Henry W. Grady High School
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| Henry W. Grady High School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 929 Charles Allen Drive Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
|
| Information | |
| School board | Atlanta Public Schools |
| School district | Atlanta Public Schools |
| Principal | Vincent Murray |
| Faculty | 57 |
| Average SAT scores | 1580 |
| Type | Public (magnet) secondary |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Motto | Individually we are different...Together, we are Grady |
| Mascot | Knights |
| Color(s) | Grey and Cardinal Red |
| Yearbook | The Orator |
| Newspaper | The Southerner |
| Established | 1924 |
| Homepage | www.gradyhighschool.org |
Henry W. Grady High School is located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools. It was founded in 1924, and renovated once in 1950, once in 1987, and once again in 2004.
The namesake of the school is Henry Woodfin Grady, Georgia's most celebrated journalist, a tribute to the school's emphasis on communication skills. As of 2007, Vincent Murray is the principal. The mascot is the grey knight and the school colors are grey and cardinal red.
In addition to Midtown, Grady serves Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Lake Claire, Candler Park, Morningside-Lenox Park, Ansley Park, Kirkwood [1], the Atlanta portion of Druid Hills, and portions of East Lake.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early History (1924-1947)
When the school year began on the site of what is now Henry W. Grady High School for the school year 1924-1925, Atlanta's schools were segregated both by gender and by race. The school began, therefore, as an institution for white males, divided into Boys High School and Tech High. Because Boys High and Tech High were the only high schools for white males in early twentieth century Atlanta, these schools count among their graduates many of Atlanta's most influential citizens in the past fifty years.But now the school is able to prosper because of Jordan "God's Gift" Wofford, who came to the school in 2004....Since then the knights have aimed for success and never looked back.
[edit] 1947 – 1961
In 1947 the complexion of the school changed. It became a co-educational, neighborhood school that was renamed Henry W. Grady High School. Henry Grady, for whom the school was named, was the editor of The Atlanta Constitution for nearly twenty years immediately after the Civil War. A well-known orator and writer, Grady proclaimed the advent of what he called the New South.
At the time Grady High School received its new name, it also went through a physical transformation. The office, media center, and a few classrooms were added to the main wing. The original neo-classical design of Grady High School in 1924 and the renovation in 1950 was the work of an architect named Philip Shutze who is now recognized as one of Atlanta's finest architects, famous for such monuments as the Swan House and Glenn Memorial Church.
As this new Grady High School emerged, a faculty that was drawn from both Boys and Girls High inspired a burst of creativity. The school yearbook was renamed The Orator and the newspaper The Southerner, names that clearly alluded to Henry Grady's career. And within a short time, The Southerner was named the best school newspaper in the state and The Orator the third best yearbook. This creative period in the 1950s was reflected in a cafeteria mural depicting the merger of Girls High and Boys High in an idyllic panorama of boys and girls mingling in Piedmont Park with the new school in the background.
[edit] 1961 - 1991
The cafeteria painting is a reminder of the excitement that was felt in the 1950s when Atlanta Public Schools were first made co-educational. But, obviously, this new coed, neighborhood high school did not include every high school age child in the neighborhood. Not until 1961 did Grady High School begin racial integration of the student body. At that time the school became one of the first high schools in the state of Georgia to open its doors to black students.
Racial integration at Grady made the news both in the state and the nation as integration proceeded peacefully and smoothly. White flight did occur as integration proceeded throughout the 1960s and 1970s. But the makeup of Grady's school population stabilized between 1980 and 1985. In the 1990s, Grady's ethnic composition remained close to 70% Black, 29% White, and 1% Other.
The stabilization of the ethnic makeup of Grady coincided with dramatic changes in the administrative leadership of the school. In 1981 Thomas Adger became principal and Kay Earnhardt became the coordinator of the new Communication Magnet.
These two leaders fostered a renaissance at Grady that provided inspiration to the school. They emphasized hiring creative faculty members, providing flexible scheduling for electives, encouraging cooperation between academic departments, creating advanced placement classes, procuring better technology and equipment from the business community, and developing the community's trust in the safety of the school. They made Grady a showcase for student talent through revitalized publications, a debate team, and a school-wide festival of the humanities. They were particularly successful in inspiring teachers and students to experiment.
