Salem High School (Georgia)

Infobox School
name = Salem High School


imagesize =
logo =
caption =
location = 3551 Underwood Road
Conyers, Georgia 30013
district = Rockdale County Public Schools
country = USA
coordinates =
principal = Gloria V. Jackson
viceprincipal =
faculty = 105.2 (on FTE basis)cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=130441002193&ID=130441002193 |title=Salem High School |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |accessdate=2008-05-16 |quote=Students: 1670 (2005-2006)]
ratio = 15.9
enrollment = about 1,600
enrollment_as_of = 2007-08
type = Public
grades = 9 to 12
gender = Coeducational
accreditation = Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
conference =
slogan =
motto =
mascot = Seminoles
mascot

sports =
team_name =
nickname = SHS
colors = Maroon and Gold
established = 1991
newspaper = "The Signal"
yearbook = The War Cry
footnotes = [http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/schools/shs/default.aspx Salem High School website] . Retrieved on 2008-05-16.] [http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/schools/shs/Pages/About%20Our%20School.aspx About Our School] . Salem High School. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.]
homepage = [http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/schools/shs/default.aspx Website]

Salem High School is a public high school located in Conyers, Georgia, U.S. The school educates about 1,600 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Rockdale County Public Schools district.

General information

Salem High School is located in Conyers, Georgia outside of metro Atlanta. First led by Robert Creswell, it was established in 1991 as the third high school in Rockdale County, coming to be known as the Seminoles. There are approximately 1600 students enrolled. The school has been named a State School of Excellence twice, once in 1999 and again in 2007. The school was also named a National School of Excellence in 2000. The major goals of Salem High School include providing flexibility of academic time, providing teacher control of academic blocks, providing collaborative time for planning, and moving from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom. The focus of Salem High School is on helping students learn to use their minds well. The school practices are tailored to meet the needs of every group of students. Teaching and learning are personalized to the maximum extent. Salem High School is a unique place of learning where the student is the worker and the teacher acts as the coach. Currently, the school is under the leadership of interim principal (former assistant principal to now retired Cresswell) Gloria Jackson.

Salem offers a variety of courses for almost every interest. With a selection of twelve Advanced Placement classes, every year hundreds of students in the school sign up to take one or possibly more AP tests.

In the Taylor's Publishing Yearbook Yearbook for 2007, it was brought to the attention of the staff that they received the Honorable Mention recognition award for their annual themed "Making Connections".

Athletics

Salem is a part of the GHSA in Region 8-AAAA. The athletic teams consists of Football, Softball, Competition Cheerleading, Swim Team, Women and Men's basketball, Baseball, Women and Men's soccer, golf, tennis, track & field and cross country. While still in the development stages, the first decade of football play was disappointing. However, in 2004 the football Seminoles rose as a power house in an Undefeated season and went to the Georgia Dome, in their greatest playoff berth, but losing to Statesboro, leaving them in a 13-1 season. In 2005, they had another great year, once again winning the region championship, but losing in the 2nd round play-off to Marist High School, 35-14. During the 2007-2008 football season the Seminoles had yet another successful season with a record of 9-2 and winning the region 8-AAAA chamionship again this year. This has made the Football Seminoles the most winningiest team in Region 8-AAAA for the past four years with a combined record of 38-9. Salem Soccer has held a tradition of excellence, especially 2008, with the Varsity girls team only having one loss. Both the Girls and Boys teams have attended state playoffs almost every year since the school's opening. Also, both teams have won multiple region championships. For 10 years, the Swim Team has held the "Conyers Cup" (award given to the team that has defeated the other two Conyers schools.)

Fine arts

The Salem fine arts program currently consists of a wind ensemble, two symphonic bands, girls, mixed, and show choirs, as well as the Theatre Salem program consisting of the Musical Theater and Tech Theater classes, which give the groups school time to prepare for shows. The Salem High School "Pride of the Tribe" Marching band has more than 200 awards recorded, one including the Grand Champion award from the Phenix City, Alabama Invitational in the year 2002 with the show "An American in Paris." Under the direction of Jeffrey Rowser, the band has participated at ceremonies in Toronto, London, and on two occasions, the Pearl Harbor anniversary in Waikiki, Hawai'i in 2003 and the 65th commemoration of the attack over Thanksgiving week 2006. Since changing hands to former assistant director to Jeffrey Rowser, Shawn Geiger, in the 2006-2007 school year, the band has also been invited to Rome, Italy (however, due to money issues, the trip has since been cancelled, but the band still takes pride in being the first school to be invited) and most recently, a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida has been planned. While there, they will work with a Disney clinician while they will record a soundtrack for an upcoming Disney motion picture.

The Theatre Salem program is completely student run and operated, with the overlook of the technical & theatrical directors. Theatre Salem is in its 16th season, and is part of the Thespian Troupe #5120. Theatre Salem's Recent production of Urinetown was selected to be presented at the state theatre competition in 2008. Currently, the Musical Theatre group is working on Thoroughly Modern Millie. A musical that involves tap dancing, many members are trying this style of dance for the first time, and are successfully doing so.

Changes

Originally built without a football stadium and using the fields of inner city schools, Heritage High and Rockdale County High, Salem now has its own football stadium. With a double sided seating area, the stadium holds 5,000 spectators (3,000 on the home side, 2,000 on away.) The stadium facility includes a large field house complete with visitor and home team locker rooms, a weight room, restrooms,and a concession stand.

In addition to the football stadium, the school has received a softball field, and another practice field.

On the front of the building, there has been an addition and expansion to the entire fine arts wing, which includes a music technology lab. This addition allows students to compose music as well as learn the basics and fundamentals of music.

References

External links

* [http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/schools/shs/default.aspx Salem High School website]