Signature School

Infobox School2 | name =Signature School


motto =
established = 2002
type = charter high school, International Baccalaureate Programme
locale =Mid-size city
grades =9-12
head_name =Principal
head = Vicki Snyder
head_name2 =
head2 =
city =Evansville
state =Indiana
country =USA
students = about 300
faculty =
athletics = Cross Country, Golf, and Tennis
school_colors = Black, White and Silver.
mascot = Pablo the Penguin
free_label =
free =
website = [http://www.signature.edu Signature School]

Signature School is a charter high school located in downtown Evansville, Indiana. The school opened in 2002 and is Indiana's first public charter high school. From 1992 to 2001, it operated as a satellite school for the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation. In 2006, it was named the 54th best public high school in the United States by Newsweek magazine. [cite web | title=The Complete List: 1,200 Top U.S. Schools | work=Newsweek | publisher=MSNBC.com | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532678/site/newsweek/ | accessdate=2006-11-03] In 2007, Signature School was awarded one of the best schools nationwide. It was #86 out of about 22,000 schools and was the only school in Indiana to receive this award. Within this same article, Signature School was listed as one of the top 10 charter schools in the United States. [ [http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/nov/30/evansville-school-named-among-americas-best-high-s/ Evansville School Named Among America's Best High Schools : Local News : Evansville Courier Press ] ] In 2008, the school again made Newsweek's Top 100 Best High Schools list by placing 99th. Like any public school, Signature School is free and open to the public.

The school offers students three major study paths: math and science, fine and performing arts, or liberal arts/humanities. Signature School has been accepted into the International Baccalaureate Programme. [cite web| title=Signature School | publisher=International Baccalaureate | url=http://www.ibo.org/school/002840/ | accessdate=2007-05-12]

The foreign languages offered at the school are French, Swahili German, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.

The school currently has a total enrollment of 302 students. The school was founded in part by the current principal Vicki Snyder. Signature School prides itself on offering challenging courses for the "self-motivated learner" and for being different from other area schools. The student to teacher ratio is 20 to 1.

Unlike other High Schools, Signature students do not eat in a school cafeteria, but at one of the numerous restaurants located in downtown Evansville. Students who bring their lunch may also elect to eat across the street from the school in the upper level of the Signature School Science Center. Students sign up each morning for a restaurant and sign in with a teacher assigned to that restaurant.

Signature School has a focus on academics and the arts. Within it's first five years of existance, Signature School has been well-known for the many contributions it plays in the Summer EVSC Musicals and the side shows, performed by the "Signature Singers", which is led by Terry Becker.

References