Finally, in 1987-88 they led the school through another major renovation of the building. Renovations included adding a theater, air-conditioning the main building and the eighth street wing; installing carpets in most classrooms; replacing windows in the eighth street wing; cleaning the facade; installing a closed circuit television system; creating an improved art room; and adding a communications wing with a large darkroom and desktop publishing area.
The theme of the school in the 1980s was "All children can learn." That philosophy was soon apparent because test scores in the 1980s improved throughout the student population. Georgia Basic Skills Test scores, for instance, jumped dramatically from 1987 to 1989. SAT scores from 1986 to 1990 reflected a similar pattern: an average verbal score of 350 in 1986 soared to 422 in 1990. In 1983, Grady staff members began the first forensic program in the school system and Grady students have represented Georgia in national competitions every year since 1988.
Much of what was accomplished in the 1980s was recognized in 1991 when Grady High School was named a School of Excellence for the state of Georgia. The intangible that accounted for much of the turnaround of the 1980s was the school's genuine acceptance of diversity. Grady became known as a school where the racism, sexism, and cultural bias that was still prevalent in the surrounding society were largely excluded. Students were learning well, partly because past stereotypes were not hindering them in their interactions with each other or with their teachers.
[edit] 1991 - 1999
Grady High School in the 1990s upheld the rapid pace of progress. Grady's staff changed radically because of retirements and promotions. Led by a new principal, Dr. Vincent Murray, the school adjusted very well to the change. Additions in personnel included many new teachers, counselors, magnet coordinator, registrar, media specialist, and assistant principal.
Creativity in the faculty has been encouraged in Dr. Murray's shared leadership approach. The artwork in the halls, the dramatic productions, the multi-cultural humanities workshops, and the infusion of the fine arts into the curriculum through the efforts of the Arts Council are just a few of the activities indicating the creative energy which is sought at Grady High School.
Freedom of expression is celebrated at Grady High and is the foundation for a strong journalism program. Students working on the publications and Grady News Network won the All Georgia Award for the best print and broadcast journalism program for seven years; twice, the newspaper staff was awarded the Pacemaker citation in print journalism from the National Scholastic Press Association; the yearbook was a national marketing sample for Walsworth Publishing Company for seven consecutive years.
While creativity flourished in the 1990s, students continued to excel academically. By the mid-1990s, Grady's SAT scores were higher than the local, state and national averages. Furthermore, Grady students showed an impressive performance on Advanced Placement exams. In 1996, 62% of the advanced placement students scored 3, 4, or 5 on the advanced placement exams. This percentage was higher than the system's percentages.
Those accomplishments were recognized in 1994-95 when, once again, Grady High School was named a Georgia School of Excellence and in 1995-96 for classroom innovation as one of "America's Best Schools" according to the May 1996 issue of Redbook. In the July 1996 issue of Atlanta Magazine, Grady High was honored as the "Best of Atlanta".
As the 1990s came to a close, Grady continued to garner national acclaim. Enjolique Aytch, class of 1999, was featured in the October 19, 1998 issue of Time for her academic accomplishments, and the school was identified by U.S. News & World Report (January 18, 1999 issue) as an outstanding high school in the United States.
[edit] 1999 - Present
The exceptional teaching staff continues to be a major strength at Grady High School. Therefore, it is not surprising that Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1996-97 (Ms. Bryant) and 1997-98 (Mr. Boonyapat) were selected as the Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools. In addition, Mr. Boonyapat was also chosen as one of the top four teachers in the state. Mrs. Bolster, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1998-99, and Mr. McCurdy, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 2001-02, were selected as the High School Teacher of the Year for the school system.
In an effort to address the needs of all students, members of the staff have created a Health Career Academy, an inclusion model of collaborative teaching for students in the Program for Exceptional Children, and a ninth grade transition program.
