Edmonds Woodway High School

Infobox US school
name = Edmonds-Woodway High School


image caption = Front entryway of Edmonds-Woodway
motto = There are two kinds of people in this world: Warriors and those who wish they were!
established = 1990
type = Public (magnet) Secondary School
district = Edmonds School District
grades = 9, 10, 11, 12
principal = Michelle Trifunovic
city = Edmonds
state = Washington
country = USA
campus type = Suburban
campus size =
enrollment = 1,822 (2006)
faculty = 200
mascot = The Warrior
mascot

colors = Purple & Green
homepage = [http://school.edmonds.wednet.edu/ewhs/]

Edmonds-Woodway High School is one of five high schools in the Edmonds School District in Edmonds, Washington, USA. It serves students in grades 9-12.

Principal Michelle Trifunovic, and assistant principals Geoff Bennett and Rob Johnson, are the current administrative leadership team. Edmonds-Woodway's first principal, Alan Weiss, retired in 2007.

The school's schedule consists of 95 minute periods on days other than Wednesdays and 90 minute periods with an advisory period on Wednesdays, both in an odd/even day format. The school follows a semester schedule.

The school's mascot is the Warrior.

History

Edmonds-Woodway was formed when Edmonds High School and Woodway High School, neighboring schools with a traditional rivalry, merged in 1990, after construction of a new school on the site of the old Edmonds High. The new building has good public access, across from Stevens Hospital, at the intersection of 76th Avenue and 212th St., close to Highway 99. The school is also accessible off 220th St., near exit 179 off Interstate I-5. The new building opened in the fall of 1998, receiving several regional and national awards, including the 1990 Masonry Institute of Washington's Masonry Excellence Award, for the use of masonry throughout the project, as well as the prestigious national annual design award of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International for the 1999 year, the James D. MacConnell Award for outstanding new educational facilities serving the needs of students, staff, and the community, and facilitating student achievement [ [http://www.cefpi.org/macconnell/winners.html 2008 James D. MacConnell Award ] ] . Bassetti Architects of Seattle were the architectural design firm for the new building.

Culture

Deaf Community

Edmonds-Woodway has the largest Deaf student population in the Edmonds School District, due to special programs offered. A number of Deaf students attend from surrounding school districts, who may decide to contract with ESD for their students to attend the EWHS program in cases where they cannot offer a comprehensive program to meet the needs of their Deaf students. Because of the presence of the Deaf student program and its resources, Edmonds-Woodway also offers a highly regarded ASL language program. American Sign Language is the language used by the Deaf community in the United States. Four years of instruction in ASL are offered to Hearing students at Edmonds-Woodway, who can take ASL in fulfillment of the World Languages requirement for high school graduation. Some students continue on to careers as Deaf Interpreters or as DHH Teachers (Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing). Nearby Shoreline Community College offers a two-year training program for Deaf Interpreters.

Fight song

At Edmonds-Woodway we will win
We’ll set out to succeed
We’re looking out for number one
We know that we will lead

Our pride and honor will be strong
Our fame will reach the sky
We’re setting out to be the best
At Edmonds Woodway High!

GO! FIGHT! WIN! WARRIORS!
GO! FIGHT! WIN! WARRIORS!

E-D-M-O-N-D-S
W-O-O-D-W-A-Y

So on for Edmonds-Woodway
We’ll give it our best try

Forever we shall stand as one
At Edmonds-Woodway High! [ [http://www.geocities.com/lifeofajamminwriter/fightsong fightsong ] ]

Alma Mater

* "Where majestic mountains tower, near the shores of Puget Sound"

* "Stands our honored alma mater, with its memories all around"

* "Ever strong will be our friendships, they'll live on though we depart"

* "We will love you, Edmonds Woodway, be forever in our hearts"

Academics

The school currently hosts the only International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in the Edmonds School District, which is one of only eight in the state of Washington to do so, and one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, with 600 IB-enrolled students and 55 Diploma programme graduates in 2006. Because of enrollment limitations in this popular and valuable program, in-district students whose home high school is not Edmonds-Woodway may participate in the program only as full IB program students. Students whose home high school is Edmonds-Woodway may participate as partial IB students, taking IB classes they choose. Many partial IB students take IB tests for one or several IB subject diplomas. These subject diplomas may qualify them for advanced placement in college coursework.

