Henry W. Grady High School
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Henry W. Grady High School is located in midtown Atlanta, Georgia. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools. It was founded in 1924, and renovated once in 1950, once in 1987, and once again in 2004. The namesake of the school is Henry Woodfin Grady, Georgia's most celebrated journalist, a tribute to the school's emphasis on communication skills. Grady is known as one of the best schools in APS.
- Founded: 1924
- Grade Levels: 9 - 12
- Mascot: Grey Knight
- Colors: Grey and Cardinal Red
- Principal: Dr. Vincent Murray
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[edit] History
[edit] Early History (1924)
When the school year began on the site of what is now Henry W. Grady High School for the school year 1924-1925, Atlanta's schools were segregated both by gender and by race. The school began, therefore, as an institution for white males, divided into Boys High School and Tech High. Because Boys High and Tech High were the only high schools for white males in early twentieth century Atlanta, these schools count among their graduates many of Atlanta's most influential citizens in the past fifty years.
[edit] 1947 – 1961
In 1947 the complexion of the school changed. It became a co-educational, neighborhood school that was renamed Henry W. Grady High School. Henry Grady, for whom the school was named, was the editor of The Atlanta Constitution for nearly twenty years immediately after the Civil War. A well-known orator and writer, Grady proclaimed the advent of what he called the New South.
At the time Grady High School received its new name, it also went through a physical transformation. The office, media center, and a few classrooms were added to the main wing. The original neo-classical design of Grady High School in 1924 and the renovation in 1950 was the work of an architect named Philip Shutze who is now recognized as one of Atlanta's finest architects, famous for such monuments as the Swan House and Glenn Memorial Church.
As this new Grady High School emerged, a faculty that was drawn from both Boys and Girls High inspired a burst of creativity. The school yearbook was renamed The Orator and the newspaper The Southerner, names that clearly alluded to Henry Grady's career. And within a short time, The Southerner was named the best school newspaper in the state and The Orator the third best yearbook. This creative period in the 1950s was reflected in a cafeteria mural depicting the merger of Girl's High and Boys High in an idyllic panorama of boys and girls mingling in Piedmont Park with the new school in the background.
[edit] 1961 - 1991
The cafeteria painting is a reminder of the excitement that was felt in the 1950s when Atlanta Public Schools were first made co-educational. But, obviously, this new coed, neighborhood high school did not include every high school age child in the neighborhood. Not until 1961 did Grady High School begin racial integration of the student body. At that time the school became one of the first high schools in the state of Georgia to open its doors to black students.
Racial integration at Grady made the news both in the state and the nation as integration proceeded peacefully and smoothly. White flight did occur as integration proceeded throughout the 1960s and 1970s. But the makeup of Grady's school population stabilized between 1980 and 1985. In the 1990s, Grady's ethnic composition remained close to 70% Black, 29% White, and 1% Other.
The stabilization of the ethnic makeup of Grady coincided with dramatic changes in the administrative leadership of the school. In 1981 Thomas Adger became principal and Kay Earnhardt became the coordinator of the new Communication Magnet.
These two leaders fostered a renaissance at Grady that provided inspiration to the school. They emphasized hiring creative faculty members, providing flexible scheduling for electives, encouraging cooperation between academic departments, creating advanced placement classes, procuring better technology and equipment from the business community, and developing the community's trust in the safety of the school. They made Grady a showcase for student talent through revitalized publications, a debate team, and a school-wide festival of the humanities. They were particularly successful in inspiring teachers and students to experiment.
Finally, in 1987-88 they led the school through another major renovation of the building. Renovations included adding a theater, air-conditioning the main building and the eighth street wing; installing carpets in most classrooms; replacing windows in the eighth street wing; cleaning the facade; installing a closed circuit television system; creating an improved art room; and adding a communications wing with a large darkroom and desktop publishing area.
The theme of the school in the 1980s was "All children can learn." That philosophy was soon apparent because test scores in the 1980s improved throughout the student population. Georgia Basic Skills Test scores, for instance, jumped dramatically from 1987 to 1989. SAT scores from 1986 to 1990 reflected a similar pattern: an average verbal score of 350 in 1986 soared to 422 in 1990. In 1983, Grady staff members began the first forensic program in the school system and Grady students have represented Georgia in national competitions every year since 1988.
