Columbus High School (Columbus, Georgia)

Columbus High School Liberal Arts Magnet
Location
1700 Cherokee Ave. Columbus, GA 31906 United States
Coordinates	32°28′46″N 84°57′48″W / 32.479395°N 84.963285°W / 32.479395; -84.963285Coordinates: 32°28′46″N 84°57′48″W / 32.479395°N 84.963285°W / 32.479395; -84.963285
Information
Type	Public magnet school for the liberal arts
Established	1890
Principal	Dr. Crumbs
Enrollment	1300
Color(s)	Orange and blue
Mascot	Blue Devils
Information	(706) 748–2534
Ratio	24 students to 1 teacher
Partners in Education	AFLAC
Website	Columbus High School

Columbus High School is located in Columbus, Georgia, USA. It serves as one of the Muscogee County School District's Liberal Arts Magnet school. It opened in 1890 and has been located throughout the city. In the 2006–2007 school year it was ranked #9. In 2005, the school shared the ranking as the top high school in the state of Georgia^{[citation needed]}. This ranking was shared with John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Georgia.

Graduation requirements

All Liberal Arts College Preparatory Magnet students entering the program as 9th graders must earn a total of 32 Carnegie units. To stay in the magnet program, students must maintain at least a "C" average in any taken course. Failure to do so can result in the removal of the student from Columbus High School, the one exception being for Freshmen who fail during their first semester, as the transition to high school might be overwhelming. Students take one core course each year in English, Math, Science and Social Studies.

Course type	Credits needed
English	4 units
Foreign Language	3 units
Math	4 units
Science	4 units
Social Studies	4 units
Physical Education	1/2 unit
Health	1/2 unit
Humanities	1 unit
Academic Electives	3 units
Student Choice Electives	6 units
Fine Arts Elective	1 unit

Community involvement

Each year, students serve 20 hours of volunteer work around the area as part of their Social Studies class. 12th graders do a senior project in which they must pick an activity they have never tried before, have a mentor teach the student what to do and how do it. Each senior must spend 100 hours on it and maintain a portfolio documenting their progress from the summer before their senior year until the final presentation in April. Then they must present their project in the form of a speech to a board.^[1]

Eligibility

Students qualify for entrance into the program based on:

• 8th grade course averages of an 82 or better with the exception of algebra and foreign languages.
• Recommendations from middle school counselor, Math, and English teachers.
• Entrance exams performance in math, reading, and composition.
• Students must maintain a "C" average in each academic course with the exception of one "F" in their Freshman year.

Location

The school sits atop a hill in the Lakebottom area of the city and across Cherokee Avenue from Lakebottom/Weracoba park, where the school shares athletic facilities with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.

Discipline

Students are required to wear ID cards around their necks at all times during school hours. It serves as the students' library and lunch card and can only be removed at the end of the day off of school property. Lack of wearing student ID can result in detention, and is the most common disciplinary problem at the school.

The second most common infraction at the school results from the school district's cell phone policy. In accordance to the policy, if cell phones are used in class and discovered, they are confiscated and a student is assigned detention. The cell phone may be retrieved by the parents after a few days, depending on the regularity of the offense.

Activities

Students can spend their time out of class in the following extracurricular activities.

Athletics

Columbus High School is ranked fourth (2004) in AAAA schools in Georgia. The school is rated AAA by student population. Two thirds of the students participate in 41 teams:

• Boys'/Girls' Cross Country: 2008 and 2010 Girls AAA State Champions
• Boys'/Girls' Track
• Boys'/Girls' Basketball
• Boys'/Girls' Tennis
• Boys'/Girls' Golf
• Boys'/Girls' Soccer
• Baseball: 2009 AAA State Champions
• Football
• Marching Band- Drumline/Colorguard
• JROTC Drill Team
• JROTC Colorguard
• JROTC Raiders
• Swim Team
• Softball: 2009 State Champions
• Cheerleading (Competition (2008 and 2010 AAA State Champions), Football, and Basketball)
• Wrestling: 2006 AAA State Champions
• Rifle Team
• Girls' Volleyball: 2007 AAA State Champions
• Girls' Lacrosse
• Rugby

Fine Arts

The school is the recipient of state awards including three state one act play competition wins, the most recent being in 2007 with the play, "Bee-Luther-Hatchee." The department typically produces three plays and one musical yearly through their company, Full House Productions, in the small CHS Auditorium.

The CHS Chorus puts on concerts throughout the school year, including the annual Potluck, Christmas Concert, and Spring Concert.

The orchestra, concert bands, jazz ensemble and advanced choirs have consistently earned superior ratings at competitions. Many CHS vocalists and instrumentalists are typically chosen for All-District, All-State, and the Governor's Honors Program. In the visual arts, individuals exhibit and compete locally and statewide using painting, sculpture/pottery, and photography.

Students take at least one Fine Arts class in order to graduate from Columbus High School.

