Penn-Trafford High School
Encyclopedia
Harrison City, Pennsylvania
Harrison City is a census-designated place in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Harrison City is located at ....
in Westmoreland County
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...
, and is the secondary school serving the Penn-Trafford School District
Penn-Trafford School District
The Penn-Trafford School District is a public school district that serves western Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and a small portion of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The district is governed by a locally elected, nine member school board who serve, staggered four year terms, the Pennsylvania...
. It is the result of several mergers of smaller school districts and entities. It is the successor of Penn Joint High School and Trafford High School. The school colors are green and gold. The different government entities that are incorporated into this school district are, in size order, Penn Township
Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Penn Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.5 square miles , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, Trafford Boro
Trafford, Pennsylvania
Trafford is a borough in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, the borough lies primarily in Westmoreland County; only a small portion extends into Allegheny County...
, Manor Boro
Manor, Pennsylvania
Manor is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,796 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Manor is located at ....
, and Penn Boro
Penn, Pennsylvania
Penn is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 460 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Penn is located at ....
. The school district is partly in Westmoreland County, PA and partly in Allegheny County, PA.
Graduation Rate
2009 - 97%
2008 - 97%
2007 - 97%
2006 - 97%
High school
Penn-Trafford High School was ranked 18th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools for student academic achievement by the Pittsburgh Business Times.PSSA Results:
11th Grade Reading
2009 - 78% on grade level, In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 79%, State - 65%
2007 - 81%, State - 65%
11th Grade Math
2009 - 68%, In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2008 - 70%, State - 56%
2007 - 69%, State - 53%
11th Grade Science:
2009 - 48% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 50%, State - 39%
College remediation
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 20% of Penn-Trafford School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher EducationPennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
or community colleges. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.
Classroom of the Future
The Penn-Trafford School District recently accepted grants to fund "The Classroom of the Future." Each classroom is equipped with a Smart Board 600i and a projector mounted. Some teachers have portable Smart boards allowing mobility around the classroom. Selected core classes will be given a cart of laptops that teachers have to incorporate into their lessons.Dual enrollment
The high school offers a Dual EnrollmentDual enrollment
In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....
program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards both: high school graduation requirements and towards a college degree. The students continue to have full access to all clubs, activities and programs, at their high school including the graduation ceremony. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.
For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $13,378 for the program.
Graduation project
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.Vocational-Technical Services
Penn-Trafford High SchoolPenn-Trafford High School
Penn-Trafford High School is located in Harrison City, Pennsylvania in Westmoreland County, and is the secondary school serving the Penn-Trafford School District. It is the result of several mergers of smaller school districts and entities. It is the successor of Penn Joint High School and...
uses the services of Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center
Central 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.
Extracurriculars
The Penn-Trafford School District offers a large variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is set by school board policy.By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.
Athletics
Penn-Trafford participates in 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"...
(WPIAL). The colors are Dartmouth Green and Green Bay Gold. The nickname of the school's teams are the Warriors or Lady Warriors, depending on gender. In keeping with the native American theme of the two high schools that merged to form Penn-Trafford, Warriors was chosen. The nickname of Penn Joint High School (a predecessor to Penn-Trafford) was the Indians. The nickname of Trafford High School (a predecessor to Penn-Trafford) was the Tomahawks. In 1971-1972, prior to the merger of the two high schools, a panel of eight students, four from each high school met to develop the new school nickname and color-schemes. The student body of each school were given the task of voting on the new school colors from three color-scheme options chosen by the student panel, Kelly Green and Green Bay Gold being one of them. The color-scheme options were selected by the panel to differentiate Penn-Trafford from the other Keystone Conference member schools. The top vote getter was Green and Gold. Dartmouth Green eventually replaced Kelly Green.
Marching Band
When Penn High School and Trafford High School merged to form Penn-Trafford, the Marching Band used both the Penn and Trafford uniforms. The band was under the direction of Emery Toth. The band soon became one of the most respected bands in the county. Toth directed the band from 1972-1986. The marching band would be known as "The Big Green Machine" during these years. The Big Green Machine became a well known marching band and became particularly famous for their green uniforms. When Toth decided to leave the high school, his replacement was former Assistant Director, Tom Monteleone. The band now became the Warrior Marching band. Over the next few years, the band would become more involved in competitions where Toth had left off. Monteleone would retire after the 2009 marching season and would be replaced by David Cornelius, who previously directed the Elizabeth Forward Marching Band. On Monday, December 7, P-T school directors named Cornelius the new PTHS Band Director. Today, the band is still as strong as back when Toth created the first P-T marching band. In 2011, P-T hosted a band show dedicated to the founding director, Emery Toth.
