Hamden High School is a four-year high school for grades 9 through 12. It is located at 2040 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut. It is part of the Hamden Public School System and is the only public high school within the town of Hamden. The school was built in 1935 and is still in operation today, although it has gone through numerous renovations. Most recent was the removal of previous additions along with part of the original building, and the addition of 3 additional wings, all of which are attached to the original front wing to form a square. One of its most notable features is a golden cupola atop a clock tower, at the front of the building. Below the clock tower sits a small circular window, with two draping plaster banners on the sides seeming to form the letter 'M,' and giving the building the nickname "the MOM building." As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had roughly 2,500 students. While most students come from the Hamden Middle School, many others come from private and magnet schools in the surrounding area.
Campus
Hamden High School's historic main building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 1994. The school's lobby is decorated with murals showing scenes from Hamden's history. The murals, which form a frieze around the upper perimeter of the lobby walls, were painted by Hamden artist Salvatore DeMaio, a Hamden artist who was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1930, and were completed in 1936.
Arts
Hamden High School is home to a vibrant arts department which includes complete courses in music, theatre and the visual arts. The visual arts department offers classes in painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and creating art with computers. They participate in art shows across the state of Connecticut, and students are often recognized in these art shows. The band and orchestra are under the direction of Aaron Barkon. In 2010, student Justin Ahn was named to play clarinet with the United StatesAll-American Marching Band, part of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game was nationally televised on NBC in January 2011. The choral program is under the direction of Richard Hicks. is the school's resident theatre company. The fall plays and spring musicals are normally directed by acting teacher and playwright .
Athletics
Hamden High School competes in the CIAC of Connecticut, within the Southern Connecticut Conference, and class LL. Sports offered are: Fall:
There is also a competitive dance club and a competitive marching band.
Boys' hockey
Hamden High School has a storied boys' ice hockey program. The team has won a combined 17 CIAC sanctioned state championships and a National Championship in 1976. The team is currently coached Todd Hall, and George Jerolman. The team recently claimed its first state title in 20 years during the 2008-2009 season. Hamden then repeated as state champions the following year, 2009-2010, beating Fairfield Prep by a score of 6-5. This was the first time a public school had repeated as division 1 state champions since the 1976 Hamden national championship team. Hamden is consistently competitive year in and year out and has many rivals, the longest standing being its rivalry with West Haven High School, but also Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame High School. Hamden High's most notable former player is 2-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Jonnathan Quick.
