Newtown High School (Connecticut)

Expansion of the Newtown High School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, which was completed in early 2012.

In 1996 the school underwent a major reconstruction, including the addition of a 88,000-square-foot (8,200 m²) addition to the eastern side of the school. A new track and football field were also constructed, and extra seating was installed in the stadium. The reconstruction was complete by January 1998 and the school fully re-opened.

Renovations began in 2008 on a 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m²) addition. The main building of the expansion was scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, but instead was completed in early 2012. The expansion project included adding a full new wing of three floors, including new classrooms and teachers' offices and a cafetorium (auditorium and cafeteria); renovating the gymnasium; and building a new 400-square-foot (37 m²) greenhouse. In addition, the football field and track were renovated and much more parking was added. The expansion was fully completed in January 2010.[5] With the expansion, the school's area is 376,000-square-foot (34,900 m²).

On October 17, 2007, two cases of MRSA strain staph infections were reported at Newtown High School. The school put precautions in place to protect students from this potentially fatal bacterial infection.[6]

Sandy Hook interfaith vigil

On the evening of December 16, 2012, Newtown High School was the scene of a prayer service commemorating the twenty children and six adults killed by Adam Lanza during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012. Lanza had previously attended Newtown High School through the tenth grade.[7]

President Barack Obama delivered a reflection at the end of the service. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy offered some thoughts prior to the President's remarks. The entire service was broadcast nationwide on CNN.[8]

The Newtown Nighthawks compete in the Colonial Division of the South West Conference. All SWC schools are members of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.[9] The Nighthawks participate in cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, indoor track, wrestling, baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track.

Until 1996, the school's teams were called "The Indians;" they featured an Indian mascot. This was changed among controversy of the mascot being racist in nature. In 1996, local Connecticut students, all native American and actively involved with their culture, visited Newtown High School and explained that the pep rally and game activities—the war chants, tomahawk chants, the Indian costumes and dancing—trivialize religious customs. Representatives from other local tribes explained that mascots should not depict a race or ethnic group because it is dehumanizing.[10] They were renamed the Newtown Nighthawks.[11]

On December 14, 2019, the football team won the school's first state championship since 1992. Scoring in the final seconds of the game, the win made national news. Newtown was ranked second in the state at the end of the year, behind St. Joseph, who went undefeated, beating every team by a combined 44.7 points.They won on the 7th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where several of the players on the team went for elementary school.[12]

The Newtown High School marching band, called the Marching Nighthawks, is currently a Class IV Open marching band under the direction of Kurt Eckhardt. Back in 1995, the marching band performed at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. The band earned 3 straight Musical Arts Conference Class IV championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007, won the USSBA 2006 Class IV Connecticut State Championship, placed in the top 10 in the USSBA 2007 Group IV National Championship,[13] claimed the title of Musical Arts Conference Class IV Champion in 2011, and were the USSBA 2011 Group V Open Connecticut State Champion, where the color guard was ranked #1 overall. In 2012 and 2013, the band was the USBands Group V Open Connecticut State Champion. In 2015, the marching band came in third place at the USBands Group V Open National Championship winning the caption of "Best Music" with their show "Pharaoh's Legacy." In 2016, the marching band won the Group V Open Connecticut State Championship with their show "Something Wicked This Way Comes–Dark's Pandemonium Carnival." In 2017, the marching band had an undefeated season and won the USBands Group IV Open New England States Championship and the USBands Group IV Open National Championship with the captions of "Best Overall Effect" and "Best Percussion" with their show "Dystopia." This was the school's first national championship and record score of 97.363. In 2018, the marching band came in third place at the USBands Group IV Open National Championship winning the captions of "Best Music" and "Best Percussion" with their show "The Climb." In 2019, Newtown took third place at the USBands Group IV Open National Championship winning the caption awards of "Best Color Guard" and "Best Percussion" with their show "Life Sentence."