Lyman High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section reads like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view per Wikipedia policy. Mark blatant advertising for speedy deletion with {{db-spam}}. (help, talk) |
Lyman High School is a high school located in Longwood, Florida. The school's principal is Frank Casillo.
The school's athletic teams are known as the Greyhounds. Fall sports offered include football, swimming, golf, volleyball, cross-country, and bowling. Winter sports offered include basketball, wrestling, and soccer. Spring sports offered include baseball, track and field, softball, tennis, and lacrosse.
Contents |
[edit] History
Lyman High School's namesake, Howard Charles Lyman, and his wife, Emma Abbott Lyman, first arrived in the area in the early 1900s. They were invited by former Congressman Charles Haines to winter in Florida at his retreat along Lake Orienta. Soon, the couple became actively involved in the political and social aspects of the community.
A few years after Seminole County separated from Orange County, the Lymans and other Altamonte residents voted to incorporate the Town of Altamonte Springs on November 11, 1920. In the years 1922-1923, with the increasing population of Special Tax District No. 3, it became apparent that better school facilities were going to be necessary, as the small two-teacher buildings at Altamonte and Longwood were no longer adequate.
The local board of trustees, Mr. Ben Overstreet and Mr. Howard Lyman, called several mass meetings to discuss bonding the district for new school buildings. Mr. Overstreet suggested the idea of consolidation rather than three school buildings to be located at Longwood, Altamonte, and Lake Mary. This plan was studied by the trustees and placed before the taxpayers. The Lake Mary patrons, on account of their location, decided to have their own local building and were given their pro rata share of the bonded amount. Altamonte and Longwood decided to consolidate into one school.
In the bond election of July, 1923, the plan was approved by the majority, and the contract was let to J.B. Southard Company of Orlando. The cornerstone was laid with an impressive ceremony by the Longwood, Sanford, and Altamonte Masonic lodges in August 1924.
The death of Howard Charles Lyman occurred on July 7, five days before the bond election, and in appreciation of his work with Mr. Overstreet the school was given his name.
The new school opened in September, 1924, under the supervision of Professor Howard C. Douglas with three assistants. Prof. J.B. Anthony took over in 1925 with five assistants. In 1926 Prof. Herbert Chaffer added several new features to the school, and under his administration it became an accredited Junior High School. At this time the enrollment had increased to such an extent that it was again necessary to bond the district and add six new rooms to the building.
Mr. J.N. Overholtz and Mr. J.H. Wyse were at the head of the school in 1927 and 1928 respectively. In 1929, the school came under the supervision of Mr. W.J. Wells, Jr., who had nine assistants. Under Mr. Wells, the school ran through the Eighth Grade and became accredited up to the Twelfth Grade shortly thereafter. The school was as modern as any school could be with a growing library, successful athletic teams, and a Girls' Glee Club directed by Mrs. Lyman It even had its own "lunch room" sponsored by the P.T.A.
In 1963, Lyman School became Lyman High School, an accredited four-year institution, under the leadership of Mr. Carlton D. Henley. Just three years later, Lyman High School was integrated and admitted its first black students. Before this, black students attended the Rosenwald School, which opened in 1931.
In 1970, the school was moved to a new building, just down the street. As the new Lyman High School took shape, the old school became Milwee Middle School.
In 1994, after three decades of leading Lyman High School through massive growth, Mr. Henley retired and Dr. Peter Gorman stepped in as Lyman's new principal. After three years, Dr. Gorman moved on to work in Osceola and then Orange County, turning over the school to Mr. Sam Momary.
In 1999, Lyman celebrated her 75th Anniversary with a spectacular Homecoming Celebration and with the creation of the Lyman High School Hall of Fame.
2000 marked the first year of Lyman's new magnet program, the Institute for Engineering and Technology.
Under Mr. Momary, Lyman was transformed into an almost completely new school. New buildings, including a new kitchen, classroom building, and a new performing arts facility, complete with an auditorium, were added and completed in 2002. Older buildings were stripped to the bare brick and foundation, and were completely renovated.
Mr. Momary left Lyman High School in 2004 and was succeeded by Mr. Frank Casillo, Lyman's current principal.
[edit] The Institute for Engineering
Lyman High School is unique in that it houses a magnet program called the Institute for Engineering. The Institute for Engineering is a pre-engineering magnet program with emphasis on mathematics and science. It is an academic and technology related program designed to prepare students for advanced educational and job related experiences in fields related to engineering. Students involved in this program explore all areas in the curriculum, use the most current technology, and are academically challenged to achieve at their highest potential. It is recommended that students wishing to enter the Institute have strong backgrounds in math, science, and the use of technology. In the ninth grade students take physics along with either algebra I or geometry and their teachers work collaboratively on lessons to enhance learning in each class.
Within the Institute for Engineering there are four areas of specialization: aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer modeling & simulation, and architectural engineering & design. During the freshman year, students in the Institute are required to choose a specialization to pursue for the rest of their high school career.
[edit] Clubs and Other Activities
Lyman High School has a wide variety of clubs and after school activities. These include Academic Team, Anime Club, Art Club, ASL Club, Band, Beta Club, BHX- Black History Experience Committee, Bible Club, BPA (Business Professionals of America), Chess Club, Chorus, College Club, Color Guard/Dance Team, DECA, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), FEA (Future Educators of America), FFA (Future Farmers of America), Freshman Class, Frisbee Club, Greyhound Growl, Greyhound Radio Club, International Club (Spanish/French), JROTC, Junior Class, Latin Hip-Hop Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Octagon, Pep Club, Ping Pong Team, Rowing Team, SECME, Senior Class, SkillsUSA, Sophomore Class, Student Government, Thespian Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, United Students, and Yearbook.
[edit] About Lyman High School
For a long time, Lyman High School has been seen has a "5-Star" school. Along with its unique and outstanding distinctions, "US Weekly" ranked Lyman High School in the top .05%(#176) of their review of "The Top 1000 Best Schools in the Nation." This placed Lyman High School as the second best school in Seminole County.
In the 2005-2006 school year, Lyman High school was rated as a "B" school, raising its grade from a "C". Seminole County also released the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) for that same school year and remarkably, the scores were higher than the previous year, revealing the administration and staff's hard work in order to prepare their students.
Lyman High School's advances in technology have been proven as well. The school is considered the most technologically advanced High School in the entire Centrlal Florida area.
[edit] Lyman High School's Distinctions
Lyman High School houses Central Florida's most comprehensive and one-of-a-kind Television Production Program, headed by Instructor Gayle Goodridge of Orlando, a certified Television Production Instructor. Lyman High School's TV Program has won countless awards and distinctions for its outstanding role in providing optimal quality to the entire school population. With four different levels of TV classes, students learn the in's and out's of television production. With all that the students do in this program, it is considered one of the most professional and business like production classes in Seminole County.
