Conestoga High School

Conestoga High School
Conestoga High School in 2006
Address
200 Irish Rd Berwyn , Pennsylvania 19312 United States
Coordinates	40°02′50″N75°27′12″W / 40.0472°N 75.4533°W / 40.0472; -75.4533
Information
Other names	Conestoga Senior High School, CHS
Former name	Tredyffrin Easttown High School
Type	Comprehensive public high school
Motto	A Tradition of Excellence
Established	October 27, 1954;69 years ago (1954-10-27)
School district	Tredyffrin/Easttown
NCES District ID	4223640 [1]
Superintendent	Richard Gusick
CEEB code	390295
NCES School ID	422364001423 [2]
Principal	Amy Meisinger
Teaching staff	140.60 (FTE) [3]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,243 (2019–20) [3]
Student to teacher ratio	15.95 [3]
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Garnet and gray
Mascot	The Pioneer
Nickname	Stoga
USNWR ranking	378th
National ranking	36th (Newsweek) 1st (Niche School District Ranking)
Newspaper	The Spoke
Yearbook	The Pioneer
Feeder schools	Tredyffrin Easttown Middle School Valley Forge Middle School
Website	Conestoga Homepage

Conestoga High School, located in Tredyffrin Township, ^[4] Pennsylvania, is the only upper secondary school in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. It has a Berwyn post office address, ^[5] though it is not in the Berwyn census-designated place. ^[6]

Conestoga, commonly referred to as "Stoga", is 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Philadelphia in the suburbs known as the Main Line.

College and university matriculation

97% of Conestoga graduates advance to colleges and universities, 92% of them to four-year colleges and universities. Graduating classes from 2009 to 2014 sent one or more students to each of the Ivy League colleges, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, The California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and The University of California, Berkeley. The most popular university choice for Conestoga students is Pennsylvania State University. The second most popular choice is the University of Pittsburgh. Fifty-two percent of Conestoga students leave Pennsylvania to attend colleges and universities, and more than 52% attend private institutions after graduation. ^[7]

Departments

Conestoga has eight academic departments: Business/Technology, English, World Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, and Wellness/Fitness/Family & Consumer Science. Students must earn 24 credits in order to graduate. One credit is equivalent to a year-long class. ^[8]

Distinctions and honors

In 2012, Conestoga was ranked the 180th best high school in the country and 1st in Pennsylvania by the Daily Beast. ^[9] Conestoga was ranked 312th (3rd in Pennsylvania) in 2008, 301st (3rd in Pennsylvania) in 2007, 170th (1st in Pennsylvania) in 2006, ^[10] 195th in 2005, ^[11] and 197th in 2003. ^[12]

In 2016, Niche.com ranked the Tredyffrin Easttown school district number one in the United States. In the 2016 edition of Newsweek's "America's Top High Schools", Conestoga High School was ranked 36th in the nation and the 1st in Pennsylvania. ^[13]

For the 2012–2013 school year, the school was ranked as a Gold Medal School by U.S. News & World Report , ranked number 313 nationally. ^[14] U.S. News & World Report ranked Conestoga as a Gold Medal High School, the 294th of America's for 2021–2022. ^[14]

SAT

The Conestoga Class of 2014 performed at least 94 points above the national average in every section of the SAT: ^[7]

Test Type	National Average	Conestoga
Reading	497	598
Math	513	607
Writing	487	590

Compared to all the other schools in Chester County, Conestoga had the highest average SAT score in 2019. ^[15]

National Merit/College Board Recognition

The Conestoga Class of 2022 includes 39 National Merit Semi-finalists, the most in Pennsylvania. ^[16] The Conestoga Class of 2018 includes 34 National Merit Semi-finalists, 26 National Merit Commended students, and 2 National Hispanic Scholars. ^[17] The Conestoga Class of 2009 includes 21 National Merit Semi-finalists, 35 National Merit Commended students, 1 National Achievement Scholar, and 1 National Hispanic Scholar award recipients. ^[7]

Advanced Placement program

In May 2008, 573 Conestoga students, or 30% of the student body, took 1,103 College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. A score of 3 or higher was earned on 95% of the tests. ^[7]

The Siemens Foundation for Advanced Placement honored Conestoga thrice, with the 2009 Student Award, 2006–07 High School Award, and 2005–06 Student Award. This program highlights exceptional achievement in science, mathematics, and technology. ^{[18] [19] [20]}

Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

The average scaled scores for Conestoga on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) were among the highest in the state in 2008. ^[7]

Test Type	State	Conestoga
Reading	1470	1680
Math	1360	1600
Writing	1340	1600

Extracurricular activities

Student Journalism

The Spoke

Conestoga is home to a student-produced news website, Spoke.news (formerly Stoganews.com). It is produced by the staff of The Spoke, Conestoga's student run newspaper. The Spoke has been the recipient of several national awards. ^[21]

The Pioneer

The Pioneer is the Conestoga high school, student produced, award winning yearbook

TETV

Conestoga is home to a student-run TV station TETV which broadcasts live sports game, ceremonies, concerts, in addition to student made content.

