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Shelton High School (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Shelton High School is a public high school in Shelton
, Connecticut
. The school is located in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut
. It has a student body of approximately 1700 from grades 9 through 12. Other nearby High Schools are Trumbull High School
& St. Joseph High School (Trumbull, Connecticut
), Masuk High School (Monroe, Connecticut
), Bunnell High School & Stratford High School (Stratford, Connecticut
)
In May, 2011, Shelton High School's headmaster, Beth Smith, gained international attention for her decision to ban senior honors student James Tate and two friends from the senior prom for posting a message above the school entrance asking his classmate Sonali Rodrigues to be his date. After widespread criticism and international attention it was announced on May 14, 2011 that Smith had reversed her decision and the three would be allowed to attend the dance.
NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky
is a Shelton High School alumnus
.
The first four SHS graduates received their diplomas on June 26, 1889, from the 'first' Shelton High School. In 1894, the First School Society became the Town School Committee with Walter D. Hood as the first school superintendent.
The current Shelton High School was built in 1973 by Fusco Construction Company. Through the years Shelton High School has provided excellent educational programs that provide a safe, healthy, and encouraging learning environment where academic and co-curricular opportunities enable students to develop to their fullest potential and to become life-long learners. In 2006 the city of Shelton wanted to renovate the High School, so they set out to vote on it. The city got the vote to renovate the High School at a cost of about $25,000,000 and quickly began to start the project. Fusco Construction Company was again hired to be the construction manager for the project. The renovation started in the Summer of 2006 and the majority of the renovation was completed in August 2008. Dr. Beth Smith became Shelton High School's new headmaster at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. She replaced Mr. Donald K. Ramia who retired at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.
, baseball, boys' volleyball
, swimming
, ice hockey
, girls and boys indoor and outdoor track and field
programs. They are part of the Housatonic Division of the Southern Connecticut Conference
.
The Shelton Gaels high school football team won the state championship in 1988, 1995, 2000, and 2003. The Gaels have been a mainstay in statewide newspaper polls and rankings for the past ten years, usually being ranked one of the best teams in the state by sports columnists and reporters.
The Shelton Gaels high school men's volleyball team won the state championship back-to-back in 2004 and 2005, running an impressive 46-0 straight record.
The Shelton Boys Cross Country
Team won their first ever Division Championship, and SCC Championship in 2007, as well as making their first trip to the New England championships. In 2008, they placed 2nd in the CIAC State Open Championships, and 4th in the New England Championships.
Some of the renovations include:
An addition, at the east side of the school a wing of about 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) was added that contains new weight room and locker rooms areas. The old weight room was constructed into an auxiliary gymnasium. New student lockers were installed throughout the building as well. Construction started in the Summer of 2006 and major construction was completed by August 2008.
During the summer of 2009, new outside doors will be installed along the building. Also, construction crews will be coming in to redo the cafeteria ceiling because the one recently put up is now sagging due to unexpected moisture in the area. The new boilers are going to be replaced due to unsatisfactory performance. The new health room will be reconstructed to reduce the noise levels in the room.
----
Fire Rehabilitation Construction
During the summer of 2009 construction began to rehabilitate all damages done by the fire. New fire doors throughout the building were installed. The floor in the main lobby was ripped up and reinstalled due to a crack caused by water and a support beam that needed to be replaced from the fire. Old interior sheetrock walls were removed form classrooms, and new fireproof cinder blocks were installed along with a door leading to the next classroom for an emergency. Also construction in the library, and in the maintenance / custodial area was performed to bring those areas back to perfection. New fire hose boxes were installed to replace old outdated ones. All fire code violations were addressed. A number of small tasks were also performed during that summer break like fixing wires that were cut or damaged by the fire or fire cleanup.
