Heritage High School (Lynchburg, Virginia)

Infobox School
name= Heritage High School "#1 Big Orange Country"

imagesize=
motto=
streetaddress= 3020 Wards Ferry Road
city= Lynchburg
state= Virginia
zipcode= 24502
country= USA
url= [http://www3.lcsedu.net/schools/hhs/ Official Site]
district= Lynchburg City Public Schools
superintendent= Dr. Paul McKendrick
principal= Dr. Mark Miear
assistant_principals= Mrs. Maria Jeager
Mr. Timothy Beatty
Mr. Charles King
staff=
fundingtype= Public
schooltype= high school
grades= 9–12
language= English
communities=
feeders=
campus= City
mascot= Pioneers
colors= Orange and Navy Blue ██
founded= 1976
enrollment= 1,102
enrollment_as_of= 2008-09
rival= E.C. Glass High School, Brookville High School, Amherst County High School
conference= Virginia High School League AA Region III Seminole District
bgcolor_section= #CC5500
bgcolor_label= #F0F0F0
bgcolor_value= #F0F0F0
bgcolor_address= #F0F0F0
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bgcolor_url= #F0F0F0

Heritage High School is a public high school located in Lynchburg, Virginia.The school is a part of Lynchburg City Public Schools District. Robert Miller resigned in June 2007 and Mark Miear is the new principal . Heritage has enrollment of 1102 as of 2008. Its mascot is the Pioneer and its colors are blue and orange.

HistoryIn January, 1975, a steering committee, representative of educators, students, parents, and the community at large, was appointed to begin planning a new high school to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. This committee and twenty-three subcommittees worked under the able direction of Dr. Ernest Martin, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, to draw up the initial specifications for the new school. From this planning merged the architects' design of an ultra-modern structure, beautiful in appearance and functional in use.

The new school had no real identity until the spring of 1976, when a special School Board committee, chaired by Mr. James K. Candler, made the following announcement: "We propose Heritage High School as a fitting name for the city's newest secondary building. The name shall serve to remind this generation and generations to come that the first responsibility in public education is to see that our democratic way of life is preserved through an informed electorate. This name shall call to mind both the pride in achievements in the past and shall hold forth a challenge for greater progress in the future. It shall provide a continuing reminder to Lynchburg educators and citizens of the obligation which is theirs - to mold the future through the education of the youth - to carry on the heritage of free education first established in the city of Lynchburg in 1871 and in the Colony of Virginia in 1634".

Facts

*Heritage High School was built to produce solar energy hence its unique architecture
*Heritage High School has five floors
*Heritage is one of three high schools in Virginia to have an indoor track on their campus (Ralph D. Spencer Memorial Fieldhouse) on the 2nd Floor

Notable Alumni

Leland D. Melvin (NASA engineer and astronaut)

Awards

*2005 Newsweek's Top 1,200 High Schools
*2006 Newsweek's Top 1,200 High Schools
*2007 Newsweek's Top 1,200 High Schools
*2008 Newsweek's Top 1,200 High Schools (Top 5% in United States)----

Central Virginia Governor's School

*Heritage High School is home to the Central Virginia Governor's School for Science & Technology. Gifted high school students from Campbell, Nelson, Amherst, Bedford, and Appomattox counties, as well as Lynchburg City attend classes at separate location within the high school.

Athletics

Heritage (Lynchburg) has won a number of VHSL Seminole District, Region III, and State Championships at the AAA and AA level.

= State Championships =

*Recent Champions*

2002
*Virginia State AA Division 4 Football Champions
**Lafayette High School-Williamsburg - 7 vs Heritage High School - 34

*Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2003
*Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)
*Virginia State AA Indoor Track Runner-Up (Girls)
*Virginia State AA Outdoor Track Champions (Girls)

2004
*Virginia State AA Basketball Final Four Tournament (Boys)

2006
*Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

Regionals

1978
*Northwest Region AAA Baseball Champions

2002
*Region III Division 4 Football Champions

2003
*Region III Outdoor Track Champions (Girls)
*Region III Outdoor Track Champions (Boys)
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Girls)
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2004
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Girls)

2005
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2006
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2007
*ACE Team (The VHSL calls it Scholastic Bowl)

2008
*Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

Theatre

Heritage High School is also home to Pioneer Theatre. A student run program with Theatre Director Larry Hart and Associate Director Michelle Velastegui as of Fall 2006. All sets are built by Applied Technical Theater I & II. The theatre produces around six shows a year. The six plays usually consist Acting II Competition Piece, Theater in the round, Mainstage Straight Play, Mainstage Musical, Acting II Musical / "Straight Play" Dinner Theatre, & Acting II One Acts. While this is the current compilation it does change slightly from year to year.

Current Season
*Fahrenheit 451- Oct. 16, 17, 18, 19
*Paparazzo,a Morality Play in the Guise of a Musical Fantasy
*Noises Off- Dec. 11, 12, 13, 14
*The Producers- Feb 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28
*Charlotte's Web- April 30, May 1, 2, 3
*Acting II presents Original One-Acts- June 5

External links

* [http://www.lynchburg.org/Schools/Hhs/Default.htm Heritage High School]
* [http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/ Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology]
* [http://www.lynchburg.org/ Lynchburg City Schools]
* [http://www.vhsl-reference.com/mastergames_byyear_byteam.cfm?ID=10421&GY=2007 VHSL-Reference website]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_D._Melvin]