Port Charlotte High School

Port Charlotte High School
Port Charlotte High School
Address
18200 Cochran Blvd Port Charlotte, Florida, 33948 United States
Information
Type	Public
Founded	1982[1]
Principal	Steve Dionisio[2]
Staff	180[1]
Faculty	110[1]
Grades	9–12[1]
Number of students	2,036[3]
Campus	Suburban[4]
Athletics	Florida High School Athletic Association
Mascot	Pirate[1]
Website	http://www.portcharlottehigh.net/

Port Charlotte High School (PCHS) is a four-year, comprehensive, public high school located in Port Charlotte, Florida, US. The school opened in 1982, its mascot is the pirate, and the school motto is "Yes, I am a Pirate."^[1] It is operated by Charlotte County Public Schools.^[3] With 2,082 students enrolled in grades Grades 9 through 12, Port Charlotte High School has more students than any other public school in Charlotte County.^[5] Enrollment was traditionally based on students' geographic locations,^[6] but is now by choice under the more recently created open enrollment program.^[7] The school has grown much, and it survived Hurricane Charley. The school has high academic standards,^[8] and is known for its performance in extracurricular activities. The school's main feeders are Murdock Middle School, Port Charlotte Middle School, and Punta Gorda Middle School.^[9] The school's top athletic rivals are Charlotte High School^[10] and Lemon Bay High School. The property value of the school is $15,797,719 US.^[11] PCHS has educated two NFL players and one major league baseball player who also performed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Contents 1 History 2 Academics 3 Athletics 3.1 Football 4 Extracurricular activities 4.1 Model United Nations 4.2 Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps 4.3 Pride of Port Charlotte Bands 5 Students 5.1 Notable alumni 6 Notable Faculty 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

History

PCHS has experienced growth through its twenty-five years of existence. The campus structure has grown with the population.^[1] The school was originally built in 1981, and opened its doors in 1982.^[1] The original "G" and "B" buildings were completed in 1983.^[11] The auditorium was built in 1984.^[11] The science building, also known as A building, was built in 1987.^[11] The BB building was built in 1990.^[11] A swimming pool was added in 1991.^[11] The "C building", which houses the library and some classrooms, was built in 2001.^[11] In 2003, the new "B building", the two story academic classroom building, was finished.^[11] In 2007, the new gym was finished.^[1] The new gym did not replace the older one, but rather, was an addition.^[1]

In 2004, Hurricane Charley brought devastation to the Port Charlotte region.^[12] Although Port Charlotte High School suffered only minor damage from the hurricane, other regional high schools suffered significant damage.^[13] In the aftermath, Port Charlotte High School shared its facility with the students of Charlotte High School, with Port Charlotte High School students attending morning class and Charlotte High School students attending in the evening.^[14]

In 2009, Port Charlotte High School was recognized by US News and World Report as one of America's best high schools and a "Bronze Medal School"^[15] for academic excellence. PCHS was one of 1,189 schools nationwide to receive a bronze medal.^[16]

Academics

Port Charlotte High School currently has 15 English teachers, 17 math teachers, 8 intensive reading teachers, 14 science teachers, 15 social studies teachers, 8 foreign language teachers, 14 vocational teachers, 5 exceptional student education (for students with disabilities) teachers, and 1 ESOL teacher.^[17] There are six periods in a school day.^[18] The school has a student/teacher ratio of 21.2.^[19] The curriculum is based on the Sunshine State Standards.^[20]

Port Charlotte High School Accountability Report^[21]

School Year	School Grade	School Year	School Grade
1998–1999	C	2004–2005	C
1999–2000	C	2005–2006	B
2000–2001	C	2006–2007	C
2001–2002	A	2007–2008	A
2002–2003	C	2008–2009	A
2003–2004	C	2009–2010	B

• These grades are based on FCAT testing.

Athletics

The PCHS athletic department, operated by James Vernon,.^[22] operates programs in football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, cheerleading, golf, wrestling, soccer, volleyball, bowling, swimming, lacrosse, diving, cross country, and weightlifting.^[23] Athletics at PCHS are regulated by the Florida High School Athletic Association under classification 4A, district 11.

