| Weston High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
444 Wellesley Street, Weston, Massachusetts , , 02493 United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′20.0″N 71°18′16″W / 42.338889°N 71.30444°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| School district | Weston Public Schools |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 693 (2017-2018) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 9.7:1 |
| Color(s) | Maroon and White |
| Athletics conference | Dual County League |
| Mascot | Wildcats |
| Team name | Wildcats, Red Tide (Swimming) Wayland-Weston Crew (Rowing) |
| Website | Weston High School |
Weston High School is a high school (grades 9–12) in Weston, Massachusetts, United States, a suburb 12 miles west of Boston. The school is located at 444 Wellesley Street in Weston. During the 2022-2023 school year, it had 639 students.[1] It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 2023, Boston Magazine ranked Weston High School #1 in the Boston area,[2] and U.S. News & World Report ranked the school #7 in the Boston area, #10 in Massachusetts, and #355 in the United States.[3] In 2023, Niche ranked Weston High School #4 of 363 public high schools in Massachusetts and #93 of 20,032 public high schools in the United States.[4]
Weston High School offers its students a comprehensive and diversified program. Academic courses range from basic to advanced levels. Honors courses are offered in mathematics, world history, foreign languages, and science, while specific Advanced Placement subjects include art, biology, chemistry, calculus, statistics, computer science, English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, European and U.S. History, and physics. Students must take at least five "minors" each semester and may include courses in the fine and applied arts, business, and home economics.
The high school also has a highly successful extra-curricular program that includes athletics, clubs, student government and community service programs. Most students participate in these after-school activities, with athletics, theater, music, art, and publications being the most popular.[5] Wildcat Tracks is the school newspaper.
Specialists in the Skills Center and Guidance Department provide a broad range of tutoring, personal counseling, and college placement services. Among the special facilities available to students are a library with more than 15,000 books, videos, ebooks, and audiobooks and extensive on-line databases; four networked computer laboratories; a modern world language laboratory; a recorded books library; choral and instrument rooms; a dance studio; and a physical fitness and weight room. An indoor swimming pool and a synthetic surface track are among Weston's athletic facilities.[6]
History
Between the end of WWII in 1945 and 1970, the "Boomer" generation, the number of school-age children in Weston increased 363%, from 635 students to 2,937. The town embarked on 25-year school building program resulting in five new school complexes. After a devastating fire in 1948 destroyed the roofing and interior of the new Weston High School, the building was rebuilt as an elementary school and a new replacement high school was commissioned.[7]
This new high school, which was located near Weston Town Center by the current Weston Public Library, Country & Woodland Elementary Schools, was renowned as the "architectural achievement of the century" by the Boston Herald when it opened in January 1950. The nation's first million-dollar public building, Weston High School offered resources and technologies never before seen in a public school. Revolutionary architecture and layout of the school allowed for new teaching and class organization methods. The building has since been torn down due to the building of the new Field School, but it served as the Field School until the 2014–2015 school year.
In 1961, the current Weston High School was built as one of the most expensive schools in the nation at $8,930,001 (1961 dollars). This building is the fifth public high school in Weston and is designed to be in active service far longer than many contemporary schools, thanks to constant renovation and a high-quality initial design and build.
Campus
Weston High School is a large brick and glass building, surrounded by trees and sports fields. There are several fields, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and a large track, shared by the Middle School, which is located on an adjacent campus. There is also a pond situated between the middle school and high school campuses.
Weston High School, designed and built in 1961 at a cost of $64.3 million (2012 dollars), has been renovated periodically since its construction. The facilities have maintained a modern appearance, marked especially by the extensive use of glass.
The design of Weston High School is largely natural-light intensive. Floor-to-ceiling windows mark the facade of three sides of the cafeteria as well as most stairwells. Hallways and classrooms can be lit almost entirely by natural light. The new science wing also features extensive floor-to-ceiling glass.
The building itself consists of a large gymnasium, weight room, library, theater and tech center, dance studio, music rooms, auditorium, computer labs, and many classrooms. The building is split into different wings for each subject, including English and History, Math and Science, and Language. There are currently no plans to reconstruct the existing infrastructure; only to add and renovate.
