Philadelphia High School for Girls
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The Philadelphia High School for Girls, more commonly known as Girls’ High, is a public college preparatory high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As its name suggests, the school's enrollment is all female. Established in 1848, it was one of the first public schools for women. It is a magnet school in the School District of Philadelphia requiring high test scores for admission. Vincit qui se vincit (she conquers who conquers herself) is the school’s motto. The school is located at Broad Street and Olney Avenue in the Olney section of Philadelphia. Its strengths include the diversity of its student population and its strong traditions.
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[edit] School History
In 1848, The Girls Normal School was established as the first secondary public school for women in Pennsylvania. It was also the first municipally supported teachers school in the U.S. The first instructional session was held on February 1, 1848. By June 1848, there were 149 enrolled students which was an incredibly large enrollment for a school at that time. The school continued to grow forcing a move in 1854 to Sergeant Street between Ninth and Tenth Streets.
In April 1854, the name of the school was changed to the Girls’ High School of Philadelphia. By June 1860, 65 graduates had received diplomas bearing the Girls’ High School name. In 1860, the name of the school was again changed to The Girls’ High and Normal School to better define the “design of the institution” as a school for an education confined to academic subjects and for future teachers.
In October 1876, a new school which “for convenience and comfort will probably have no superior” was constructed at Seventeenth and Spring Garden Streets. At the time it was surpassed in size only by Girard College and the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1893, the High School and Normal School were separated into two distinct institutions. It was at this time that the institution became known as the Philadelphia High School for Girls. The school offered three parallel courses: a general course of three years with a possible postgraduate year, a classical course of four years, and a business course of three years. In 1898, a Latin-Scientific Course “was designed to prepare students for the Women's Medical College, Cornell, Vassar, Wellesley, Smith, Barnard, or such courses in the University of Pennsylvania as were open to women.”
In the early 1930s, the school survived attempts to merge it with William Penn High School. Alumnae, faculty and friends of the school dedicated themselves to its preservation. The school emerged from this crisis with its current identity - as a place for the education of academically talented young women.
In 1933, a new school was erected at Seventeenth and Spring Garden Streets to replace the one which had stood on the site since 1876. This is now the site of Julia R. Masterman School.
In 1958, the school again outgrew its location and moved from the Spring Garden Street site to its current location at Broad Street and Olney Avenue. Located down the street at Ogontz and Olney Avenue is Central High School, which, until the late 1980s, was an all male school. Prior to Central becoming a co-educational school, the two schools enjoyed a strong partnership.
Graduating classes at Girls', like at Central, are not known by class years (i.e. "the class of 2002") but rather by class numbers (i.e. "the 246th graduating class"). This is because of the former practice of semiannual graduation. As annual graduations were put in place of semiannual gradutions, the practice of referring to class numbers stuck.
Many fine traditions have survived Girls’ High long history. Annual celebrations include Contest and County Fair. Graduation traditions also continue. Girls' High graduations are traditionally held at the Academy of Music (Philadelphia). Students continue to wear white dresses no higher than knee length and carry red flowers. The students purchase their own dresses in any style but the rules of color and length are enforced.
The school's history of academic excellence continues to the present. Over 95% of graduates are accepted into 4-year colleges or universities. In 2000, the school had its first Million Dollar Scholar. She received a perfect grade point average and was offered over $1 million in college scholarships.
[edit] Traditions
Big Sister, Little Sister – Seniors are paired with incoming freshmen and act as their “big sisters”. The big sisters show the freshmen the ropes and provide transitional support.
Freshman Day, Sophomore Day, Junior Day - Each class is given a day to honor it. Students of the honored class generally sport flowers in their class color, host an auditorium show and have a tea or other social gathering.
Senior Day – Graduating seniors are given awards for their academic and extracurricular achievements. After the awards ceremony they have lunch on the Spirit of Philadelphia.
Contest – Contest started in 1913 and has evolved over the years. The seniors and freshmen team up to compete against the sophomores and juniors in a variety of competitions that span a few weeks.
County Fair - A schoolwide all-afternoon fair in which each advisory class contributes food, games and entertainment.
Songs of the Season - The school's holiday show. The program always begins with the procession of members of the school's Treble Clef Choir through a completely dark auditorium. Each choir member carries a single lit candle and chants the Hodiae hymn. The show continues with holiday performances by the school's various extracurricular groups and ethnic clubs.
Career Day - Alumna return for a day to give presentations about their careers.
