Apponequet Regional High School

Apponequet Regional High School
Address
100 Howland Road Lakeville , Plymouth County, Massachusetts , Massachusetts 02347 United States of America
Coordinates	41°47′33″N 70°58′58″W
Information
Type	Public Coeducational Open enrollment
Motto	Achievement, Resilience, Honor, Self-Advocacy
Founded	1957
School board	Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee
School district	Freetown-Lakeville Public Schools
Principal	Dr. Barbara Starkie
Faculty	60As of 2018-19
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	727 (2018-19)
• Grade 9	154
• Grade 10	207
• Grade 11	174
• Grade 12	192
Language	English
Campus type	Rural
Color(s)	Navy Blue, White & Red
Song	Alma Mater
Athletics	MIAA - Division 3
Athletics conference	South Coast Conference
Mascot	Laker
Team name	Lakers
Rival	Old Rochester Regional
Accreditation	The New England Association of Schools & Colleges
National ranking	1364
Publication	Alembic
Newspaper	Laker Pride
Yearbook	Polarion
Communities served	Freetown, Assonet, and Lakeville
Website	https://www.freelake.org/schools/apponequet/

Apponequet Regional High School (often abbreviated to Apponequet or ARHS), located at 100 Howland Road in Lakeville, Massachusetts opened September 21, 1959. Apponequet serves secondary academic education students from the towns of Freetown, Assonet, and Lakeville. It is the only high school within the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District.

History

In the early 20th century many small towns in Massachusetts sent their older students to other cities' or towns' high schools on a tuition basis to avoid the cost of building and maintaining their own secondary facility. As towns with high schools grew, they became unable to provide tuition spaces, needing the space for their own students. This created the need for more high schools, as tuition contracts slowly began to expire and not be renewed.

The communities of Freetown, Berkley, Carver, Lakeville, and Rochester, Massachusetts formed a planning committee for a regional high school, as each town needed a location for its secondary school students. Carver dropped from the board in 1955 after forming a region with Plymouth, and the remaining towns voted. Freetown and Lakeville approved the school, while Berkley and Rochester did not. Berkley would go on to form a tuition agreement with Somerset, and Rochester formed a region with Marion and Mattapoisett (Old Rochester Regional).

On April 8, 1957, town meetings were held in Freetown and Lakeville on the issue of the two towns building and operating a high school together. The vote in Freetown was 140-22 in favor, and in Lakeville 160-90, also in favor.

Freetown appropriated $20,347 for the preliminary planning of the school, and Lakeville appropriated $18,152 as its share. Land for the school was given by Paul Leonard and Frank Mello on Howland Road in Lakeville. On September 10, 1957, Israel T. Almy, a Fall River architect used for the original Freetown Consolidated Elementary School, was selected as the architect for the school. Charles Sawyer was chosen to be the first principal for the school.

Apponequet Regional Jr./Sr. High School opened on September 21, 1959, with an initial enrollment of 610 students in grades 7 through 12, including students from Freetown and Lakeville and tuition students from Berkley and Middleboro. The facility originally housed a vocational school, the Apponequet Regional Vocational High School, in addition to the current academic program. Apponequet Voke admitted students in grades 9-12. Phased out in the early 1990s in favor of sending students to Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in Rochester, the vocational program at Apponequet remains in several independent living classes.

With the building of the former George R. Austin Middle School in 1972, Apponequet became a senior-only high school, enrolling grades 9-12 in both the academic and vocational schools.

Major additions and renovations were completed in 1972 (8 classrooms), 1989 (9 classrooms, a new Library/Media Center, and a TV studio/choir room) and 2000 (two classrooms, an Art Room, a Lecture Hall/choir room, and extensive renovations throughout the building). The 2000 renovation was noted for the destruction of many murals throughout the building that had been designed by students in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

As of the 2018-2019 academic year, the administration consists of Principal Dr. Barbara Starkie, Ed.D, and Assistant Principals John Higgins and Kahlan Dessert.

Academics

Apponequet Regional High School currently has an enrollment of approximately 800 students in grades 9-12. The school's 83% graduation rate is lower than the Massachusetts state average of 86%. Apponequet provides currently 16 Advanced Placement classes that are offered to all students. They range from math and science to social studies and art.

Currently, ARHS offers two foreign languages: Spanish and French. Both AP Classes are offered for each language.

Demographics

As of the 2018-19 school year, the enrollment at Apponequet is 727. Of those students, enrollment by Race/Ethnicity is as follows: African American 1.1%, Asian 1.1%, Hispanic 2.9%, Native American 0.3%, White 92.4%, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.3%, Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 1.9%.

