Green Hope High School

Infobox School2
name = Green Hope High School


established = 1999
type = Public high school
grades = 9 - 12
head_name = Principal
head = Dr. James E. Hedrick
city = Cary
state = North Carolina
country = United States
students = 2253
school_colors = Maroon and Green
mascot = Falcons
motto = 'Dare To Soar'
website = [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/ greenhopehigh.wcpss.net]

Green Hope High School is a school in Cary, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12. In 2006, approximately 2,044 students attended according to the WCPSS page, and with a 95% graduation rate, about 530 seniors graduated.cite web
title = Green Hope High School webpage
url=http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] GHHS opened its doors in 1999, drawing only freshmen and sophomore students from neighboring overcrowded schools. It added a grade level for the two subsequent years and graduated its first senior class in 2002. It is located next to its sister school, Green Hope Elementary School, which is at an adjacent campus. Both schools are operated by Wake County Public School System. The site also features a tennis facility operated by the Town of Cary.

A recent growth in student population resulted in an off-site "9th Grade Annex" roughly 1/2 mile from the main campus. In the 2006-2007 school year, the 9th Grade Annex was turned into Carpenter Elementary to accommodate the rising number of students in Wake County.

After only two years of operation, the school was deemed over-capacity.

The school mascot is the Green Hope "Fighting Falcon"; a statue of one graces the school's western lawns.

Introduction

Green Hope High School (GHHS) is a primary example of a developing suburban education systemFact|date=September 2007. The school has an excellent academic record, as well as a reputation for managing the resources available to it. It has earned highest accoladescite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Green Hope Accolades
work =
publisher = Wake County Public School System
date=2007
url = http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/accolades.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] in Wake County, placing it among the highest-performing public schools in North Carolina. The school's culture has evolved greatly since its inception, as teachers and administrators gain more experience and a developing school heritage evolves with the student body. The current serving principal is Dr. James E. Hedrick.

Academics

Departments

*Career and technical education
**career management, small business entrepreneurship
**computer applications I-II, computer programming I-II, computerized accounting I-II, digital communication systems, foundations of information technology
**marketing, sports & entertainment marketing I-II, strategic marketing, principles of business & personal finance, fashion merchandising
**apparel development I-II, family & consumer sciences advanced studies, child development, early childhood development I-II, teen living, trade & industrial advanced studies, foods I-II
**drafting I-III, furniture & cabinetmaking I-II, housing & interiors I
**medical science I-II, biomedical technology, health team relations

*English
**English I-IV, ap English III-IV
**sat verbal/math prep, special interest seminar, speech I-II, creative writing I-II, intro to communications & mass media
**yearbook I-III, newspaper I-III

*Fine arts
**visual arts I-IV, sculpture/ceramics I-II, art history, AP Studio
**modern dance I-IV, theatre arts I-IV, technical theatre I-II
**vocal music I-IV, beginning guitar, band I-IV, orchestra I-IV
**music appreciation, ap music theory
** [http://www.orchestra.greenhopefinearts.com Orchestra]
** [http://www.greenhopeband.org Band]
** [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/arts/artwork_current.htm Student art gallery]
** [http://www.greenhopefinearts.com/drama/drama.html Theatre]

*Foreign languages
**Spanish I-V, Spanish I-II for native speakers, ap Spanish language, ap Spanish literature
**french I-V, ap french language
**Latin I-V Lenny Miraglioulo-
*Math
**technical math I-II, introductory math
**algebra I: part I, algebra I: part II, algebra I, algebra II
**geometry- goggins: thought by some to be illiterate, advanced functions & modeling, analytic geometry/trigonometry, discrete math
**pre-calculus, intro to college math, ap calculus ab, ap calculus bc, ap statistics

*Healthful living
**healthful living I, lifetime sports I-II, team sports I-II
**weight training I-II, personal fitness I-II, sports medicine I-III, pepi I-II

*Science
**earth science, marine & astronomical science
**biology, anatomy & physiology, forensics
**physical science, chemistry, physics
**ap environmental science, ap biology, ap chemistry, ap physics

*Social Studies
**world history, civics & economics, United States history, Vietnam war/international relations, geography
**law & justice, sociology, psychology
**ap United States history, ap European history, ap comparative government, ap us government & politics, ap psychology

*Special programs
**curriculum assistance, icr English, icr math, icr social studies

*Media Center ( — Library and Computer Lab) and ( [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/media/ Website] )

ports and athletics

The [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/athletics.htm Athletics Department] operates competitive and intramural sports at the high school.

Golf

The Men's Golf team at Green Hope has experienced much success since the school opened in 2001. The Falcons have captured three team State Championship Titles (2003, 2006, 2007) and four individual titles (Brendon Todd, 3 and Kevin O'Connell, 1). Golfers from Green Hope have been widely recruited to play Division 1 NCAA Golf. Graduates have played at various Universities across the country including the University of Georgia (Brendon Todd), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kevin O'Connell), University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Will Shambley), the University of Arkansas (Drew Eibner), Pepperdine University (Eric Shriver), Appalachian State University (Dan Gossin), East Carolina University (Elliot Jones and Tripp Brizendine) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Kyle Sonday).Fact|date=December 2007

chool organizations

Extracurricular activities, [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/clubs.htm clubs] , and other student organizations flourish as a result of student, parental, and faculty involvement.