Football

The PCHS Football team is currently coached by David Hoffer. Its home stadium is known as "Pirate's Cove."^[24] Its mission is to promote principles of great character, academic excellence, and public service.^[25] Individual players have earned several awards and honorable mentions over the years.^[26][27][28] The team has seen nine different coaches since the school's establishment in 1982, and they have had varying won/lost stats.^[29] The team has only defeated cross river rival Charlotte High School twice (1990 and 2007 seasons).^[30]

Extracurricular activities

Port Charlotte High School has many clubs and groups, including Academic Team Challenge (A-Team), Beta Club, Book Club, Creative Writing Club, Dance Team, DECA, Environmental Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), French Club, Games Club, Interact Club, Key Club, Mock Trial Team, Model United Nations (MUN), Mu Alpha Theta, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp (NJROTC), Pirate Crew, Pride of Port Charlotte Marching Band, Recruitment & Educational Assistance for Careers In Health (REACH), Red Cross Club, Scholars Club, Silver Cord, Spanish Club, Student Government Association, Thespian Society, Tri-M Music Society, Water Polo, and Yearbook Team. Key Club, an organization for high school students, is operated by the Kiwanis Club.^[22]

Model United Nations

The school's Model United Nations (MUN) has been frequently recognized for its performance at conferences at both the national and international level.^[31] The team has won honors at both national and international conferences, as well as multiple awards at noteworthy conferences at Harvard University, Yale University,^[32] University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Brown University, and the Secondary Schools United Nations Symposium conference in Montreal, Canada.^[22]

Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps

The Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) is a program allowing high school students to participate in the academic and physical training aspect of naval service, while also providing leadership opportunities to those involved in the program.^[33] It does not require a commitment to military service following high school graduation.^[34] Port Charlotte's NJROTC program was established in the early 1990s; since then, it has grown significantly. The company of cadets are overseen and instructed by two retired United States Navy personnel,^[35] who are in turn overseen by the United States Navy itself through the form of Area Managers.^[36] Port Charlotte's unit is a member of NJROTC Area Seven, and is known for service to its community.^[37]

The Pirate NJROTC unit has received many awards over the years, including, but not limited to the "Distinguished Unit Award," which it has been awarded over seven consecutive academic years - 2001-2007.^[38] The unit is a part of Area 7, which consists of units in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.^[39]

The unit has four "teams" within its infrastructure that allow participating cadets to receive extracurricular training and experience of their choice: an armed and unarmed Drill Team, Color Guard, academic team, and a physical training ("PT") team.^[40] Previously, the unit also had a rifle team. The teams compete against other Area Seven units at colleges, universities, military installations, and other high schools. The teams also compete with other units across the United States.^[41]

Pride of Port Charlotte Bands

As of 2008, Port Charlotte High School's "Pride of Port Charlotte" Bands have consistently ranked among the top bands in the state of Florida for several years. The Pride of Port Charlotte Marching Band has participated at many famous events, such as the Fiesta Bowl, Macy's Day Parade, the New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade, the New Years Day Parade in London, England, and the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Texas among many others.^[42] The Pride Concert and Jazz Bands are also extremely successful, consistently receiving superior ratings from the Florida Bandmasters Association.^[43]

Students

Students at Port Charlotte High School generally are between 13 and 19 years of age. 71% of the students are Caucasian, 14% are African American, 9 % are hispanic and 6% are multiracial or other.^[19]

Notable alumni

• Chris Demakes, Shaun Grief, and Vinnie Fiorello are members of Less Than Jake, a ska punk band.^[44]
• John Hall (class of 1991) was a place-kicker in the NFL. He played for the New York Jets (1997–2002), then was transferred to the Washington Redskins who he played for until 2006 when he was released; he then retired.^[45]
• Matthew LaPorta is a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians who attended PCHS his freshman year, but later transferred to rival Charlotte High School.^[46] He was also one of 24 players selected to represent the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.^[47]
• Tony Hargrove (class of 2001) Currently a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, who Hargrove helped claim victory for in the Super Bowl XLIV.^[48] He has also played for the Buffalo Bills and the St. Louis Rams.^[45]

Notable Faculty

• Doug Dunakey - Former professional golfer, became the golf coach for PCHS after his professional career.^[49]

See also

• Charlotte County, Florida

References

External links

• Charlotte County Public Schools' official website
• Florida Department of Education official website