A fire caused extensive damage in part of the school in late December 2008, while students were out for their holiday break. During the fire cleanup, another building inspection took place in the building. Conducted by the Shelton Fire Marshall's office, it found 8 pages of fire code violations, some having to do with the lack of sprinklers in maintenance areas and art rooms. The building's fire doors were also cited. Many of the door's self-closing devices were broken, some doors were bent and couldn't close, and some didn't have fire alarm magnets.
but also international attention. Tate and Rodrigues appeared on the Today Show to discuss the incident.
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti and Shelton High School alumnus, NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky
questioned the appropriateness of the punishment. Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy sided with the student, saying "While it seems that there are rules that were broken, in this case, it doesn’t seem as though the punishment fits the crime." The punishment prompted state lawmakers Jason Perillo, (R-Shelton), and Sean Williams, (R-Waterbury) to introduce an amendment to a pending bill that, with an exception for vandalism and violence, would require schools to offer parents an alternative to banning students from school related activities as means of punishment.
Schools Superintendent Freeman Burr said, "James Tate has set for us a new standard for romanticism. Principals have to make difficult decisions every day. No one could have anticipated this kind of response."
Tate would go on to attend and be elected co-King of the Prom.
Shelton, Connecticut
Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The school is located in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
. It has a student body of approximately 1700 from grades 9 through 12. Other nearby High Schools are Trumbull High School
Trumbull High School
-History:Trumbull High School was founded in 1961 following a population increase in Trumbull during the 1950s. The high school was originally situated at 4630 Madison Avenue, in the building currently serving as Madison Middle School. As the 1960s progressed, the town was compelled to commission a...
& St. Joseph High School (Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
), Masuk High School (Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....
), Bunnell High School & Stratford High School (Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
)
In May, 2011, Shelton High School's headmaster, Beth Smith, gained international attention for her decision to ban senior honors student James Tate and two friends from the senior prom for posting a message above the school entrance asking his classmate Sonali Rodrigues to be his date. After widespread criticism and international attention it was announced on May 14, 2011 that Smith had reversed her decision and the three would be allowed to attend the dance.
NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
is a Shelton High School alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
.
SHS History
The current Shelton High School was built in 1973 by Fusco Construction Company. Through the years Shelton High School has provided excellent educational programs that provide a safe, healthy, and encouraging learning environment where academic and co-curricular opportunities enable students to develop to their fullest potential and to become life-long learners. In 2006 the city of Shelton wanted to renovate the High School, so they set out to vote on it. The city got the vote to renovate the High School at a cost of about $25,000,000 and quickly began to start the project. Fusco Construction Company was again hired to be the construction manager for the project. The renovation started in the Summer of 2006 and the majority of the renovation was completed in August 2008. Dr. Beth Smith became Shelton High School's new headmaster at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. She replaced Mr. Donald K. Ramia who retired at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.
SHS December 2008 Fire
A cigarette thrown into a garbage can in the maintenance department's storage closet sparked the fire that damaged a portion of Shelton High School. That closet, on the second floor of the building behind the cafeteria, contained both paper supplies and chemical cleaning agents, which reportedly led to an explosion in the closet, which set off the fire. Heavy smoke got into the school's ventilation system, sending it throughout the school, which fire officials said resulted in heavy smoke damage. Firefighters had to break several windows in classrooms, including the new fourth floor science wing, to ventilate the smoke. There also was heavy water damage that occurred while they were putting out the fire. The damage is extensive, in the millions of dollars. The media center also was heavily damaged by the smoke, and a thermal imaging camera showed flames coming out of the ductwork. Fire damage was confined to the second-floor storeroom where the fire broke out shortly after noon on Dec. 30. Heavy smoke damage occurred only in second and third floor areas directly over the storeroom. The odor of smoke permeated in just about all of the rest of the school. Fire Marshal Tortora said the fire-rated storeroom, designed to keep a fire from spreading rapidly, and the HVAC system, designed to shut off if smoke is detected, both worked as they were supposed to. Some of the heaviest smoke damage occurred in the adjacent storage closets, several nearby classrooms and in the media center on the floor above the fire, leaving soot stains on the walls, furniture and contents. Some books and computers may have to be replaced. A number of doors were damaged as firefighters dealt with heavy smoke. Cleanup of the school started Wednesday December 31, 2008.- Three Alarm blaze at Shelton High School
- No Sprinklers at Shelton High School fire
- Cigarette caused Shelton High School Fire
Athletics
Shelton High School has a variety of sports programs, such as the 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...
