John Dickinson High School

The John Dickinson School, previously known as John Dickinson High School, is a public high school in the Pike Creek area of Wilmington, Delaware.^[3] It is one of five high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District and serves parts of Newport, Stanton, Hockessin, Wilmington, North Star, Pike Creek, Pike Creek Valley, Baynard Boulevard, and Brandywine Village.^{[2][4][5][6][7][8]}

John Dickinson High School
Address
1801 Milltown Road Wilmington , Delaware 19808 United States
Coordinates	39°43′42″N 75°40′24″W / 39.7284°N 75.6734°W / 39.7284; -75.6734
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Esse quam videri (To be, rather than to seem)
Established	1960 (63 years ago) (1960)
School district	Red Clay Consolidated School District
CEEB code	080178
Principal	Damon Saunders^[1]
Faculty	59 (FTE) (2019-2020)^[2]
Grades	6–12^[2]
Enrollment	894 (2019-2020)^[2]
Color(s)	Columbia blue and white
Athletics conference	Blue Hen Conference - Flight B
Mascot	Ram
Newspaper	Patriot
Yearbook	Penman
Website	www.redclayschools.com/Dickinson

History

The school, opened 1960, is located on a 67-acre (270,000 m²) campus and takes its name from John Dickinson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.^[9][10] It was originally in the Henry C. Conrad School District and was moved first to the New Castle County Consolidated School District in 1978, then to the Red Clay Consolidated School District in 1981.^[11][12][13] In January 1995, an arson fire destroyed substantial parts of the building, so much so that did not reopen fully until September; students had to attend nearby McKean High School in staggered schedules until portions of Dickinson were opened again in March.^[14][15]

In 2013, Dickinson students broke the Guinness World Record for highest Lego tower ever built at 112 feet.^[16] Their record was beat the following year by a 114 foot tower in Budapest.^[17]

Academics

Dickinson offers IB, AP, honors, college-preparatory, and dual-enrollment classes.^[18][19] As part of Delaware's initiative to inject more intensive career readiness into its high schools, Dickinson offers the following Pathways: automotive technology, AVID, computer science, digital communication arts, drafting and design, engineering of structures, engineering of robotics, graphic design, Jobs for Delaware Graduates, processes of design and engineering, and renovation and construction.^[18] Students have the opportunity to earn certifications and licenses such as the Delaware Certificate of Multiliteracy, EPA Certificate, IB Diploma, National Lead Safety for Renovation and Painting Certificate, and/or National OSHA Certificate.^[18]

For the 2018-2019 academic year, the graduation rate was 78%.^[20]

Activities

Athletics

Dickinson is part of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association and competes in Blue Hen Conference, Flight "B".^[21]

Performing arts

Dickinson has not had a marching or pep band since 2017.^[22]

Theatre organ

Dickinson's auditorium is home to a Kimball pipe organ said to be the fourth largest theatre organ in the world.^[23][24] The organ was moved from the Boyd Theater in Philadelphia in 1969 and has more than 5,000 pipes, purportedly more than the organ at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.^[25]

In addition to hosting concerts by virtuoso guest organists and instrumental ensembles, Dickinson's organ was featured on an album by organist Jelani Eddington in 2014.^[26]

Notable alumni

• Gary Smith (b. 1953),^[27] sportswriter, previously forSports Illustrated from 1983 to 2013
• Michael Mulrooney (b. 1955),^[28] former member of the Delaware House of Representatives
• Stephen Biddle (b. 1959), author, historian, policy analyst and columnist
• Wesley Watson (1962-2021), former heavyweight boxer
• Chuck Treece (b. 1964),^[29] session musician and professional skateboarder
• Mark Eaton (b. 1977)^[30] former NHL defenseman; 2009 Stanley Cup champion and the first and still only player to come from Delaware
• Dave Walls (b. 1977), sports anchor and reporter for WSET-TV
• John Wockenfuss (b. 1949),^[31] former MLB player

References

1. "News & Announcements". John Dickinson High School & Middle Years Programme. Red Clay Consolidated School District.
2. "Dickinson (John) High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
3. "Home". John Dickinson High School. Retrieved 2021-06-21. 1801 Milltown Road, Wilmington, DE 19808 - The school is not in the Wilmington city limits, as seen in a comparison with the zoning map as of February 2021.
4. "Dickinson_Sub_2016.pdf" (PDF). Red Clay Consolidated School District. Retrieved 2021-06-21. - See section of boundary in Wilmington - Compare to US Census Bureau school district map and other US Census Bureau maps.
5. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: New Castle County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-06-18. - Compare to school boundary maps.
6. "1990 COUNTY BLOCK MAP (RECREATED): NEW CASTLE County" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-07-04. - Stanton is on page 13. Compare to the school boundary maps.
7. "Baynard Boulevard Historic District". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-07-03. Wilmington ; Baynard Blvd. between 18th St. and Concord Ave.
8. "Brandywine Village". National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-07-03. - Addresses of private residences and apartments: 1807 Market Street (from p. 16/24), 1803 & 1805 Market apartments (18/24).
9. "About us". Red Clay Consolidated School District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
10. "Dickinson band to play at game". The Morning News. 1960-09-19. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
11. Goldberg, Steve (1980-05-13). "New Castle district has first post-busing vote today". The News Journal. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
12. "School merger to be aired". The Morning News. 1961-11-28. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
13. Gorenstein, Nathan (1981-08-02). "New Castle County school attendance zones". The Morning News. p. 21. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
14. Dennison, Sandy (1995-01-27). "Rebuilding of arson-hit Dickinson High begins". The News Journal. p. 17. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
15. Dennison, Sandy (1995-09-02). "Dickinson rises from the ashes". The News Journal. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-07-10 – via newspapers.com.
16. Lee, Kevin. "Delaware High School Students Complete World's Tallest LEGO Tower" Inhabitat, 24 August 2013. Accessed: 29 March 2014.
17. "Must see: World's tallest LEGO tower built in Budapest". BDC Network. 2014-06-03. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
18. "IB Course Descriptions". John Dickinson High School. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
19. (PDF). Red Clay Consolidated School District. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
20. "Dickinson (John) High School". U.S. News & World Report. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
21. Greene, Sean (2020-12-21). "Newark set to rejoin Flight A starting in 2021-22". Retrieved 2021-07-10.
22. Myers, Brad (2017-10-04). "Dickinson football forfeits final six games". Retrieved 2021-07-10.
23. Ostroski, Drew (2013-02-06). "Dickinson High School's Kimball Theater Pipe Organ A Vital Piece of Delaware Music Culture". Delaware Today. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
24. "Dickinson Theatre Organ Society". Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
25. Ostroski, Drew (March 2013). "Dickinson High School's Kimball Theater Pipe Organ A Vital Piece of Delaware Music Culture". Delaware Today. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
26. "RJE Productions Announces Upcoming Release Of New Solo CD From Dickinson High School". RJE Productions. January 1, 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
27. Tresolini, Kevin (2020-04-03). "Delaware Sports Hall of Fame to enshrine 10, but not until fall". Delaware Online. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
28. "Former Representative Michael Mulrooney". Delaware General Assembly. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
29. "Chuck Treece". Eminence. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
30. Tresolini, Kevin (2017-05-17). "Mark Eaton, Delaware's hockey pioneer". Delaware Online. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
31. Gay, Gregory (2019-11-18). "Former big league player Wockenfuss deals with dementia in Watertown". NNY 360. Retrieved 2021-07-11.

External links

• Official website