A seventh wing (G Wing) has been constructed for the 2012–2013 school year. The 23,000 square foot addition serves as the science wing, housing eight science classrooms, a 58-seat lecture hall, an outdoor amphitheater-style classroom, and copious atrium space. The project is designed for and seeking LEED Silver certification.[8]
Outside of the building stands a 40 inch bronze statue of a wildcat. At the cost of $19,000 (2020 dollars) this was the gift to the school from the class of 2020.
Online Education
In 2016, Weston partnered with MOOC provider edX to offer several free online courses in a variety of subjects. Courses include On-Ramp to AP* French Language and Culture, On-Ramp to AP* Calculus, and others.[9]
Sports
Weston competes in the Dual County League, which includes Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Bedford High School, Concord-Carlisle High School, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Newton South High School, Waltham High School, Wayland High School, and Westford Academy. The athletics department is headed by Athletic Director Mike McGrath.[10]
In 2022 Weston High School fielded athletic teams in 20 sports during three seasons.
During the winter 2022 season, which ran from November 2021 to February 2022, students participated on teams in alpine ski, basketball, ice hockey, indoor track, nordic ski, swimming and diving, volleyball, and wrestling. Weston won state championships in boys swimming and diving and girls indoor track.
During the fall 2022 season, which ran from August to October 2022, students participated on teams in crew, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soft, soccer, and volleyball. Weston won state championships in golf and girls cross country. MetroWest Daily News ranked Weston’s fall 2022 athletics program #3 among all high schools in the state.
During the spring 2022 season, which ran from March to June 2022, students participated on teams in baseball, crew, lacrosse, outdoor track, sailing, softball, and tennis. Weston won state championships in boys tennis and girls outdoor track. MetroWest Daily News ranked Weston’s spring 2022 athletics program #2 among all high schools in the state.
More than 50 percent of the school’s student body participated in each of the three sports seasons in 2022.[11]
Music and theater
Weston's music program is directed by Christopher Memoli, while Jonathan Eldridge directs the chorus. Weston also offers an AP Music Theory class, taught by Steven Fulginiti. 31 students were accepted to the MMEA Northeastern Sr. Districts Festival in January 2007, and 13 students were accepted to the MMEA All-State Conference.
The high school chorus, along with the Community Chorus and InCoro Novo, has a performance at Regis College every year where they perform a selection from the vocal repertoire. The large chorus is accompanied by selected high school orchestra members and adult musicians.
Weston's music department also runs the Weston Friends of Music, a parents' group that helps the Weston school music department.
In addition, Weston has a theater program after school. The Weston High School Theater Company performs three plays a year and competes in the Boston Globe's Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) festival annually. The company holds several state titles, having won finals at the 2005 and 2008 MHSDG festivals. They advanced to finals in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and most recently in 2013.
In addition to a full concert choir and chorus, Weston has three student run a cappella groups. In 2010, the boys' group took third place in the International Competition of High School A Cappella in New York City. They were also honored as the number one group in New England, the top all male group, and the top student-run organization in the competition. Additionally, they received top honors for their choreography as well as an individual award for the best solo performance (Nolan Neu). All three groups perform at monthly all-school assemblies.
Academic teams
Weston High School offers a range of academic teams: math, science, debate, robotics, and NAQT Quizbowl.
Notable alumni
- Grover Norquist, class of 1974, political activist and lobbyist, journalist for The American Spectator, president of Americans for Tax Reform
- John Garabedian, disc jockey, nationally syndicated host of the Open House Party radio show and a veteran in broadcasting for over 60 years
- Alec Sulkin, television writer, writer and producer of Family Guy
- David Frank, founding member of the 1980s R&B group The System.
References
- ↑ "Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Weston High School Profile". Weston Public Schools.
- ↑ "Boston Magazine, Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston, 2023".
- ↑ "U.S. News & World Report, Best High Schools, 2023 Rankings".
- ↑ "2023 Weston High School Rankings". Niche. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ↑ "Weston High School Profile, 2022-2023" (PDF).
- ↑ "WHS Vision & Mission". Weston High School. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ↑ "A Weston Timeline, 20th Century".
- ↑ Weston HS. Ctaconstruction.com (2011-09-29). Retrieved on 2012-05-25.
- ↑ "Weston High School". edX.
- ↑ "Athletics". Weston High School. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ↑ "2022 Report of the Weston Public Schools".
