Lyman High School

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Location
Lyman High School
865 S. Ronald Reagan Blvd. Longwood, Florida 32750 United States
Information
School district	Seminole County Public Schools
Principal	Frank Casillo
Students	2,400
Type	Public
Grades	9-12
Motto	"From Promising to Proven" ^[1]
Mascot	Greyhounds ^[1]
Color(s)	Blue and Gold
Established	1924
Homepage	http://lyman.scps.k12.fl.us

Lyman High School is a public high school located in Longwood, Florida, a town located approximately 15 miles north of Orlando. The school, founded in 1924, has been consistently ranked among the best in the state by the Florida Department of Education. It was ranked by Newsweek as the 435th best high school in the United States (out of approximately 26,000^[2]).

1 History
2 Institute for Engineering
3 Athletics
4 Clubs and Activities
5 Distinctions
6 Performing Arts
7 Notable Alumni
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

The school's namesake, Howard Charles Lyman, arrived in the area upon the invitation of Congressman Charles Delemere Haines. After Seminole County voted to separate from Orange County, in 1920, the Lymans and other citizens of the area voted to incorporate the town of Altamonte Springs. By 1923, it became apparent that the established school houses in the area did not adequately meet the needs of the growing population.

At a board of trustees meeting it was suggested that the cities of Lake Mary, Longwood and Altamonte Springs consolidate and create one school building. Because of its distance from the other two cities, Lake Mary opted to create its own school, while the cities of Longwood and Altamonte Springs consolidated into one school.

Construction of the new school began in 1924. Howard Lyman died a few days before the construction of the school began. In appreciation of his work, the school was named after him. Lyman School opened in September of 1924 with Professor Howard Douglas as the principal. By 1926, the school had become an accredited junior high school, and enrolment had increased to a degree where it was necessary to add six rooms to the building. In 1929, Lyman School was accredited through the twelfth grade under the leadership of Mr. WJ Wells, Jr.

Lyman School was renamed Lyman High School in 1963 when it became an accredited four-year institution under the leadership of Mr. Carlton D. Henley. Three years later, Lyman High School became fully integrated, admitting its first black students in 1966. In 1970 Lyman High School moved to a new building located less than a mile north of the old one, which became Milwee Middle School. Principal Henley retired in 1994 after more than 30 years at the helm of the school.

The end of the Henley years ushered in a new era for Lyman. This included the 75th Anniversary celebration in 1999 with the creation of the Lyman High School Hall of Fame and, in 2000, the creation of the Lyman High School Institute for Engineering.

[edit] Institute for Engineering

Lyman High School houses a magnet program called the Institute for Engineering, having an engineering emphasis on mathematics and science. It is an academic and technology related program designed to prepare students for advanced educational and job related experiences in fields related to engineering. In the ninth grade students take physics along with either algebra or geometry and their teachers work collaboratively on lessons to enhance learning in each class.

Within the Institute for Engineering there are four areas of specialization: aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer modeling and simulation, and architectural engineering and design. Next year a new area of specialization(bioengineering) will be offered During the freshman year, students in the Institute are required to choose a specialization to pursue for the rest of their high school career.

[edit] Athletics

The Greyhounds participate in over 20 athletic programs of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). The school competes in Division 6A and offers programs for both, boys and girls and includes freshman, junior varsity, and varsity sports.

Fall sports offered include football, swimming, golf, volleyball, cross-country, and bowling.

Winter sports offered include basketball, wrestling, and soccer.

Spring sports offered include baseball, track and field, softball, tennis, water polo, and lacrosse.

[edit] Clubs and Activities

Lyman High School has a wide variety of clubs and after school activities. These include:

Academic Team, Anime Club, Art Club, Band (Marching and Concert), Bible Club, BPA (Business Professionals of America), Boxing, Chess Club, Chorus, College Club, Color Guard/Dance Team, DECA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Educators of America, Future Farmers of America, Frisbee Club, Greyhound Growl Newspaper, Greyhound Radio Club, International Club (Spanish/French), Latin Hip-Hop Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Pep Club, Photography Club, Ping-pong Team, Rowing Team, SkillsUSA, Student Government, Thespian Society, and the Greyhound Yearbook.

[edit] Distinctions

Aside from being acknowledged by Newsweek as one of the best high schools in the nation, Lyman High School has received many other honors.

In 2007, it earned a 'B' grade due to its performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). The same year, aerospace teacher William Yucuis was recognized as one of the 25 best teachers in the United States by USA Today.

[edit] Performing Arts

The Lyman High School Marching Greyhounds

Lyman is also host to a high school Color Guard and Winterguardprogram, created and instructed by Stephen Porter. Lyman is part of a High School Scholastic A unit competing for Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit and with Winter Guard International and have ranked as one of the superior color guards in the state.

The Lyman High School Marching Greyhounds have distinguished themselves as one of the better non-competitive high school marching bands in the Central Florida region. They have had the honor of performing at notable nationally televised events. These include the Walt Disney World Holiday Parade, the Daytona 500 and the Chick-fil-A Bowl.