Clubs/organizations

Young Activists; Junior Civitan; GSA; Ballroom Dance Club; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; National Art Honor Society; National Honor Society; Beta Club; National English Honor Society; National German Honor Society; Students Against Destructive Decisions; Language Clubs: Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Latin; Science Club; Robotics Club (Georgia State BotBall competition winner); Dead Poet's Society; Competition Mathematics Team; Academic Decathlon; Thespians Drama Society; Dance Team; Model UN; Gavel Club; Fired Up; Debate; Youth Alive; Student Council; Chess Club; Mock Trial Club

Publications

The school newspaper and Sampler pieces are written by students as part of their Creative Writing class.

• The Blue Streak, Newspaper
• The Sampler, Literature/Art magazine
• COHISCAN, Yearbook (Columbus HIgh SChool ANnual)

History

Notable alumni

• Carson McCullers, American writer
• Frank Thomas, professional baseball player
• Nunnally Johnson, filmmaker/screenwriter
• Sam Mitchell, NBA player and head coach
• Reggie Abercrombie, Major League Baseball player
• Ketia Swanier, (WNBA Basketball Player), Phoenix Mercury

Timeline

• 1890: the High School opens with co-educational classes. Classes are held in the existing Boys School at 10th Street and 2nd Avenue.
• 1891: Mr. Homer Wright is elected principal of the High School and serves until he becomes Superintendent of Schools.
• 1891–1892: the High School moves into the Bussey Home.
• June 1892: the first class graduates from Columbus High School. The class is composed of sixteen girls and two boys. Graduation exercises are held at the Springer Opera House.
• 1897–1898: a building is constructed to house the High School at 11th Street and 4th Avenue.
• Fall 1898: the High School at 11th Street and 4th Avenue opens for classes.
• 1900: three curricula are adopted for students – college preparation, classical and scientific.
• 1904–1907: Georgia high schools begin to be accredited by the University of Georgia.
• 1913: The first COHISCAN, the CHS annual, was published. The name is derived from COlumbus HIgh SChool ANnual.
• 1919: Junior ROTC is added.
• 1921: Miss Edwina Wood, a member of the 1892 CHS graduating class, is appointed to the School Board. Miss Wood is the first woman appointed to this board and serves for twenty years.
• 1923: the "Blue Devil" nickname is first applied by Gen. John J. Pershing in reference to spirited game play exhibited against Phillips High in Birmingham, Alabama. Previous to this time several nicknames had been used for the CHS sports teams. The "Orange Avalanche" is perhaps the best known.
• May 31, 1924: a bond election is held to approve the purchase of land for and the building of a new high school. The bond passes "overwhelmingly."
• 1924–1925: sixteen acres in Wildwood Park are selected as the site of the new high school. Starrett and Van Vlock of New York are chosen as designing architects with Hickman and Martin as local architects.
• Sept. 2, 1925: the cornerstone for the new building is set at 1700 Cherokee Avenue.
• Sept. 16, 1926: the dedication exercises for the building at 1700 Cherokee Avenue take place.
• 1934: Home Economics is added to the curriculum.
• 1943–1945: Miss Annie Massey, the first female CHS High School principal, leads the school during the war years.
• 1962–1963: the building is expanded and additions are made.
• June 12, 1981: fire ravages the original section of the building.
• 1981–1983: construction and renovations to the building are undertaken. Air conditioning is added. Grades are split and classes held at two locations, Rosemont School and Columbus Junior High School.
• Aug. 27, 1983: rededication ceremonies are held.
• 1988: construction of the alumni wall begins with first students of class of 1988.
• 1990: Wilfred Graves, Jr. becomes the first African-American valedictorian of Columbus High School.
• 1990–1991: Centennial Celebration. Ceremonies are conducted including recognizing AFLAC as our Partner In Education.
• 1991–1992: the first year of the Liberal Arts Magnet program; entering freshman class included the first magnet students. Ms. Linda Kellett is the founding lead teacher of the program. The first section of the Alumni Wall is completed.
• 1999–2000: Ms. Susan Bryant replaces Dr. Ronnie Shehane as principal. Block scheduling is adopted in a modified 4x4 arrangement with yearlong AP courses meeting on alternate days. The Commemorative Plaza is added in front of the cafeteria.
• 2000–2001: renovations to the gym.
• 2001–2002: CHS Liberal Arts Magnet becomes a total magnet school.
• 2004–2005: CHS was named a Georgia School of Excellence and a National Blue Ribbon School.
• Summer 2005: school is renovated. The student parking area, long known for mud and haphazard parking arrangements, is renovated.
• 2009: Judy Whitt replaces Susan Bryant as principal.
• 2011: Marvin Crumbs replaces Judy Whitt as principal.

References

1. ^ "Columbus High School". Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080414142529/http://www.columbushighga.org/AcaSeniorProject.aspx. Retrieved 2008-03-27. 

External links

• Columbus High School website
• Columbus High baseball
• Columbus High mens soccer