The Folio

Conestoga is home to a literary magazine known as The Folio.

STEM Programs

Conestoga's science department has numerous STEM clubs and activities. Among them are Science Olympiad, chemistry, biology, computer science, and robotics.

Academic competitions

Conestoga is a part of Chester County Academic Competition league, the DECA business competition, the HOSA (organization) medical competition, as well as at the Pennsylvania State Career Development Conference.

Civic engagement

In 2017, Conestoga was the first high school to receive the Pennsylvania Governor's Civic Engagement Award for registering 85% of eligible students to vote. ^{[22] [23] [24]} In 2018, the students who ran the drive brought the organization "New Voters" to the national level. ^[25]

Athletic teams

Conestoga competes in 17 different sporting events generally within the Central League. ^[26]

	Male	Female			Male	Female			Male	Female
Fall	Cross Country	Cross Country		Winter	Basketball	Basketball		Spring	Baseball	Softball
	Football	Field Hockey			Swimming	Swimming			Lacrosse	Lacrosse
	Golf	Golf			Indoor Track	Indoor Track			Track	Track
	Soccer	Soccer			Wrestling	Cheerleading			Tennis
		Tennis
		Volleyball
		Cheerleading

PIAA State Championships

• Girls Tennis
  • Singles – 1987
  • Doubles – 1991
  • Team – 2021, 2022
• Boys Soccer – 1988, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023
• Girls Soccer – 2007, 2008
• Boys Tennis
  • Singles – 1989, 1990, 2012
  • Doubles – 1966, 1972
  • Team – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2023
• Girls Cross Country
  • Individual – 2005
• Girls Swimming – 1980
• Boys Wrestling
  • Individual
    • 119 lbs – 1994
• Boys Baseball – 2011
• Boys Lacrosse – 2010, 2011, 2012
• Girls Lacrosse – 2016, 2022
• Girls Track & Field
  • Individual
    • 4×800m Relay – 2009, 2010
    • 1600 m Run – 2006
    • 1600 m Relay – 2004
    • 3200 m Relay – 2000
• Boys Track & Field
  • Individual
    • Shot Put – 2002

Athletic clubs

Fall

• Archery
• Ice Hockey
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Cross Country
• Volleyball
• Sailing

Winter

• Archery
• Ice Hockey
• Squash
• Chess

Spring

• Archery
• Crew
• Rugby (Conestoga has the oldest High School Rugby program in the United States, founded in 1971 by Clarence Culpepper, who played for and coached the US National Men's Team.) ^[27]
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Sailing

Notable alumni

• Elizabeth Hoffman – 1964. Executive vice-president, Iowa State University, president emerita, University of Colorado System.
• Craig Lucas – 1969. Tony Award nominated American playwright.
• Johanna Schmitt – 1970. Distinguished Professor of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis; Stephen T. Olney Professor of Natural History and Harrison S. Kravis University Professor, Brown University.
• Robert Ellis – 1972. LA Times bestselling author.
• Larry Krasner – 1979. 26th District Attorney of Philadelphia.
• Grant Shaud – 1979. Actor.
• Keith Hughes – 1981. Major League Baseball pitcher (1987–88; '90, '93) ^[28]
• Todd Glass – 1982. Comedian, actor. ^[29]
• Glenn R. Simpson – 1982. Journalist. ^[30]
• Tommy Shields – 1982. Chicago Cubs infielder
• Melissa Shusterman – 1985. Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. ^[31]
• Drew Endy – 1988. Bioengineering professor at Stanford University, founder of the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.
• Gregg Foreman – 1990. Musician and actor.
• Jennie Eisenhower – 1996. Actress, granddaughter of President Richard Nixon and great-granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• David Bush – 1998. Professional baseball player.
• Marquis Weeks – 2000. Professional football player.
• Abbi Jacobson – 2002. Actress and co-creator of Comedy Central television series Broad City .
• Pat Heim – 2003. College lacrosse All-America Penn State '07, No. 1 overall pick Major League Lacrosse 2007 Draft player.
• Kasie Hunt – 2003. Political correspondent.
• Chris Hurst – 2005. TV anchor and member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
• P.T. Ricci – 2005. Major League Lacrosse player. ^[32]
• Mark Herzlich – 2006. Professional football player. ^[33]
• Mt. Joy – Indie folk/rock band featuring Matt Quinn (2009) and Sam Cooper (2007). ^[34]
• Roger Hobbs – 2007. International bestselling author of the books Ghostman and Vanishing Games.
• Jake Cohen – 2009. American-Israeli basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli national basketball team
• Emma Boettcher – 2010. Champion on Jeopardy! who ended James Holzhauer's 32-game-long winning streak.
• Brendon Little – 2015. Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs ^[35]
• Chris Donovan (soccer) – 2018. Forward for the Philadelphia Union. ^{[36] [37]}
• Brian Chippendale – rock drummer and vocalist.
• Christine Fan – singer and actress.
• Brian Munroe – State Representative for the 144th District Bucks County

Hazing scandal

In 2015, there was a legal case involving students who were in their first year at Conestoga High School. Among them was a 14-year-old male freshman who was a part of the varsity football team. Many of the older football players regarded this young student as overly self-assured and confrontational.

