Darien High School | |
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Location | |
Darien, Connecticut United States |
|
Information | |
Type | Public |
Motto |
Veritas vos liberabit "The truth will set you free" |
Established | 1927 |
Principal | Ellen Dunn |
Grades | 9-12 |
Number of students | 1,357 (October 1, 2013) |
Mascot | Blue Wave |
Colors | Blue and White |
Website | http://www.darienps.org/dhs/ |
Darien High School is the single public high school serving the town of Darien, Connecticut, in the United States.
In the 2004-2005 school year, Darien had the highest SAT math score in the state, the second highest CAPT score in the state and the highest Advanced Placement scores in the school's history, with a 100 percent pass rate on AP math exams and more than 85 percent of students earning the top score of "5." About one in three students in the school takes an AP math course.
Of the 200 graduating seniors in June 2005, 24 won national recognition in the National Merit Scholarship program, with 20 as "commended scholars" and four as National Merit Scholars.
For the purpose of comparison with the achievement levels of similar schools, the state Department of Education classifies schools and communities in "District Reference Groups," defined as "districts whose students' families are similar in education, income, occupation and need, and that have roughly similar enrollment." Darien is one of eight school districts in District Reference Group A (the others are Easton, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton).
The school's sports teams have won numerous state championships. Darien is known for its competitive football, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, volleyball, and track teams.
A tradition at the school's graduation ceremonies is to present honorary diplomas to school teachers or administrators who are retiring. In 2007, they were presented to a guidance counselor and school librarian.
The original high school building opened in 1927. A new building was built in 1960, and the former structure became Mather Junior High School. Upon the closing of Mather Junior High, the building became Darien's Town Hall.
The second high school building, on a 40-acre (160,000 m2) site at 80 High School Lane, opened in 1960 and was torn down in 2005. The current high school, designed by Newman Architects of New Haven, was constructed from 2003 to 2005, opening in the fall of 2005. The project cost roughly US$76 million. Among the major innovations were the development of a collegiate campus-like setting of multiple inter-connected buildings, a green roof over the new cafeteria wing, and the introduction of a campus-wide wireless network and fiber-optic networking to all classrooms. Construction costs of the new building significantly exceeded the original budget, mostly due to the cost of asbestos removal from the old building.