Academics Home

Brooke Stanziale

• Coordinator of Counseling and Career Pathways
• Hamden High School
  • 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT  06514
• bstanziale@hamden.org
• 203-407-2040 Ext. 

Applied education offers a variety of classes that meet the practical arts graduation requirement. They offer practical knowledge for college-bound and non-college bound students. Students who will major in business are strongly encouraged to complete several business courses.  Most of the staff have worked in their industry prior to entering the teaching field. They offer a vast array of valuable knowledge and experience to enhance the learning process in the classroom

• CTE Webpage

Leslie Della Valle

• Director of Fine Arts
• Hamden Public Schools
• 60 Putnam Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517
• ldellavalle@hamden.org
• 203-407-2215

Visual Arts

The Hamden High School Visual Arts Department works hard to encourage the creativity of every student. While we believe it is important to teach the principles and techniques of art, it is equally important to encourage the process of creativity. Hands on experience in the fine arts provides our students with benefits such as promoting self-esteem, aesthetic awareness, cultural exposure, improved emotional expression, as well as an appreciation of diversity. We offer a wide array of courses for students including Art 1, Art 2, Advanced Art, AP Art and Design, Ceramics, Photography, Multicultural Arts and Digital Arts.

Music
The Hamden High School Music Department is a comprehensive music program. The curricular programs include two sections of concert band, a string orchestra, a section of percussion (band) and a concert choir. The marching band is an academic part of our concert band program. The extra-curricular ensembles include chamber chorus, jazz big band, and jazz combo, and a string ensemble. The music program also collaborates with the theater department to produce their spring musical.

In addition to the academic ensembles, the HHS music program offers many music classes including AP music theory, music theory, music technology, and piano lab. All music classes offer performance opportunities as well as extensions to their learning which can lead to level 9 credit, and Hamden High School Music also runs a chapter of the national Tri-M Music Honors Society.

Theatre

The Hamden High School Theatre Department has been well known throughout the state and region for many years. The department has always worked to provide students the opportunity to explore the worlds of acting and technical theatre, through classes and after-school productions. Students work together to examine the various dimensions of characters through analysis and class discussions. Along with classroom performance and working from scripts students explore a variety of time periods and cultures. They learn to see things from the characters point of view and learn the importance of building relationships between the characters and the audience. The theatre department believes that educational theatre should be a training ground for students. A focus on creativity, communication, empathy, safety and professionalism helps prepare students for things to come later in life, whether in theatre or other careers. The Hamden High Mainstage Ensemble provides students the opportunity to put their learning into practice with a play and musical each year.

The HHS physical education program includes a planned sequential curriculum that is designed to build on the concepts taught in the lower grades. The goal is to ensure that all students know how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including knowledge of the importance of fitness activities and making appropriate choices. Activities include fitness units, individual and team sports and racquet sports.

The goal of health education is to develop the kind of personal behavior that will contribute to positive health choices in each individual.  Units of study include: disease prevention, nutrition, growth and development, substance abuse, safety and first aid, family life, mental health, consumer and community health. Health education is required of all students in grade 10. An elective senior health course is also available.  Substance abuse is taught in grades 9, 11 and 12. Please note: Skating is required in grade 9 and swimming in grades 9 and 10. There may be variations in activities offered during PE units depending upon facility availability.

Heather Wachter

• English Department Director
• Hamden High School
  • 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06514
• hwachter@hamden.org
• 203-407-2040

The secondary English program at Hamden High School is divided into two phases. Grade seven through ten emphasizes acquisition and development of skills; grades eleven and twelve, their application and refinement of skills. English teachers can provide students with guidance regarding course and level placement.

Terri Kurczewski

• Mathematics Department Director 
• Hamden Public Schools
• 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517
• tkurczewski@hamden.org

In the Hamden High School mathematics program students will participate in a sequential course of studies that is consistent with the Connecticut Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

Our program prepares students for post-secondary success by developing the major concepts and skills of numeracy, algebra, geometry, measurement, probability and elementary statistics which must be acquired before entering college or the workforce.

