History
Authorized Regional Enrollment Area
The town of Amherst had long sought to applyCooperative High School era
A regional school district was proposed and put before the voters of all three towns in 1988. The proposal was defeated at the Milford School District's special deliberative session. Days later, the Amherst School District held its special deliberative session where Amherst voters established the Souhegan Cooperative School District. Mont Vernon followed suit within the week. The school opened in 1992, on property previously owned by the Amherst School District, adjoining the Amherst Middle School and sharing some outdoor facilities. The school added a second building in 2003, called the Annex. The school is part of the SAU-39 school district, which includes the middle and elementary schools in Amherst and Mont Vernon. The current principal of the high school is Michael Berry.Recognition
In June 2009 Souhegan was listed #15 in "The Top of the Class", a ranking of the top 1,564 public high schools in the United States (approximately the top 6%) by ''Academics
Program of studies
Souhegan's program of studies is extensive. School practices and decision-making at Souhegan High School are research-based and rooted in the tenets of their guiding documents. The tenets include Souhegan's mission statement, Coalition of Essential Schools Ten Common Principles, Academic Learner Expectations, and the Souhegan Six. Academic foundations Souhegan offers core academic programs in the following areas: Humanities, English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, World Languages, Classical Languages, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Technology, Computer Science, Media Arts, Wellness and Health, Family and Consumer Science, and Business Education. The school also has multiple partnerships to provide Career and Technical opportunities.. Honors and Advanced Placement Within most classes, an Honors Challenge option is offered to students who wish to pursue advanced academic studies. Honors Challenge guidelines are established school-wide; Honors Challenge expectations per course are developed by individual teachers. Credit for honors is earned by fulfilling the expectations. Honors is identified on the student's end of year report card and transcript with an ‘H.’ Students who are engaged in honors will also have the course identified with an HP (Honors Pending) on their transcript at trimester one. Advanced Placement (AP): Advanced Placement courses are offered in the following subjects: * AP English Literature * AP English Language Composition * AP Human Geography * AP US History * AP Statistics * AP Calculus AB * AP Calculus BC * AP Chemistry * AP Physics C * AP Environmental Science * AP French * AP Spanish * AP Studio Art * AP Computer Science A * AP Computer Science Principles Academic Learner Expectations ALE's are part of the evaluation of all student work, consistent with the school's commitment to developing 21st Century skills. These expectations consist of: * Knowledgeable Person * Complex Thinker * Skilled Information Processor/Consumer * Effective Communicator/Producer * Self-Directed Learner * Collaborative Worker * Responsible Citizen Grading based on these Learner Expectations is on a scale of "Does Not Meet", "Approaches", "Meets", and "Exceeds". These grades correlate to "F", "C", "B", and "A" on a traditional grading scale, respectively. Souhegan does not include "D" in the grading scale, any grade that would be a "D" is automatically an "F" or "NC" (No Credit). Unique programs The four traditional grade levels at Souhegan are split in two. Division One consists of Freshman and Sophomore year. Division Two consists of Junior and Senior year. The following project-based programs are core academic requirements:Division I Exhibition
The Division I Exhibition is designed to help students recognize and acknowledge their progress in the Souhegan High School Academic Learner Expectations and the Mission Statement. It is a multipart process for sophomore students moving into their junior year. The first part of the process is for a student to complete a portfolio of 9th and 10th grade work, reacting on this work through the lens of the learner expectations. Next, using the information in the portfolio, students write a reaction on their entire Division I (9th and 10th grade) experience. The final part of the process is the exhibition, students participate in the form of a 45-minute "roundtable" where the student presents his/her portfolio and written reaction in the company of his/her advisor, parents, peers and a second Souhegan staff member. The Division I Exhibition is a graduation requirement. Students who do not successfully complete the Division I Exhibition will work with their advisor and counselor to develop a plan for meeting this requirement.= Junior Research Project
= The Junior Research Project, a graduation requirement, is a researched writing process that culminates with a comprehensive research paper written in the spring of the junior year. As part of the World Studies curriculum, students gain research and writing skills that aid them in the completion of this paper. In their final product students exhibit their competence in the Academic Learner Expectations. The Junior Research Project is a graduation requirement.= Post-graduate plan