In the fall of 1999 the Georgia Public Policy Foundation ranked Grady as the best high school in Atlanta Public Schools. The United States Department of Education cited Grady High School during the 1999-2000 school year as a "Distinguished Title I High School." Grady's Mock Trial team won the state championship at the 2000 and 2005 competitions, and placed second in the 2007 competition to Jonesboro High School, who won the National Championhip that year. In the spring of 2000, the Grady Foundation used funding from several private sources to complete the first phase of the courtyard project. This landscaped area provides many opportunities for students, faculty, and friends to enjoy and learn in a natural environment. The literary magazine, newspaper, yearbook, and Grady News Network continue to win both state and national awards. In 2002 Grady won the School Change Award from the National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Beginning in the summer of 2003, Grady began a major renovation: the 8th Street wing was demolished, and a three-story addition which houses the cafeteria, media center, magnet, health academy, business classrooms, and the arts was added; the Charles Allen building was gutted and renovated to include new science labs and classrooms for the core curriculum.
[edit] Magnet Program
The Grady Communication Magnet, located on the Henry W. Grady High School campus in Midtown Atlanta, is one of eight magnet programs in the Atlanta Public Schools.But this school is widely known for Jordan Maurice Wofford an influential african-american student who has brought success to the school.
A magnet program develops a special emphasis within a high school setting. In the Grady magnet program, students supplement their college preparatory course of study with elective courses to gain a competitive edge in effective communication skills for a profession in mass media or for any chosen career.
[edit] Curriculum
First-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism, oral communication (policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, drama or public speaking) and computer applications.
Second-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism and fine arts (music, chorus or art).
Third-year students select an area of emphasis to explore for both semesters of their junior and senior years. Those areas include:
- Print Journalism (newspaper)
- see Publications below
- Broadcast Journalism (Grady News Network)
- see Publications below
- Desktop Publishing (yearbook)
- see Publications below
- Creative Writing (literary magazine)
- see Publications below
- Oral Communication (drama/debate)
- The drama department organizes several productions each year. Fall semester productions have included nights of one act plays, and other productions such as Alice in Wonderland in 2004 and Ms. Bob Crachet's Wild Christmas Binge in 2006.
- Larger scale productions are performed in the spring semesters, and alternate between plays and musicals. Tartuffe was performed in 2006, and musical credits include Ragtime in 2005 and the upcoming production of West Side Story in 2007.
- Art
- The art department offers the AP Studio Art class, and has annual exhibitions at the Eyedrum Art Gallery.
- Music (band, orchestra or chorus)
- The Grady Chorus consists of four independent classes (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Chamber choruses). The Advanced and Chamber Choruses form Grady's performance chorus, and have performed at Spivey Hall (Clayton College), Falany Hall (Reinhart College) and the Recital Hall of Georgia State University. They have also performed with the William Baker Festival Singers and have annual fall performances with the Woodstock High School Varsity Singers. Every year since 2005 many singers have auditioned for and attended the Georgia All-State Chorus, and in 2006 all three members who attended received honorary seals on their certificates.
- Foreign Language (third and fourth year of French, Spanish or Latin).
Additional magnet electives are: beginning photography, advanced photography and advanced computer applications.
[edit] School Publications
 |
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[edit] The Unmasking (Literary magazine)
The Unmasking was founded in 1988 as a yearly publication of student art, literature, and criticism edited by Grady students, published every spring. The magazine was named "Best in Show" by the National Scholastic Press Association twice, in 2005 (Seattle) and 2001 (Boston). The publication is also a member of the Georgia Scholastic Press Association, which in 2006 rated the magazine as superior.
A submagazine, The Masquerade, which is also produced by Grady students on the Unmasking staff, takes submissions from anyone in the community.
[edit] The Southerner (newspaper)
The Southerner is a monthly newspaper written by Grady students. Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published without interruption since 1947. The Southerner is by far the most notable of the Grady publications, and has won numerous awards and wide acclaim. Ordered by sponsoring organization.
