Greer High School

Greer High School
Parantes pro Civitate
(Preparing for Citizenship)
Address
3000 East Gap Creek Road
Greer, South Carolina, 29651, USA
Information
School type public high school
Established 1895
Opened 1998 (current campus)
School district Greenville County School District
Principal Marion Waters
Faculty ~100+
Grades 9 – 12
Number of students ~over 1,800
Student to teacher ratio 19[1]
Classrooms > 800 sq ft (74 m2) each
School Colour(s) Gold, Black and White
Mascot Yellow Jacket
Team name Yellowjackets
Publication Clingstone
Newspaper 'Greer High Times'
Yearbook 'Le Flambeau'
Website

Greer High School is a public high school in Greer, South Carolina. With about 1200 students, Greer High is a moderate sized school in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Contents

Campus

Every classroom is wired for technology for up to eight computers, and has at least one computer. The Media Center has Internet and television production capabilities, capable of broadcasting to each classroom. The science and fine arts departments are state-of-the-art. The auditorium seats 600 people. The athletic complex is fully equipped and the gymnasium will seat 2,000 people.

History

When Greer High School was founded in 1895, it had no special name as it was in a one-room log cabin owned by J.L. Green. A gentleman by the name of W. A. Hill (one of Greer's first citizens) gave the school its equipment. When the number of people registered for school outgrew the size of the building, Mr. Hill presented a large room of a cotton gin edifice on what is now known as Hill Street. In 1898, the school was considered to be reputable and cost of attendance was between $1.50 and $2.00 per month. The school was fundamental in attracting new people to the area. In 1904, the school moved to a three-story brick building across the road from the old Greer Library, also on Hill Street (Greer High School).

In 1922, a structure was completed and named Davenport High School (after one D. D. Davenport as he contributed most of the $150,000 in production costs). In 1923, the first yearbook, The Bantam, was printed, an eleventh grade was added, and the football team was founded. In 1924, there were four literary societies which focused on studying journalism, writing, and poetry. 1924 also saw the printing of Pep, a literary journal (Greer High School).

In 1927, the school’s Alma Mater was chosen. It was written by one Elizabeth Jones and submitted in a school wide competition for that purpose. It is still being sung by the Greer High School Students today. In 1935, the school’s motto, the coat of arms, and the first class ring were chosen. The school’s motto is "Parantes pro Civitate" which means preparing for citizenship. The coat of arms contains the State’s palmetto tree, the school’s mascot—the yellow jacket, and a peach (Greer High School).

The Alma Mater:

In the state of Carolina,

Near the mountains blue,

Stately stands a noble structure

With a spirit true.

CHORUS:

Lift your voices

Shout your praises

Over hill and dale.

Here's to thee, our Alma Mater.

Hail thee, Greer High, Hail!

Now and when we have departed

From her halls afar,

May her truths and lofty ideals

Be our guiding star.

The Coat of Arms with The School Motto:

In 1940-41, Greer High established its first band, printed the first edition of the Greer High Times (which was distributed with a subscription rate of fifty cents per year) and the yearbook changed its name to Le Flambeau (which means the burning torch). Davenport remained Greer's high school until 1953. Davenport High became Davenport Junior High and remained so until 1970, when it was obliterated in a fire (Greer High School).

The high school was moved to North Main Street in 1953 when a new building was erected. In 1955-56, an auditorium was added. With the addition of a new library and more air conditioned science classrooms in 1970, the school was improved. In 1974, the first edition of “The Clingstone” was printed. The title was chosen as a tribute to the clingstone peach (Greer High School).

In 1986, a new football stadium was fashioned. In 1987, the entire school was modernized and given air-conditioning. In the years 1985, 1988, and 1996, Greer High School won South Carolina’s EIA Incentive Awards for academics(Greer High School). (EIA stands for Education Improvement Act (EIA Program Report for Fiscal Year 2007-08)).

Greer High School moved to its new location at 3000 Gap Creek Road at some point in the summer of 1998. The new school is set up so that every classroom is wired with the technology for up to eight computers with at least one computer installed in each room. Every classroom is greater than 800 square feet (74 m2). The Media Center is state-of-the-art with the capacity to stream internet and television production into each classroom. The science and fine arts departments strive to remain current. The auditorium can seat up to 600 people. The athletic compound is fully outfitted and the gymnasium seats up to 2,000 people. “Through the one hundred and more years of Greer High School, history has shown that the changes and growth have had a positive impact on this community-oriented school with its strong emphasis on educating students to be well-rounded citizens” (Greer High School).

Works Cited

EIA Program Report for Fiscal Year 2007-08. 10/9/2007. 06/29/2009 <http://eoc.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E88035F5-A799-473A-BFD9-752CF1CC126D/12091/TeacheroftheYear.pdf>.

Greer High School. History of Greer High. 2009. 06/29/2009 <http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/greerhs/about/history.asp>.

Extracurriculars

Greer High Honor Choir directed by Jessica Bollinger.

Sports

The Yellow Jackets football team won the AAA State Championship in 1989, 1994, 2003.

The Yellow Jackets basketball team won the AAA State Championship in 2005 and made it back to the finals again in 2009 but lost a close game to Camden High School led by Matthew McCullough and Daniel Palka who were accountable for an average 32.4 points per game through the 2010 season.

The Greer Yellow Jackets girls cross country team won the AAA State Championship in 2003 and 2002.

The Greer Band won 3A State Championship in 2005.

Curriculum

Greer High School offers the International Baccalaureate program.

Performance

The school won EIA Incentive Awards for academics from the State of South Carolina in 1985, 1988, and 1996.

In 2007, students completed Advanced Placement exams in 13 test areas. Their standardized test scores in 10th grade English/Language Arts and Math exceeded the state average.[1]

References

External links