Woodside High School (Newport News)

Infobox School
name= Woodside High School


imagesize= 125px
streetaddress= 13450 Woodside Lane
city= Newport News
state= Virginia
country= USA
zipcode= 23608
district= Newport News Public Schools
superintendent= Ms. Ashby Kilgore
principal= Mrs. Susan Tilley
viceprincipal= Mr. Carl Williams
Ms. Michelle Banks
Mr. David Flowers
Ms. Ramona Palmer
viceprincipal_label=Assistant Principals
administrator= Mr. John Boyles (Arts Magnet)
staff=
type= Public
schooltype= high school
grades= 9–12
language= English
communities=
feeders=
campus= Suburban
mascot= Wolverines
colors= colorbox|teal colorbox|purple Teal and Purple
founded= 1996
enrollment= 2020
enrollment_as_of= October 2007
yearbook= Legacy
rival= Denbigh High School
conference= Virginia High School League
Peninsula District Eastern Region
website= http://woodside.nn.k12.va.us
bgcolor_section= #800080
bgcolor_label= #008080
bgcolor_value= #EEEEEE
bgcolor_address= #EEEEEE
bgcolor_url= #EEEEEE

Woodside High School is one of five high schools in Newport News, Virginia. The school colors are purple and teal. The school's mascot is a wolverine. Opening in 1996, Woodside's sports teams have already won three state titles: one in softball (2001) and two for boys basketball (2003-04 and 2004-05).Fact|date=September 2008 The school's boys and girls athletic teams are known as the Wolverines and Lady Wolverines respectively. The school was ranked 416th by Newsweek magazine's "America's Best High Schools" in terms of high schools and exam testing.Fact|date=September 2008 Woodside has been accredited by the Virginia Department of Education since the 2003-04 school year, and has some of the highest passing rates in Newport News.Fact|date=September 2008

Woodside High School, located in the northern side of Newport News, opened its doors to students in September 1996. Woodside offers its students a unique learning environment in that it contains three learning "houses" designed to break down the larger school into several smaller, more personal learning environments. In February of 2006, the time between class periods was changed from ten minutes to six minutes as a result of a controversial incident popularly dubbed a "riot".Fact|date=September 2008 In 2006, the distinctions between the three houses were more or less removed, in hopes of restricting as many of a student's classes as possible to one hall.

The Wolverine Walk

The Wolverine Walk Consists of the 5 R's:-

* Right - to be accountable for yourself and to respond wisely
* Respect - to know and to do what is right and ethical
* Responsibility - to act with purpose and good sense
* Reason - to have self-regard and to show respect for others
* Resilience - to bounce back from adversity

Essential Learnings at Woodside

Students are expected to become:

* Self-directed learners
* Collaborative workers
* Complex thinkers
* Quality producers
* Community contributors

Creative Arts Magnet

Woodside is the home of the Center for the Arts and Communication, which encompasses music, performing arts, visual arts, and writing.

Students may specialize in:

*Music: theory, musicianship, performing, composing, arranging
*Dance: with emphasis on ballet and modern dance, choreography
*Drama: acting, directing, producing, stagecraft, scenery, lighting, costumes
*Creative writing: create original poetry, prose, essays, scriptwriting, historical fiction and critical reviews
*Communications: journalism, production, engineering and technology and public relations
*Visual arts: painting, printmaking, drawing, clay sculpture, mixed media, computer art, and photography

Distinctive Features
* Arts instruction at a depth, level, and rigor not found in other Newport News high schoolsFact|date=September 2008
* Opportunities to pursue an intensive study of the arts to enhance the student's overall academic program
* Chance to work and study with arts professionals
* Interdisciplinary study linking the arts with other disciplines
* Earned Adequate Yearly Progress designation for meeting or exceeding federal standards for "No Child Left Behind"
* Creative writers experience one-on-one conferences, peer evaluations, group readings, visiting authors and the Writing Center

Demographics

As of October 2007 [ [http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/schools/woodside.shtml] Woodside High School Demographics From Newport News Public Schools]

Total Enrollment: 2,020 (100.0%)

Gender:
*Male: 895 (44.3%)
*Female: 1,125 (55.7)%

Ethnicity:
* Native American: 16 (0.8%)
* Asian/Pacific Islander: 69 (3.4%)
* Black: 1,113 (55.1%)
* Hispanic: 140 (6.9%)
* White: 655 (32.4%)
* Unspecified: 27 (1.3%)

Special Education: 200 (9.9%)

Talented and Gifted: 134 (6.6%)

Economically Disadvantaged: 567 (28.1%)

Criticisms

In early 2006, several fights broke out as well as a large scuffle that several of the students referred to as a "riot."Fact|date=September 2008 To punish the students, principal Stephanie Hautz reduced the time between classes, allowing students less time in the halls to socialize or "fight." Students had ten minutes between classes, the longest time of all the city's high schools. It was cut back to six minutes, with hopes to cut down on problems in the halls. Tardiness was already an issue prevalent in the school, and the fight was related to the amount of time between classes. Several Newport News police officers were also on site at the school for a few days after to dissuade any further attempts of violence. No further incidents have occurred, but students protested the schedule change, saying that six minutes was not enough time to get from class to class. For the 2007-2008 school year, students have 8 minutes. Rumors of gang fights also became a major issue, and drug problems led to a police dog search in which all the students were directed to leave their belongings in the hallway and remain in class while the dogs were out.

Gun Incident

On February 6, 2008, a student was arrested for bringing a loaded handgun into the building. Police reports indicate that administrators were made aware of the gun by an anonymous informant's call before the school opened for the day. The student, a 16-year-old sophomore at the time, was arrested during the school's first period of the day and taken into custody. Police found in his waistband a .40 caliber Glock and eight bullets. There were no bullets in the chamber, but the gun was loaded. No students were injured. [ [http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_020608_gun_at_nn_school.96637ece.html NN student took gun from friend's home, police say | TOP STORIES | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia ] ]

ee also

* Newport News Public Schools

External links

* [http://woodside.nn.k12.va.us/ Woodside High School]

References