Roy C. Ketcham High School

Public secondary school in the United States

Red
Navy BlueMascotStormWebsitewww.wappingersschools.org/Page/8446

Roy C. Ketcham High School, more informally Ketcham High School or RCK, is a public secondary school under jurisdiction of the Wappingers Central School District. Located in Wappingers Falls, New York, United States, the school serves approximately 1,600 students in grades nine through twelve residing in the southwest of Dutchess County. Their mascot is the Ketcham Storm.

History

As a result of considerable population growth in Dutchess County during the 1940s and 1950s, a new senior high school was built and opened to students in the fall of 1962. It was named in honor of Roy C. Ketcham, who had been a prominent member of the town's board of education for a quarter of a century.

In 1987 the school became involved in a national controversy when 11th grade African-American student Tawana Brawley skipped class and faked her own abduction and rape, falsely accusing four white men of the crime which included writing racial slurs on her body and smearing her in faeces. A grand jury hearing later found all the allegations to have been fabricated and Brawley lost a defamation suit against one of her victims.^[3]

Prior to 2023, the school's mascot was the Ketcham Indians. In 2023, the New York State Education Department ruled that all schools using Native American mascots must change them. After a heated local debate and multiple student votes, it was ruled that the schools mascot would be changed to the Ketcham Storm.^[4]

Athletics

Cheerleading
Bowling
Basketball
Football
Golf
Crew Club
Hockey Club
Baseball
Gymnastics
Soccer
Track and Field
Cross Country
Tennis
Lacrosse Club
Wrestling
Volleyball
Softball
Swimming
Field Hockey Section 1 (NYSPHSAA)

Academics

The music department occasionally hosts regional events at the school, such as NYSSMA competitions, Area All State Festivals, and All County Jazz Festivals. Roy C. Ketcham's current principal is David Seipp. The assistant principals for the 2022-2023 school year are Timothy Feron, Jenna Ferris, Michael Lopez, and Nicolle Strang.^[1]

Notable alumni

Tyler Adams (2017), athlete, soccer midfielder.^[5]
Brigetta Barrett, athlete, Olympic high jumper.
Dario Brose, athlete,
Jeh Johnson (1975), lawyer who was United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017.^[6]
Ryan Kienle, musician, bassist.
Keith Lockhart, music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Bo Oshoniyi, athlete, soccer goalkeeper.
John Regan, musician, bassist.
Mary Chris Wall, actress.
D. B. Woodside, actor.
Tim Wyskida, musician, drummer.

References

^ ^a ^b "Wappingers Schools".
^ ^a ^b ^c "ROY C KETCHAM SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
^ Butterfield, Fox. "Village Scorns Spotlight of Brawley Case".
^ Haynes, Stephen (9 November 2023). "Ketcham drops 'Indians' moniker in favor of 'Storm', drawing mixed reaction from community". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
^ Martelli, A. J. "Tyler Adams gets Ketcham graduation, plays for Red Bulls, too". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
^ Pace, Julie; and Cassata, Donna. "Dutchess' Jeh Johnson could be next defense secretary", Poughkeepsie Journal, November 27, 2014. Accessed December 2, 2020. "Johnson, who previously served as the Pentagon's general counsel, is a 1975 graduate of Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls."