Beloit Memorial High School

{{Short description|Public secondary school in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox school | name = Beloit Memorial High School | native_name = BMHS | image = Bmhs front.JPG | image_size = | caption = Front of Beloit Memorial High School | motto = | address = 1225 Fourth Street | city = [[Beloit, Wisconsin|Beloit]] | state = [[Wisconsin]] | province = | country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|42|30|52.39|N|89|2|15.7|W|type:edu_region:US|display=inline,title}} | type = Public secondary | status = | closed = | district = | category = | oversight = [[School District of Beloit]] | chairman = | administrator = | rector = | principal = Emily Pelz <ref>{{cite web |title=Staff Directory |url=https://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/domain/665 |website=Beloit Memorial High School |accessdate=18 December 2019}}</ref> | faculty = 120<ref name="profile"/> | teaching_staff = | grades = 9–12 | gender = | enrollment = 1,378 (2023–2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=5501050&ID=550105000146|title=Memorial High|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=February 28, 2025}}</ref> | houses = | colours = | athletics = [[WIAA Big Eight Conference]] | mascot = Purple Knight | nickname = | rival = [[Joseph A. Craig High School]],<br />[[George S. Parker High School]] | accreditation = | yearbook = The Beloiter | affiliations = | website = [https://memorial.sdb.k12.wi.us/ Official website] | footnotes = | category_label = | gender_label = | affiliation = | assst_admin = | president = | chairman_label = | grades_label = Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior | campus = | colors = {{college color boxes|Northwestern Wildcats}} | student_union = }} '''Beloit Memorial High School''' is a [[Public school (government funded)|public]], four-year comprehensive [[high school]] in [[Beloit, Wisconsin]].

== Academics == Beloit Memorial has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students, with 120 full-time certified staff and an average class size of 28 students.<ref name="profile">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/cms/lib07/WI01919658/Centricity/Domain/136/BMHS%20PROFILE15-16.pdf|title=Beloit Memorial High School Profile|access-date=February 21, 2017}}</ref>

The school has a charter school complex, The Hendricks Education Center, which is located across the [[Rock River (Mississippi River)|Rock River]] from Beloit Memorial. Hendricks enrolls over 200 students and has an online learning facility, an auto body shop, and a cafeteria.

== Extracurricular activities ==

=== Newspaper === Beloit Memorial supports the state's oldest high school newspaper, the monthly ''Increscent'', founded in 1894.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} It won first place in General Excellence by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association in 2010 and second place in 2009 and 2011.<ref name=BDN>{{cite web|last=Ranallo|first=John|title=Reporter|url=http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/top_news/top-honor-for-bmhs/article_3e8f303b-e979-54bc-934f-323fab988038.html|work=Beloit Daily News|accessdate=19 April 2012}}</ref> ''The Increscent'' publishes an annual humor issue, called the ''Uncrescent''.

===Theatre=== BMHS Theatre performs a fall play and a spring musical and supplements those works with other student-driven projects, including improvisation and student-directed one-act plays. The theater group performed as the showcase production at the Wisconsin CESA conference in 2008 and at the Wisconsin High School Theatre Festival in 2009.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} They performed at the 2010, 2013, and 2024 [[Festival Fringe]] in [[Edinburgh, Scotland]], the world's largest performing arts festival, as part of the [[American High School Theatre Festival]]. BMHS Theatre is a student-led program, with student officers and a student stage manager.

Each year, the theatre group competes in a statewide competition for the Tommy Awards with its spring musical. In 2011, it received Tommy Awards for its musical production of ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'': Outstanding Lead, Outstanding Supporting, Outstanding Ensemble, Community Engagement Award, and Outstanding Stage Manager.<ref>{{cite news|last=Charles|first=Pam|title='Several awards won for play'|url=http://www.beloitdailynews.com/opinion/letters/several-awards-won-for-play/article_0ad06b8d-a70c-507c-91e4-c9503a2ea5cd.html|accessdate=9 January 2013|newspaper=Beloit Daily News|date=16 May 2011}}</ref> In 2012, the theatre group received Tommy Awards for its musical production of ''[[Urinetown]]'': Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lead, and two Outstanding Supporting Roles.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gavan|first=Hillary|title=Area schools, students recognized for musicals|url=http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/area-schools-students-recognized-for-musicals/article_28e07d2a-ac06-11e1-b70c-001a4bcf887a.html|accessdate=9 January 2013|newspaper=Beloit Daily News|date=1 June 2012}}</ref>