, baseball, boys' volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, swimming
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...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, girls and boys indoor and outdoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
programs. They are part of the Housatonic Division of the Southern Connecticut Conference
Southern Connecticut Conference
The Southern Connecticut Conference is a high school athletics conference in Connecticut. The conference comprises schools located along the Long Island Sound...
.
The Shelton Gaels high school football team won the state championship in 1988, 1995, 2000, and 2003. The Gaels have been a mainstay in statewide newspaper polls and rankings for the past ten years, usually being ranked one of the best teams in the state by sports columnists and reporters.
The Shelton Gaels high school men's volleyball team won the state championship back-to-back in 2004 and 2005, running an impressive 46-0 straight record.
The Shelton Boys Cross Country
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...
Team won their first ever Division Championship, and SCC Championship in 2007, as well as making their first trip to the New England championships. In 2008, they placed 2nd in the CIAC State Open Championships, and 4th in the New England Championships.
Construction and Renovation
Shelton High School recently underwent a $25,000,000 renovation project.Some of the renovations include:
- Auditorium upgrades, which include new seating, lighting, sound, technology, and more
- A new science wing was added from the existing library mezzanine. In addition, all other science classrooms were renovated to a 'like new' condition
- New HVACHVACHVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
system/mechanical system - Air quality improvement
- Electrical system upgrades
- Building technology upgrade
- Phone system upgrade
- Plumbing
- Fire alarm system, life safety systems, ADA, and building codes
- Site reconstruction
An addition, at the east side of the school a wing of about 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) was added that contains new weight room and locker rooms areas. The old weight room was constructed into an auxiliary gymnasium. New student lockers were installed throughout the building as well. Construction started in the Summer of 2006 and major construction was completed by August 2008.
During the summer of 2009, new outside doors will be installed along the building. Also, construction crews will be coming in to redo the cafeteria ceiling because the one recently put up is now sagging due to unexpected moisture in the area. The new boilers are going to be replaced due to unsatisfactory performance. The new health room will be reconstructed to reduce the noise levels in the room.
| Some Construction Photos | From 2007 | |
|---|---|---|
----
Fire Rehabilitation Construction
During the summer of 2009 construction began to rehabilitate all damages done by the fire. New fire doors throughout the building were installed. The floor in the main lobby was ripped up and reinstalled due to a crack caused by water and a support beam that needed to be replaced from the fire. Old interior sheetrock walls were removed form classrooms, and new fireproof cinder blocks were installed along with a door leading to the next classroom for an emergency. Also construction in the library, and in the maintenance / custodial area was performed to bring those areas back to perfection. New fire hose boxes were installed to replace old outdated ones. All fire code violations were addressed. A number of small tasks were also performed during that summer break like fixing wires that were cut or damaged by the fire or fire cleanup.
SHS 2008 sprinkler issue
Despite this major renovation, there were growing concerns about the state's fire codes in the school. State law and building codes clearly state sprinkler systems must be installed in older schools that undergo renovations, which is true. But later investigation showed that Shelton High School does meet all fire code requirements. Building Committee Chairman Anthony Simonetti said that Shelton High School did not go under a 'like new' renovation. Instead it went through an “alteration”; it does not require putting sprinklers in the building automatically. Fire Marshal Tortora said there are some violations of the state fire code having to do with several windowless rooms which will soon be fixed.A fire caused extensive damage in part of the school in late December 2008, while students were out for their holiday break. During the fire cleanup, another building inspection took place in the building. Conducted by the Shelton Fire Marshall's office, it found 8 pages of fire code violations, some having to do with the lack of sprinklers in maintenance areas and art rooms. The building's fire doors were also cited. Many of the door's self-closing devices were broken, some doors were bent and couldn't close, and some didn't have fire alarm magnets.