- Columbia Scholastic Press Association
- Silver Crown Award
- 11 Gold Circle Awards
- Georgia Scholastic Press Association
- First place overall (Best newspaper in state)
- The Georgia Championship Journalist
- First place
- Runner-up
- Honorable mention
- First Place (11 total)
- Second Place Awards (11 total)
- Third Place Awards (7 total)
- Journalism Education Association 2004 Write-Off Competition
- 2 Superior Ratings
- 3 Excellent Rating
- 4 Honorable Mentions
- American Society of Newspaper Editors and Quill and Scroll International Writing and Photography Contest
- Gold Key
- Quill and Scroll International Society of High School Journalists
- George H. Gallup Award
- National Scholastic Press Association
- Pacemaker Finalist
[edit] GNN and Game Time (broadcast journalism)
The Grady News Network and "GameTime" are Grady High School's programs in broadcast journalism, and are also receivers of many awards. GNN won its first Pacemaker in November 2005. It was one of only four schools nationwide to receive the highset award in scholastic journalism. "GameTime" is a biweekly show dedicated to the coverage of prevalent sports stories as well as scores and highlights from all scholastic athletic events. It won the GSPA (Georgia Scholastic Press Association) award for the best new breakthrough production.
Emily Collins and Julianna Strack successfully made the intros to both shows in 2007. A new show was added in 2007, called "GK Today". This show consists of the morning announcements schoolwide.
Even though GK Today is the newest production, it has served as a force that has made it as popular as GNN and Gametime. This show's staff has hopes of also winning awards at GSPA (Georgia Scholastic Press Association).
[edit] The Orator (yearbook)
The Orator is Grady High School's yearbook. It is the final product of the electronic publishing design course. Polls, surveys and interviews are used to write columns that find the voice of the student body and preserve it for future generations. The Orator is created for students by students, and the staff consists of 11th and 12th graders.
The yearbook staff is led by teachers Susan Mercer and Paul Nicolson. This yearbook is published mostly using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Money for the Orator is raised through ad sales, yearbook sales and various other fundraisers.
[edit] Nexus (magazine)
Nexus magazine, written by Grady students, is a bimonthly Southerner publication. Its success in the 2004 - 2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. The second year (2005-2006) was met with great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from The Georgia Scholastic Press Association.
[edit] Location
Grady is located on 929 Charles Allen Drive, Atlanta Georgia. It is inbetween 8th Street and 10th Street, and directly across from Piedmont Park. The area where Grady is located includes many stores, shops, restaurants, and a movie theater.
[edit] Student body
In the 2006-2007 school year, the school had 1,285 students [2].
- 67% were African-American
- 27% were Caucasian
- 3% were Other: multiracial, Hispanic, Native American, Asian
In 2005, 44% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
[edit] Alma Mater
The school's alma mater, performed only at graduation and during anniversary celebrations, was composed in the early days of Grady High School, to celebrate a new, coeducational community.
"Grady we hail thee, and we sing thy praise. Faithful to thee, on through endless days,
Thee we will honor, true and loyal be. All praise and glory, Grady to thee.
Hail to thy greatness, and eternal fame. All through the ages, glory to thy name.
Thee we will honor, true and loyal be, All praise and glory, Grady to thee
All hail to thee."
[edit] Fight Song
Grady Forever
Grady Forever, hail to thy name so fair.
March on triumphant, under the colors rare--rah, rah, rah.
For the Red and Grey thy name shall ring.
We'll forever hail thy name and sing: Grady Forever, marching on to victory!
[edit] Student Activities
Students can invest their time out of class in the following extracuricular activities.
[edit] Sports
- Fall sports
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champions)
- Cross-country (Boys: 2005 Regional Champions; 2nd at state)
- Football – Varsity and Junior Varsity (2005 Regional Champions, State Football Semi-Finals)
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Winter sports
- Basketball – Boys and girls Varsity and JV (2006 Regional Champion Runner-up)
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champion)
- Debate – Novice, JV and Varsity (see below, under Forensics
- Riflery – Co-ed
- Spring sports
- Baseball – Varsity and JV
- Golf
- Lacrosse (JV only for the 2008 spring)
- Soccer (Boys: 2004, 2005 Regional Champions; Girls: First state playoff win ever in 2006, Final Four in 2007.)The Grady soccer teams compete in region 5-AAA, often noted as the hardest region to compete in throughout Georgia.
