SOLON HIGH SCHOOL

'Solon High School', founded in 1898, is a public high school located in Solon, Ohio, a southeastern suburb of Cleveland in the Northeast Ohio Region, the 14th largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States.
SHS is comprised of grades 9-12, and is the only high school in the Solon City School System, which also includes two middle schools: Solon Middle School for grades 7-8 and Orchard Middle School for grades 5-6; and four elementary schools: Arthur Road, Lewis, Parkside and Roxbury. Solon High School's student body is approximately 1,800 students while the faculty roster includes approximately two-hundred teachers, administrators, and staff. As of 2005, the school system had an 11.9 student-teacher ratio. Joseph Regano currently serves as the Superintendent for the system. Solon High School has been closed for a record 4 days in 2007.

Contents

Academic Teams

Academics

Alma Mater

Music Program

Athletics

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

Notable Alumni

External links

Notes and references

Academic Teams

Solon High School has many academic teams, including Science Olympiad, Academic Challenge, Future Problem Solvers and Chess Club. Bob Weiser is the current coach of Academic Challenge; the team competes in many regional Northeast Ohio meets, and annually competes on the News Channel 5 T.V. show sponsored by Westfield Insurance. Academic Challenge is open to anyone who wants to join and has dedication, but places its team members on best teams to worst teams all decided by the coach. All three of these teams have previously placed in tournaments at the national level. The Solon High School Science Olympiad team has historically been successful, including a streak of 13 straight years of placing in top 10. In 1998, Solon earned its first National Championship. The Community Problem Solving branch of Future Problem Solvers won 2nd at the International Conference in the Health and Human Services category. Solon High School Chess Club recently placed third in a statewide tournament, competing against other schools from around the state. Individual trophies were given to Solon students placing 5th and 11th overall. Other academic teams include Mock Trial, Speech and Debate, Model United Nations

Academics

Solon High School consistently ranks in the top 150 public high schools in the United States as rated by ''Newsweek'' (in 2006, 138th in the U.S., 2nd in Greater Cleveland, 5th in Ohio) for academic quality and placement of graduates into top colleges across the nation. Similarly, the school district consistently ranks in the upper echelon of state and national standardized testing. Approximately 96% of graduates proceed to attend 4-year universities.
In the Class of 2007, 18 students were named National Merit Semifinalists while 15 others received Commended status.
Solon High School has also had 4 Presidential Scholars.

Alma Mater

''So here's to dear old Solon,''

''Here's to the blue and white,''

''Oh may we always cherish,''

''All our standards ever bright.''

''So here's to dear old Solon,''

''We raise our voice in song,''

''To tell to all from far and near,''

''To Solon we belong!''

Music Program

The music program consists of choir, band, and orchestra. The head director of the band is Edward Kline with co-directors Robert Luce and Adam Chongris.
The Solon marching/concert band is approximately 220 students strong. The marching band plays at all varsity football games, marches in high step/chair step style, and plays relatively modern pieces. Concert band is divided into Symphonic band, White Band, and Blue Band by audition. During basketball season, a voluntary pep band attends most home basketball games. The band has an official Solon Band website, which is maintained by students and not directly affiliated with the school. Funds that support the group from instruments to uniform washings come from The Solon Music Parents. Every summer, the members, conductors, and Starlettes travel to Walsh University for to attend band camp where they learn 1-3 shows worth of drills and music.
The SHS Orchestra consists of approximately 100 students. At the beginning of the year, each student is required to audition for placement in either Concert Orchestra, directed by Ed Kline or Sinfonia Orchestra, directed by Gerald MacDougall. Both orchestras perform a classical and contemporary repertoire. The Sinfonia orchestra appears at a wide range of venues including the commencement ceremony in June.
David Curtiss is the director of A cappella Choir, Concert Choir, Men's Chorus, Troubadours, Comettes, Madrigals, and Show Choir Band.

Athletics

Solon's mascot is the comet and colors are blue and white with gold trim. The Solon Comets athletic programs compete in the Western Reserve Conference (WRC) against other local area high schools. Solon's high school sports rivals include Nordonia High School, Hudson High School and Twinsburg High School. The school's fight song is Ohio State's "Fight the Team Across the Field."
Solon's wrestling team won the Ohio state championship in 1990. Solon's football team was the state runner-up in 2000, and participated in playoff games in 2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Solon's men's basketball team won back-to-back District championships in 2005 and 2006 and made it to the Elite Eight game in the state tournament in 2005 and 2006. Through these two seasons, Solon amassed only three losses. The girl's basketball team was the division one state runner-up in the 2006 season. The girl's volleyball team was in the state final four in 2000 and 2006. The men's track team has been undefeated in dual meets since 1993.

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

★ Wrestling - 1990 ^[1][2]

Notable Alumni

★ Michael Cartellone, drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd

★ Dominick Farinacci, Jazz Trumpet player

★ Adam Kirk, Talk show host, news anchor in Cleveland, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida

★ Drew Carter of the NFL Carolina Panthers

★ Kim Herring of the NFL Cincinnati Bengals

★ Jim Mandich, former NFL tight end for the Miami Dolphins, including 1972 undefeated season

★ Charles Matthews, wide receiver for the West Virginia Mountaineers

External links

★ Solon Schools Website

★ Official Solon Band Website

Notes and references

1. Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site OHSAA
2. Yappi Sports Wrestling Yappi