Peachtree Ridge High School

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Peachtree Ridge High School
Established 2003
Principal Dr. Steve Flynt
Location Suwanee, Georgia, United States
Enrollment 2800+
Grades 9-12
Mascot Lion
Colors White and Royal Blue with Red accents
Newspaper The Roar
FIRST Robotics Team RoboLions, 1261
Literary Magazine Masquerade

Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, USA is a part of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Peachtree Ridge is one of only two Gwinnett County Public Schools to use block scheduling; the other is Shiloh High School.

Contents

[edit] History

Built on 66 forested acres, Peachtree Ridge High School (PRHS) lies along a series of rolling hills known as Peachtree Ridge. This natural barrier once separated the Cherokee Indians, who lived along the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries, and the Lower Creek Indians, who inhabited the southern portions of Gwinnett County amidst the Yellow, Brushy Fork, Alcovy, and Appalachee river valleys. The section of the county in which PRHS is located was long ago known simply as Bethel. Lebanon Church also once stood nearby. The school is situated several miles southwest of Suwanee Old Town, once inhabited by Cherokee but believed to have been established by Shawnee Indians. It is believed that Native Americans lived in this area hundreds of years prior to the town's establishment. The name "Suwanee" is said to be the Anglo version of Shawnee.

PRHS is located near the old and historical Peachtree Road, which was built during the War of 1812, less than a half dozen years before the Cherokee tribe ceded land in the area to the federal government. The road connected Fort Standing Peachtree at the Chattahoochee to Fort Daniel at an important junction leading to the old'Hog Mountain settlement. The road continued east and south, connecting with the Hightower Trail used by settlers, soldiers, and pack trains.

A few hundred yards east of the school stands the 180-year-old Goodwin family home. Built in 1823 it is reputed to be the oldest house in Suwanee. The house and property were acquired and held by the Gilbert family for most of the past 150 years before changing hands.

PRHS is constructed on land sold by the heirs of Eugene B. Baynes. Beginning in 1948, Mr. Baynes acquired hundreds of acres of land in the area through dozens of purchases of both large and small tracts. Behind the school property lays Lake Louella and on the west side of the property runs the unpaved Lake Louella Road, both of which were named after Mrs. Louise Ella Baynes.

Construction of the 416,000 square-foot PRHS main facility commenced in March 2001. PRHS was constructed in order to relieve overcrowding at three neighboring high schools. When its doors opened for the 2003-2004 academic year, almost all of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors came from either Duluth High School in Duluth, Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, and North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee.

The school officially opened for classes on Monday, August 11, 2003, with enrollment topping 1,900 students. By November of the same year, another 19,570 square feet of athletic facilities (field house) were nearing completion.

PRHS serves a community rich in history. The contributions of Peachtree Ridge students and staff will add another chapter of successes, leaving an indelible mark on the community.


[edit] Recent events

[edit] Robotics

The high school's robotics team, team 1261, (Website) was recognized in for being part of the three-team alliance to win the Peachtree Regional division FIRST Robotics Competition in 2005. This feat was accomplished once again in 2006, making the school one of very few to win twice in a row. The competitions were both held at the Gwinnett Civic Center. In 2006, the team also won the prized Safety Award for demonstrating qualities which exemplify staying safe in the sometimes-dangerous robot-building and -running environment. After winning, the team also went to the national competition (which also hosts some international teams from nations such as Israel, United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and Germany) where it has yet to achieve even higher goals.

[edit] "On Top of Old Smokey"

On Monday, May 8, 2006 Beth Anne Cox, a junior at Peachtree Ridge HS, was suspended for singing a popular parody of On Top Of Old Smoky on May 5[1]. The parody contained lyrics about shooting the teacher ("On top of old smokey, all covered with blood. I shot my poor teacher with a .44 slug") which was allegedly directed at her German teacher, Phil Carroll after discussing grades with him. Cox denies that the song was directed at him, and that she was merely singing it to her friend. Carroll was concerned and sent an email to administrators because he felt threatened, and Beth Anne was pulled out of class and given five days of out-of-school suspension. The suspension has been challenged, and Cox's family plans to sue the school. The board of Gwinnett County Public Schools stands by their decision, saying that they cannot support threats to teachers. Carroll did not want the punishment to go as far as it did; he never intended for the issue to become a national news story as it had. One student created T-shirts for herself and several other students with Beth Anne's face on them to challenge the actions of the school and the district.

[edit] Awarded 2006 Governor's Cup

Peachtree Ridge was awarded the Governor's cup for the most improvement in SAT scores for AAAAA schools in the county. Georgia governor Sonny Perdue visited the school and presented the Cup.

[edit] Universities Attended By Graduates

Recent graduates have attended such schools as:

[edit] External links

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