Extracurricular activities

Apponequet offers a variety of extracurricular activities such as Art, Share, Travel Club, Band and Choir, DECA, Diversity Coalition, Drama Club, Engineering Club, Environmental Club, HOSA, GSA, Majorettes, Math Team, SHAPE, and student council.

Sports

Apponequet offers a variety of sports. Sports for the fall season consist of football, field hockey, golf, soccer, volleyball, cross country, and cheerleading. In the winter ice hockey, basketball, indoor track, and swimming are offered. Spring sports consist of baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and outdoor track.

Apponequet's mascot is the Lakers. The word 'Apponequet' refers to the native tribe that formerly resided within the local area surrounding the school. Previously, the image used as the Laker mascot was a Native American chief and spear. These images were featured on the sports uniforms and clothing relating to the Lakers. However, this was replaced in recent times due to controversy over Native American mascots. Currently the Lakers have adopted the University of Arizona 'A' as their emblem on uniforms and clothing.

The Apponequet Athletic Boosters Club is a parent run organization that supports and funds athletics. They also provide senior athletes with a scholarship each year.

In the mid-to-late 1960s the school belonged to the South Shore League. It later removed itself to the Mayflower League for the 1970s and early 1980s, and finally joined the South Coast Conference upon its founding in 1986. The 2000 renovation, noted above, also updated the athletic complex, including the football field (Griffith Field), the gymnasium, several Baseball fields, a Softball field, six Tennis courts, and provisions for Soccer, Field Hockey and Ultimate Frisbee venues.

Swimming and Diving

The school boasts a Southern Conference Championship girls swim team and a separate two-time Southern Conference Championship boys swim team (2013 and 2014), both coached by Brett Pacheco. The girls and boys teams combined into a co-ed swim team in 2014 when they joined the South Coast Conference. Both teams went on to claim the South Coast Conference Championship titles in both 2015 and 2016. The boys swim team has remained undefeated in conference dual swim meets for the past four consecutive years (2013-2016). The swim teams practice at the George R. Austin Intermediate School pool.

Football

The school's traditional Thanksgiving Day football rival is Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett.

Home games feature cheerleaders, the marching band, and majorettes. Each group has their own performance during half time.

The football team has won the South Coast Conference Championship 5 times - 1997, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010.

In 2008, the football team completed an undefeated regular season (11-0), won its first outright SCC Championship, and earned a spot in the EMass D-IIA Playoffs for the first time. Unfortunately, Apponequet was defeated in the first round by powerhouse Duxbury by a score of 31-13.

Cheerleading

In 2007 the Apponequet Cheerleading Squad was featured on the MTV reality show MADE.

Student Council

Apponequet participates in the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (MASC) as well as The Southeastern Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (SEMASC). These organizations provide students with leadership workshops and conferences.

Choir

Apponequet has five choral groups. One is the general concert choir, which is led by Ed Ledwith. Anyone can join the concert choir, and it rehearses during the school day. There are also three select choral groups. In order to be in these groups, one must try out at the beginning of the year. The Femmes are the women's group, Har-Men-Ized is the men's group, and the Sandpipers and Tribesmen, or S&T, are a combined group. All have won multiple awards at regional and national competitions under the leadership of the now retired, previous director, Denise Haskins. Apponequet also has a summer choir. The summer group meets once per week during the summer and performs at the beginning of August. All money raised is donated to the Apponequet Music Boosters, a fundraising group led by the devoted parents of the music students.

Several members of the Apponequet Choir have been recognized by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association over the years. Students have auditioned and earned acceptances into the Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association Choruses, Southeastern Massachusetts Junior and Senior District Choruses, Massachusetts All State Choruses, and All Eastern Choruses.

On July 12, 2007 the Apponequet Summersing choir performed both The Star Spangled Banner and O Canada at Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox game versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

• [1] YouTube Video of Fenway Performance.

Band

Apponequet instrumental ensembles consist of a concert band, jazz band, and a marching band. The bands are under the direction of Ed Ledwith. Each year students from Apponequet's band audition for various festivals put on by Massachusetts Music Educators Association and the Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association. Apponequet's marching band performs each year at home football games with a halftime performance and in various local holiday parades. The concert band performs a winter and spring concert each year, as well as making other musical appearances. Apponequet's band has previously won regional and national competitions but in recent years has not competed.

Notable Alumni

Stephen R. Canessa - (1998) Massachusetts State Representative.

Casey Tebo - Television Film and Music Video Director, most notably for his work with Steven Tyler and other musicians.

Jackie Bruno - (2002) Miss Massachusetts 2008 and Miss USA finalist, American newscaster

External links

• Apponequet Regional High School > Home (Official Site)
• AlumniClass - Apponequet Regional (Alumni Site)