Deltona High School

Deltona High School
Coat of arms of Deltona High School
Motto	Reaching for the Stars
Established	1988[1]
Type	Public
Principal	Susan H. Freeman
Teaching staff	153 (2009–2010)[2]
Students	2,976 (2009–2010)[2]
Grades	9–12
Location	Deltona, Florida, United States
District	Volusia County Schools
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Royal Blue and Silver[1]
Athletics	FHSAA
Mascot	Wolf
Yearbook	Canidaean
Newspaper	Paw Print
Website	Official website

Deltona High School, commonly referred to as Deltona High, is a public high school located in Deltona, Florida, United States. It is located on Wolf Pack Run, east of Interstate 4 in the city's northwestern corner. In the 2009–2010 academic school year, the school enrolled 2,976 students in grades 9–12, although it was built with a capacity to enroll 2,000. Deltona High opened on August 29, 1988 as the city's first high school.^[3] The school was the first high school in Volusia County to be built since Spruce Creek High School in 1975.

Academics/Curriculum

Deltona High School has four academies to help prepare students for a career or post secondary education.^[4] The following academies include: the Drafting and Trade Related Occupations Academy, the PrintEd & Graphic Design Academy, the Health Services Academy, and the Academy of Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Management Academy.^[4] Deltona High School is the only school in Florida to be awarded PrintEd National Accreditation by the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation for its Printing Technology Program.^[4]

The school, along with the rest of the Volusia County School system, weighs regular classes as 4.0, honors credits as 4.5, and community college credits and AP credits as 5.0. This weighted GPA system only gave 4.5 points to community college credits but was changed in 2008 to 5.0 points. This change in the weighted GPA was met with strong criticism from the local teachers' union and the Superintendent's Diploma of Distinction program.

The school had its first Muslim valedictorian at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year.^[5]

AVID/Advanced Placement

Deltona High School also participates in the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program, or AVID. Deltona High School offers 15 Advanced Placement courses. Several courses include AP Social Studies, AP Hayden Riley-Mathematics, AP English and Spanish Literature, as well as AP Art Studio courses.^[6]

Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps

The JROTC Curriculum includes instruction in Leadership Theory, Wellness, Fitness, and First-Aid, Geography, Earth Science, Citizenship and American Military History.^[7] The curriculum prepares high school students for responsible leadership roles while instilling an appreciation for the rights and privileges of American citizenship.^[7] In addition to the classroom course instruction, cadets have the opportunity to be involved in community service projects, command and staff leadership positions, and JROTC Summer Camp (select cadets).^[7] JROTC also offers student participation in numerous extra curricular activities such as Color Guard, Drill, Raider, and Scholar teams; participation in local, state and national JROTC competitions; and represent Deltona High at area events and activities throughout the central Florida region.^[7]

Health Services Academy

The program allows students who are interested in a career in the health field the chance to get a head start on their future while still in high school. The academy offers approximately 200 students the chance to earn dual enrolled credit with Daytona State College, in the area of their choice, volunteer in the community, and study specific medical course work designed to prepare students for a career in a specific field.^[8]

The Academy of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Management

The Academy of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Management, or AEMM as it is more commonly referred to, is a program that teaches students the basics of business and marketing throughout many hands-on projects. AEMM is a four-year program that starts at the end of a student's eighth grade year when they are accepted into the academy. Freshmen start out learning the basics of the marketing mix and end up writing their very own Sales Training Manual for a mock store. The mock store is presented to the class where they must help a customer, using the knowledge they have learned. Sophomores take that knowledge to the next level by running an in school business, RUN Deltona Marketing Consortium, or RUN DMC. In RUN DMC students are in charge they decide what they sell, when they sell, and how they sell. All of the products are made in class as well as all promotional items(Posters and commercials). Juniors take another step on the proverbial ladder of knowledge and experience. Students in their third year work with real businesses, creating and implementing marketing plans. The third year class for the '09-'10 school year also won a display contest hosted by Plato's Closet. As Fourth year students, seniors students will get a chance to learn leadership first hand by working with Stetson University and UCF.

Superintendent's Diploma of Distinction (SDD) Program

This program recognizes students with rigorous AP coursework, upright character, and outstanding GPAs. The program holds a large luncheon for all returning grads who were once part of this program at before winter break. The program also holds a banquet for its members at the end of the school year. It aggressively encourages students to enroll in Advance Placement courses. Students must submit an application and obtain acceptance. Applicants are selected on the quality of their essays and their test scores.

