Concord High School is a public secondary school located in Wilmington, Delaware, one of three high schools in the Brandywine School District. There were 1,217 students enrolled in the fall for the 2012â€"2013 school year.
Academics
Concord is a fully inclusive high school that is ranked ninth of 15 Delaware public high schools. It offers a range of levels, including AP, Honors, College Preparatory, Traditional, and Special Education, as well as a non-diploma track. Concord participates in DCAS.
Student organizations
- Academic Bowl
- Academic World Quest â€" State Champions 2015, 2016, and 2017, 6th place at 2016 Nationals, 16th place at 2015 Nationals
- DECA
- Future Educators of America
- The Grapevine
- Interact Club
- Leader Corps
- Math League
- Mock Trial
- National Honor Society
- Raider Reader (School Newspaper)
- Science National Honor Society
- Science Olympiad
- Technology Student Association â€" numerous State Officers in previous years and the current State President, and National Finalists in many events.
- Ultimate Frisbee Club
- Yearbook
Athletics
Concord is a member of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA). The Raiders compete in the Blue Hen Conference, and are currently assigned to Flight A based on the school’s enrollment size falling below the conference’s average. For those sports which the DIAA has split schools into divisions for playoffs or state championship meets based on enrollment size, Concord is assigned to Division I. Concord fields a full slate of teams in all three sports seasons:
Concord's current Athletic Director is Mr. Larry Jacobs.
Concord (and all Brandywine School District High School's) are partnered with ATI Physical Therapy to provide Sports Medicine Services.
Music & Arts
Choirs
Freshmen Women's Chorus
Mixed Chorus
Select Women's Chorus, is an audition-only choir for women
Chorale, is an audition-only group of the top 36â€"40 singers in Concord High School
Madrigals, the top 12â€"16 voices from the Concord Chorale are selected for the Concord Madrigals, an a cappella group which is student-run and meets after school.
ConChords, a student run co-ed a cappella group that is student-run and meets after school.
Sweet Adelines, is a Barbershop for Women, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
Barbershop, is the Men's Barbershop, an a cappella group that meets after school and is student-run.
- In 2012, 22 out of 23 Concord Choir members made it into Delaware All-State Chorus over half placing in the Top 20 in each section.
Concert Band
Concord also has 2 concert bands: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and 2 Jazz Bands: Concord Creators, and Raider Jazz.
Concord has the only full orchestra in the state of Delaware that meets every day.
The Concord Players
The Concord Players typically put on a play in the fall and a musical in the spring. Previous performances include Singin' in the Rain, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Rumors, The Pajama Game, Charlotte's Web, Mame, You Could Die Laughing, Once Upon a Mattress, You Can't Take It with You, Anything Goes, Bone Chiller, Bye Bye Birdie, Meet Me In St. Louis, Legally Blonde, Shrek The Musical, Fools, Into the Woods, Noises Off, Disney's The Little Mermaid, You Can't Take It with You, and The Music Man.
History
In the 1960s, the area north of Wilmington (referred to as Brandywine Hundred) was growing rapidly. The school district (then known as the Alfred I. DuPont School district) was opening new schools as rapidly as possible. Soon, it became apparent that the one high school in the district, Brandywine High School, would not be able to handle the increase in students. The district decided to open a second high school rather than expand the existing one.
The student body for the new high school was developed slowly. At first, students from the existing two junior high schools (Forwood and Springer) were selected based on where they lived to attend the yet to be built high school. The first year (1967â€"68), Concord High School was held at the then new Hanby Junior High and consisted of 9th and 10th graders. The students met in the top floor while elementary students attended classes in the lower floor while their school was being built. The following year (1968â€"69), the student body was expanded to 9th, 10th and 11th grades and the elementary students were moved out to their new home.
During this period, the Concord High School building was under construction and planned to open in the fall of 1969. However, a worker strike and construction issues delayed its opening. Since the school was not completed, the student body now consisting of 10th through 12th grades was forced out of their temporary home at Hanby Junior High and into the Brandywine High School building on double sessions. Brandywine High School students attended their school in the morning, while the Concord students attended in the afternoon.
Concord High School finally opened in January 1970 and the first senior class graduated a few months later in June. Even though the school was open, construction was not completed in several areas including the gym, auditorium and swimming pool until the fall of 1970.
The first principal, Dr. William J. Bailey, promoted what was, at the time, a progressive environment that emphasized trust and responsibility among the students. Students were given then unheard of freedoms and responsibilities, which worked extremely well during the progressive periods of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For example, there was no dress code for students or teachers; there was a students' designated smoking area near the bus stops at the front of the building and a rotating schedule was in place with a free period which the students could use as they pleased, including listening to music in the cafeteria, reading in the library, or doing independent study in the classrooms. At one face-to-face between Dr. Bailey and the senior class Bailey was asked if there could be a "Senior Odd Day" at the school. Bailey paused, looked around the auditorium and jokingly said..."every day's senior odd day at this school." Some courses were offered on a non-graded basis, meaning students were placed depending on their abilities rather than their age. For example, English was offered in 5 levels of mastery and each level could have students from all three grades (10â€"12). Grading earned within each level was still the traditional A â€" F. Bailey left in the mid-1970s to become a professor of education at the University of Delaware.
Notable alumni
- Rob Brooks-Bilson, Author
- Justin Brown, NFL athlete
- Terri Dendy, track and field athlete
- Vicki Huber, Olympian
- Mary Schilly Knisely, U.S. and Pan Am champion at 3,000 meters
- Luke Matheny, Academy Award winning motion picture director, writer and actor
- Montell Owens, NFL athlete
- Chip Reid, national news reporter
- Adam Ruben, author and Science Channel host
- Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize winner (Journalism) and Author
- Marc Silverstein, Food Network and Discovery channel host
- Paul Worrilow, NFL athlete
References
External links
- Concord Website
- Concord School Newspaper