Ponaganset High School

Ponaganset High School
Address
Map
137 Anan Wade Road

,
02857

United States
Coordinates41°51′57″N 71°42′45″W / 41.8659°N 71.7125°W / 41.8659; -71.7125
Information
TypePublic
School districtFoster-Glocester
CEEB code400093
NCES School ID440042000116[1]
PrincipalRenee Palazzo (2012)
Teaching staff71.50 (FTE)[2]
Grades9 to 12
Enrollment921 (2022-2023)[2]
Student to teacher ratio12.88[2]
Color(s)Green and White
SportsCross country, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Football, Wrestling, Track and field (Indoor and Outdoor), Hockey, Baseball, Fastpitch softball, and Tennis
MascotChieftain
NicknameChieftains
Websitefosterponaganseths.ss11.sharpschool.com
[1]

Ponaganset High School is a school of the Foster-Glocester School District, located in Glocester, Rhode Island in Providence County. (It has a North Scituate, Rhode Island address for postal purposes.) The majority of high school students live in the rural towns of Glocester and Foster, Rhode Island. This is a public high school, known for its music program, AP and honors classes, as well as its CTE approved pathways; plant systems, animal systems, materials and manufacturing, pre-engineering, music technology, music performance, and pending programs: computer science and information technology, and biomedicine. The school's athletic teams are named the "Chieftains," and the FIRST Robotics Competition team is called "5112, The Gongoliers." The principal as of 2012 was Renee Palazzo.[3]

Demographics

[edit]

The demographic breakdown of the 722 students enrolled for 2012-2013 was:[1]

  • Male - 51.5%
  • Female - 48.5%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders - 0.1%
  • Black - 0.3%
  • Hispanic - 0.3%
  • White - 99.2%
  • Multiracial - 0.1%

Additionally, 18% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[1]

Mascot

[edit]

Ponaganset's mascot is the Chieftain. This has come under fire in recent decades as mascots with Native American imagery and symbolism has been reviewed. The regional school district is now deciding whether to keep a symbol many consider to be cultural appropriation, or to change it to something more appropriate as the local tribe, the Nipmuc, have been asking for.

Capital improvement plan

[edit]

In the late 2000s, the school underwent a major multi-phase renovation in which the former middle school was re-located to a new building and the existing high school took over the old middle school structure. An indoor glass walkway was put in to attach the high school with the old middle school. The renovations were completed at the end of 2009.[3]

Notable alumni

[edit]
  • Sherwood C. Spring, retired United States Army Colonel and former NASA astronaut and graduate of the Class of 1963.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Search for Public Schools - Ponaganset High School (440042000116)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved Aug 30, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Ponaganset High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Ponaganset High School Home Page". Foster-Glocester School System. Archived from the original on 2012-01-01.
  4. ^ "Astronaut Bio: Sherwood C. (Woody) Spring". NASA. Retrieved 2013-01-04.