Naples Middle/High School

Naples Middle/High School
Naples Middle/High School
Address
	PSC 808, Box 15; FPO , AE 09618
Coordinates	40°59′23.19″N14°14′41.42″E / 40.9897750°N 14.2448389°E
Information
School type	Public, high school
Founded	1953(71 years ago)
School district	DoDEA
CEEB code	577060
Principal	Luis Dominguez
Staff	Approx. 75 (2009)
Grades	7–12
Enrollment	Approx. 750 (2009)
Language	English
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Green ;
Mascot	Wildcat
Rival	Aviano High School
Feeder schools	Naples Elementary School
Website	www.dodea.edu/NaplesMHS/index.cfm

Last updated December 26, 2024

Naples Middle/High School (NMHS), formerly known as Naples American High School, is a high school within the Department of Defense Education Activity system. It is located in Gricignano di Aversa, Campania, Italy.^[3]

History

Early days

In the summer of 1951, a new NATO southern command called Headquarters Allied Forces, Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) was established in Naples, Italy. The school began with 7 - 8 American high school age students arriving with the command in October 1951. The facilities initially occupied a spare storage room in the Hotel Britannique in downtown Naples, where many of the student’s families lived. The school program provided high school correspondence courses through the University of Nebraska. It was named the American Forces Dependents High School, Naples, Italy.

During the summer and autumn of 1951, more students arrived and the school was relocated to the Albergo Sant’Elmo, then the NATO Officers’ Club in the Vomero section of Naples. This school of 15–18 students operated until August 1952. High School proctors during this period were Mr. Albert Trimarchi and Mr. Bob Newton. The first graduate of the school was Stewart A. Ring.

On October 1, 1952, a standard Department of Defense School was opened in the same location, the Albergo Sant’Elmo, with about 45 students. There were five students in the graduating class that year.

Official opening

In 1953 members of the senior class suggested that the school be named in honor of Admiral Forrest Sherman, the United States Chief of Naval Operations, who had died suddenly during that school year during a visit to Naples.^[4] The school opened in the fall of 1953 as Forrest Sherman High School. The Ring brothers, Bill and Stewart, suggested the school colors of green and white, after the colors of Coronado High School in San Diego, California. Both brothers had attended Coronado High School prior to their father being assigned to Naples in the summer of 1951. They also suggested the school mascot, the Wildcat, which continues to be the Naples High School mascot. According to the end of year publication, Ciao, there were 58 students that year with four graduating seniors.

Due to an increase in enrollment, the high school was moved to a larger building on Via Manzoni in the Posillipo section of the city beginning with the 1953–54 school year. That year grades 1–12 were contained in this building under the name Forrest Sherman Schools.

1960 marked the move of Forrest Sherman High School to another building further down Via Manzoni, across the street from the Scuola Svizzera, an international school run by the Swiss government. The panoramic view from the front of the school, overlooking the entire bay of Naples, with Mt. Vesuvius in the background, is considered perhaps the best view from any DoD school in the world. The school remained in this building until 1982. Eventually it included seventh and eighth grades and enrollment increased to almost 600 students.

In the autumn of 1967, the sixth fleet flagship was assigned to Gaeta, Italy, having moved from Villefrance, France. Students in grades 9–12 from Gaeta began attending Naples American High School that fall.

In 1982, the high school moved to the Agnano facility, called the “happy horseshoe,” because of its distinctive shape.^[4] That year all the elementary students were combined in the school complex at Pinetamare, twenty miles north of Naples. In 1984, the name of the school was changed to Naples High School, in accordance with DoDDS policy to have school names better reflect their locations.

Later years

During the mid-1990s, construction was begun on a new US Navy Support Site north of Naples, near Gricignano di Aversa, which would eventually include all the support services located in Agnano and a large housing complex. New elementary and high schools were the first buildings opened at the US Navy Support Site. In August 1997 Naples Elementary School and Naples High Schools opened at the US Navy Support Site and welcomed 950 elementary and 560 high school students.^[4]

Present day

Naples High School continues the use of the traditional colors of green and white, along with the Wildcat mascot. Children of all NATO nationalities are accepted from the families assigned to Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples, formerly AFSOUTH) and American installations in the greater Naples and Gaeta area. Students from the following nations have attended our school in recent years: Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the USA.

