that had been formerly housed at the Eder site in Knightstown (Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Home campus) was moved primarily into the E and T-wings of New Castle High School. Only the student radio station, WKPW (90.7 FM), remained in Knightstown, Indiana where it had been moved from the Eder site to Knightstown High School by early-2010.
Name change
On November 12, 2007, the school board voted 3-2 to rename the school "New Castle High School" effective July 1, 2011.Freshman Academy
Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, administrators implemented the Freshman Academy, a new program designed to help freshmen become better adjusted to the transition from middle school to high school. Program goals include increased attendance, reduction in disciplinary problems, and academic improvement. Freshman students are required to eat lunch together, enroll in study hall, and attend freshman--only classes in English, science and math. Students' classrooms and lockers are located in a designated hallway on the third floor. Holding students accountable as well as responsible for turning in regular assignments and homework is part of the expectation of the program. The percentage of freshmen passing all classes per semester steadily showed improvements three out of the first four years this statistic was tracked at NCCHS. The school's dropout rate began decreasing while its graduation rate started showing improvements the third and fourth year after the implementation of the Freshmen Academy. School officials believe this is at least partially attributed to the "failure is not an option" philosophy of its freshman academy that has generally followed these students into upper grades.Curriculum Mapping
During the 2010-11 school year, a new academic initiative had one-third of the school's teachers receiving training on the Atlas Curriculum Mapping program. Curriculum Mapping is a systematic way to track what students should know and do while insuring what is being taught in all subjects are aligned to Indiana academic standards as well as recently-adopted national common core standards. By the fall of 2011 over one-half of NCCHS's teachers had been brought "on board" with how to curriculum map. The process allows for greater collaboration between teachers as discussions take place about how to align the school's curriculum both vertically (from grades 9 up through 12) and horizontally (inter-departmentally and across multiple disciplines). Primary topics for professional deliberations include (1) prioritizing what is being taught, (2) how to avoid unnecessary duplication of topics/standards, and (3) how to shore up gaps when it is discovered important topics/standards are not being effectively taught in the curriculum.http://www.curriculummapping101.com/curriculum-mapping-general
Athletics
New Castle Chrysler High School is a member of the North Central ConferenceNorth Central Conference of Indiana
The North Central Conference, or NCC, is a high school athletic conference which is located in north central and east central Indiana. This conference serves many high schools located in Cass County; Delaware County; Grant County; Henry County; Howard County; Huntington County; Madison...
and has programs in football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, track, golf, softball, and baseball. The boys basketball team won the state championship in 1932 and the Class 3A state championship in 2006. In 2007, the volleyball team won the Class AAAA state championship. The New Castle Fieldhouse is home of Trojan athletics and is billed as the largest high school fieldhouse in the world. The facility was profiled in a 2004 USA Today article.
Former athletes
- Steve AlfordSteve AlfordStephen Todd Alford is a retired American basketball player and the current head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team...
- Indiana UniversityIndiana UniversityIndiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
and NBA. Currently head coach of the University of New MexicoUniversity of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
's men's basketball team. Steve Alford was the featured speaker at the school's Achievement Day on September 30, 2011. - Kent BensonKent BensonMichael Kent Benson is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player.-1969-1973:...
- Indiana UniversityIndiana UniversityIndiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
and NBA.
Music
NCCHS has an active music department. Performance groups include wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble, jazz lab band, brass choir, woodwind choir, winter percussion ensemble, color guard, chorale, chamber singers, varsity choir, madrigals, jazz choir, show choir, and various other solo and ensemble groups. The band and choir travel out of state on a four-year cycle to experience a variety of musical performances.The Trojan Marching Band is the school's largest performance group and has earned numerous awards throughout its history. The band is a frequent top finisher in the Indiana Marching Band State Finals
Indiana Marching Band State Finals
The Indiana Marching Band State Finals is a competition for marching bands governed by the Indiana State School Music Association . ISSMA has sanctioned the event annually since 1981; from 1973 until 1980 the top bands from the NISBOVA and ISMA circuits met in the All-State Marching Band Contest.-...
at the RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
. In 2005, the band received the ISSMA All-Music Award. Prior to 1979, the Trojan Marching Band participated in "track style" shows and was a regular performer at the Indiana State Fair
Indiana State Fair
The Indiana State Fair is an annual fair held in Indianapolis, Indiana, usually in the month of August. The first fair was held in 1881 and the 2009 fair had the highest number of attendees at 973,902....
, twice earning first place in the marching band contest. During its history, the band has performed in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
and Disney's Magic Music Days.