Parish Hill Middle/High School is pleased to announce that it has just received two prestigious awards: one statewide award and one national award. The school was named a U.S News and World Report magazine “Top High School” in Connecticut. This ranking is based on six indicators: College Readiness, as evidenced by the participation rate and scores on Advanced Placement Exams; College Curriculum Breadth, calculated by the number of 12th graders who passed multiple AP Exams; Math and Reading Proficiency, indicated by students who scored at a Proficient level or above on state standardized tests; Math and Reading Performance, based on overall standardized test scores and demographic characteristics on state standardized tests; Graduation Rate, which is defined by the number of students who entered ninth grade and graduated four years later; and Underserved Student Performance, indicated by low income and minority student performance on state standardized assessments. The entire administration, staff, parents and community are very proud of this ranking, one of the highest in eastern Connecticut.
Parish Hill also received the National PTA “School of Excellence” Award, one of only two high schools in the state to receive this designation. The award is given to PTA’s who, through their efforts, are national leaders in developing strong family-school partnerships. The Parish Hill PTA, better known as the Parish Hill Action Community Team (PHACT), has over 100 members, an unusually high number for a very small school. The PHACT has immersed themselves in many school and community activities, strongly advocating for parental involvement in each child’s education at Parish Hill. Kudos to PHACT officers Lisa Labelle, Heather Victoria, Karen McElroy and Benjamin Card for their hard work and dedication.