Maranacook Community High School

I graduated in 2003 and the High School was one of the best experiences I had as a student. The teachers are amazing and really care for there students, the coaches were the same and the principal was always available to talk to and had an open door policy. From what I hear now the new principal is not very personable and that is not only with students but with parents as well. It makes me sad to hear that she doesn't even do anything to address bullying in the school. Thankfully there are still teachers there who care about the kids and take the time to really get to know the students.

What people do not realize is that the middleschool and highschool are two separate schools. I am currently a senoir at the highschool and I am in the top15 with an 'A' GPA. While attending the middle school, I was a failing student because the teachers lacked ability to teach, and the multiaged class 'teams' were horrible. 8th graders should be taught different and more advanced materials than 6th graders and not about 'sports' for an entire trimester. My point is that Maranacook Middle School is not a good school, but Maranacook High School is. I would not want to go to another school. The teachers are the best, Especially Mr.D (Physics Teacher) and the administration helps keep you in a safe environment. The Guidance office also gives so much help whether you need help with college-bound issues, your current classes, or you have problems at home. Maranacook is the best.
—Submitted by a student

this school can be helpful in life, but the way the teach is not showing through in the test results. Many of the teachers are exellent and you are lucky to have them but the way the have looped them i don't believe works. The principil is awful so i recommed that if you want parent involment that you go to another school.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter attends the middle school & all the people w/ complaints should do something to help the school not degrade it. These teachers and faculity do the best they can for our children.Lets back em up not plow them over w/ our complaints and disregard how much they do for our children for so little. Wendy Brennan
—Submitted by Wendy Brennan, a staff

The Maranacook Middle School has an amazing staff of highly motivated and professional teachers. The multi-aged, team approach utilized at this school allows for all learners to reach their fullest potential while working at their optimal learning level. Instruction is individualized and challenging. Mary Callan, the principal, provides exemplary leadership to both staff and students, with her overarching goals always being based on what is best for students and their learning. I highly recommend this learning environment!
—Submitted by a staff

I am very disappointed with this school system. There are no rules and the kids run the show. I feel my children are not safe. My children will not go to this school ever. My oldest did go through the middle school and it ruined his freshman year. He was not prepared and barely passed. He needed alot of extra help as a result. I wish my taxes funded a better educational institution.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm happy to say that I'm proud to be graduating in the spring of 2005 from Maranacook Community High School. Not because highschools over but I'm proud that I went to this certain high school for four years. Maranacook is not like most schools. We have friendly faces, and a great staff. It's so great to walk through the halls and know you can be stopped by a teacher not because of something bad (it could be) but to ask how everything is going. Maranacook is a challenging school but that's the whole fun part of it. The Challenge!
—Submitted by Nicole Oakes, a parent

I just want to say that Maranacook not only prepared me for the 'real world', it gave me an opportunity to explore and expand my knowledge base, in a supportive environment. If it wasn't for Maranacook's support, I would not be as successful as I am today. --1992 graduate Las Vegas, NV
—Submitted by a former student

I graduated from Maranacook, and I even though the community enviroment around the school is great with parent envolvement, the enviroment with administrators is discoridging. There is no way, as a student, to be invovled in what is happening in the school, there is sports and things, but if you would like to voice an opinion or make a change, you get a little nod from the board or principal, and sent on your way. It is embarassing to see how much effort they try to make it seem like its a great school, and to see how much students really don't matter, just as long as they get the accredidation and tax money. Students are not a priority to the administrators at Maranacook, even though the teachers might create a great supporting enviroment, there is not much backing it up.
—Submitted by a former student

My daughter goes to the middle school. I agree that some of the things they learn are meaningless! I mean, last year they learned about bubbles and most of the classes were drawing and this was in the 8th grade. They also studied music and sports. They need to start teaching our children some real science and history.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the two previous reviews regarding the integrated style of learning, I'm a senior in the high school and I had the option to take this program, or solid one, I chose solid, and was very happy. Now they only offer the integrated learning or 'core' classes, and in my opinion, based on my assumptions, and the students who have come out of these programs, it's not a good method for most students, some do real well, but now the middle school makes all students take the intgrated classes, and they don't learn things in a way that helps them in the high school. This has also gotten rid of all advance level courses in the middle school, which significantly how far along the curriculum students can go by the time they graduate. I'm suprised more parents don't become seriously concerned with this issue.
—Submitted by Josh Edwin, a student

I am a concerned grandparent of two children in the Middle School. The parent who wrote the comment regarding the Middle School is absolutely correct. I honestly believe they should go back to basics with solid math, english and science programs.

Some of my children go to the new middle school just built and the stuff they learn is so meaningless that it shocked me. My son learned about Alien's and bridges in his 7th grade year and in 8th grade he studied pre 1850 music. There is no History, Science or English classes there. The children have 'core' classes that mix all their subjects into three classes. They Divide grades into two groups and they have the same two or three teachers all day long.