Northville High School

Northville High School
File:Northville logo.gif
Address
45700 Six Mile Road Northville , Michigan USA
Information
Typ	Public secondary
School district	Northville Public Schools
Direktorin	Robert Watson
Faculty	131
Grades	9-12
Number of students	approx. 2100
Color(s)	Black and orange
Mascot	Mustangs
Yearbook	Palladium
Website	www.northville.k12.mi.us/nhs/

Northville High School is the public high school of Northville Public Schools that serves the city of Northville, Michigan, the larger Northville Township, and the southern part of the city of Novi, Michigan. As the school district population has grown throughout the years, so has the high school. 2,124 students were enrolled at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year.

Academics

Northville High School is noted for its high-achieving students. The school reported that the class of 2005 had a 99.7% graduation rate and a 90.4% college enrollment rate. Out of the 432 students that made up the senior class that year, 265 graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, 138 of those students graduated with a 3.5 or above, and 25 graduated with a 3.9 or above.

Extracurricular activities

Clubs and performing arts

Northville offers many extracurricular activities, including National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, German club, band, choir, Science Olympiad, drama club,recycling club, and SADD.

Band Program

Under the direction of Mike Rumbell and assistant director Johanne Ray-Hepp, Northville High School's band program has been recognized both in state competitions and various festivals. Though the marching band does not compete against other schools, Northville's concert bands have frequently received high marks at state festivals. The school also offers two jazz bands, and the Northville High School Jazz Ensemble I has won "Best of Show" in the MSBOA State Jazz Festival numerous times and is frequently invited to perform at such venues as the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.

Allegations of Cheating

It has been alleged on numerous occassions that Rumbell has cheated at state festivals, providing his students with the competition's sight reading well in advance of the competitions. Between 1999 and 2005, Rumbell provided his bands with the exact sight reading music five times. Rumbell told his students "If the music we've practiced gets picked, keep your mouths shut. Don't look around at each other, don't giggle, don't point. Keep your mouths shut." To this day, Rumbell insists it's "just a coincidence." But given the fact that the MSBOA chooses each festival's single piece of sight reading from a list of thousands, many find that hard to believe.

Choir program

There are three choir directors at Northville including Mary-Kay Pryce, Mark Krempski, and Matthew Laura. Northville High School has boasted one of the largest high school choir programs in Michigan. About 1 out of 4 students in school is estimated to be part of the choir program. Northville is part of District 12. Mark Krempski currently serves as District 12's District Manager.

• Varsity Choir. Traditionally during 4A and 4B, the classes consist mostly of freshman, though it is not required. The class consists of boys and girls and is split up into SATB. They learn basic music theory and practice sightreading.

• Girls' Ensemble, an SSA choir that consists of 10th grade girls.

• Bel Canto, SSA, consists of 10th and 11th grade girls.

• Concert Choir, consists of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade boys and girls. The choir is divided into SATB. Members of Concert Choir are allowed to participate in the choir tour or more commonly known as the "choir trip" taken in the spring.

• Chorale, generally consists of 11th and 12th grade members. The class separates into SATB. Members of Chorale may also participate in the choir tour.

• Chamber Choir. This select choir has a limited size and its members enter by audition. Chamber choir must stay under 20 members and sings as a mixed choir. Chamber Choir is a class, and participates in Solo & Ensemble and Choir Festival, unlike all other class choirs.

• Extracurricular Choirs. Extracurricular choirs are not classes, and they meet after or before school and during seminar time to rehearse.

• Freshman Select, an auditioned ensemble of freshman that sing SATB and perform at concerts and Solo and Ensemble. Freshman Select was started by students in the 2005-2006 school year. Auditions are during the beginning of the school year. Freshman Select is directed by Mark Krempski.

• Sophomore Select. This singing ensemble began during the 2006-2007 school year with previous members of Freshman Select. Sophomore Select auditions during the spring. The number of students in Sophomore Select has not been set, but it is still a relatively small ensemble. During Solo and Ensemble, the group was required to cut down on the number of their members. Sophomore Select is directed by Matthew Laura.

• Treblemakers, a select small female ensemble that consists of 10 female singers. Treblemakers perform at solo and ensemble, pep rallies, and concerts. They have a high reputation throughout the school. They are directed by Mary-Kay Pryce.

• Backbeat, a select small male ensemble with as high a reputation as Treblemakers. They perform at Solo and Ensemble, pep rallies, and concerts. They are also directed by Mary-Kay Pryce.

Publications

The yearbook Palladium is produced through a course. The school currently does not have a newspaper. Up until the 2005-2006 school year, a journalism class had produced a newspaper called The Mustanger, but the class was discontinued because of low interest.

Recent population growth

The high school used to be located in the city of Northville itself. With the substantial growth of the surrounding community, the district constructed a larger facility in Northville Township, south of the city. The previous building became Hillside Middle School. Two years after construction of the new building, an extension to the east wing of the building was added. With the current high rate of growth, another addition or the construction of a second high school is foreseen within five years.

Demographics
90% White
5% Asian
3% Black
2% Hispanic

External links

• Northville High School Official Site