Parry McCluer High School

Parry McCluer High School
Address

100 Bradford Drive
Buena Vista, Virginia, 24416
USA

37°43′0.37″N 79°21′39.84″W / 37.7167694°N 79.3610667°WCoordinates: 37°43′0.37″N 79°21′39.84″W / 37.7167694°N 79.3610667°W
Information
Funding type Public
Founded 1920
School district Buena Vista City Public Schools
Principal Anna Graham
Enrollment 328[1] (2009)
Color(s)           Blue and White
Mascot Yosemite Sam
Nickname The Fighting Blues, PMHS
Rival Rockbridge County High School
James River High School
Athletic conferences Pioneer District
Region C

Parry McCluer High School, also known as PMHS, is a high school located in Buena Vista, Virginia. The school has a population of approximately 340 students. Its band is The Marching Blues, its current principal is Anna Graham, its current assistant principal is Sherrie Wheeler.

Recent changes

The school originally used the 4x4 block scheduling system, but as of the 2009 - 2010 school year, morning classes became year long and began to alternate every other day while afternoon classes remained only a semester long. During the 2010 - 2011 school year, its entire school district switched from a 6-week grading period to a 9-week grading period. These changes was made in response to an increasing number of Advanced Placement (AP) classes being taken at PMHS.

Athletics

The school participates in a wide variety of sports under the VHSL (Virginia High School League) at the State A level, including Football, Volleyball, Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys and Girls Basketball, Baseball, Boys and Girls Tennis, Softball, and Boys and Girls Outdoor Track, and golf. Within the state, they compete against the rest of Region C, in the Pioneer District, along with: Craig County, Bath County, Highland County, Covington, and James River.

Parry McCluer has been very successful with its sports program. Their Football team has won the state championship 5 times. 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, and was state runner up in the year 1991.[2] Their shocking win over AA Rockbridge County High School on August 30, 2013 was their first win over their longtime rival since 1996. The Fighting Blues defeated the Wildcats again the following year, this time in decisive fashion, by a score of 27 to 7. Their Basketball program has been the state runner up twice and has been in the orange bowl a number of times. The Golf team won the 1980 state championship,and the Boys Cross Country team won the 1980 single A state championship,[3] and took runner up in the 2011-12 state championship losing to only George Mason High School.[4]

The Marching Blues

The Parry McCluer Marching band was formed by the local chapter of the American legion in 1941. It did not become an official school unit nor take on the name "Marching " until 1947.[5] The band was very successful, especially in the 1960-1990 period, during which it won first place in marching for at least one Festival of States competition, as well as many other notable achievements. The band declined somewhat after the opening of rival Rockbridge County High School in 1992. Currently the band has fifty seven members and has won all divisions in competitions. The band is currently under the direction of Mrs. Anna Duncan-Jarrett.[6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "VHSL 2009-2010 Football Divisions Enrollment" (PDF).
  2. ↑ http://www.vhsl-reference.com/gameswon_all_byseason.cfm?TEAMID=10547
  3. ↑ http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=44870#3844
  4. ↑ http://va.milesplit.com/meets/96607/results/182715
  5. ↑ Lynn, Francis. Buena Vista: The Bud not yet Bloomed, 1992
  6. ↑ http://www.pmhs.bvcps.net/

External links