Vestavia Hills High School

Vestavia Hills High School
Location
Vestavia Hills, AL
United States
Information
Type Public
Established 1970
Principal Tim Loveless
Faculty 165
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1902
Color(s) Red and blue          
Mascot Rebels
Newspaper The Vedette
Yearbook "The Reveille"
Vestavia Hills High School.

Vestavia Hills High School (VHHS), founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills City Schools system, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football, soccer, wrestling, baseball, and tennis teams.

The student enrollment for the 2013–2014 academic year is estimated to be just over 1900 students. The current school principal is Tim Loveless, a (former) principal at Cullman County Schools. The principal starting in the 2015-2016 school year is Dr. Tyler Burgess, the former principal of nearby Pizitz Middle School. The assistant principals are Kevin Butler, Brandon Turner, Charles Bruce, and Melissa Smith. VHHS has more than 20 National Board-Certified teachers.

Construction of 2 new concession stands for the VHHS Band program is underway. As of 2014-2015 school year, a new addition of 24 classrooms and additional parking have been completed. Twenty-two classrooms were added in 2009. In 2007-2008, VHHS completed a long-awaited face-lift, with the front of the school, its office suite, and lobby. In 2003–2004, the "E" wing was completed. Interactive classrooms with state-of-the-art technology were installed all over the school in summer 2008. VHHS is part of the Vestavia Hills City Schools and is working with the district's "Bring Your Own Device", or BYOD, Initiaitve.

Technology used at this school includes a school-wide BYOD program, Promethean boards in all classrooms, document cameras, Apple laptops, and desktops, with Microsoft Windows machines being obsolete.

Since the school's beginning in 1970, the school mascot has been the Rebel (a cartoon depiction of a "Southern gentleman" patterned after the University of Mississippi mascot, no longer used by the university).

Academics

Vestavia has 150 courses available on yearly basis. Vestavia offers a number of AP courses (World History, U.S. History, European History, English Language & Lit., Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Psychology, Physics B, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, French, Latin, Spanish, German, Government, Economics,and Studio Art). Vestavia also offers Honors courses for all core subjects to all grades. Dual Enrollment classes are available for both English and Math.

The statistics for this school can be found at http://www.vestavia.k12.al.us/vestaviahigh/?CFID=692815&CFTOKEN=39071542.

Faculty

The school employs 140 teachers (for a student : teacher ratio of 13:1). The average Vestavia Hills teacher has 17 years of experience, with 81% of the faculty holding Master's or more advanced degrees. More than 20 of the school's teachers have achieved "National Board Certification" with several more on track to be certified.

We the People sponsor, Amy Maddox, was named the Daughters of the American Revolution Teacher of the Year in Summer 2008 and traveled to Washington, D.C. for her awards ceremony. Counselor Christine Rohling was named Alabama School Counselor of the Year in November 2007.

Outstanding teaching staff include Kay Tipton, chair of the math department from 1989 to her retirement in 2007, who won Cornell University's Outstanding High School Educator Award, the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Award, and received the White House Commission of Presidential Scholars Distinguished Teacher Award three times.

Former Debate Coach Marilee Dukes was inducted to the National Forensics League Hall of Fame in 2004. She is also in the Tournament of Champions Coaches Hall of Fame. Dukes coached at Alabama’s Vestavia Hills High School for over twenty years and made the program one of the powerhouses of the 1990s. Her students have claimed the championships and top speaker awards at every major national tournament during her tenure, and she has coached debaters to finals at the Tournament of Champions an unprecedented seven times. She is one of ten coaches honored by having a debate round in the Barkley Forum for High Schools at Emory University named after her. The Vestavia Hills Novice Tournament is also named after Marilee Dukes..

Former Band Director Ted Galloway not only conducted performing groups of consistently high quality, but also brought many legendary jazz musicians, such as Urbie Green to the school for performances. The Vestavia Band program also sent 2 students to conservatories to study music from the class of 2012 including its first student to The Juilliard School.

Achievements

VHHS is a two-time recipient of the national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. In September 2009, Vestavia was named one of 39 high schools in the nation to receive this special status that year. The award is a follow up to its Blue Ribbon Status achievement in 1991.

In 2013, Vestavia Hills High School had the highest graduation rate of any school in Alabama (98 percent). Vestavia High School has students from 17 different nationalities and all faculty's children may attend the school regardless of where they live.

