| Atascocita High School | |
|---|---|
| Atascocita's 435,000 sq ft (40,400 m2) campus
"Learning for life through rigor, relevance, and relationships."
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| Address | |
| 13300 Will Clayton Parkway Humble, Texas, Harris County, 77346 United States |
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| Information | |
| Opened | 2006 |
| School district | Humble Independent School District |
| Superintendent | Dr. Guy M. Sconzo |
| Principal | Dania Rovegno |
| Vice principal | Michael Nasra |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 3,163 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Houses | Red, White, Blue, & Gold |
| School Colour(s) | Red, White, & Blue |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Rivals | Kingwood High School |
| Newspaper | The Talon |
| Yearbook | The Aerie |
| Website | Atascocita High School website |
Atascocita High School is a secondary school located in Atascocita CDP, a community housed in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. Sprawling well over 430,000 square feet (40,000 m2) on nearly 100 acres (0.40 km2), the campus encompasses state-of-the-art educational, technological, art and athletic facilities, a comprehensive athletic complex, performing arts center, two gymnasiums, food court and access to career and vocational facilities.[1]
Atascocita High School is a part of the Humble Independent School District and also serves small portions of the city of Houston. Atascocita High opened in August 2006 with grades 9-11 and, since the fall of 2007, has served grades 9-12. Atascocita originally served the Fall Creek and Summerwood subdivisions until Summer Creek High School opened in the fall of 2009.[2][3]
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PBK Architects Inc of Houston, Texas designed the $50.9 million school. The architects looked to an iconic American estate, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, as inspiration for the front facade and exterior design of the school. It was named as one of the "Top 25 Texas Constructions" in 2005 by Texas Construction.
Educational Design Showcase awarded Atascocita High School a 2007 Project of Distinction Award and explained that architects were presented with a unique design challenge during the design phase of Atascocita High School. The challenge was to construct a facility that would not only enhance achievement in academia, but also give high-schoolers “personal attention-driven” education.
Based on the work of Humble Independent School District’s High Schools of the Future Task Force (HSFTF), over 150 community members, parents, students, administrators, teachers and partners, a set of educational specification recommendations were developed. These recommendations were adopted by the Humble ISD Board of Trustees, and they guide future high school construction as well as renovations to existing Humble ISD high schools. Embedded in these recommendations is the smaller learning communities (SLC) concept. Atascocita High represents a model illustration of smaller learning communities. The design-team worked in a collaborative effort with end-users in the Humble ISD to design a large, 5A high school with a personal, one-on-one “feel,” based on the HSFTF recommendations.
The school was also designed to foster community business partnerships with a service learning hub, as well as internship development classrooms. Mainstream areas (gymnasiums, cafeteria, library, auditorium) have individual exterior access for community usage.[1]
The Monticello-inspired exterior of Atascocita High School utilizes natural building materials, relying heavily on the use of brick, stone and concrete, which augments the campus's relationship with the natural environment.[4]
Atascocita High School's building site is set on a heavily wooded 100 acres (0.40 km2). Existing, matured trees were preserved to convey the sense of a sprawling nature reserve for the students. In addition to their commitment to the site's existing nature, PBK Architects employed nursuries to plant more than one hundred additional trees and various shrubbery around the campus' grounds. Since that time, students have engaged themselves in Atascocita's environmental role, planting additional trees in the front of the building. Solar-paneled school zone signs, fluorescent light bulbs and Energy-Star computers are used to decrease Atascocita's energy consumption.
In similarity to the residential college system utilized by universities such as Yale University, Harvard University and Rice University, Atascocita High School employs a house system designed to personalize learning and foster relationships between students and faculty.[1] The campus is designed around four communities: Red, White, Blue, and Gold. In the communities, seven houses reside: Red 1 and 2, White 1, Blue 1 and 2, and Gold 1 and 2. The Gold Community is attended by freshmen, while the upperclassmen are distributed across the other three communities. Houses are interconnected and can be reached through Atascocita's "Main Street," school's central hallway.