These organizations include cultural, religious, academic, and intramural sports organizations.

Of particular note, due to high levels of student/faculty involvement are:
*Science Olympiad
*Film Club
*Literary Journal
*Environmental Club

Other clubs include various honor societies, community outreach programs, extracurricular foreign-language and culture clubs (French, Spanish, Latin), a school paper of news, and athletic boosters.

chool demographics

The school serves affluent Western Wake, including Cary and Apex. It also features a program to provide bus service from south Raleigh in order to meet county socio-economic status quotas.

As of 2006, redistricting and explosive population growth may cause dramatic demographic changes. Suburban neighborhoods, featuring multi-million dollar mansions, sit adjacent to old tobacco farms and rural land tracts.

6% of the student body is enrolled in honors or AP courses, compared with only a 4% state-wide average.

In 2005, 91% of students performed at or above grade-level. The school ranks as a North Carolina "Honor School of Excellence" and meets capacity requirements as a "High Growth School."cite web
last = US Senate Committee on Finance
first =
authorlink =
coauthors = Joint Committee on Taxation
title = Parent and Student Savings Account Plus Act (Modifications)
work =
publisher =
date=1998-02-10
url = http://www.house.gov/jct/x-7-98.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] cite web
last = State Board of Education
first = North Carolina
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The ABCs Accountability Model
work =
publisher =
date=1998-02-10
url = http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] The school is one of the largest and newest high schools in the district. However, the school is a traditional (non-magnet) school by official designation (and funding considerations).

The school prides itself on technology integration - 100% of classrooms have internet access, and teachers and students use an online course-reporting and grading system

History

The school is named for the older, historic "Green Hope School", built in 1927.cite web
title = About Green Hope High School
url=http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/about.htm
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] It provided Grades 1 through 12 during its lifetime as a consolidated school. This continued until 1952, when it was re-dubbed Green Hope Elementary School, providing primary-education while the higher grades were reallocated to nearby Cary or Apex High schools. Green Hope Elementary proudly became the first accredited rural school in Wake County. By 1963, it served 172 students. However, at the time, the school was a whites-only establishment.

Fire and Destruction

On August 15, 1963 at 1 AM, the school caught fire.cite web
last = Legeros
first = Mike
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Yrac Fire Department History (1961-1998)
work =
publisher =
date=2004-07-10
url = http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/yrac.shtml
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ]

Three fire departments responded: Apex, Morrisville, and Yrac. (Yrac Department was created in 1958 as a temporary reorganization of Cary Rural Fire District; in 1998 it was merged with Cary F.D. "Yrac" is "Cary" spelled backward, for reasons unknown at the time of this writing).

Despite this response, the school was totally destroyed. Damage was estimated at greater than $400,000, and the school was not reconstructed. The cause of fire was officially described as suspicious circumstances. However, arson was suspected as a cause, and firefighters reported a car speeding away from the blaze. Possible motives include opposition to the racial integration of the local districts. This process continued, however, expedited by the creation of Wake County Public School System in 1976.cite book
last = Jones
first = Dr. Clifford V.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = A History of Merger: Wake County Public School System, 1976-1980
publisher =
date=1980
location =
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ] This set the goal of unifying the diverse racial and economic demographic of the growing community, and ensuring that the affluent suburbs and the poorer urban areas of Raleigh received equal and integrated education. However, the site of Green Hope School remained unoccupied until 1999.

The present location of the school is across the road from the old building site.

Green Hope Elementary School

Infobox School2
name = Green Hope Elementary School


established = 2000
type = Public Elementary school
grades = K - 5
head_name = Principal
head = Lisa Spalding
city = Cary
state = North Carolina
country = United States
students =
mascot = Falcons
motto = 'Soaring To New Heights'
website = [http://greenhopees.wcpss.net/ greenhopees.wcpss.net] The elementary school began operation in 2000, one year later than the high school.cite web
title = Green Hope Elementary School webpage
url=http://greenhopees.wcpss.net/
accessdate = 2007-04-21 ] It too has earned recognition for academic performance, meeting qualifications as a "School of Excellence" for five consecutive years since it began operation. Green Hope ES runs on a year-round schedule).

The school operates its own library and media center.

Falcon mascot

The school mascot, like its sister high-school, is a falcon. Unlike the high school, a specific, real Peregrine falcon has been adopted to represent the school. Via the [http://www.windoverwings.com/peregrine.shtml Wind over Wings] conservation group, the school has adopted this bird (in exchange for sponsorship for the organization). Isis is a female Peregrine Falcon in the Hartford, Connecticut area. She was born around 2003, and eats small and medium-sized birds.

Though no falcons are known to inhabit the school grounds, other large raptors such as the raptor pictured at left are frequent sights. Continued encroachment onto animal habitats may cause migration or extinction of these local populations.

References

External links

* [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/ Official GHHS Site] . (High school)
* [http://greenhopees.wcpss.net/ Official GHES Site] . (Elementary school)
* [http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/wake/history/yrac.shtml Yrac Fire Department] Report of fire in 1963. This site also has a great history of North Carolina fire departments
* [http://www.wcpss.net/history/ History of Wake County Public School System] Official website
* [http://greenhopees.wcpss.net/history.htm History of Green Hope Elementary School] Official website
* [http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net/about.htm History of Green Hope High School] Official website