Incident
Shelton High School Headmaster Beth Smith came under widespread fire following press reports on May 11, 2011 of her decision to ban senior James Tate (an honors student with no prior disciplinary record) and two friends from attending the senior prom, a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. The students had taped a message of 12-inch high cardboard letters above the school's entrance inviting Tate's classmate, Sonali Rodrigues, to go to the dance with him. In addition to giving the students in-school suspensions for what she described as a safety issue, Smith described the act as trespass and banned them from the June 4th dance. Tom Murphy, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Department of Education, said that students have to learn that, "attending the prom is a privilege."Reaction
In addition to becoming the subject of protests on Facebook, the incident gained not only nationalbut also international attention. Tate and Rodrigues appeared on the Today Show to discuss the incident.
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti and Shelton High School alumnus, NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
questioned the appropriateness of the punishment. Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy sided with the student, saying "While it seems that there are rules that were broken, in this case, it doesn’t seem as though the punishment fits the crime." The punishment prompted state lawmakers Jason Perillo, (R-Shelton), and Sean Williams, (R-Waterbury) to introduce an amendment to a pending bill that, with an exception for vandalism and violence, would require schools to offer parents an alternative to banning students from school related activities as means of punishment.
Reversal
On Thursday, May 12, Smith read a statement in a brief press conference announcing that she stood behind her decision, citing long standing policy. There were continued protests at the school Friday, with students being sent home saying they were told they were "inciting a riot and breach of peace". Yet on Saturday, May 14, Smith held a press conference reversing the decision, saying that "the level of distraction created by this incident" had "affected the culture of Shelton High School" and that "international notoriety" had forced her to reverse herself.Schools Superintendent Freeman Burr said, "James Tate has set for us a new standard for romanticism. Principals have to make difficult decisions every day. No one could have anticipated this kind of response."
Tate would go on to attend and be elected co-King of the Prom.
SHS School Photos
| SHS Photos, Spring 2009 | SHS Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
- Shelton High School Web site
- Shelton High School "Strategic School Profile 2005-2006" from the state Department of Education
- School's Web page at Great Schools Web site
- Shelton High School 2006 Rankings
- SHS Renovation Building Committee (Agendas & Minutes)
- SHS Fire Rehabilitation Building Committee (Agendas & Minutes)
- SHS PTSO
- SHS School Profile
- Online Photos
Southern Connecticut Conference, Housatonic Division
| High School | School Mascot Mascot The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name... |
Location | School Colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amity Regional High School Amity Regional High School Amity High School is a regional public high school located in Woodbridge, Connecticut, USA. It provides high school education for the children in the towns of Woodbridge, Orange, and Bethany... |
Spartans | Woodbridge, Connecticut Woodbridge, Connecticut Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University... |
Black & Gold |
| Cheshire High School Cheshire High School Cheshire High School is located on Route 10 across from Bartlem Park in Cheshire, Connecticut. It is 15 miles north of New Haven and south of Hartford... |
Rams | Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in... |
Red & White |
| Lyman Hall High School Lyman Hall High School Lyman Hall High School is a public high school located at 70 Pond Hill Road in Wallingford, Connecticut. It is part of the Wallingford Public School System, and one of two public high schools in Wallingford, Mark T... |
Trojans | Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen... |
Navy & Orange |
| Sheehan High School Mark T. Sheehan High School Mark T. Sheehan High School is a public high school located at 142 Hope Hill Road, Wallingford, Connecticut. Its opposite, Lyman Hall High School and it are the two high schools within the Wallingford School System along with two middle schools and eight elementary schools... |
Titans | Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen... |
Maroon & Gold |
| Shelton High School | Gaels | Shelton, Connecticut Shelton, Connecticut Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639... |
Orange & Black |