John Dickinson High School


John Dickinson High School is a Comprehensive Four-Year High School located on a campus near Wilmington, Delaware in New Castle County, Delaware. Built in Pike Creek, Delaware in 1959, the School takes its name from John Dickinson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a Colonial American Patriot, and a Key Writer During the American Revolutionary Period. One of seven high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.

School Administration

The Principal of John Dickinson High School is Damon Saunders. The Vice Principals are Joy Campbell & Brock Donovan. The IB Coordinator is Geoffrey Ott who also teaches: AP Psychology, College Prep U.S. History, College Prep World History, IB TOK, & IB History of the Americas. The Athletic Director is Andrew Dick who also teaches Physical Education & Health.

Classes

Students at John Dickinson High School may take AP Classes in: Calculus, World History, U.S. History, and Psychology.
John Dickinson High School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Students in the IB program take a series of high level classes and exams that can lead to earning the diploma that serves as an international admissions credential. Classes taken in the IB Programme at John Dickinson High School are Biology, Math Studies, English, CAS, TOK, History of the Americas, A choice of French or Spanish in Foreign Language, and a choice of either Chemistry or Art.
Dual Enrollment Classes are offered through Delaware Technical Community College, Dual Enrollment Classes count as a regular high school credit & also gains college credits that are transferable to most Colleges & Universities.
Other than AP, IB, & Dual Enrollment Classes ; Honors and College Prep Classes are also offered.
Math Classes offered are: Interactive Mathematics Program 1-4 offered at both College Prep and Honors, College Prep Statistics, AP Calculus, IB Math Studies
English Classes: English 9-12 offered at both College Prep and Honors, IB English 11 & 12, Creative Writing, & Theatre.
Science Classes: College Prep Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, Honors Physics, IB Chemistry, & IB Biology
Social Studies: Civics & Economics, World History, U.S. History, AP Psychology, & IB History of the Americas.
Foreign Language: College Prep French & Spanish 1 & 2, Honors French & Spanish 3 & 4, IB French & Spanish.
Career Pathways: Automotive Technology, AVID, Graphic Design, Digital Arts, Robotics, IB Diploma Programme, Jobs for Delaware Graduates, Design & Engineering, Architecture, & Renovation & Construction.
Health & Physical Education: College Prep Health 1, College Prep Physical Education 1 & 2.

Academics & Test Scores

The School's Proficiency in Math is 14% & English Proficiency is 40%, below the State of Delaware Math Proficiency of 39% & English Proficiency of 52%. The School has a Graduation Rate of 72%, well below the Red Clay Consolidated School District graduation rate of 90.6%.
The Average SAT Score is 820 out of 1600.
The Student-to-Teacher Ratio is 12:1.

Sports

JDHS fields teams in Boys & Girls Sports.
The School Mascot is the Ram, With the School Colors being Columbia Blue & White
Fall Boys Sports: Football, Cross Country, & Soccer.
Fall Girls Sports: Cross Country, Field Hockey, & Volleyball.
Winter Boys Sports: Basketball, Swimming, Indoor Track, & Wrestling.
Winter Girls Sports: Basketball, Swimming, & Indoor Track.
Spring Boys Sports: Baseball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Track & Field, & Volleyball.
Spring Girls Sports: Soccer, Softball, Tennis, & Track & Field.
Dickinson competes as a member of Flight "B" of the Blue Hen Conference. Dickinson is respected throughout the state of Delaware as consistently championship caliber in baseball and boys and girls volleyball.
The school Rival is Thomas McKean High School which is located only 2.8 Miles Away.

Performing Arts

Dickinson High School has a music program. The Instrumental Department includes a marching and concert band. The Choral Department comprises the concert choir. Support for JDHS Performing Arts Department activities comes from the Performing Arts Boosters.

Theatre Organ

The school's auditorium has a nationally renowned Kimball pipe organ, moved there in 1969 from a Philadelphia theater and said to be the fourth largest theatre organ in the world. The organ has a 3-manual console and 66 ranks of pipes. With more than 5,000 pipes, it is reputed to be larger than the famed organ at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In addition to periodic concerts by virtuoso guest organists and instrumental ensembles, it has been recorded on commercially produced CD's. Fans of the organ have formed the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society.

School History

The school opened in the autumn of 1959 and its first class graduated in 1962. During the consolidation of New Castle County schools in the mid-1960s, DHS became the only high school in the Stanton School District. In 1978, it was merged into the New Castle County Consolidated School District, then incorporated into the new Red Clay Consolidated School District in 1981.
On January 15, 1995, a substantial portion of the school was damaged by fire, causing it to close for several months. Students and teachers shared the space of nearby Rival McKean High School, with McKean students attending classes from six am until noon and Dickinson students in class from noon until six pm. Fears that the graduating class of 1995 would not be able to hold their commencement at JDHS didn't come true, and the ceremony was held that year on the JDHS football field per tradition. Then-US Senator Joe Biden was the speaker.
In 2013, the school set a record for highest Lego tower; 112 feet.
In 2015 the school added grades 6-8 as part of an expansion to the IB Programme. Known as the "Middle Years Programme" it is an all choice school unlike the public high school in the same building. Unlike the High School the day begins at 8:30 am while the High School begins at 7:35 am.

Social Media

The School maintains a Twitter Account under the name JDHS Newsfeed, the Twitter account gives Sports Updates and Results & News about Upcoming Events at the School.

Notable Alumni