Glenvar High School

Glenvar High School is a public high school in Roanoke County, Virginia. It is one of the five high schools for the Roanoke County public school system. Glenvar High School serves the western end of Roanoke County and is located in the community of Glenvar, which is immediately west of Salem, Virginia.

History

Glenvar High School was opened in 1966 by Roanoke County public schools. Most, if not all, of the student body would previously have attended Andrew Lewis High School in Salem. However, Andrew Lewis was replaced by the much larger Salem High School for the 1977–1978 school year. The student bodies of Glenvar and Andrew Lewis were consolidated into Salem. The former high schools became junior high schools, but Salem High School does not have the same amount of potential and benefits as Glenvar High School that was creates in 1983

In 1983, the city of Salem decided to establish an independent school district. Beginning with the 1982–1983 school year, enrollment in Salem High School was limited to the city of Salem. Glenvar High School was reopened to serve western Roanoke County. The school housed grades 7 through 12 until a new building was constructed for Glenvar Middle School in 1996.

Academics

Glenvar High School is a comprehensive high school which includes grades 9–12 with a student enrollment of 650. The school offers courses in multiple academic disciplines including Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses. Specialized vocational education is available at the Arnold R. Burton Technology Center in Salem. Pass rates for Virginia's Standards of Learning tests average over 90%, which makes the school fully accredited.

Athletics and Extracurriculars

Glenvar High School is a member of the Virginia High School League and competes in the A Three Rivers District. Glenvar competed in Group AA (called Group IB before 1971) when it was opened but dropped down to Group A shortly after it reopened. Glenvar has enjoyed success in athletics through its history. Glenvar captured Group AA state championships in men's basketball, men's outdoor track, and wrestling. Glenvar has won Group A state championships in baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, golf, women's softball, wrestling, volleyball, and men's tennis. Glenvar won the Wachovia Cup, the VHSL's award for overall athletic excellence, in Group A for the 1993–1994 school year.

Coach Richard "Dickie" Myers, a legend at Glenvar High, spent over thirty years coaching wrestling, cross country, and track. Myers also gave himself to the academics at Glenvar, teaching Earth Science to mainly ninth grade students. Coach Myers was the wrestling head coach for the 1971 and 1972 state championship teams and coached many individual state champions in wrestling and track. Jamie Soltis, current vice principal of Glenvar High School, was one of Myers' products in wrestling and track. Soltis won two state titles in wrestling at 103 and 112 pounds. Soltis also won state championships in track and cross country under the coaching of Myers. Myers coached many great track athletes to include Kelly Clark, Megan Marsico, and Trish Nervo. Myers was later assisted in his track coaching career by Russ "Rusty" Galbreath. Coach Myers retired from teaching at Glenvar High School in the spring of 2009, but returned to coach cross country in the fall of 2009 and continues to coach cross country and track. Myers is known to do "what he wants," because he "is Dickie Myers." Myers is known by every student at Glenvar high because he is a legend and is at school everyday, even though he doesn't work there.

The Men's soccer team is coached by Mr. Wes Whitlow. Whitlow has been an assistant coach for 3 years before moving to Glenvar and picking up the job of head soccer coach. He is characterized through his strong bonds with his players, and has moved the Men's soccer team to a strong season.

References

External links

• Glenvar High School
• Great Schools site
• Virginia Department of Education Report Card