Musuem Day - Schoolwide class trip day. Generally, over 30 trips are offered for students to choose from including to New York City, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
Additional School Events
- Dad-Daughter Dance
- Winter Dinner Dance
- Soph Hop
- Junior Prom
- Senior Prom
- Zero Day
- Junior Book Awards
- Move Up Day
[edit] Controversy
Girls' High is one of only two public high schools left in the United States that have all female enrollment. Increasingly since the early 20th century, the school has had to legitimize the need for publicly funded, single-sex education in times of increasing progressiveness. In recent times, the issue was fuelled by Central High School's transition to co-education but has somewhat quelled since completion of the changeover. Proponents argue that Girls' single-sex enrollment allows it to offer a private school environment to a diverse population of students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.
Girls' is a public school in the School District of Philadelphia. The school district is currently racked by funding issues and mismanagement. Girls', in turn, is woefully underfunded and does not receive strong contributions from alumna or other outside sources. Textbooks, classroom supplies and other educational materials have been inadequate. This is particularly tragic and enraging considering the school's students are superior academic achievers with great potential. Despite the lack of funding, the school and its students generally perform well. Increased funding would likely contribute to increases in alumna success at competitive post-secondary institutions however.
[edit] The School Song
The school song has two parts. Alma Mater was written by Grade Gordon (1906) and music by F. Edna Davis (1906). Fidelitas was written by Emily Loman in June 1915. Every freshman class is taught the school song by the senior class (their big sisters).
Alma Mater
Hail to our Alma Mater,
Her Glory be our pride;
Truth is her firm foundation;
She is our friend and guide.
Hail! all hail!
Hail! all hail!
Girls' High School, we praise thee,
Hail! all hail!
Fame to our Alma Mater,
Thousands of voices ring;
Telling of love we bear her;
To her we laurels bring.
Hail! all hail!
Hail! all hail!
Girls' High School we praise thee,
Hail! all hail!
Fidelitas
Shout on high the ringing praises,
Loyal, strong and true.
Bring we to our Alma Mater,
Trust and honor due.
Other off'rings have we none,
Save our love for thee;
Then accept this one oblation,
Our fidelity.
Guide and mentor of our school days,
Shield us in the right.
Lead and help us onward o'er
The stepping stones to light.
Still before us gleams thy motto.
May its lesson plain,
"Vincit qui se vincit," aid us
"Life's real goal to gain.
"Vincit qui se vincit," aid us
Life's real goal to gain.
[edit] School Uniforms
Beginning in 2001, students were required to wear school uniforms [1]. All tops must be white. Bottoms must be khaki in the spring and fall and black in the winter.
[edit] Notable Graduates
- C. Delores Tucker - Civil rights activist, first African American Secretary of State in Pennsylvania 1971 - 1977
- Elaine Brown - First woman head of the Black Panther Party
- Constance Clayton - First woman and first African American superintendent of schools in Philadelphia 1983 - 1994, educator
- Shirley Franklin - First woman mayor of Atlanta, GA
- Judith Rodin - First woman president of the University of Pennsylvania
- Virginia Knauer - Economic advisor to three U.S. Presidents
- Barbara Chase-Riboud - Author, sculptor and poet. Winner of the 1979 Janet Heidiger Kafka Prize. Wrote one of the first fictional accounts of the sexual relationship between Sally Hemings and President Thomas Jefferson.
- Howardena Pindell - Painter
- Hon. Dolores Korman Sloviter - Judge and first woman to be named Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Helen Hanff - Best selling author, playwright and television scriptwriter
- Edith Grossman - Educator, critic, and renowned translator of Spanish into English of works of modern Latin American literature
- Julie Gold - Songwriter, author of "From a Distance" which was sung by Bette Midler
- Zoe Strauss - Photographer, artist
- Gillian McDowell - Artist
- Susan Mines - Queen of Leichtenstein
- Gloria Allred - Noted Hollywood attorney
- Bebe Moore Campbell - Journalist and writer
- Marietta Simpson - Opera singer
- Hon. Lisa Richette - Judge, writer, child welfare activist
- Hon. Frederica Massiah-Jackson - Judge, educator
- Jessie Redmon Fauset - Harlem Renaissance writer
- Leslie Esdaile Banks - Writer
- Barbara Clementine Harris - First woman ordained bishop in the Anglican church, civil rights activist
- Ann Pilot - Principal harpist of the Boston Symphony
- Jill Scott - Recording artist
- Erica Alexander - Actress
- Marcia Greenberger - Founder and Co-President of the National Women's Law Center
- Mary Schmidt Campbell - Dean of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, art historian
- Lucy Taxis Shoe Meritt - Archaeologist, first woman awarded a fellowship in art history by the American Academy in Rome, renowned expert on Greek, Etruscan and Roman Architecture
[edit] External Links
- Girls High School website maintained by the School District of Philadelphia.
- Alumnae Association Alumnae Association of the Philadelphia High School for Girls.
- Great Schools' site with information about standardized test scores, college acceptance rates and other student information.
