Rutherford High School (Florida)

Infobox Secondary School
name = Rutherford High School
band = The Pride
motto = "Knowledge Brings Fear"
established =1961
Band = The Pride
type = Public High School
principal = Michael R. Kennedy
city = Springfield
state = FL
country = USA
district = Bay District Schools
faculty = 100+
students = 1,755
mascot = Ram
nickname = Rambunctious
yearbook= Aries
newspaper= Rampage
colors = Black and Gold
website = [http://www.bayschools.com/rhs www.bayschools.com/rhs]

Rutherford High School is a public high school in Springfield, Florida, United States.

The school, which describes itself as the "Home of the Rams" and is a part of the Bay District Schools, opened its doors in 1961 as the second high school in Bay County. The school held its first graduation ceremony in 1964. The school was accredited by the SACS in 1963. In 2006, Rutherford had a student population of 1,755 students.

Overview

Rutherford High School offers many opportunities to its students. Rutherford is host to a chapter of the International Baccalaureate program, Health Occupations Specialist Academy (HOSA), and the Communications and Technology Academy (Com/Tech). In addition, Advanced Placement, dual-enrolled, and honors level courses are available for all students. Extracurricular activities include sports, service clubs, and many other student organizations. Rutherford offers more themed academies than any of the other schools in Bay County.

Rutherford is also known for the quality of its musical instruction. "The Pride" has earned 40 consecutive 'Superior' ratings from the Florida Bandmasters Association under the direction of Mr. Rodney Dasinger. Mr. Dasinger, better known to his students as Mr."D", flirted with retirement at the end of the 07-08 school year, but decided to come back for the 08-09 School Year.

chool Grades

Rutherford High School had consistently been ranked a "B" or "C" grade school under Florida's A++ Plan, the school's 2006-2007 score was "D". [cite web |url=http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/xls/0607/SGschool20062007.xls |title=2006-2007 School Grades |publisher=Florida Department of Education |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=.xls] The school's current theme is "Whatever it takes!" with the aim of being ranked an "A" school and raising the achievement levels of all students in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act.

School Statistics

Graduation rates in core courses have been rising as of 2003. However, reports of violence and crime are high with a large number of related in-school and out-of-school suspensions. Rutherford High School was named among the 500 best schools in America by a Newsweek article.

Educational Programs

International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate (IB) began its authorization on campus in 1992. Rutherford High School's IB Program serves as a Magnet Program for the Bay County School District. In the June 2, 2003, edition of Newsweek Magazine, Rutherford was named as one of the top high schools in the United States based on the quality of its college preparatory offerings. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6362098/site/newsweek/page/7/]

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is designed to meet the highest standards required of any high school student in the world. Successful completion of the Diploma Program earns the student a diploma recognized for university admission throughout the world, and for course credit and academic placement at over one thousand leading colleges and universities in the United States.

The IB Diploma Program is a system of syllabi and examinations based on the idea that the general education at the upper secondary level should encompass the development of all the main powers of the mind through which the student interprets, modifies, and enjoys his/her environment.

IB Classes (11th and 12th grade) are offered in six concurrent academic areas, Language A1: (First Language) including the study of selections from World Literature, Language B: (Second Language) or second Language A, Individuals and Societies (Social Sciences), Experimental Sciences, Mathematics, and The Arts and Electives. Pre-IB courses are also offered in all subject areas for 9th and 10th grade. [http://www.bayschools.com/rhs/ibprogram.htm]

Rutherford's IB Coordinator: Mrs. Karen T. Brown

Personal Education Plan Curriculum

PEP (Personal Educational Plans) was initiated in 1994. PEPs are career-oriented curriculum arrangements that are geared to the personal needs of each student. Rutherford High has undertaken a program designed to help students explore career goals. At the heart of every student’s personal education plan are the “core” courses which are required for graduation and/or college entrance. By choosing a PEP, students will focus on specific career-oriented courses with teachers interested in that career to advise and oversee the students’ progress toward graduation.

Each student’s schedule within a PEP could vary somewhat depending on the specific career being prepared, the student’s interests and abilities. Most programs are designed for a two or three year curriculum, some PEP courses involve off-campus laboratory training offered at Tom P. Haney Center. Juniors may be involved in half day programs and seniors in whole day programs. "Gold Seal Vocational Scholar" and "Florida Academic Scholar" endorsements are also available.

PEP Programs listed:
* Aerospace Institute
* Aquaquest
* Business Technology
* Cottage Industries/Small Business
* Communications Technology
* Culinary Arts
* Engineering and Technology
* General Career Education
* Health Occupations
* International Studies
* Law Enforcement Careers
* Marketing and Business Ownership
* People Helping Professions
* Rutherford Academy of Music
* Sports Related Occupations
* Visual Arts

Communications Technology

Also known as ComTech, Rutherford's Communications Technology course consists of classes that teach students how to use many computer programs such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash and Adobe Premier. In addition to these program based courses, Comtech also has some core classes such as English and History. These classes however take a different approach to teaching the students. The ComTech curriculum is built around technology, thus many, if not all, of the classwork and lessons are built around programs such as Microsoft's Powerpoint, Excel, and Word.

Student Life

List of Student Organizations

* AFJROTC
* Academic Team
* Anchor Club
* Anime Club
* Aries (Yearbook)
* Avatar
* Band
* National Beta Club
* National Honor Society,
* Cheerleading
* Choir
* ComTech (Communications Technology)
* DECA (organization) (Distributive Education Clubs of America)
* Etude (Band Organization)
* FBLA-PBL Future Business Leaders of America
* FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)
* FEA
* Film Society
* Golden Girls
* HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America)
* IBSC (International Baccalaureate Student Council)
* International Thespian Society
* I.S.L.A.M. Club
* Key Club
* Law Club
* Mu Alpha Theta (Mathematics Honor Society)
* Rampage (School Newspaper)
* RSGA (Student Government Association)
* Science Club
* Spanish Club
* SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco)
* WRAM (School News & TV)

chool uniforms

Students at the school are required to wear school uniforms. [http://www.bay.k12.fl.us/departments/Portals/24/Revised%20uniform%20policy%205-8-07.doc]

The Band

The band has been under the direction of Mr. Rodney Dasinger since 1984, and has created a wonderful reputation for the band program with its "seniority." The marching band has received straight superiors at the Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Festival for 39 years (28 years under Dasinger). The Symphonic band has received many honors under his direction including many 1st place performances at the Dogwood Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. In recent years, the band has diminished in numbers because of the lack of band progarams in the middle schools in Bay County. However, the band still has the reputation as the best band in Bay County because of Rodney Dasinger's teaching ability.

References

* [http://www.ibo.org IB program homepage]

External links

* [http://www.bayschools.com/rhs Rutherford Home Page]
* [http://www.rutherfordsga.com RSGA Website]
* [http://www.classreport.org/usa/fl/panama_city/rhs Rutherford Alumni site]