Much of what was accomplished in the 1980s was recognized in 1991 when Grady High School was named a School of Excellence for the state of Georgia. The intangible that accounted for much of the turnaround of the 1980s was the school's genuine acceptance of diversity. Grady became known as a school where the racism, sexism, and cultural bias that was still prevalent in the surrounding society were largely excluded. Students were learning well, partly because past stereotypes were not hindering them in their interactions with each other or with their teachers.
[edit] 1991 - 1999
Grady High School in the 1990s upheld the rapid pace of progress. Grady's staff changed radically because of retirements and promotions. Led by a new principal, Dr. Vincent Murray, the school adjusted very well to the change. Additions in personnel included many new teachers, counselors, magnet coordinator, registrar, media specialist, and assistant principal.
Creativity in the faculty has been encouraged in Dr. Murray's shared leadership approach. The art work in the halls, the dramatic productions, the multi-cultural humanities workshops, and the infusion of the fine arts into the curriculum through the efforts of the Arts Council are just a few of the activities indicating the creative energy which is sought at Grady High School.
Freedom of expression is celebrated at Grady High and is the foundation for a strong journalism program. Students working on the publications and Grady News Network won the All Georgia Award for the best print and broadcast journalism program for seven years; twice, the newspaper staff was awarded the Pacemaker citation in print journalism from the National Scholastic Press Association; the yearbook was a national marketing sample for Walsworth Publishing Company for seven consecutive years.
While creativity flourished in the 1990s, students continued to excel academically. By the mid-1990s, Grady's SAT scores were higher than the local, state and national averages. Furthermore, Grady students showed an impressive performance on Advanced Placement exams. In 1996, 62% of the advanced placement students scored 3, 4, or 5 on the advanced placement exams. This percentage was higher than the system's percentages.
Those accomplishments were recognized in 1994-95 when, once again, Grady High School was named a Georgia School of Excellence and in 1995-96 for classroom innovation as one of "America's Best Schools" according to the May 1996 issue of Redbook. In the July 1996 issue of Atlanta Magazine, Grady High was honored as the "Best of Atlanta".
As the 1990s came to a close, Grady continued to garner national acclaim. Enjolique Aytch, class of 1999, was featured in the October 19, 1998 issue of Time for her academic accomplishments, and the school was identified by U.S. News & World Report (January 18, 1999 issue) as an outstanding high school in the United States.
[edit] 1999 - Present
The exceptional teaching staff continues to be a major strength at Grady High School. Therefore, it is not surprising that Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1996-97 (Ms. Bryant) and 1997-98 (Mr. Boonyapat) were selected as the Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools. In addition, Mr. Boonyapat was also chosen as one of the top four teachers in the state. Mrs. Bolster, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1998-99, and Mr. McCurdy, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 2001-02, were selected as the High School Teacher of the Year for the school system.
In an effort to address the needs of all students, members of the staff have created a Health Career Academy, an inclusion model of collaborative teaching for students in the Program for Exceptional Children, and a ninth grade transition program.
In the fall of 1999 the Georgia Public Policy Foundation ranked Grady as the best high school in Atlanta Public Schools. The U.S. Department of Education cited Grady High School during the 1999-2000 school year as a "Distinguished Title I High School." Grady's Mock Trial team won the state championship at the March, 2000 competition. In the spring of 2000, the Grady Foundation used funding from several private sources to complete the first phase of the courtyard project. This landscaped area provides many opportunities for students, faculty, and friends to enjoy and learn in a natural environment. The literary magazine, newspaper, yearbook, and Grady News Network continue to win both state and national awards. In 2002 Grady won the School Change Award from the National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Beginning in the summer of 2003, Grady began a major renovation: the 8th Street wing was demolished, and a three-story addition which houses the cafeteria, media center, magnet, health academy, business classrooms, and the arts was added; the Charles Allen building has been gutted and renovated to include new science labs and classrooms for the core curriculum.
[edit] Magnet Program
The Grady Communication Magnet, located on the Henry W. Grady High School campus in Midtown Atlanta, is one of eight magnet programs in the Atlanta Public Schools.
