History of Logos
District Name and Plainsmen Moniker
In 1950, the school District began plans to purchase 160 acres to build an 1,800-pupil school for kindergarten through grade 12. The land was part of the Shenondahowe or Clifton Park Patent of 1708. The Iroquois word “Shenondahowe” translates to the Great Plains. The Board of Education voted to name the district Shenendehowa on May 8, 1950. This resulted in the adoption of the Plainsmen moniker.
District Logo and Seal
One of the first graphic depictions of the district was a picture of a sun rising over the plains. This can be found on old yearbooks, documents and the original sign for the high school However, there is no record of where it came from.
This image was used in the early 1990s:
At the time of centralization in 1950, the 11 bells—from some of the school houses that formed Shenendehowa—were originally assembled in a Carillon in the courtyard of the original building. The Carillon was an “L” shape. This logo was used in 1990s.
This image was used in the late 1990s up to the redesign.
Age and the elements took their toll on the bells. In the early 1990s, the Carillon was taken down and the bells were safely stored in the District’s warehouse. In 2009, the bells were reassembled and placed in a bell tower in front of High School East.
The Board of Education Approved Logo
In 2013, the District logo and seal were redesigned to incorporate the new bell tower.
The Shenendehowa Central School District logo and seal are now the primary graphic representation of the District with the readily identifiable symbol of the Carillon Bell Tower with the District’s tag line “Commitment to Excellence,” that was adopted in 1998.
The Shenendehowa Central School District logo and seal are the primary graphic representation of the District with the readily identifiable symbol of the Carillon Bell Tower with the District’s tag line “Commitment to Excellence.” The logo and seal are used widely on stationery, publications, web pages, signage, academic awards, diplomas and merchandise.
Student Activities Logo and Mascot
For some years, the District used two different caricatures of a Native American, there is no record of where they came and neither can be found any official documents other than a couple of yearbooks. In 1995, the District began phasing it out because a group of residents expressed concerns that it depicted Native Americans in a demeaning and prejudicial fashion. In 2001, the New York State Education Department called for retirement of all “Native American” sports team tokens. In a four page statement, the Department’s Commissioner, Richard Mills, called for school boards “to end the use of Native American mascots as soon as practical because they can become a barrier to building a safe and nurturing school community and improving academic achievement for all students.”
The district’s student activities began used the Shen script sometime in the early 1990s.
For many years, students expressed interest in adopting a new mascot. In 2005, the high school allowed students to suggest ideas for a mascot to represent the Plainsmen. A vote was held and a student-designed horse was selected.
In September 2014, the horse mascot was redesigned to look more collegiate. Two versions of the mascot were presented to high school students for a vote: 2,337 students voted and the winning design was selected by a 2 to 1 margin (1,542 to 785).
The purpose of the mascot is to encourage school and community spirit. The mascot logo is used for publications, merchandise, and uniforms related to the District’s athletics, extra-curricular and student-based activities.
The Shen logo continues to evolve.
