Atlantic Community High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Atlantic Community High School
picture =
principal = Dr. Kathleen Weigel
city = Delray Beach
state = Florida
country = USA
established = 1949
campus = Suburban
type = Public Secondary (Magnet)
students = 2363
grades = 9–12
free_label_2 = Magnet Programs
free_2 = International Baccalaureate
JROTC
district = School District of Palm Beach County
mascot = Eagles
colors = Green and White
newspaper = "The Squall"
yearbook = "Nautilus"
website = http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/AtlanticHS/

Atlantic Community High School is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. It is known for its International Baccalaureate magnet program and for its academics in general; in the Newsweek high-school rankings, the school was listed 57th in 2004, 18th in 2005 and 25th in 2006. In 2005, the school moved to a new location and added a freshman academy and a construction-oriented magnet program. As of 2008, the principal is Dr. Kathleen Weigel.

History

Seacrest High School was built in 1949 as a school for white students in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida. African-American students of the cities attended Carver High School, which later became Carver Middle School and is now the Delray Beach Full Service Center. In 1961, the school began the process of desegregation and changed its name to Atlantic Community High School. The school adopted the colors of Seacrest High School (Green and White) and the mascot of Carver High School (the eagle). In 1989, the school became an International Baccalaureate World School. In 2004, the school moved from its original location on Seacrest Blvd. to Atlantic Ave.

Student Demographics

As of 2007, Atlantic Community High School had 2343 students. Its student body was 52% African-American, 30% white, 11% Hispanic, 7% Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and 3% multiracial, and less than 1% Native American. The total enrollment is 2343 students. [ [http://doeweb-prd.doe.state.fl.us/eds/nclbspar/nclb0607.cfm?dist_schl=50_862 No Child Left Behind Accountability Reports] , retrieved 2008-04-22]

Academic and Magnet Programs

International Baccalaureate

Atlantic is home to the International Baccalaureate program for the southern portion of Palm Beach County. It is regarded as a model school for this program due to its consistently high testing.Fact|date=April 2008 In 2006, 66 students graduated with the IB diploma.

Construction Academy

Atlantic's construction academy was added to the school beginning in fall 2005. The students of the academy are designing and building a house called the "Eagle Nest" in collaboration with the city of Delray Beach. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in December 2005.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Atlantic participates in the 6A athletic division. It participates in 43 sports including football, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, bowling, volleyball, cross country, track and field, lacrosse, among others.Fact|date=April 2008

JROTC

Atlantic also is home to the Eagle Battalion of the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The Eagle Battalion is an Honor Unit with Distinction and has an award-winning drill team.Fact|date=April 2008

Band

The Atlantic marching band has performed around the United States, including at halftime of the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana),Fact|date=April 2008 the 2000 Aloha Festival Parade (Waikiki, Hawaii),Fact|date=April 2008 the 2005 New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade,Fact|date=April 2008 and the 2007 Saint Patrick's Day parade in Savannah, Georgia.Fact|date=April 2008

Mu Alpha Theta

Atlantic's competition math club is Mu Alpha Theta. Atlantic participates in several regional competitions and the annual state competition held in Orlando.Fact|date=April 2008

Other

The school also supports an Academic Team, a French Club, and Environmental Club, a Literary Club, a Young Democrats Club, an Art Club, an International Culture Club, a yearbook, a newspaper, and chapters of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.Fact|date=April 2008

Notable alumni

*Mike Rumph, cornerback for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL
*Omar Jacobs, former quarterback for Bowling Green State University, fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2006 NFL Draft, and former quarterback for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe.

References

External links

* [http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/AtlanticHS/ School site]
* [http://www.achsmusic.org Band site]
* [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12532678/site/newsweek/ Newsweek's 1200 Top U.S. Schools for 2005]