Drama Guild
One of Penn-Trafford's most notable features is its High School Drama Department. They have put on musicals that have consistently achieved high acclaim at the "Night of the Stars" event that features musicals from high schools all around the area.In 2008, Penn-Trafford High School's production of the Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
musical "Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
" won national honors in the USA Weekend Magazine's "High School Musical Showstopper" contest as one of four runners-up. Along with that, their set won 3rd place in "ScenoGraphics Set Design and Building Competition".
The high school's drama department has recently been recognized as one of the runner-ups in the USA Weekend Showstopper contest. 600 other high school productions from around the country were considered for the award and their production, "Anything Goes", was selected as one of the four runner-ups.
The First Penn-Trafford Musical was Camelot in 1974.
- Past Musicals include:
- 2011: Beauty and the Beast
- 2010: Annie Get Your Gun
- 2009: Seussical
- 2008: Anything Goes**
- 2007: Godspell**
- 2006: Peter Pan**
- 2005: Damn Yankees
- 2004: Kiss Me Kate
- 2003: Cinderella
- 2002: Me and My Girl
- 2001: Pippin
- 2000: Oklahoma!**
- 1999: Meet Me In St. Louis
- 1998: Singin' In The Rain
- 1997: 42nd Street
- 1996: Crazy For You
- 1995: Wizard Of Oz
- 1994: Mystery Of Edwin Drood
- 1993: Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
- 1992: Barnum
- 1991: Hello Dolly
- 1990: Fiddler On The Roof
- 1989: Peter Pan
- 1988: My Fair Lady
- 1987: Sweet Charity
- 1986: South Pacific
- 1985: Godspell
- 1984: West Side Story
- 1983: 110 In The Shade
- 1982: Anything Goes
- 1981: Oklahoma!
- 1980: Li'l Abner
- 1979: Bye Bye Birdie
- 1978: Once Upon A Mattress
- 1977: Brigadoon
- 1976: Ten Nights In a Barroom
- 1975: Music Man
- 1974: Camelot
** Denotes musical has been done more than once.
- Past Fall Plays include:
- 2010: Up The Down Staircase
- 2009: Les Miserable, The Lottery, Just a High School Play
- 2008: George Washington Slept Here, Porridgegate
- 2007: The Crucible
- 2006: Auntie Mame
- 2005: Little Women
- 2004: You Could Die Laughing
- 2003: 12 Angry Jurors
- 2002: All in the Timing
- 2001: You Can't Take It with You
- 2000: ???
- 1999: ???
- 1998: Harvey
Notable Sponsors & Alumni
Following his retirement and until his death, Alistair CookeAlistair Cooke
Alfred Alistair Cooke KBE was a British/American journalist, television personality and broadcaster. Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1992...
was a frequent and generous donor to the high school. His support was based on a long friendship with a former Social Studies teacher at the school (Ray Edelman). Cooke referred to the school's education as "effective, efficient, and quality" which was later adopted as the district's motto. Plans are currently being discussed by the school board to rename the school's library in his honor http://penntrafford.org/minutes_6_8.pdf
-Mark Long: Famous softball pitcher.
-Tony Zimmerman: WPIAL & Duquesne University standout quarterback.
-Matt Gavrish: The all-time leading rusher in WPIAL AAAA football with 6,512 yards.
-John Garrighan: Former lead singer and member of the band The Berlin Project.
-Tim Flannery (Golfer): Amateur golfer at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, recipient of the senior of the year award for 2011.
Alma mater
- "Years from now we will all recall,
- Fond memories of these days,
- Where we saw our future in our dreams
- And prepared to make our way.
- So it's here that we have started,
- And where ever we shall roam
- We'll remember deep in our hearts
- Penn-Trafford High, our warrior home."
Michael J. O'Halloran, 1972