Enrollment

An additional secondary school to the Volusia County School Board, which began under the project name "High School DDD", began construction in late 2006.^[9] Located in Orange City, Florida, the school is expected to be finished in early 2010 and will open for the 2010-2011 school year.^[9] School-district officials confirmed to have hoped the Orange City school would provide relief to DeLand High School, which is over capacity with 3,160 students, as of May 2009.^[9] The school would also provide relief to Deltona High School to shift students away from the overpopulated institution, which would also affect zoning amongst other students in Deltona.^[9] At a cost of around $96 million, University High School is, currently, one of the largest and the most expensive ever built in Volusia County.^[9][10]

The decision to build the school for the purpose of re-zoning students who live East of Interstate 4 to University High School had stirred some controversy.^[10] Some city commissioners and parents of Deltona High School students were initially against the idea of transferring students who lived East of Interstate 4 to a new school.^[10] Mayor Dennis Mulder and City Commission vowed to urge the School Board to change its mind on school rezoning, before final action was taken on December 8, 2009.^[10] Instead, the City Commission and the School Board decided to discuss the matters through mediation, which would be discussed between January or February 2010 at the earliest.^[10]

As of November 2009, confirmed by the West Volusia Beacon community newspaper, Deltona High School was initially designed to accommodate 1,834 students. The enrollment is, currently, at 2,981.^[10] Pine Ridge High School's initial capacity was 1,741, but the student body is, currently, at 2,197.^[10] The other existing school affected by the rezoning, DeLand High School, has a design capacity of 2,804, but the school enrollment is, currently, at 3,286.^[10] University High school is confirmed to accommodate 2,564 students.^[10]

Extracurricular activities

Deltona High School offers a variety of electives and extracurricular activities available for students.^[11] The school has a variety of art-related activities and electives, ranging from art, band, chorus and computer arts, to drama class and video production courses.^[11] The school offers two foreign language courses: Spanish and French.^[11] Deltona High School also has over 10 athletics sports teams and activities, like basketball, baseball and football.^[11]

Athletics

Deltona High School offers students opportunities for participation in 15 different sports with 31 teams (23 at the varsity level).It is one of only a few high schools in Volusia County with most of the athletic facilities including a stadium located on campus.^[12] The following sports offered at Deltona High School include: basketball, baseball, cheer-leading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.

Deltona's rivals include Pine Ridge High School, Deland High School, and University High School. Each year the Deltona High's football team squares off against Pine Ridge High School in the Battle of the Boulevard. Deltona High's football team, the Wolves, play against Deland High Bulldogs in the Battle of the Bone.

Blue Brigade

The Blue Brigade is an ensemble composed of the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Percussion Class and Reflections Color Guard. The purpose of the ensemble is to provide entertainment at football games, pep rallies, band festivals, parades and concerts. It is an integral part of the instrumental music curriculum at Deltona High School.^[13] It was established in the 1988-1989 school year.^[14] During the first school year, the Blue Brigade marched in makeshift uniforms of jeans and t-shirts.^[14] Despite many first year school problems the Blue Brigade marched in eight football game performances, three parades, three competitions, and festivals.^[14] The band received an excellent rating at two marching festivals including the state FBA Marching Festival.^[14]

Mu Alpha Theta

The Mu Alpha Theta was officially the school's largest organization at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year. The organization competed in math tournaments and chess tournaments throughout the county. It provided hundreds of hours of volunteer student-student tutoring. It provided seminars explaining how to fill out FAFSA forms and helped minority students fill out applications to state universities. It earned its national recognition for its chapter by the National Mu Alpha Theta organization. This chapter also held the school's first student-sponsored senior scholarship and also sponsored a trip to Busch Gardens: Tampa. It raised money by holding the school's first Ping-Pong and 2-Ball Tournaments.^[15]

Controversy

In May 2012, high school senior Michael Rudi suffered an asthma attack, and was refused treatment or access to his albuterol inhaler by school staff. Upon collapsing from lack of air, he was left alone in a room by the school nurse, who called his mother after locking the door, trapping the student within the room.^[16] The school alleges that Rudi had not completed paperwork required for him to use his inhaler on school grounds, but were unable to explain why the nurse had not contacted emergency services, or attempt other lifesaving procedures. Rudi's mother, Sue Rudi, has filed complaints with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the State Licensing Board and the school board.^[17] Director of Student Health Services, Cheryl Selesky, confirmed that it is district policy to call 911 when a student cannot breathe.

Notable alumni

• Stephen Guarino- Actor in various roles in television and film, such as Confessions of a Shopaholic. Class of 1993.
• Jack Lopez- Professional Baseball Player (Short Stop), drafted by the Kansas City Royals. Class of 2011.
• Nick Regilio- Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Texas Rangers. Class of 1996.
• Scot Turner- Georgia State House Representative. Class of 1994.
• Dennis Mulder - Mayor of Deltona 2005-2010
• Cody Haggin - D1 College Basketball player, United States Air Force Academy. Class of 2011.
• Tanner Fleming - D1 College Football player, United States Naval Academy, Class of 2010

Notes

External links

• Deltona High School

Coordinates: 28°56′40″N 81°14′48″W / 28.94444°N 81.24667°W / 28.94444; -81.24667