Type Public Faculty 204 Enrollment 1704 Number of students 1,704 | Established September 9, 1912 Grades High school (9-12) Phone +1 603-395-2400 Mascot The Blue Hawk | |
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Principal Michael Monahan (acting) Address 1 Blue Hawk Dr, Exeter, NH 03833, USA District Exeter Region Cooperative School District Similar Sau 16, Phillips Exeter Academy, Cooperati Middle School, Winnacu High School, Epping High School | ||
Exeter High School is a public high school in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the towns of Exeter, Stratham, Kensington, Newfields, Brentwood, and East Kingston, New Hampshire.
Contents
Origin
The Exeter Area Public School was established in 1848 as a co-educational institution and became a school for boys twenty years later when Robinson Female Seminary was founded. The school was originally located on Court Street until 1912 when it was moved to Linden Street and changed to Exeter High School. The new school opened September 9, 1912, and most of the town stores declared a half-holiday for the occasion. The school was nicknamed "Tuck High School", thanks mainly to a gift of $5,000 by philanthropist Edward Tuck.
The "Pinnacle" yearbook was first produced in 1949 as a joint effort by Exeter High School and Robinson Female Seminary. On April 7, 1954, an affirmative vote of a $760,000 bond was passed to construct a new coed Exeter High School and elementary school; the school opened in September 1956.
Today
After years of a growing population and structural problems experienced in the old building, it was determined that a new 227,000-square-foot (21,100 m2) building would be built. The new Exeter High School opened on the outskirts of town, at 1 Blue Hawk Drive, on New Hampshire Route 27 in September 2006. The original Tuck School/Exeter High School was renovated into the Seacoast School of Technology, and an annex building (formerly Exeter Area Junior High School) was razed to make way for a new YMCA facility.
Honors societies
Extra-curricular activities
The school has over 60 clubs listed, and many play an important role in student life and the Exeter community. The number of operative clubs fluctuates yearly; the main clubs are listed on the school website.
Student body
Student enrollment at Exeter High School fluctuates around 1,700 students.
Sustainability
The Exeter High School campus surpasses most schools across New Hampshire in environmental sustainability. In 2010 the installation of 465 solar panels (supplied by AltE) generates about 100 kilowatts of power and offsets the school's energy consumption by 5%. The addition of a community garden in the spring of 2011 provided further learning opportunities for the school and agricultural benefits for the local community. Exeter has an active Environmental Club and Recycling Committee that have overseen many of the green innovations around the school and community.
Facilities
Athletics
Students at Exeter High School are required to participate in two semesters of athletic programs. The school offers more than 30 interscholastic teams at the varsity and junior varsity level. Other various physical fitness programs are also available.
Football
The school's football team has won the state championship 14 times since 1955: Class M (1955), Division III (1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1965), Division II (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007), Division I (2011, 2012)
Beginning in 1996, the Blue Hawks played in 11 of 14 Division II state championship games before moving to Division I in 2010. During the seasons of 1997-1999 Exeter won 26 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in school history. Exeter has sent over 65 representatives to play in the New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. The Blue Hawks have nine members in the New Hampshire Chapter of the Joe Yukica Hall of Fame. Zack Dziama (class of 2003) and Tyler Grant (2013) have won the Gatorade Player of the Year for football in New Hampshire. Head Coach William Ball has won over 100 games with Exeter and has been inducted into the New Hampshire Coaches Hall of Fame.
The Exeter High football team has played rival Winnacunnet in neighboring Hampton 76 times since 1924. Exeter leads the all-time series 53-22-2. The two schools have played for three state championships in Division II, with Winnacunnet winning in 1983 and 2000, while Exeter won in 2003, one of Exeter's perfect seasons (others being 1964 and 1999). The teams have played each other every year since 1947. The last Exeter/Winnacunnet game played at the original Eustis Field in 2005 was a 26-0 victory for Exeter.
The Blue Hawks' home games are held at William D. Ball Stadium at Eustis Field, a grass-turf stadium facility. In 2005 the 'Hawks won the last game on the original Eustis Field, defeating Merrimack in the semifinals before falling to Bishop Guertin in the Division II championship game.
Exeter was reclassified as a Division I football program for the 2010 season, replacing Manchester West, which moved down to Division II. On November 19, 2011, playing at the home of defending champion Pinkerton Academy of Derry, Exeter won its first Division I title, 23-13.
Soccer
The Exeter High School boys varsity soccer team has won the New Hampshire state championship five times since 2002. Head Coach Jim Tufts led his boys to the Final Four or further for sixteen years running, until 2008.
The Exeter High School girls' soccer team won the Class L state championship for the first time in 2006 after defeating Merrimack 1-0 and again in 2007 after defeating Pinkerton Academy 2-1 in overtime. They won state championships in Division I four years in a row (2009 - 2012), but lost to Bedford in 2013. They reclaimed the division title in 2014. In 2013 the team was ranked the number one high school team in America in the National Soccer Association of America's weekly poll.
Track and field
Exeter High School has very solid boys and girls track and field teams that compete in the Division I track meet each year. The girls track and field team won the Division I state championship meet in 2012 and runner up in 2013
Field hockey
The Exeter High School field hockey team was the runner up in the 2006 Class L championship game after losing 3-2 in overtime to Salem High School. Seeded #4 going into the NHIAA tournament Exeter High School Girls beat Pinkerton High School's field hockey team to become 2013 Division I State Champions. This is the first championship for the program.
Swimming & Diving
The Exeter High School boys swimming & diving team won the NHIAA Division I state title in 2013 for the first time ever in the school's history.
Golf
The Exeter Golf Team has recorded multiple state tournament appearances including back to back in 2006 and 2007. The team practices at the Exeter Country Club in Exeter.
Alpine skiing
The Exeter High School Ski team was established in 2006. The team had only 12 skiers its first year and had grown to 35 as of 2011. The women's ski team took second place in the NHIAA Division I state championships in 2010, and won the state title in 2011. The boys team came in third in the Division I state championships in 2010 and second in 2011. In 2014, the girls team went on a winning spree and ended with the state title, which was followed by three going to the Meet of Champions.
Championships
The Exeter Bluehawks football team won the Division I championship in 2012.
The tennis team won the Division I state championship in 2009.
School spirit
The school mascot is the blue hawk, and the school colors are silver and navy blue.
The Exeter High School song was composed by Harriet M. Ford, an English teacher, in 1927. It is sung to the tune of "The Stars and Stripes Forever":
Important event
On January 6, 2008, Barack Obama held a rally in the Exeter High School gymnasium.
Notable alumni
Student newspaper
The Talon, also known as EHS Press, is the school's independent student newspaper founded in 1957. The publication has received numerous awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the New England Scholastic Press Association. During its print run, it was printed by Cummings Printing in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The 20-page full-color newspaper was published eight times each school year and distributed to students, faculty, local businesses and parents.
The publication transitioned from a newspaper to a magazine format during the 2009-2010 school year under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Chris Allen and Assistant Editors Chris Pope and Nick Ferreri. The first issue of the magazine was released on the first day of the school year. It then returned to a newspaper setting in the winter of 2011.
The Talon was recognized as the best high school magazine in New England by the New England Scholastic Press Association (for schools with over 1,000 students) in 2010.
In the summer of 2014, The Talon switched to an on-line platform after school administrators cut the journalism class.
The newspaper is produced by students who research, write, and design each issue. A variety of topics are covered in each issue, ranging from news and politics to sports and entertainment. Since 1986, the group was advised by Rob Schneider, an English teacher at Exeter High School. As of 2015, librarian Kathy Vetter is running the Talon.