Washington School (Mississippi)
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| Motto | Exitus Acta Probat |
|---|---|
| Established | 1969 |
| Type | Private School |
| Affiliation | Mississippi Private School Association |
| Headmaster | Rodney Brown |
| Students | 1,000 (approximately) |
| Grades | pre-kindergarten - 12 |
| Location | 1605 East Reed Road, Greenville, Mississippi, United States |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | The General |
| Website | http://wschool.greenville.ms.us |
Washington School is a small, non-denominational, private school in Greenville, Mississippi. Washington School offers pre-school, elementary, middle, and college preparatory education to Greenville and the surrounding areas.
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[edit] History
Washington School was established in the spring of 1969, possibly as a response to government imposed integration in public schools. In its first year, Washington School had a total of 23 staff members and 323 students. Classes were originally held in the current elementary building. The current total enrollment is over 750 students with the average size of a graduating class being around 60 students. Washington School has faced some criticism due to the fact that the city of Greenville is around 70 percent African American while Washington School currently has few African American students. However, only about 50% of the student body is actually drawn from the Greenville city limits; many come from neighboring communities such as Lake Village, Leland, Benoit, Chatham, Tribbett, etc, but this still does not address the racial composition of the school and potential racist attitudes harbored by administrators, students, and parents alike.
[edit] Academics and Arts
Washington School is considered to be a challenging school in the Mississippi Delta. Although the school does provide a few Advanced Placement courses along with some rigorous honors courses, Washington School’s curriculum is a basic college preparatory curriculum. Washington School students average around a 23 on the ACT, and most choose not to take the SAT, although the PSAT is uniformly taken. After graduating, most students choose to attend public Mississippi Universities or Southeastern schools with a small minority choosing to attend such prestigious schools as Harvard, MIT, Vanderbilt, and Brown University. Washington School also boasts a fine arts program consisting of 12 member concert, jazz, and pep bands, a vocal ensemble, 3-D and 2-D visual high school art program, mandatory visual arts classes for K-6, optional visual arts classes for grades 7 and 8, as well as a drama department. The elementary school is a grantee of the Mississippi Arts Commission's Whole Schools Initiative, which is a program designed to assist schools in integrating the arts into the school's existing curriculum.
[edit] =Clubs and Organizations
There is a growing arts and athletic program that develops more and more each year. There are also a number of clubs that bring together students with similar interests and goals. The National Beta Club is an honorary society that recognizes academic excellence. Mu Alpha Theta is another club that honors achievement in mathematics. There is also The Fellowship of Christian Students and Younglife for those interested in religion. Students also have the option of participating in competitive academic teams, such as Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad, Envirothon, Mathletes, Poetry Out Loud, and Mock Trial, although most students choose to focus mainly on athletics and the social scene.
[edit] Athletics
The main focus of Washington School has been their athletic program. Washington School is a member of the Mississippi Private School Association and is classified as a Division III-A school. The most significant sport for the Washington "Generals" is football. The football program usually fares well with games against Jackson Academy and Jackson Preparatory School being the highlight of the football season. The students are often multi-sport athletes and are spread thin across many sports. Washington School athletics still manage to perform well in cross country, soccer, golf, and track and field. Most athletes choose to continue playing their respective sports at local junior colleges or Division II schools, with a few being talented enough to play on the Division I level.
[edit] Administration
- Headmaster: Rodney Brown
- High School and Middle School Principal: Alto Ray
- Elementary School Principal: Margaret Hester
- Athletic Director/Head Football Coach: Todd Lott
