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Savannah High School (Missouri)

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Coordinates: 39°56′46″N 94°49′02″W / 39.94602°N 94.81709°W / 39.94602; -94.81709
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Savannah High School
Location
Map
701 W. William St.
Savannah, Missouri 64485

United States
Coordinates39°56′46″N 94°49′02″W / 39.94602°N 94.81709°W / 39.94602; -94.81709
Information
TypePublic
Motto"Savage Pride" "Savage Nation"
PrincipalMark Weis
Teaching staff44.80 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment712 (2022-2023)[1]
Student to teacher ratio15.89[1]
Color(s)   Black and gold
Athletics conferenceMidland Empire
Team nameSavages
Websitewww.savannahr3.com/o/high-school

Savannah High School is a public secondary school in Savannah, Missouri, United States serving grades 9 to 12.

The principal is Mark Weis. The enrollment is just over 800 students. Additions include a new commons area and a library.

Notable alumni

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  • Dan Hegeman (1981), Missouri state senator
  • Travis Partridge (2009), former professional football quarterback and college football coach

Quizbowl

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Savannah High School is home to one of Missouri's premier quizbowl teams, having won six state championships. They have done well on a national level at the ASCN national Tournament of Champions, placing 7th in 2003 and 2004, 5th in 2005, 4th in 1995, and winning the championship in 1988.[citation needed] The quizbowl is composed of a Junior Varsity team and a Varsity team. The JV team won state in 2006 and 2007.[citation needed]

Debate and forensics

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Savannah High School is also home to one of the winningest Speech and Debate squads in the Midland Empire Conference and greater Kansas City area, winning every conference championship since its inception, and qualifying numerous competitors to the Missouri State High School Activities Association Tournament and National Forensic League National Tournament.

In recent years, Savannah has placed well at the state and national levels:

  • 2001: A 2nd place MSHSAA State Tournament Humorous Interpretation, 2nd place NFL Nationals Video Speaking Contest
  • 2002: A 6th place MSHSAA State Tournament Dramatic Interpretation, a State Champion Extemporaneous Speaking
  • 2005: An 8th place MSHSAA State Tournament Storytelling
  • 2006: A 5th place MSHSAA State Tournament Poetry, a 7th place Storytelling, a 5th place Dramatic Interp., a 2nd place Humorous Interp., 7th place NFL Nationals Humorous Interpretation
  • 2007: A 5th place MSHSAA State Tournament Poetry, a 5th place Extemp, a 3rd place Lincoln Douglas Debater, 14th place Poetry Interp. NFL Nationals
  • 2008: A 2nd Place DI, 2nd place HI, 2nd place Storytelling, 3rd place Oratory, 3rd place Extemp, 6th place Poetry, Quarterfinalist P.F.D. team, and a Semifinalist L.D. debater at MSHSAA State. A 3rd place Oratory (winning the Professor's Bowl for placing 1st in the final round), and a 5th place Poetry at NFL Nationals
  • 2009: A 5th place Poetry at the MSHSAA State Tournament, two semi-finalists in Student Congress at the NFL National Tournament
  • 2010: A 10th place in Student Congress, a 10th place in Duo Interpretation, a 7th place in Domestic Extemporaneous speaking at the NFL National Tournament
  • 2011: Two semi-finalists in Student Congress, an octo-finalist and a quarterfinalist in Domestic Extemporaneous speaking, and a quarterfinalist in International Extemporaneous speaking
  • 2013: Noah Jermain won the Humorous Interpretation event at the NFL National Tournament.
  • 2020: Luca Freccia was awarded 7th place at the National tournament in Original Oratory
  • 2023: Luke Bowie and Ayden Gray made it to semi-finals at the NCFL Nationals Tournament in Duo Interpretation. They scored 12th place in Duo Interpretation at the tournament.[2]

Savannah soccer team

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Savannah High School began girls' and boys' soccer teams in 2005. In the 2006 season, the boys' team won their first game. In 2011 and 2012 the girls' team won back-to-back district titles.[citation needed]

Music department

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SHS Marching Band

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Year Field Show Title Featured Pieces Band Directors Recording (if found and available) Parade Song
2009 "Believe"[3] N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler[3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFxuV4EF4Os N/A
2010 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler

N/A N/A
2011 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler

N/A N/A
2012 "The Dark Knight"[4] N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler[4]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxALpBgZUw N/A
2013 N/A "007",

