Fort Myers Senior High School

Infobox_School
name =Fort Myers High School
nickname =Green Wave


imagesize =200px
type =Secondary School
established =October 19, 1911
type =Public
district =Lee County School District
grades =9-12
country =USA
principal =David LaRosa
mascot =Green Wave/Tsunami Sam
location =2635 Cortez Blvd
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Information =239.995.2117
website = [http://www.lee.k12.fl.us/schools/fmh/ Fort Myers High School]
colors =Green and White

Fort Myers Senior High School (also known as "FMHS") is a public school in Fort Myers, Florida, USA. It was opened October 19, 1911, making it one of the oldest schools in the state of Florida, and the oldest in Lee County.Fact|date=December 2007 It is managed by the Lee County School District. The enrollment for the 2005-2006 school year was 2200 students.

Many previous principals of Fort Myers High have gone on to hold leading positions in the Lee County School District, including the current Superintendent of Lee County School District, Dr. James Browder, and Director of Student Services, Richard Shafer.Fact|date=December 2007

Fort Myers Senior High School offers the International Baccalaureate program, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, Vocational, Honors and general education classes. Additionally, FMHS is the only school in Southwest Florida with an Academy of Finance program.Fact|date=December 2007 In addition to the educational programs, the school has thirty FHSAA athletic teams for both young men and women.

Fort Myers High School is home to several Nationally Board Certified teachers and several past winners of the Golden Apple award, given to six of Lee County's finest teachers by the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools.Fact|date=December 2007

Reputation

Academically, Fort Myers High School has been ranked among the top of America's high schools by "Newsweek" magazine, due to the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests it administers to students every year.Fact|date=December 2007 In the 2004-2005 school year, the school was ranked the 62nd best school in the United States; in the 2003-2004 school year, it ranked as the 32nd best. Newsweek claims that their rankings indicate which schools are America's "best;" however, some argue that the use of this qualifier is misleading. [ [http://slate.msn.com/id/1004764/ These Aren't America's Best High Schools - James Fallows - Slate Magazine ] ] In an effort to clarify what the rankings actually mean, the "Washington Post" chose to state that the rankings actually denoted not the "best" American high schools, but rather the "most challenging" American high schools. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/education/shoulders/challenge/2003nationalindex.htm washingtonpost.com: The Most Challenging American High Schools ] ] The school is often referred to as the "Ritz Carlton" of schools.

In the 2004-2005 school year, the Fort Myers Senior High School mathematics team placed twentieth in the Nation in the 2004 Ciphering Time Trials contest. In addition, in the 2006-2007 school year, the Fort Myers Senior High School Calculus mathematics team placed 9th in the nation at the Mu Alpha Theta National convention in Tampa, Florida.Fact|date=September 2007

It should also by noted that Fort Myers has a reputable JROTC battalion. It's Drill Team has won the Florida State Drill Meet twice, in 2004 and in 2006, the only school in the county to achieve this feat.Fact|date=December 2007

Additionally, three student teams from Fort Myers High School have been awarded the Future Business Leaders of America organization 1st place title in the Network Design category at the national level.Fact|date=December 2007 The awards were received at the 2004, 2005, and 2006 National Leadership Conferences. The Fort Myers High School chapter of the FBLA organization also holds numerous past district, and state level titles in various categories of competition.

Athletic Rivals

Cypress Lake High School: (The Panthers) The Cypress Lake High School Varsity football team has only ever won four games against the Fort Myers Green Wave, most recently on Friday, September 8th, 2006. Their recent win broke a 23 year losing streak.Fact|date=December 2007

North Fort Myers High School: (The Red Knights) North Fort Myers High School is without a doubt the Green Wave's biggest rival. Football games between the two teams are usually very crowded, nearly always selling out. The Varsity Football game between North Fort Myers and Fort Myers, which took place on October 27th, 2006, was covered live by ESPNU.Fact|date=December 2007

Bishop Verot High School: (The Vikings) The Bishop Verot Varsity volleyball team is a significant rival for the Fort Myers Lady Wave Varsity Volleyball team, and the Green Wave Varsity Basketball team. The two teams play each other in the final game of the regular season. The game is usually sold out days in advance. The Vikings have won the last two meetings against the Green Wave, including a 77-59 win on February 1, 2008. Recent games between the two teams have become quite intense.

Notable alumni

The school has produced several notable alumni:

* Connie Mack [ [http://mack.house.gov United States Congressman Connie Mack :: Welcome ] ]
* Charles Ghigna - poet and children's author known as "Father Goose;" graduated 1964
* Nick Thompson [http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4373&SessionId=54 Nick Thompson] [ [http://www.ipicknick.com ***NICK THOMPSON*** Endorsed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce ] ]
* Jammi German [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1628 Jammi German] ]
* Adam Davis [ [http://www.gatorzone.com/baseball/bios.php?year=2006&bio=davis_a.html Adam Davis] ]
* Brittani Houghton [ [http://www.gatorzone.com/softball/bios.php?year=2003&bio=houghton.html Brittani Houghton] ]
* Madeline Gannon [ [http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11700&ATCLID=563774 Madeline Gannon] ]
* Stephen Murphy [ [http://www.albany.edu/sports/mens/soccer/roster.htm Stephen Murphy] ]
* Chris Wolf [ [http://www.nyu.edu/athletics/teams/soccer/m/roster.htm Chris Wolf] ]

References