Digital Harbor High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Digital Harbor High School | |
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Learn, Serve, Lead, Through Technology
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| Address | |
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| 1100 Covington Street Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4124 |
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| Information | |
| School number | 416 |
| School district | Baltimore City Public School System |
| Superintendent | Dr. Andrès Alonso, CEO |
| Principal | Brian Eyer |
| Enrollment |
900+ (2006) |
| School type | Public, Magnet |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Urban |
| Mascot |  |
| Team name | RAM's (Random Access Memory), but the sports logo has an actual ram |
| Color(s) | Columbia Blue █, Black █ and White █ |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Homepage | digital.baltimorecityschools.org |
Digital Harbor High School, formerly Southern High School, is a public, magnet high school located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is currently the only public information technology high school in Baltimore.
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[edit] History
The vision for DHHS started in 2000 when Chief Executive Officer Carmen Russo wanted to create a high school for computer studies in downtown Baltimore. Southern High School was the chosen site for the new school because it had suffered low graduation rates and disorder and was in a prime location near Inner Harbor and inside Federal Hill. A planning committee convened and the a multi-million dollar renovation project was undertaken over a five year period. The building was completely transformed, with approximately $50 million was spent to renovate the campus, with $6 million allocated toward information technology and audio visual equipment.
The school was partially designed by the original principal, Michael Pitroff (2002-2005), who is said to be the "Father of Digital Harbor." In 2005, he was reassigned to be the Technology Department Head for the Baltimore school system. Currently Digital Harbor is one of the most technologically advanced schools in the city, and touts one of the highest attendance rates in Baltimore (92%). In 2005, it successfully phased in all grade levels and, in the same year, began housing another school, the National Academy Foundation School, on its first floor.
[edit] Academics
The academic focus of the school has been on computers and information technology. Its curriculum is divided into four separated into 4 separate areas of study ("pathways") for students to choose from:
- Networking and computer systems
- Programming software development
- Interactive video and media production
- Information and support services
The students must meet not only the BCPSS requirements for graduation, but must also fulfill the requirements for their particular 'pathway' as well.
[edit] Facilities and policies
Digital Harbor is a first among Baltimore City Schools, with millions of dollars in equipment devoted to modernizing all of the classrooms and the adding of Wi-Fi and wired internet access all over the school.
The majority of the desktop computers come from Dell with Windows XP Professional, and IBM Thinkpad laptops, although the media department has some Macintosh computers as well.
All four floors have new pathway offices designed with the school colors.
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[edit] School uniform
The school currently has a school uniform dress code which includes khaki pants and a blue or white polo shirt or oxford shirt.
[edit] Sports
The sports department was fore fronted by Christopher Vaccaro who managed all the scheduling and oversaw management for the sports department of the school and was featured in an edition of the Baltimore Sun[citation needed]. Currently he is heading the sports program at another high school in Florida.
The school competes in Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class 1A competitions.
As of the 2006-2007 school year, the sports offered at the school have varsity and junior varsity sports that include:
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Football
- Soccer
- Wrestling
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Badminton (women)
- Track and Field
- Cross Country
- Lacrosse
- Cheerleading (Men and Women)
[edit] Achievements
[edit] Grants
The school was honored by M&T Bank with a $5,000 loan to start a school store, which sells several school oriented memorabilia (cups, mugs, water bottles, wristbands etc.). The store was given the loan based on a presentation given by a group of students in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) program. The team's leader, Darrien Griffin, helped make the entire business model, with help of teacher Vickie Wolverton, and led the presentation in front of the board members. The bank has even donated a school mascot uniform to the school named Nifty (after the NFTE program). [1]
[edit] Sports
- In 2004, the Rams track team won the Class 2A-1A Central region title, Class 1A South Regional crown and the state title.
- Their varsity softball team was undefeated in the same year and placed first in the city.
- Their football team has also been on the rise since its inception, which is reflective in their season records:
- 2004: 2 W - 7 L
- 2005: 3 W - 7 L
- 2006: 5 W - 5 L
- 2007: 8 W - 3 L (City Champions)
- 2007: 10W - 0 L (JV City Champions)Win over City College
[edit] Debate
The team was started in 2002 by coach Nicole Veltre with their only team Windell Wiggins II and his partner Chelsea Wheeler. In the 2005 season, Digital Harbor consistently placed in the top bracket of the Baltimore Urban Debate League tournaments. Also, in April 2006, Adam Jackson and Ihsaan Ajala, qualified for the National Speech and Debate Tournament, held in Grapevine, Texas, and hosted by the National Forensic League[2]. Also, Adam won a scholarship to go to Predeal, Romania to compete in the IDEA Youth Forum in July 2006, hosted by the International Debate Education Association (IDEA)[3].
[edit] Scholarships
- Among their firsts, Digital Harbor's first recipients of the University of Maryland, College Park "Incentive Award", a scholarship which pays for four years (tuition, fees, room, board) at the university were Anastasia Hall and Thomas Palmerino.
- Adam Jackson, former debate team captain, was the school's first recipient of the Urban Debate Scholar award from Towson University.
[edit] School Wide
- The first school to be used in the "small schools" initiative in Baltimore City on such a massive scale.
- The first city-wide technology high school.
- The first school-themed store in Baltimore.
[edit] References
- ^ Five teenage entrepreneurs convince M&T bankers to loan them $5,000 - Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jan 31, 2006 by Kathleen Johnston Jarboe
- ^ Two BUDL Schools Headed to NFL Nationals!!! - P. Daniels & Sean Rueter
- ^ BUDL Team Takes on the World - Chris Baron