A magnet program develops a special emphasis within a high school setting. In the Grady magnet program, students supplement their college preparatory course of study with elective courses to gain a competitive edge in effective communication skills for a profession in mass media or for any chosen career.
[edit] Curriculum
First-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism, oral communication (policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, drama or public speaking) and computer applications.
Second-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism and fine arts (music, chorus or art).
Third-year students select an area of emphasis to explore for both semesters of their junior and senior years. Those areas include:
- Print Journalism (newspaper)
- see Publications below
- Broadcast Journalism (Grady News Network)
- see Publications below
- Desktop Publishing (yearbook)
- see Publications below
- Creative Writing (literary magazine)
- see Publications below
- Oral Communication (drama/debate)
- The drama department organizes several productions each year. Fall smemster productions have included nighs of one act plays, and other productions such as Alice in Wonderland in 2004 and Ms. Bob Crachet's Wild Christmas Binge in 2006.
- Art
- Music (band, orchestra or chorus)
- Foreign Language (third and fourth year of French, Spanish or Latin).
Additional magnet electives are: beginning photography, advanced photography and advanced computer applications.
[edit] Eligibility
The program is available to city of Atlanta residents or tuition-paying nonresidents. Applicants must be in the eighth or ninth grades and meet the following requirements:
- A grade of 85 or above in language arts.
- A GPA of 85 or above in core curriculum.
- Achievement test scores at the 70th percentile or above in reading and math.
- High performance on the 8th grade Georgia Basic Test of Writing Skills (if available).
- Good attendance and conduct (As and Bs).
- Recommendations from the current English teacher and another core curriculum teacher.
- Completion of application addendum with commendable writing sample.
- A commitment to academic achievement.
- Parental approval and support.
[edit] School Publications
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[edit] The Unmasking (Literary magazine)
The Unmasking was founded in 1988 as a yearly publication of student art, literature, and criticism edited by Grady students, published every spring. The magazine was named "Best in Show" by the National Scholastic Press Association twice, in 2005 (Seattle) and 2001 (Boston). The publication is also a member of the Georgia Scholastic Press Association, which in 2006 rated the magazine as superior.
A submagazine, The Masquerade, which is also produced by Grady students on the Unmasking staff, takes submissions from anyone in the community.
[edit] The Southerner (newspaper)
The Southerner is a monthly newspaper written by Grady students. Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published without interruption since 1947. The Southerner is by far the most notable of the Grady publications, and has won numerous awards and wide aclaim. Ordered by sponsoring organization. Current managing editors are Rebecca Gittelson and Sarah Beth McKay.
- Columbia Scholastic Press Association
- Silver Crown Award
- 11 Gold Circle Awards
- 1st Place, Editorial Cartoon Category
- 2nd Place, First-person Experience Column
- 3rd Place
- In-depth News and Feature Category
- Photo Story
- Centerspread Design
- Certificates of Merit
- Black-and-White Illustration
- Editorial Writing
- Personality Profile
- Opinion Page Design
- News Page Design
- Georgia Scholastic Press Association
- First place overall (Best newspaper in state)
- The Georgia Championship Journalist
- First place
- Run-up
- and Honorable mention
- First Place (11 total) inlcude
- Column Writing
- Opposing Viewpoints Column
- Infograph Design
- Sports Column Writing
- Double-Truck Design
- Caption Writing
- Illustration
- Second Place Awards (11 total) include
- Headline Writing
- News Photography
- Critical Review Writing
- Sports News Story
- Editorial Cartoon
- House Editorial
- Third Place Awards (7 total) include
- Feature Story
- Sports Photography
- News Story
- Journalism Education Association 2004 Write-Off Competition
- 2 Superior Ratings
- 3 Excellent Rating
- 4 Honorable Mentions
- American Society of Newspaper Editors and Quill and Scroll International Writing and Photography Contest
- Gold Key Awards
- News Story
- In-depth Reporting Individual (2)
- Review Columns
- Feature Story
- Sports Story
- Editorial Cartoon
- Gold Key Awards
- Quill and Scroll International Society of High School Journalists
- George H. Gallup Award
- National Scholastic Press Association
- Pacemaker Finalist
- 2nd Place, Cartoon of the Year
[edit] GNN and Game Time (broadcast journalism)
The Grady News Network and "Game Time" are Grady High School's programs in broadcast journalism, and are also receivers of many awards. GNN won its first Pacemaker in November 2005. It was one of only four schools nationwide to receive the highset award in scholastic journalism.