===Music=== The BMHS Jazz 1 Band or the Jazz Orchestra has competed in several Midwestern jazz festivals, such as "Music in the Parks" and "Music in the Meadows".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/band/high/BMHS_BAND/Jazz.html|title=BMHS Jazz Program|publisher=Chris Behrens|accessdate=2009-10-07|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603171715/http://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/band/high/BMHS_BAND/Jazz.html|archivedate=2010-06-03}}</ref> It has competed in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Louisiana, and New York. In 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024 it was chosen from among 15 other bands in the United States to compete in [[Essentially Ellington]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wyntonmarsalis.org/2009/02/25/finalists-announced-for-14th-annual-essentially-ellington/|title=Finalists Announced for 14th Annual Essentially Ellington|publisher=Wynton Marsalis|accessdate=2009-10-07}}</ref><ref>http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/about/news/2007/pdf/2012-02-22_Essentially%20Ellington%20Finalist%20Announcement%202012%20FINAL.pdf{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Athletics=== Memorial offers 23 varsity sports: basketball, football, boys' and girls' swimming, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' volleyball, wrestling, boys' and girls' hockey, boys' and girls' track, boys' and girls' cross country, baseball, softball, boys' and girls' tennis, spirit squad, and boys' and girls' golf. The school competes in the [[WIAA Southern Lakes Conference]] in athletics. The teams' nickname is the Purple Knights. The boys' swim team is known as the "Purple Tide", the girls' swim team the "Lady Tide", the girls' soccer team a joint team between Beloit Memorial and [[F. J. Turner High School|Beloit Turner]]) "Team Knitro," and the girls' hockey team ( a co-op team composed of Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, [[Clinton High School (Clinton, Wisconsin)|Clinton]], [[Joseph A. Craig High School|Janesville Craig]], and [[George S. Parker High School|Janesville Parker]]) "Rock County Fury".

The boys' basketball team has the second most appearances at the state tournament, with 26.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Travis |url=http://www.wissports.net/article.asp?pageID=1&newsID=21225&sportID=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316184259/http://www.wissports.net/article.asp?pageID=1&newsID=21225&sportID=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 March 2011 |publisher=Wissports |title=Division 1 Boys Basketball State Tournament Preview |accessdate=27 July 2012 }}</ref> Beloit has also won the second most boys' basketball championships, with seven championships, and is one of four high schools to win three championships in a row.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=20|title=Boys Basketball|publisher=WIAA|accessdate=2009-10-06}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Homecoming=== Beloit Memorial's homecoming usually takes place the last week of September. The week includes a class competitions, a parade, an all school pep-rally, a football game and a traditional homecoming dance.

== Building projects == Beloit Memorial's "First Impression" project has put two large flower pots in front of the school, remade the front entrance, and repainted the gym.

With the April 3, 2012 passage of the $70 million referendum in Beloit,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/million-plan-ok-d/article_7035a90e-7e69-11e1-88eb-001a4bcf887a.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120407065412/http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/million-plan-ok-d/article_7035a90e-7e69-11e1-88eb-001a4bcf887a.html| archive-date = 2012-04-07| title = $70 million plan OK'd - Beloit Daily News: News: election, referendum, beloit, school district of beloit, steve mcneal}}</ref> a new aquatics facility is being built at the high school.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gavan|first=Hillary|title=New pool construction begins|url=http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/new-pool-construction-begins/article_e82d363e-4669-11e2-8d7b-0019bb2963f4.html|accessdate=9 January 2013|newspaper=Beloit Daily News|date=15 December 2012}}</ref> The eight-lane pool will have seating for more than 800, diving boards, a ramp for wheelchair access, and community and student locker rooms. The old pool will be converted into a fitness center, and the cardio and weight rooms will become classrooms. A new tennis court will also be built near the school.

Between 2005 and 2011, PAPAS, Inc. (Parents Advocating for the Performing Arts in our Schools) raised over $500,000 for the performing arts program. This was used primarily for advancements in technology in the auditorium, including the sound, lighting, fly systems, and other backstage technologies.

==Notable alumni== * [[Clinton Anderson (Wisconsin politician)|Clinton Anderson]], Wisconsin State Representative *[[Tony Brizzolara]] - former [[MLB]] Baseball player with the [[Atlanta Braves]] *[[Jim Caldwell (American football)|Jimmy Caldwell]] - former head coach of the [[Detroit Lions]] and [[Indianapolis Colts]] *[[Franklin Clarke]] - former [[NFL]] football player with the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and the [[Cleveland Browns]] *[[Bill Flannigan]] - former [[NFL]] player *[[Bill Hanzlik]] - former [[NBA]] basketball player *[[Gary Johnson (Wisconsin politician)|Gary Johnson]] - [[Wisconsin State Assembly]] *[[Jerry Kenney]] - former [[MLB]] baseball player with the [[New York Yankees]] and the [[Cleveland Indians]] *[[Stephanie Klett]] - Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism; former [[Miss Wisconsin]] *[[Gene Knutson]] - former [[NFL]] player with the [[Green Bay Packers]] *[[Eugene Lee (designer)|Eugene Lee]] - Tony Award-winning stage designer for ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]'' *[[Terell Parks]] (born 1991), professional basketball player in the [[Israeli Basketball Premier League]] *[[Tom Pratt (American football)|Tom Pratt]] - American football coach *[[Alan S. Robertson]] - Wisconsin State Assembly *[[Tracy Silverman]] - violinist *[[Shelia Stubbs]] - Wisconsin State Assembly member from the [[Wisconsin's 77th Assembly district|77th District]] *[[Rusty Tillman]] - former [[NFL]] player and assistant coach *”Crocodile” [[Kyle Weaver]] - basketball player for [[Alba Berlin]], a German League team *[[Timothy Weeden]] - [[Wisconsin State Legislature]] *[[Michael White (chef)|Michael White]] - five-star chef

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *[https://memorial.sdb.k12.wi.us/ Beloit Memorial High School website] *[https://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/ School District of Beloit website] *[http://beloitschools.org/ Beloit School News]

[[Category:Public high schools in Wisconsin]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Beloit, Wisconsin]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1868]] [[Category:Schools in Rock County, Wisconsin]] [[Category:Charter schools in Wisconsin]] [[Category:1868 establishments in Wisconsin]]