Winnacunnet High School
Encyclopedia
Winnacunnet High School is an American
public high school
located in Hampton, New Hampshire
. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the communities of Hampton, Seabrook
, North Hampton
, and Hampton Falls
. Students from South Hampton
have the option of attending either Winnacunnet or Amesbury High School
. The name Winnacunnet
is a Native American
word that means "beautiful place in the pine
s". The current principal, since 2010, is William McGowan.
The school was in the national news in 1990, when Pamela Smart
, conspired with 15-year old sophomore student William "Billy" Flynn and, according to him, convinced him to murder her husband Greg Smart on May 1, 1990. Contrary to popular belief, Smart did not actually work at Winnacunnet High School, but at the SAU 21 building across the street. Smart was convicted of first degree murder in March 1991, and was sentenced to life in prison without possibility for parole
. She is serving her sentence in a maximum security prison in New York State.
in the 1980s. Charlie graduated from Winnacunnet in 1967 and continued his education at the Rhode Island School of Design
, where he became a well known and popular figure around the campus. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, while at RISD, he started a band called The Fabulous Motels. In the early 1980s he joined SNL as the news anchor for "Weekend Update" and creator of the "Rocket Reports". Charlie also had an acting career that spanned over a decade, playing roles in many TV shows and in movies, including a small role in Dances With Wolves
. He committed suicide at his home in Connecticut at the age of 56, on October 7, 2005.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
public high school
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....
located in Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the communities of Hampton, Seabrook
Seabrook, New Hampshire
Seabrook is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,693 at the 2010 census. Located at the southern end of the coast of New Hampshire on the border with Massachusetts, Seabrook is noted as the location of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, the third-most...
, North Hampton
North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,301 at the 2010 census. While the majority of the town is inland, North Hampton includes a part of New Hampshire's limited Atlantic seacoast.-History:...
, and Hampton Falls
Hampton Falls, New Hampshire
Hampton Falls is a New England town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Students from South Hampton
South Hampton, New Hampshire
South Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 814 at the 2010 census. South Hampton is home to Cowden State Forest and Powwow River State Forest.- History :...
have the option of attending either Winnacunnet or Amesbury High School
Amesbury High School
Amesbury High School is a coeducational preparatory school in the city of Amesbury, Massachusetts, drawing students from Amesbury, South Hampton, New Hampshire, and other parts of the Merrimack River Valley region....
. The name Winnacunnet
Winnacunnet
Winnacunnet is a word derived from one of the Algonquian languages and may mean "beautiful place in the pines". Other sources suggest a meaning of "place of pines" or "beautiful long place."...
is a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
word that means "beautiful place in the pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s". The current principal, since 2010, is William McGowan.
History
Ground was broken for Winnacunnet High School on October 30, 1957, and it first opened in the fall of 1958 with an attendance of 474 students. Prior to 1958, area students attended the Hampton Academy and High School, a junior-senior high school which today still exists as the junior high school for Hampton. The official Winnacunnet High dedication ceremony took place on October 26, 1958. The school has recently finished major construction and renovations.The school was in the national news in 1990, when Pamela Smart
Pamela Smart
Pamela Ann Smart is serving a life sentence for accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering in New Hampshire...
, conspired with 15-year old sophomore student William "Billy" Flynn and, according to him, convinced him to murder her husband Greg Smart on May 1, 1990. Contrary to popular belief, Smart did not actually work at Winnacunnet High School, but at the SAU 21 building across the street. Smart was convicted of first degree murder in March 1991, and was sentenced to life in prison without possibility for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. She is serving her sentence in a maximum security prison in New York State.
Notable alumni
Charles Claverie, known as Charlie Rocket, was a cast member of Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in the 1980s. Charlie graduated from Winnacunnet in 1967 and continued his education at the Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
, where he became a well known and popular figure around the campus. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, while at RISD, he started a band called The Fabulous Motels. In the early 1980s he joined SNL as the news anchor for "Weekend Update" and creator of the "Rocket Reports". Charlie also had an acting career that spanned over a decade, playing roles in many TV shows and in movies, including a small role in Dances With Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
. He committed suicide at his home in Connecticut at the age of 56, on October 7, 2005.