Jim Hill High School

Jim Hill High School is a public high school located in Jackson, Mississippi (USA), hosting the state's only International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) program, which is a vigorous course dedicated to educating its students in worldly academic excellence. It also hosts AP courses and an esteemed JROTC and SOAR program. During the 2007-2008 school year, Major Frank Branch was honored as being the U.S. Army Cadet Command 2008 Instructor of the Year. Bobby Brown is the current principal of Jim Hill, replacing Lydia Haynes in 2010. Barbara Hilliard is the current IB coordinator, and Linda Smith is the current MYP coordinator.

Jim Hill is said to have one of the best high school bands, The Band of Distinction. It competes frequently throughout the school year. The current band director is Christopher Little. The school is also known for the Jim Hill G.Y.T (Grave Yard Thunder), which is the school's drumline. It is named such because the school is located adjacent to a graveyard. GYT has consecutively won The Drumline Challenge in Jackson, MS. Other auxiliaries of the band include the "Tigerettes" (dance team) and the Flag Corps. The school is also known for the award winning Jim Hill Choir, which is internationally renowned. The choir has travelled out of the country to places such as Austria, Canada, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. Jim Hill's choir ranks among the top choral music programs in the world. The current choir director is James Hawkins. Finally, Jim Hill is known for its cheerleading squad, known to be the first JPS cheerleading squad to compete in state competitions and successfully place. In 2011, the cheerleading squad competed at Pearl High School and was awarded 1st place and Overall Grand Champions.

History

Jim Hill was founded in 1912 by James Hill, hence the name "Jim Hill" High School, for the establishment of a secondary institution for African Americans in the Jackson, Mississippi area. The former building was established on Lynch Street as an elementary school in order to educate the youth of West Jackson. The current building was constructed in the 1960s in the Washington Addition neighborhood. The school also was formerly housed in the former building formerly operated as Blackburn Middle School in which had a new school established in 2010. The International Baccalaureate Program hosted there was established in 1992. The new wing was annexed in 2001.

Special programs

Jim Hill is the only high school in the state of Mississippi with the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. This school offers these classes in Geometry MYP, Biology MYP and IB, Humanities MYP and IB, Language MYP and IB, Physical Education MYP, Algebra II MYP, Math Studies IB, Theory of Knowledge IB, Psychology IB, Technology IB, Art MYP and IB, French MYP and IB, and Spanish MYP and IB. For the program, students must complete a Personal Project in their 10th grade year, and sign a contract, write Internal Assessments for World Literature, Mathematics, Humanities; create 12 art pieces to be sent off with their Developmental Workbooks; and take an exam in Language, Math, Humanities, Science, Psychology, Theory of Knowledge, and a foreign language in the IB Diploma years. If the composite score of the IB exam is high enough, then the student may qualify for the IB Diploma. Students who aren't as esteemed are granted the IB scholarship. Community Service (CAS hours) is also calculated into the equation. Davis Magnet Elementary serves IB grades K-5 and Northwest Middle School serves IB grades 6-8.

The AP Program is also offered at the school.

Feeder Pattern

The following schools feed into Jim Hill High School:^[1]

• Middle Schools
  • Blackburn Laboratory Middle School
  • Northwest Jackson IB Middle School
• Elementary Schools
  • Baker Elementary School
  • Barr Elementary School
  • George Elementary School
  • Isable Elementary School
  • Lee Elementary School
  • Poindexter Elementary School
  • Davis Elementary School

References

External links

• Jim Hill High School website
• IBO

Coordinates: 32°17′24″N 90°13′07″W / 32.289872°N 90.218655°W / 32.289872; -90.218655