Students spend the majority of their school day within their community, where they attend their core academic classes of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Students are randomly delegated to a house and reside there for the entirety of their high school academic career. This, in effect, bestows a smaller, more centered learning environment in which students will build relationships with fellow classmates, and will have more personalized interaction with teachers, counselors and administrators.[1]
All houses have a separate administrative area where an assistant (or house) principal and counselor reside, a flex area and an LGI (large group instruction) or SGI (small group instruction). Flex areas were designed with student comfort at the forefront. Flex areas are large spaces surrounded by classrooms and lockers in the center of a house that allow students to rest and socialize between classes and, during instruction periods, work independently or in small groups. Tables and chairs are casually strewn about, all encircling a large LCD television. Directly adjacent to the flex areas, each house also presides over their own computer lab. Despite their apparent autonomy, students still are granted the opportunity for shared learning in the LGIs or SGIs. Resembling a college lecture hall, each LGI can cater to over one hundred students in a large, theater-style room.
Atascocita High School presents students with many athletic opportunities, offering boys and girls Basketball, Baseball, Cheerleading, Cross-Country, Dance, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Diving, Tennis, Track and Volleyball programs.[5]
Separate from its eight houses, the Atascocita High School Athletic Wing encompasses all of the students' indoor athletic needs. The Wing gives home to Atascocita's two gymansiums, dubbed the large and small gym, a dance studio, the High School trainer and a number of work-out rooms and fitness centers, all of which take advantage of state-of-the-art athletic equipment and technology. Also located in the Wing, Atascocita High's natatorium allows athletes in swimming, diving and water polo programs to practice and compete in a heated, 25yrd swimming pool.[4]
Atascocita High School students are able to utilize its broad Athletic Complex, incorporating modern facilities to propel and motivate its athletes. Adjacent to its athletic wing, the Atascocita Athletic Complex is a large outdoor area composed of eight tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, three soccer fields, practice areas, a football field and surrounding eight-lane all-weather track. Weaving through matured trees, an organic cross-country track encircles the grounds of the Athletic Complex.
Students at Atascocita High School are able to take advantage of its large selection of language classes offered: French (Levels 1-4), German (Levels 1-4), Latin (Levels 1-4), Spanish (Levels 1-5) and American Sign Language (Levels 1-3).[6] The school boasts an active French Club that regularly participates in French Symposium and cultural festivals. Atascocita's Latin Club and National Latin Honor Society work to promote the classics in the community and represent an active and high-achieving school in the Texas State Junior Classical League (TSJCL). In 2008, the Latin Club hosted the TSJCL state convention at Atascocita, in which numerous academic, creative art, and graphic art contests regarding Latin, Greek, and Greco-Roman culture are administered. Atascocita High School and its Latin Club will host the 2011 convention, as well.[7]
Atascocita has committed itself to its distinguished Fine Arts programs. Band, Applied Music, Orchestra, Choir, and Vocal Ensemble compete for in the High School's music sector. Those classes utilize spacious, acoustically-observant halls.[8]
Atascocita High School's Pride of the Eagles Military Marching Band is one of only a small number of military marching bands in the nation. The marching band performs at varsity football games and competes yearly in UIL marching contest and the National Association of Military Marching Bands competition, claiming numerous awards over its history, including consistent first divisions in district UIL marching and first places and superior performances in NAMMB contests. The band also performed at Walt Disney World in 2009 and 2011. In addition, Atascocita's concert bands perform in concerts and achieve first divisions ratings in UIL concert and sightreading. Students work to prepare for Region Band auditions and the UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest.[9]
Atascocita High School's theatre department is state renowned, and has been District Champions thus far, for the five years it has been opened. With the title of being State-Qualified in UIL three years in a row, Atascocita Theatre sets the standards of exemplary performances under its three directors, Rod Sheffield, Justin Vincent, and Lisa Henderson. The department facilities consist of the Performing Arts Center, which seats roughly about 700 people, along with the versatile Black Box, used for a more close-up feel during performances. The department excels in good work ethic, ensemble, and has given Atascocita High School an excellent reputation for the years to come.
Atascocita's Art division distinguishes itself in variety, presenting the students with the option of Art General, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, AP 2-D Design Port and AP 3-D Design Port. Contemporary concrete-floored art studios and classrooms provide necessary materials and technology for the students' needs.[8]
Atascocita's Math & Science League is the primary extracurricular mathematics and science organization at Atascocita High School, dedicated to generating interest and providing opportunities in science and mathematics, and encouraging students to inquire, invent, and discover. The Math & Science League participates in competitions such as Science Olympiad, TMSCA math/science contests, UIL Mathematics and Science, Best Robotics, the Science & Engineering Fair, Mandelbrot Math, USA Biology Olympiad, National Chemistry Olympiad, and the National Physics Bowl.[10]
The following elementary schools [11] feed into Atascocita High School:
The following middle schools feed into Atascocita High School:
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