Vestavia's math team has dominated national competition for more than a decade. The team has earned 15 first-place and 3 second-place finishes in 18 National Mu Alpha Theta Convention competitions. Most recently, Vestavia finished first to Buchholz High School of Gainesville, Florida at a national competition in Rickards, Florida. Other successes include four victories at the regional Furman University Wylie Mathematics Tournament from 1999 to 2004

The debate team, winners of seven national championships, has the distinction of being the first team in history to win both the Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the Policy Debate in the National Forensic League championships. Vestavia is also one of two schools to have two national champions in Lincoln-Douglas debate Tournament of Champions (debate).

In 2008, Vestavia won the national Economics Challenge, and its We the People team has won national acclaim since 2005, most recently winning second in the nation at both the 2009 and 2010 National Finals in Washington, DC.

Vestavia's newspaper, The Vedette, received the All-Alabama award for the 2005-2006 school year and has won state-level honors every year since then. The All-Alabama award, sponsored by the Alabama Scholastic Press Association is the highest award that can be given to a high school newspaper in Alabama. Its literary and visual arts magazine, "The Muse," won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown award (sponsored by Columbia University) for the 2008-2009 school year, one of the highest national awards; as well as several National Scholastic Press Association awards in the past.

The students of Vestavia Hills raised over $165,000.00 for the Relay for Life charity in 2013. This is run entirely by students and placed Vestavia High School in the top 3 high schools in America for raising money for this charity. Each year students also donate over 23,000 canned goods for local food banks. The Habitat for Humanity Club, currently the largest club at Vestavia Hills High School, has financed and built 8 homes for needy people.

Music Department

Vestavia has a long-standing tradition of a quality music department. Both the band and choir have won numerous state and regional awards, and consistently place best-in-class in competition. Vestavia's jazz program, in particular, has been notable since its founding by bandleader Ted Galloway. The bands are currently under the direction of Jerell Horton, assisted by Heather Palmer. The band marched in the New Year's Day Parade in London on January 1, 2010.

The Vestavia Wind Ensemble is known nationally for its high standards and challenging repertoire excelled through goals set by director Jerell Horton. The ensemble has participated in events such as the MFA National Concert Festival, Alabama Honor Band, and Alabama Music Educator's Conference.

Vestavia's choirs are currently under the direction of Megan Rudolph.

Athletic programs

Vestavia Hills High School fields varsity teams in football, cheerleading, basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling, golf, tennis, softball, swimming, volleyball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.

The Vestavia athletics program has produced several notable successes. The soccer, golf and tennis teams have enjoyed notable successes. The baseball team, under the late Coach Sammy Dunn, won nine state titles in the highest division of competition, including seven straight from 1994–2000 and the 1998 national championship. Dunn's 27-year record at Vestavia was 647-146.

The Rebels' wrestling teams won three Class 6A state team championships 2007-09. The wrestling team, under Coach Steve Gaydosh, has won 12 state titles and the school has won 13 overall. The 13 state titles ranks second in the state behind Benjamin Russell's (Alexander City) 14 state titles.

Vestavia athletics enjoyed tremendous success during the 2006-07 school year, as the girl's soccer, girl's tennis, and wrestling teams won 6A state championships. The boy's soccer team placed second in the state and the football team made it to the state semi-finals. The football team returned to the semi-finals in 2007.

The varsity cheerleading squad competes annually, and On February 14, 2010, VHHS won the national UCA cheerleading competition in Orlando, Florida.

The Vestavia boys outdoor track and field team won the 6A state championships in 2008.

The Vestavia varsity boys basketball team won the 6A state championship in 2009. Coach George Hatchett has won 2 state championships at Vestavia. He currently has won more state championships in basketball than any local varsity basketball coach.

The Vestavia varsity boys cross country team won the 6A state championship in 2012.

The Vestavia varsity boys tennis team, under legendary coach Adam Kolasa, won the 6A state championship in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

The Vestavia varsity boys soccer team won the 6A state championship in 2013.

The P.A. "Voice of the Rebels" for football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, and other sports, is Tommy Buchanan.

Buddy Anderson Field

Buddy Anderson Field (at Thompson Reynolds Stadium) is home of the Vestavia Hills Rebels. The field is named after current head coach Buddy Anderson. Anderson has been coaching at Vestavia since 1972, and has remained the head coach since 1978.

Alumni

Notable alumni of Vestavia Hills High School include:

References

External links