West Philadelphia High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = West Philadelphia High School

motto=
type = Public secondary
grades = 9–12 and preK
established= 1912
city = Philadelphia
state = Pennsylvania
country = USA
enrollment = 1783
mascot = Speedboys and Speedgirls
colors = Orange and Blue
principal= Saliyah Cruz
newspaper = The West Side Story
yearbook = The Western Record
website = http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/westphila/Infobox_nrhp | name =West Philadelphia High School
nrhp_type =


caption = The West facing facade of WPHS. Formerly the Boys entrance.
location= 4700 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 57
lat_seconds = 16.21
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 75
long_minutes = 13
long_seconds = 1.38
long_direction = W
locmapin = Pennsylvania
area =
built =1911
architect= Henry deCoursey Richards; Grays & Co.
architecture= Late Gothic Revival
added = December 04, 1986
governing_body = Local
mpsub=Philadelphia Public Schools TR
refnum=86003345cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

West Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The school was completed on November 1, 1912. and occupies an entire city block between 47th and 48th streets, between Walnut Street and Locust Street. It was originally divided into a boys and girls school, but both were combined in the 50's to ease administration and streamline education.

Administration and Staff

Principal: Mrs. Saliyiah Cruz
Assistant Principals: Dr. Russ Gallagher and Mr. Parker

West Philadelphia High School has over 162 full time faculty and staff members, including teachers, teaching assistants, non-teaching assistants (NTA's) and maintenance and housekeeping staff. Because of the grand scale of facility, many of the staff and faculty are dived into "communities" that support subdivisions of the student body in various areas of the building.

chool Mission

The mission of West Philadelphia High School is to provide the students with a quality education to ensure that they graduate with the requisite knowledge, skills and personal philosophy to be effective citizens--well-prepared for their futures in the world of work, college or any other post-secondary education. The entire staff is committed to creating and maintaining a positive school climate, which engenders students' academic success and personal development.

History

West Philadelphia High School (WPHS), Philadelphia's first secondary school West of the Schuylkill,opened in 1912 with a student population in excess of 5,500. Such was the press on the new high school, which originally stood as two separate buildings for boys and girls, that the City was compelled to open Overbrook High School in 1926; a third high school, John Bartram, followed in 1935.

mall Learning Communities

*AIR - Aviation and Aerospace Academy
*AIM - Academic Improvement and Motivation Charter
*AUTO - Automotive Academy
*LAPS - Law and Public Safety
*BUS - Business Institute Charter
*HRT - Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Academy
*CDT - Communications, Design, & Technology

ports Programs & Extra Curricular Activities

* Senior Prom
* Cheer leading Squad
*
* Dance Club
* Musicals
* Choir
* Volleyball
* Baseball
* Boys & Girls Basketball
* Football
* Track
* Philadelphia Student Union
* Hip Hop Club- Project P.E.A.C.E

Recent Developments

West Philadelphia High School has been in the news recently for a number of inspiring activities. Most recently the West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team (WPEVP)has been receiving nationwide press over its hybrid race car. The team, developed as a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, has been profiled in "The Philadelphia Inquirer", "Popular Mechanics", and the local ABC affiliate Channel Six's Action News, and countless websites and newsletters.

In addition, the school is slated to receive a new building to replace the 90 year old structure, one of the oldest school buildings under continuous use in the state, in the next two years as part of a district-wide capitol improvement plan. despite the enthusiasm for a new home, the new construction is not without controversy. The school is currently in one of the most densely populated areas of Philadelphia. Locating the new building has been a two-year process that has involved numerous community meets, planning sessions, and has even necessitated the purchase of an entire city block. Current schedules call for the demolition of a block of apartment building to make way for site preparation.

References

External links

[http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/westphila/ West Philadelphia High School website]
[http://www.penn-partners.org/evteam/ West Philadelphia High School EV team website]
[http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/pa/2110 Great School's info on WPHS]
[http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/stories/?storyId=10385 Public School Insights Story on WPHS]