Vestal High School
Vestal High School is a public high school that operates as part of the Vestal Central School District which encompasses just west of Binghamton in the Southern Tier of New York. It is a four-year comprehensive school which annually receives both national and state recognition for excellence in education. The high school offers Varsity and Junior Varsity sports as well as musical opportunities in orchestra, band, and chorus. Clubs and student organizations accommodate a wide range of interests, from the physical sciences to martial arts. The mascot of Vestal High School is the Golden Bear named  Bruin. Vestal High School holds an annual dance named after the mascot called the King Bruin dance, or KB. Unlike most high schools, Vestal High School does not have a Homecoming dance, but instead a football game and later in the year the King Bruin dance. Academics. Vestal High School is one of the only two schools in the Binghamton area to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. It has been an IB World School since January 1998. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are also offered. In general, there are over 225 courses that are offered to students. Vestal High School  was ranked #494 on the 2007 Newsweek list of the top 1,200 high schools in the United States based on participation of students in AP and IB programs. Many students have qualified for the National Merit Scholarship Program with a total of six finalists in 2006. A significant number of graduates have attended Ivy League universities. Languages taught include: French, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Diplomas. International Baccalaureate. The IB Program began during the 1999–2000 school year. The program has become increasingly popular at Vestal High School with the majority of the students taking at least one AP, IB, or  Honors course. In 2005, 259 students took 327 AP exams with 200 IB exams also administered. Scholar Certificate. VHS has introduced a new honor titled The Vestal Scholar Certificate. It offers special recognition to students who successfully complete a rigorous program of study. To be eligible, a student must take and pass a minimum of six IB, AP, or Excelsior College courses. This is to replace the Honors diploma, as it is the same thing, minus several requirements. Regents. The Regents Diploma is the standard high school diploma received by students in New York State. It involves passing a series  of Regents Examinations given by the New York State Department of Education. There is also a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation for students who are willing to take additional courses. News. Vestal Facilities Project. The Vestal Central School District upgraded the deteriorating conditions of all the buildings within the district through a $54,841,000 project. Work began in the summer of 2006 and has since been completed. As of December 2006, both the auditorium and gymnasium were completed and open for public use. Over the 2007 summer vacation, the gymnasium floor was re-done due to improper installation. Work was  completed on the school's track and football stadium partially through the fall season. As a result, the Homecoming game was the first game played in the new stadium. A new wing was added during the course of the 07–08 school year and was opened for students to tour during the last week of that school year. It featured many new classrooms, each with its own Smartboard and a whole-wall white board. Renovations on the pool and its associated locker room areas began in April 2007. Extracurricular activities. Athletics. On November 18, 2007, the Vestal Boys' Soccer team captured  the Class AA New York State Championship. Despite being the second-smallest AA-classification school in New York State, the Golden Bears finished the season 21-2-1. Coach Jim Murphy was named New York State AA Soccer Coach of the Year. It was Vestal's second solo soccer state championship since 1982 and the school's second athletic state championship of any kind since the 1997 football team, the first being a men's individual swimming title captured in March 2007. The first Vestal Boys' Soccer team to capture a New York State title and be ranked # 1 in  New York State was coached by George Herrick in Fall 1982. Vestal Won 2–1 in over time against Arlington. In 1985 the Boys' soccer team was Co-Champs with - North Babylon-11. At the pinnacle of the school's football program, the 1975 team was ranked #6 in the nation. Vestal Women's Volleyball is of the leading teams in the state, as well as very strong Field Hockey, Golf, and Men's Baseball teams, as of 2009. Vestal's Men's Varsity Golf Team won the Southern Tier Athletic Conference title three years in a row from 2010 until 2012 , with one College signing to St. Bonaventure. The golf team had a 16–0 record in the 2010 season, 13–2 in 2011, and 14–1 in 2012. They are one of the State's leading golf teams. Sports Include: Football, Tennis, Golf, Cross Country, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Cheerleading, Soccer, Swimming, Bowling, Basketball, Indoor track, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, and Track and Field. Vestal High School is locally noted for its highly regarded annual Talent Show, or "Talent Fest". The production is one of the major highlights of Vestal student life, and has had an annual attendance of over 800 over the last  few years. Vestal's Talent Fest is known for the high quality of the student acts, the charisma and professional nature of the emcees, and the traditional talent fest emcee videos featured during the introduction and intermission of the program. Notable Clubs. In 2011, Talent Fest was further highlighted by a professional video affirmation created by drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. Science Club, Science Olympiad, Chem Magic Show, Peace Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Environmental Club, Interact Club, Ski Club, Mock Trial, Yearbook Club, Spanish Club, German Club, French Club, SADD, National Honor Society, Student Government, Ice Hockey, Bible Club, Creativity Club , Girls Guilding Girls, Marching Band, School Musical, Winterguard, Art Club. There is also a French Exchange program. Music. Vestal High School has a strong music program. Many students have auditioned successfully in the New York State Schools Music Association (NYSSMA), with a few selected into All-State Festival ensembles, and a nationwide honors orchestra at the Festival of Gold conducted by Keith Lockhart, the conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Many also participate in the Broome County Music Educators Association (BCMEA) Festival and the Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO). Art. The art department at Vestal High School has produced some  of the best student artists in the area. In 2011, many students were named finalists and runners-up at the 2011 Arnot Art Museum ceremony, including a Gold Key Award by Dillon Utter, class of 2011.