In addition to the core algebra I, geometry and algebra II courses, students may choose from a variety of mathematics elective courses.  Electives include advanced algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, multi variable calculus, two Gateway Community College aligned classes (one of which you can possibly earn college credit) and Mobile APP Development. The department offers three Advanced Placement courses: AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC.

In all courses, students use the latest technology tools, including graphing calculators, computers, interactive and digital displays to develop an understanding of concepts and an appreciation of mathematics and how it is used to solve a wide range of problems.

• Workbooks
• Trigonometry Textbook

Sarah Sandora

• Science Department Director
• Hamden Public Schools
• 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517

The Science program for Hamden Public Schools is comprised of a comprehensive curriculum, designed for coherence and competence as students continually build on important science and engineering ideas and practices as they advance from Kindergarten through high school. By the time students enter Hamden High School, they will have already worked within the realms of all major disciplinary core ideas, cross cutting concepts and science and engineering practices defined by the NGSS. The goal of the high school program is to refine and advance all of the above through a sequence of core courses and rigorous electives.

All science courses offered at Hamden High School are at various stages of revision in order to align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), adopted by the CT Department of Education in 2015. For a brief overview, including implications for teaching and learning, visit Next Generation Science.

The lists below include those courses currently offered at HHS. All are offered at more than one academic level. Students need a total of three credits to graduate.

Full Year

• Biology (successful completion of this course is required in order to graduate)
• Physical Science
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• Physics
• Applied Physical Science
• Biochemistry
• Introduction to Engineering Design*
• Principles of Engineering *
• Environmental Sustainability: Biology, History and Agriculture

*Offered as part of the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering sequence

Half Year

• Astronomy
• Forensic Science
• Marine Biology
• Meteorology
• Science You Should Know
• Science Research

Advanced Placement
The following full year courses culminate with the national Advanced Placement exam in May, which may afford students college credit.

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physices 1
• Physics C
• AP Environmental Science

Anna Lisa Aurora, Department Chair

• 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06517
• aaurora@hamden.org
• 203-407-2040 

The Social Studies Program is designed to prepare students to take an active role in the affairs of their local, state, and national communities.  It explores the traditions and ideals of our nation and its relationship to the world. The department focuses on the process of making rational decisions based on facts gathered through research, the rules and responsibilities of a just society, the importance of economic and geographic relationships, and the richness and diversity of our history. The social studies program will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and means to appreciate the importance of the past, the complexity of the present, and the challenge of the future.

The Italian Club wears masks to celebrate Carnavale, January 2021.

Elizabeth Lapman

• Director of English Learners and World Languages
• elapman@hamden.org
• 203-407-2244

Our Curriculum
Hamden Public Schools offers 5 languages: Italian, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Spanish for Heritage/Native Learners. Our curriculum is based on the World Language Readiness Standards and focuses on literacy, real-world applications of language, and 21st century skills. World Language Teachers strive to conduct classes in the target language 90-100% of the time, use authentic cultural texts, and design communicative activities to push students toward achieving higher proficiency levels. Learning languages prepares us to connect in the multi-lingual and multiple-cultural world we share.

What is Proficiency?
Language proficiency refers to what students can do with the language in terms of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a real-world context, and to what degree. Levels of proficiency are described along a continuum beginning with novice and progressing through intermediate, advanced, superior and distinguished as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL’s Can-Do Statements guide language learners to identify and set learning goals and chart their progress towards language and intercultural proficiency.

Elizabeth Lapman

• Director of English Learners and World Languages
• elapman@hamden.org
• 203-407-2244

Jiyoung Jo

• English Learner Teacher
• jjo@hamden.org
• 203-407-2040

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: English Learner Program

Hamden is proud of our community's diversity - and that includes our students who are not native English language speakers. We have over 40 different languages spoken by our students! Hamden offers a number of services and activities to meet the needs of our English language learners.

The mission of the English Learner Program in Hamden Public Schools is to promote and support the linguistic and academic language learning so that all students can succeed in a global environment.