Naples American High School has transitioned through the years from one room in a hotel to its present modern facility with Internet connectivity in every classroom. School programs have moved from correspondence courses to such courses as the Cisco Networking Academy, Computer Services and Support, and advanced placement courses in English, Mathematics, Science, History, Computer Programming, and Art. Support services are provided in English, reading, mathematics, and learning strategies. Students who are “in the middle” and show academic potential are provided support through the AVID program.

In 1994, the school added the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) to the curriculum. The first instructors were Captain Mike Gruelli, USN (Ret) and MGYSGT Mike Copeland, USMC (Ret). Captain Gruelli retired and was relieved by LT. Rod Light, USN (Ret) in 1997 when the school moved to the support site. MGYSGT Copeland left in 2008 and was replaced by SCPO Vincent Gilfoy, USN (Ret). LT. Rod Light also retired and was relieved by CDR Niels Mateo, USN (Ret) in 2015. The unit has been very successful over the years earning many trophies in Exhibition Drill, Rifle Team, Academics and Orienteering. For a number of years, it hosted a sailing club with 6 sunfish sailboats. The unit has taken Unit Achievement or Distinguished Unit every year since 2004. It currently has 65 cadets (2016).^[5]

For the 2009–2010 school year, Naples Athletics were Division II champions for Cross Country, Boys Volleyball, Girls Soccer, and Softball. In the fall of 2010, the Boys Volleyball team lost to Aviano in the semi-finals and placed third in the Mediterranean District. Boys Cross Country were Division II Champions and Girls Cross County came second in the Division II Championships. Cheerleading, Girls Soccer, and Softball also won Division II Championships during the 2010–2011 school year. The Boys Cross Country Team kept their title of European Champions during their 2011–2012 year also. Before the 2014–2015 school year, the continuing success of Naples teams in Division II and its increasing size caused DODEA Athletics to move Naples up to Division I in every sport except for football. Naples won their only DI championship in Boys Soccer in 2019, the final year before being moved back down to Division II. Along with this championship; Girls Soccer, Girls Volleyball, Cheer, Tennis, Wrestling, and Basketball have had teams or individual athletes place 2nd or 3rd in Division I. The 2018 football team, featuring current Boise State University superstar Ashton Jeanty, finished undefeated. (Jeanty returned to the U.S. the next season.)^[6]

Related Research Articles

The American Overseas School of Rome ('AOSR) is a private international school in Rome, Italy, accredited by the United States–based Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It has three divisions: Elementary School, Middle School and High School. It primarily caters to the international community in Rome, Italy. Students graduating receive the American high-school diploma or the International Baccalaureate. It has been an IB World School since April 1989. The Head of the School is Dr. Kristen DiMatteo along with Mr. Jerome Duggan as the secondary school principal and Ms. Joanne Mallary as the elementary school principal.

James Bicknell Castle High School, more commonly James B. Castle High School or simply Castle High School, is a public high school located in Kāneʻohe CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnano</span> Crater and Suburb of Naples

Agnano is a suburb of Napoli, Italy, situated southwest of the city in the Campi Flegrei region. It was popular among both ancient Greeks and Romans and was famed for its hot sulphurous springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chávez High School (Houston)</span> Public high school in Houston, Texas, United States

César E. Chávez High School is a secondary school located at 8501 Howard Drive in the Allendale neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviano Middle/High School</span> Department of Defense Education Activity secondary school

Aviano Middle/High School is a Department of Defense Education Activity secondary school located on the Italian-owned NATO air base in Aviano, Italy, which hosts the 31st Fighter Wing. The majority of students are dependents of active duty military personnel, Department of Defense employees, contractors and diplomats, although a small percentage are children of other English-speaking expatriates or local Italian residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South High School (Denver, Colorado)</span> Public school in Denver, Colorado, United States

South High School is a historical public high school in the Washington Park neighborhood on the south side of Denver, Colorado, United States. It is part of Denver Public Schools, and is one of four original high schools in Denver. The other three are East, North, and West.

Lejeune High School is a high school located on the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The school is operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of seven in the Camp Lejeune Dependant Schools (CLDS), which include one high school, one middle school, one primary school (PK–2), one intermediate school (3–5), and three elementary schools.

Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas, United States is located on the west side of El Paso near the intersection of North Mesa Street and Resler Drive. It serves the southern part of west El Paso: east of Interstate 10, from the vicinity of Executive Center Boulevard north approximately three miles to around Coronado Arroyo, a normally dry stream bed running west down from the Franklin Mountains just north of Escondido Drive; and the portion of the Upper Valley which lies south of Country Club Road. Most of the Coronado attendance zone is zoned to Morehead Middle School for grades six to eight. The elementary schools in the Coronado feeder pattern include Dr. Green, L.B Johnson, Putnam, Carlos Rivera, Western Hills, and Zach White. The Upper Valley portion of the Coronado attendance area is zoned to Zach White Elementary and Lincoln Middle School, except for the Buena Vista neighborhood around Interstate 10 and West Paisano Drive, which is zoned to Johnson and Morehead. Dr. Green, L.B Johnson, Putnam, Carlos Rivera and Western Hills elementary schools all graduate into Morehead Middle School.

Gricignano di Aversa is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of Naples and about 13 kilometres (8 mi) southwest of Caserta.

Nauset Regional High School is an NEASC accredited high school located in Eastham, Massachusetts, United States and a part of Nauset Public Schools. Nauset is inside the Cape Cod National Seashore, making it the only high school on the East Coast located within a National Park. The open campus is situated about a half-mile from Nauset Light. Nauset's colors are Black and Gold and the school's mascot is the Warrior.

Brea Olinda Unified School District is the school district serving the City of Brea in Orange County, California, United States. It also serves portions of the nearby cities of Fullerton, Yorba Linda and La Habra.

Centennial High School is a public secondary school located in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, United States, in Las Vegas. The school serves about 3000 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Clark County School District.

Established in 1950, Junípero Serra High School is a four-year, private, Roman Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school in Gardena, California, with an alumni body of more than 6,000 located throughout the United States and abroad. Honored as a California State School of the Year, Serra is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Ramstein American High School is a Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) high school in the Kaiserslautern district, Germany. RHS is a part of the Ramstein Community Schools in the Eastern Europe district that is run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Their mascot is the Royal, a lion with a crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boca Raton Community High School</span> High school in Boca Raton, Florida

Boca Raton Community High School is a magnet school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The high school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since 2005 and was ranked 62nd on the list of America's Best High Schools by Newsweek in 2010.

Frontier Regional School (FRS) is a regional combined public high school and middle school in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States, serving students in grades 7–12, as part of the Union 38 School District. The district serves the four towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately and Conway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W.T. Sampson Elementary/High School</span> School at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba

W.T. Sampson Elementary/High School is a K-12 school in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. In 2010 the school had 212 students in two campuses that are 2 miles (3.2 km) apart. As of 2021, all students (K-12) are on the newly constructed campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Support Activity Naples</span> US Navy complex in Italy

Naval Support Activity Naples is a United States Navy military complex, located adjacent to Naples International Airport in Capodichino, Naples, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtis Baptist School</span> Private Christian high school in Augusta, Georgia, United States

Curtis Baptist School (CBS) is a private 1-A Christian high school located in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is a private school that has more than 300 students in the elementary, middle, and high school combined. The school colors are red and white and the school mascot is "Curtis the Crusader."

References

↑ Department of Defense Education Activity – DoDEA (2014-10-14). "Principal's Corner". Dodea.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
↑ Communications, DoDEA. "About Our School | Naples Middle High School". www.dodea.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
↑ "About". Naples Middle/High School. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
1 2 3 "School Histories". American Overseas Schools Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
↑ Naplesnjrotc.org Archived 2014-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
↑ Uggetti, Paolo (October 25, 2024). "Boise State's Ashton Jeanty has turned the ground game into a blockbuster". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Department of Defense Education Activity – DoDEA (2014-10-14). "Principal's Corner". Dodea.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-11.

[2] Communications, DoDEA. "About Our School | Naples Middle High School". www.dodea.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-05.

[3] "About". Naples Middle/High School. Retrieved 2022-01-26.

[:0-4] 1 2 3 "School Histories". American Overseas Schools Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-13.

[5] Naplesnjrotc.org Archived 2014-06-06 at the Wayback Machine

[Uggetti-6] Uggetti, Paolo (October 25, 2024). "Boise State's Ashton Jeanty has turned the ground game into a blockbuster". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]