Springbrook High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Springbrook High School
Motto: "We Expect, We Believe, We Achieve"
Established	1960
Type	Public secondary
Principal	Michael Durso
Students	2,300
Grades	9-12
Location	211 Valleybrook Drive Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Oversight	Montgomery County Public Schools
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Columbia Blue and Navy Blue
Mascot	Blue Devil
Yearbook	Trident
Newspaper	Blueprint
Website	www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/springbrookhs www.GoBlueDevils.net

Springbrook High School is a Montgomery County, Maryland public high school located in the city of Silver Spring, Maryland between the Colesville and White Oak communities. Springbrook is a member of Montgomery County's Northeast Consortium, a program comprised of Springbrook, James Hubert Blake and Paint Branch High Schools that allows students from Burtonsville, Southern Olney, Calverton, White Oak and Burnt Mills to choose between the three schools.

Founded in 1960, and named after the upper Northwest Branch spring-fed tributary that runs next to its property, Springbrook High School has traditionally been viewed as a strong alternative to the expensive land values associated with Upcounty schools. Springbrook was renovated in the early 1990's and reopened in 1994. Today, the school holds about 2000 students.

1 A Nationally Ranked Public High School
2 Academic Programs
3 Diversity and Scholarship
4 Clubs, Activities and Sports
5 Notable Alumni
6 External links

[edit] A Nationally Ranked Public High School

Newsweek magazine's annual high school rankings have consistently recognized Springbrook as one of the nation's best. In Newsweek's 2006 rankings, Springbrook placed 155 out of the top 1,200 public high schools in the United States (climbing 20 places from its 2005 rank of 175). Newsweek's list of top public schools were selected from over 27,000 public high schools nationwide. Only six of the 23 public high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, were rated ahead of Springbrook in the 2006 rankings. Springbrook draws its students from Montgomery County's Northeast Consortium, a population that is also served by two other public high schools, Blake and Paint Branch, which Newsweek ranked 487 and 507 respectively.

[edit] Academic Programs

The rigorous International Baccalaureate (or IB) curriculum is a signature program offering at Springbrook. In addition, Springbrook offers a comprehensive Advanced Placement (or AP) program, as well as a specialized technology program called Information Technology in a Global Society. The school has 16 computer labs and contains 900 computers, translating into a computer for every 2.3 students. Springbrook's computer science program is among the oldest in the state and includes courses in Java, C++, Digital Art, IT Management, LAN and Computer Maintenance, and Web Design.

[edit] Diversity and Scholarship

Springbrook prides itself both in its diversity and in high academic achievement. Springbrook's students are drawn from an extremely broad range of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. With roots in 84 nations, Springbrook students enjoy engaging with and learning about different cultures on a daily basis. Springbook's tremendous diversity is reflected in the school's Hall of Nations and celebrated in an annual Heritage Talent Show.

Against this backdrop of great social and cultural diversity, Springbook's IB, AP, and Honors programs have consistently produced outstanding scholars. Members of Springbrook's graduating classes of 2004-06 have gone on to attend the world's leading universities, including Amherst, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Hampton, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Northwestern, Oxford, Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, Yale, and the Universities of Chicago, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Toronto, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Washington Post publishes a Challenge Index based on statistical analysis of academic rigor and achievement among high schools in the Washington DC metropolitan area (covering school districts in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia). In the December 2006 Challenge Index, Springbrook ranked 7 out of 23 high schools in Montgomery County, and 26 among 185 high schools in the metro area; and placed well ahead of its traditional peer schools (and athletic rivals), Blair (a science magnet school, ranked 33 in the metro area), Paint Branch (62), and Blake (94).

[edit] Clubs, Activities and Sports

Springbrook boasts 55 active clubs and activities, including the Blueprint Newspaper, Trident Yearbook, and Musings Literary Magazine, all of which are regular winners of Columbia Scholastic Press Association Medals.

Springbrook Athletics are also equally strong. The Blue Devils have won a total of 17 State Championships since 1964 including 7 State Football Championships between 1979 and 1988. In 2003-04, a recent notably successful sports season for Springbrook, the school's combined varsity teams compiled a total of 175 win versus 120 losses.

The most recent of Springbrook's athletic achievements include a Field Hockey team that earned a State Championship in 2003 and was a State finalist in 2005. In addition, the Gymnastics team won the State title in 2003, and the Boys Basketball team was a State finalist in 2003-2004. In other recent years, the Girls Basketball and Boys Cross Country teams have won Regional titles, and the Swim and Dive team was a Divisional champion.