"Mission Impossible"[5]

Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler[5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7BIewlIkhg N/A
2014 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler

N/A N/A
2015 "Dragons"[6] "Fire",

"How to Train Your Dragon",

"Through the Fire and Flames"[6]

Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler[6]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91IFIIiAjcY N/A
2016 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler

N/A N/A
2017 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Eric Wheeler

N/A N/A
2018 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Justin Kline

N/A N/A
2019 "The Pursuit of Happiness" N/A Jennifer Prather,

Justin Kline

N/A N/A
2020 "The Music of Queen" N/A Jennifer Prather,

Justin Kline

N/A "Fat Bottom Girls"
2021 N/A N/A Jennifer Prather,

Justin Kline

N/A N/A
2022 "Showtime" N/A Jennifer Prather,

Mathew Kasper

N/A "Raider's March"
2023 "Elvis" "I Can't Help Fallin' in Love",

"Love Me Tender", "Jailhouse Rock", "All Shook Up", "Hound Dog"

Jennifer Prather,

Austin Bressman

TBD TBD

Band director controversy

In 2018, long time band director, Eric Wheeler, was fired from the district after it was discovered that he had sent inappropriate text messages to two female students. His teaching license was later revoked because of this.[7]

Football Team

Savannah High School first established a football program in 1952. 3 players from this initial team were named to the All-Missouri decade team, along with the Coach; "Lazy" Larry Harry, Charles "The Cat" Kohler, "Dizzy" Izzy Salisbury, and Coach Bart Harley Jarvis. These were the first 3 players inducted into the Savannah Athletics Hall of Fame.

Mascot controversy

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On June 10, 2020, a petition was started on Change.org by to remove the Savage mascot due to its racist connotations.[8] The use of terms and images referring to Native Americans and First Nations as the name or mascot for a sports team is a topic of public controversy in the United States and Canada. The American Psychological Association, United States Commission on Civil Rights, and The National Conference for Community and Justice are among those who have called for a ban on Native American mascots.[9] Such mascots are said to misrepresent, distort, and trivialize many aspects of Native American culture; and mascot stereotypes have a negative impact on Native American lives.[10]

A counter-petition was launched on June 29. The Savannah R-III School District's Board of Education met on July 14, 2020, in an open meeting in which community members voiced their opinions on the issue.[11] Previous attempts to change the mascot have been made, notably in 1993 and 2018. On October 14, 2020, the Board of Education voted to create a committee to determine the fate of the mascot.[12] On March 22, 2021, the committee returned with a tie vote, 4-4, in favor of changing or keeping the mascot,[13] pushing the decision back to the school board. Finally, on April 14, 2021, the Savannah R-III School board voted to keep the "Savages" name but phase out the use of Native American imagery, in a 4-3 vote that concluded with one board member resigning on the spot.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "SAVANNAH HIGH". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ a b Marching Savages, retrieved 2023-08-10
  4. ^ a b Savannah Savages Marching Band: Batman, retrieved 2023-08-10
  5. ^ a b Savannah marching band 10/5/2013, retrieved 2023-08-10
  6. ^ a b c Savannah Savages Marching Band, retrieved 2023-08-10
  7. ^ "October 2021 Consideration to Discipline the License to Teach of Ray Eric Wheeler, Case # HR 21-002 | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education". dese.mo.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  8. ^ Hancock, Makayla (June 30, 2020). "Debate renews over Savannah mascot". St. Joe News Press Gazette. News-Press Now. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  9. ^ "History of Progress". Change The Mascot. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  10. ^ Davis, Laurel. "The Problems with Native American Mascots". ERIC. Multicultural Education. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  11. ^ Barr, Amanda. "Savannah Board of Education meeting- mascot change- 7.14.2020". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  12. ^ Roush, Chris. "SAVANNAH BOARD OF EDUCATION CREATES MASCOT COMMITTEE". KQ2.com. KQ2.com. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  13. ^ Roush, Chris. "SAVANNAH MASCOT COMMITTEE'S VOTE ENDS IN 4-4 TIE, PRESENTS FINDINGS TO SCHOOL BOARD". KQ2.com. KQ2.com. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  14. ^ Hollingsworth, Heather (April 14, 2021). "Missouri town decides to keep 'Savages' mascot, ditch logo". AP News. AP News. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  15. ^ R3, Savannah. "April 13 2021 Board Meeting". YouTube. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 14 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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