- Tennis
- Track
- Ultimate Frisbee
[edit] Clubs and Extracurriculars
- Pulic Forum
- Mock Trial - won region eight straight years and nine out of the last ten; won the State Championship in 2000, 2005 and finished second in the state championship round in 2007. Team sponsored by Powell Goldstein Law Firm as well as lawyers from Alston and Byrd Law Firm.
- Model U.N. - numerous individual awards at the Georgia State University competition
- Arab League
- Robotics
- FIRST Robotics - Finalists at the Peachtree Regional, winners of the Peachtree Regional Rookie All-Star Award, division semifinalist at the International Championships
- VEX Robotics - 2005 International Championship 1st place
- BEST Robotics - 2006 Regional 2nd place; awards for most elegant design, best shirt design, most photogenic robot, and Founders Award for best conceptual design
- Team Website
- Fashion Club, with an annual fashion show
- JROTC, Citywide JROTC Drill Team Competition: 1st Place – Color Guard Team; 2nd Place – Standard Drill Team
- Gospel Choir
- History Club
- Improvisation Club
- Interact Club
- Les Gourmandes
- Library Club
- Philosophy Club
- Poetry Club
- Organic Gardening Club
- Quiz Bowl
- Future Teachers of America (FTA)
- FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Fiber Arts Club
- Earth Club
- Drama Club
- Biology Club
- Beta Club
- Andover-Dartmouth Math Team
- Achievement Club
- Academic Decathlon
- Art Club
- Amnesty International
- Students for Voter Registration
- Latin Club
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Modern Literature Club
- Marching Band
[edit] Feeder patterns
The following elementary schools feed into Grady: C.W. Hill, Centennial Place, East Lake, Hope, Mary Lin [3], Morningside, and Toomer.
The following middle schools feed into Grady: Coan, Inman, and Walden.
[edit] Grady in Pop Culture
Several music videos have been shot on Grady's campus, including videos by popular artists Dem Franchize Boyz and Outkast. Grady is also home to several recording artists and popular local groups--such as Supreeme and The Good Moods. Several movies have also been shot on Grady's campus, including "Remember the Titans" and "Coach Carter".
[edit] External links
- Henry W. Grady High School website
- Atlanta Public School's official webpage for Henry W. Grady High School
- Article of Grady's renovation.
| Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia |
|
|---|---|
| High Schools |
Carver • Douglass • Grady • Mays • North Atlanta • South Atlanta • Southside • Therrell • Washington |
| Middle Schools |
Brown • Bunche • Coan • Harper-Archer • Inman • Kennedy • King • Long • Parks • Price • Sutton • Sylvan Hills • Turner • Walden • Young |
| Elementary Schools |
Adamsville • Beecher Hills • Benteen • Bethune • Blalock • Bolton Academy • Boyd • Brandon • Burgess/Peterson • Capitol View • Cascade • Centennial Place • Cleveland Ave. • Connally • Continental Colony • Cook • Deerwood Academy • Dobbs • Dunbar • East Lake • Fain • Fickett • Finch • Garden Hills • Gideons • Grove Park • Heritage Academy • Herndon • Hill • Hope • Humphries • Hutchinson • Jackson • Jones • Kimberley • Lin • Miles • Morningside • Oglethorpe • Parkside • Perkerson • Peyton Forest • Rivers • Scott • Slater • Smith • D.H. Stanton • F.L. Stanton • Thomasville Heights • Toomer • Towns • Usher • Venetian Hills • Waters • West Manor • White • Whitefoord • Williams • Woodson |
| Non-Traditional Schools |
APS/CEP School • Crim Open Campus • West End Academy |
| Charter Schools |
Achieve Academy of Atlanta • Atlanta Charter Middle School • Charles R. Drew Charter School • KIPP Academy • Neighborhood Charter School • SIAT • Tech High School • BEST Academy • C.S. King Academy • University Community Academy |
| Sports Facilities | |
| Broadcasting |