In 2005, the school boasted 8 National Merit Scholar Finalists, the most of any high school in the state. In 2006, 94% of the tenth graders met or exceeded reading standards on the standardized test, the WASL. 67% met or exceeded math standards. [The Seattle Times: School Guide. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/schoolguide/print_view.php?building_id=3604] That same year, the Edmonds Woodway Deaf Academic Bowl Team competed for the first time. It was the first team in the history of the Academic Bowl to win a Regional competition their first year.

Athletics

Edmonds Woodway hosts the Edmonds School District Stadium, which is the home field for all high schools in the Edmonds School District. EW's traditional in-district football rival is Meadowdale High School.

Cheerleading

EWHS is unusual in its cheerleading program, in that no coach is allowed to stay more than four years. This continual addition of "fresh blood" has allowed the program to maintain high levels of talent and training without favoritism or improvement by the coach.

In 2004 the EWHS cheerleading program decided against having male cheerleaders on the team and now have a completely female squad.

Transportation

All general-education students living one mile or more from Edmonds-Woodway take public buses of Community Transit rather than district-operated school buses. Those students all receive free bus passes at the beginning of each month of the school year from the school's attendance office. School buses run by the district transport athletes to games, and other school groups to certain field-trip activities. Students are more able to participate in after-school activities when they are able to take the next available bus home, rather than leaving immediately after school on a scheduled school bus.

Music Program

Edmonds-Woodway is well known for its excellent music program [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/wa/515] , including: bands and jazz bands, led by director Jake Bergevin; orchestras, led by Karen Thomson; and choirs, led by Charlotte Reese. The Edmonds-Woodway Jazz Band I is well known in WashingtonFact|date=October 2007, in New York City (where the band played in the yearly Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival, recently in 2007, and Moscow, Idaho, where Jazz I and II play in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival yearly. Edmonds-Woodway also supports three concert bands - the Freshman Concert Band, the Sophomore Symphonic Band, and the Wind Symphony, requiring audition. Choirs include Bel-Canto, for all students interested in choir, and Mello-Aires, a small ensemble with audition required, which performs and competes. A newer jazz choir also performs on occasions. Orchestral groups include Concert Orchestra, for freshman string players, Symphonic Orchestra, for grades 10-12, and Chamber Orchestra, a small group chosen by audition. For selected concerts, Full Orchestra includes advanced wind and percussion players from the Wind Symphony group. Two academic music courses are also offered: History of Rock and Roll, and IB Music, music theory and music history for instrumental performers.

Craft Fair

On the first Saturday each December, the Parent Music Boosters hold a holiday craft fair. Held in the Great Hall since 1993, this is a well-regarded fundraiser for the music program. Over 60 crafters participate, with a review committee choosing varied, quality holiday arts and crafters from applications. Applications are available on-line at the EWHS PSO website (see below )each fall, or by mail upon request. Entry fees and the sales of concessions benefit the music groups. Student groups from the orchestra, choir and wind programs perform, and many music students also volunteer. Visitors enjoy hearing the holiday music. This fair has become a tradition of the Edmonds community.

Big Band Dance

Held every year in April as a school dance, the dance is set entirely to swing music, mostly from the 1920s to 1950s. The school's two jazz bands perform, as well as the College Place Middle School jazz band and Madrona Middle School's jazz band. Nearly all five hours of the dance are live music, with an hour of professional swing dancing lessons held before the dance. David Quinn has been the notable emcee for the past few years.

Notable Alumni

* Rick Steves, host of his own TV show, celebrated Marijuana activist and author of several books about traveling Europe on a budget (graduated from the old Edmonds High School, before it merged with Woodway High School).
* Anna Faris, actress. Best known for roles in "Just Friends" (2005), "Lost in Translation" (2003), and star of the "Scary Movie" series. [cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002943211_faris21.html|title=The Seattle Times: Arts & Entertainment: Edmonds actress having fun with "Scary" movies, growing career|publisher=Seattle Times|accessdate=2007-06-05]
*Kevin Forrest, professional soccer player for the Seattle Sounders

References

External links

* [http://staff.edmonds.wednet.edu/ewhs/ Official Site: Edmonds Woodway HS]
* [http://www.ewhsmusic.com/ Official Edmonds Woodway Music Department]
* [http://www.ewpso.org/ Edmonds Woodway Parent Staff Organization]