George Washington High School (Charleston, West Virginia)
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| George Washington High School | |
|---|---|
| Principal | Ms. Nancy Alexander |
| School type | Public |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Opened | 1965 |
| Location | Charleston, West Virginia |
| Enrollment | over 1000 |
| Campus surroundings | Urban and suburban |
| Mascot | Patriot |
| School colors | Burgundy and White |
| Fight song | Minnesota Rouser |
George Washington High School is a public school in Charleston, West Virginia, USA.
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[edit] District
The school serves the South Hills neighborhood of the city and several incorporated areas nearby. It is one of eight public high schools in Kanawha County.
[edit] Alumni
The school's most famous alumnus is Alias star Jennifer Garner, a 1990 graduate. Other notable graduates include: Ann Magnuson who had a breakout role in Desperately Seeking Susan; Cory King, who has played roles in the movie All Over Again and several TV shows; Conor Knighton, host of Google Current; Giles Snyder of National Public Radio and former news director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting; former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, and Charleston, West Virginia, Mayor Danny Jones. Among the notable alumni from sport are Craig Snyder, a football coach, and Anne White, a former tennis player and College Baseball Coach Jarod Zelaska.
[edit] In the News
George Washington High School made national headlines in 1992, when, during an illegal off-campus Senior Skip Day party with other students from South Charleston High School, two students were shot and killed over an argument about payment for a keg of beer.[1]
In 2002, maintenance on the walls of the girls' locker room at George Washington allowed access to the insulating space between the two stacks of cinder blocks that made up each wall. A male student crawled between them and managed to move within view of bathroom stalls and a changing area. He then became stuck, and remained between the walls for over an hour before a female student offered to call someone to help him. He left GWHS after the incident.
In 2003, several students attempted to pay for a pizza delivery with a counterfeited $50 bill. When the man delivering the pizza spotted the fake and asked them to pay with real currency, the students could not gather enough money between them to afford the bill. The delivery man notified authorities and several of the students involved were expelled after an investigation by the FBI.
In 2008, a drug bust took place during regular school time in which K-9 units searched through students' bags and purses, in pursuit of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. A number of students were called in due to the dogs finding something on their bag or smelling something around their car. One student, John Keener, was even taken into custody by police.
[edit] History
The school opened in 1965 with the idea of creating a college-like atmosphere and putting more responsibility on the students. The plan for the school was developed by local educators, members of the West Virginia Department of Education, and faculty from the Ohio State University. The school's ideals of "self-direction", flexible scheduling and independent study, are intended to provide students with opportunities to direct themselves.
[edit] Academics
The school consistently wins awards as a National School of Excellence. It is currently ranked as the 363rd best school out of Newsweek's America's top 1300 public high schools. In 2005 it was the only high school in West Virginia to win a blue ribbon for excelling in No Child Left Behind requirements. Additionally, the school offers a wide array of Advanced Placement courses to students such as English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Calculus, Computer Science, US History, US Government and Politics, Art History, and Spanish. In 2003, the schools's average SAT scores for Math and Verbal were 570 and 566, exceeding the United States' average.
[edit] Extra Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities
George Washington has many opportunities for students to participate in extra curricular and co-curricular activities. George Washington currently has football, volleyball, swimming, soccer, cross-country, golf, basketball, wrestling, and track teams. A lacrosse team was established in the 2007-08 school year. Music programs are also important at GW. The award winning band is the 2004 West Virginia Music Educators Association State Honor Band, an award held by the band every other year since 1992.