= All juniors will complete post-secondary planning to include elements of critical life skills such as decision- making, college, and career planning. Juniors will also complete a college search, a resume, transcript audit, and review the common application. The PGP exposes students to the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a variety of post-secondary options.= Senior project
= Senior Project is a personalized learning experience which is a requirement for graduation from Souhegan High School. With support from a faculty mentor, students identify an area of passion, complete significant research, apply their research to an original project, and prepare a formal twenty minute presentation. Throughout the senior project, students demonstrate their skills as independent learners including their ability to problem-solve, organize their time and resources, and reflect upon their learning. Senior project embodies all of Souhegan's Learner Expectation; these skills contribute to life-long learning.Governance
Governance at Souhegan is unique to other public high schools. Given inclusion and student-voice are critical cultural components at the school, governance includes not only Administration and the Souhegan Cooperative School Board, but also a Community Council. Community Council was founded in 1992 during Souhegan's first year of service. Its task is to create and modify school procedure as a representative body of forty-seven members. Council is purposefully diverse and purposefully student led. The representatives discuss and vote on various proposals concerning student life, school initiatives, disciplinary procedure, grading procedure, and any other matter of importance to the school community.Community Council
Community Council is the main governing body of Souhegan. The Community Council has the power to create and change Souhegan's policies, including but not limited to: * Grading * Scheduling * Discipline * All other issues of importance to the community All of Community Council's power is derived from the Souhegan Cooperative School Board, rather than the school's administrators, which has the power to override any decision made by the Community Council. Community Council consists of parents, external community members, students, teachers, and administrative faculty, although all community members are encouraged to be a part of the discussions. Community Council meets directly after school once each week, except for one night a month when the meeting takes place at night. The Community Council consists of: * 9th Grade Representatives (5) * 10th Grade Representatives (5) * 11th Grade Representatives (5) * 12th Grade Representatives (5) * Faculty/Staff Representatives (10) * Dean of Students (1) * Community Representatives (5) * School Board Liaison (1) * At-Large Representatives (10)Community Review Board
The Community Review Board is a body of community members that was created to ensure the fairness of disciplinary actions by the school's administration. The Community Review Board only has authority in cases which do not involve outside agencies, such as the police. The Community Review Board consists of eleven members including: * One student elected from each grade * One student selected by random, voluntary lottery * Two elected faculty * One elected Community Council member The Community Review Board has the authority to: * Decide whether or not to hear a case * Uphold the administration's decision * Change the punishment set by the administration * Nullify the administration's decision In cases where the police department is involved, a student can appeal to the principal, superintendent, and then the school board. In cases where the school chooses not to pursue legal action, a student may still appeal to the CRB.Judiciary Board
The Judiciary Board is a group of students and faculty who can create personalized and creative solutions for students who have chosen to violate the Souhegan Six. According to the Souhegan student handbook, "The charge of the Judiciary Board is: To provide students the opportunity for a fair hearing regarding a breach of the Souhegan Six, our community behavioral norms."Souhegan Cooperative School Board
The Souhegan Cooperative School Board is a seven-member board that consists of five elected members servingAthletics and clubs
Athletics
The Souhegan Sabers compete across several divisions in theClubs
''The Claw'': Souhegan High School's digital magazine. Their website states, "we are a group of talented authors, journalists, photographers, cinematographers, and athletes dedicating our extracurricular time to celebrate the unique passions, interests, and intentions of our student body. We promise to report the truth: With sincerity. With accuracy. With integrity. And without bias." In the 2016–2017 academic year, the school offered 47 different clubs and activities.Notable alumni and staff
*Campus
* Main Building * Annex * Calvetti Field & Athletic Complex * Theater * Music WingReferences
External links
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