During the course of the legal proceedings surrounding inappropriate text messages, the father of the accused minor informed the school that his son had experienced bullying several months earlier at the hands of the Conestoga football team. This included an incident in which a broomstick was inserted into his son's rectum. Complying with legal obligations, this report was forwarded to the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, who then sought guidance from the District Attorney's Office.

Subsequently, three juveniles chose to acknowledge their involvement in acts of harassment. They confessed that two individuals had physically restrained the victim while the third used a broomstick to intimidate him. These charged juveniles admitted that their intention had been to instill fear in the victim. ^[38]

References

1. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Tredyffrin-Easttown SD". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved March 5, 2019.
2. "Search for Public Schools - Conestoga SHS (422364001423)". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved March 5, 2019.
3. "Conestoga SHS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
4. "Figure 2.9.1 Community Facilities Tredyffrin Township Comprehensive Plan & Historic Preservation Plan". Tredyffrin Township . Retrieved September 29, 2022. Conestoga High School
5. "Home". Conestoga High School. Retrieved September 29, 2022. 200 Irish Road | Berwyn, PA 19312
6. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Berwyn CDP, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 29, 2022. - Compare map with the school's postal address.
7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2006. Retrieved February 2, 2006.
8. https://www.tesd.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=3380&dataid=27521&FileName=Conestoga%20High%20School%20Program%20of%20Studies%202022-2023.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
9. "America's Best High Schools". The Daily Beast . Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
10. The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools – Newsweek America's Best High Schools – MSNBC.com Archived February 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
11. The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools – Newsweek America's Best High Schools – MSNBC.com Archived November 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
12. 2003 List: The Top High Schools – Newsweek America's Best High Schools – MSNBC.com Archived April 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
13. "America's Top High Schools 2016". Newsweek . August 11, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
14. "Best High Schools". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on April 28, 2013.
15. "Here's How Conestoga High School Did On The 2019 SATs". Tredyffrin-Easttown, PA Patch. February 2, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
16. "Conestoga High Students Lead List Of National Merit Semifinalists With 39 Named". Tredyffrin-Easttown, PA Patch. September 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021.
17. "In the News – Detail Page". tesd.net. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
18. 2006 Siemens Awards for AP Winners Archived November 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
19. 2007 Siemens Awards for AP Winners Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
20. 2009 Siemens Awards for AP Winners Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
21. "NSPA - 2012 Newspaper Pacemaker Winners" . Retrieved August 1, 2023.
22. "Conestoga High School's New Voters Club honored with Civic Engagement Award". Main Line Media News. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
23. State, Pennsylvania Department of. "Pennsylvania Department of State Honored Conestoga High School for Voter Registration Achievement" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
24. "Conestoga New Voters Club Earns Governor's Civic Engagement Award". Tredyffrin-Easttown, PA Patch. December 1, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
25. Orso, Anna (April 5, 2018). "These Philly-area teens got 100 classmates to register to vote. Now, they're taking the next step". inquirer.com. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
26. "PIAA – Schools – Directory – Conestoga High School". piaa.org.
27. "- FRONTLINE: Neighborhood". mainlinetoday.com.
28. Riley, Matt (August 18, 2009). "Wayne's Keith Hughes still living the dream on the local diamond". Mainline Media News. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
29. "Todd Glass | Yuks". Todd Glass | Yuks. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
30. Flegenheimer, Matt (January 8, 2018). "Fusion GPS Founder Hauled From the Shadows for the Russia Election Investigation". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 21, 2021.
31. "About". Melissa Shusterman. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
32. "PT Ricci - Volunteer Assistant Coach". conestogalacrosse. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
33. "Mark Herzlich, New York Giants, Linebacker". 247Sports. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
34. Rowland, Hobart (April 24, 2018). "Conestoga High School Grads Find Success with Band Mt. Joy". Main Line Today. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
35. "Brendon Little Class of 2015 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA". Perfect Game. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
36. "Chris Donovan - 2021 - Men's Soccer". Drexel University Athletics. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
37. Union, Philadelphia. "Roster | PhiladelphiaUnion.com". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
38. "Conestoga Hazing: Authorities Issue Statement To 'Set The Record Straight'". Tredyffrin-Easttown, PA Patch. June 29, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2023.

External links

• Conestoga's homepage
  • School profile
  • Program of Studies
  • District Schools
• T/E School District homepage