[edit] The Orator (yearbook)
The Orator is Grady High School's yearbook. It is the final product of the electronic publishing design course. Polls, surveys and interviews are used to write columns that find the voice of the student body and preserve it for future generations. The Orator is created for students by students, and the staff consists of 11th and 12th graders.
The yearbook staff is led by teachers Susan Mercer and Paul Nicolson. This yearbook is published mostly using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Money for the Orator is raised through ad sales, yearbook sales and various other fundraisers.
[edit] Nexus (magazine)
Nexus magazine, written by Grady students, is a bimonthly Southerner publication. Its success in the 2004 - 2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. The second year (2005-2006) was met with great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from The Georgia Scholastic Press Association.
[edit] Location
Grady is located on 929 Charles Allen Drive, Atlanta Georgia. It is in between 8th Street and 10th Street, and directly across from Piedmont Park. Midtown Atlanta is a diverse environment, and Grady composed of more than 70% minorities. The area Grady is located consist of many stores, shops, restaurants, and a movie theater; a favorite among the diverse students.
[edit] Alma mater
The school's Alma mater is as follows:
"Grady we hail thee,
and we sing thy praise.
Faithful to thee,
on through endless days,
Thee we will honor,
true and loyal be.
All praise and glory,
Grady to thee. Hail to thy greatness,
and eternal fame.
All through the ages,
glory to thy name.
Thee we will honor,
true and loyal be,
All praise and glory,
Grady to thee
All hail to thee.
"
[edit] Student Activities
Students can invest their time out of class in the following extracuricular activities.
[edit] Sports
- Fall sports
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champions)
- Cross-country (Boys: 2005 Regional Champions; 2nd at state)
- Football – Varsity and Junior Varsity (2005 Regional Champions, State Football Semi-Finals)
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Winter sports
- Basketball – Boys and girls Varsity and JV (2006 Regional Champion Runner-up)
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champion)
- Debate – Novice, JV and Varsity (see below, under Forensics
- Riflery – Co-ed
- Spring sports
- Baseball – Varsity and JV
- Golf
- Soccer (Boys: 2004, 2005 Regional Champions; Girls: First state playoff win ever in 2006)
- Tennis
- Track
[edit] Clubs and Extracurriculars
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- Pulic Forum
- Mock Trial - won region eight straight years and nine out of the last ten; won the State Championship in 2000, 2005 and finished 13th and 16th at nationals, respectively.
- Model U.N. - numerous individual awards at the Georgia State University competition
- Arab League
- Sports
- Robotics
- FIRST Robotics - Finalists at the Peachtree Regional, winners of the Peachtree Regional Rookie All-Star Award, division semifinalist at the International Championships
- VEX Robotics - 2005 International Championship 1st place
- BEST Robotics - 2006 Regional 2nd place; awards for most elegant design, best shirt design, most photogenic robot, and Founders Award for best conceptual design
- Numerous other clubs, such as
- Fashion Club, with an annual fashion show
- JROTC, Citywide JROTC Drill Team Competition: 1st Place – Color Guard Team; 2nd Place – Standard Drill Team
- Gospel Choir
- History Club
- Improvisation Club
- Interact Club
- Les Gourmandes
- Library Club
- Philosophy Club
- Poetry Club
- Organic Gardening Club
- Quiz Bowl
- Future Teachers of America (FTA)
- FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Fiber Arts Club
- Earth Club
- Drama Club
- Biology Club
- Beta Club
- Andover-Dartmouth Math Team
- Achievement Club
- Academic Decathlon
- Art Club
- Amnesty International
- Latin Club
[edit] Feeder patterns
The following elementary schools feed into Grady: C.W. Hill, Centennial Place, East Lake, Hope, Mary Lin, Morningside, and Toomer.
The following middle schools feed into Grady: Coan, Inman, and Walden.
