Monarch High School (Florida)

This article is about a high school in Florida. For a high school in Colorado, see Monarch High School (Colorado) .

Coordinates: 26°17′05″N 80°11′35″W / 26.28464°N 80.19317°W / 26.28464; -80.19317

Monarch High School
"Home of the Mighty Knights"
Location
5050 Wiles Road Coconut Creek, Florida 33073
Information
Type	Public high school
Opened	August 25, 2003 (2003-08-25)
School district	Broward County Public Schools
NCES District ID	1200180
CEEB Code	100328
NCES School ID	120018004050
Principal	James Neer
Staff	176+
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	2,834  (May 2011)
Color(s)	Black, Red, Silver █ █ █
Mascot	Knights
Information	[phone]
Website	Official Website
Monarch High School

Monarch High School (MHS) is a public high school located in Coconut Creek, Florida. Monarch is a part of the Broward County Public Schools system, and serves neighborhoods in Deerfield Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach.

Monarch has an FCAT school grade of "B" for the 2009-2010 academic year.^[1] The Principal is James Neer and Assistant Principals include: Christy Bradford, Marcus Caceras, Will Hendricks, Moira Sweeting and Tarachell Thomas.

Campus

The pair of buildings that make up the school were designed by the Miami architectural firm Zyscovitch on a design/build basis. Building four, which houses the gym, cafeteria, and numerous classrooms, has the ability to be utilized as a hurricane shelter if necessary. The campus is also designed to enable community use of the facilities when not being used by the school.^[2]

During the school's third academic year, an additional building, Building 5, was constructed to relieve "critical overcrowding" and meet class size requirements. The school also has houses a number of portable classrooms. Currently MHS is trying to raise funds to build a football stadium on campus.

Academics

The school offers a large array of academic courses. The core academics include math, social studies, science, and English. There are many extra clubs and activities at the school, including (but not limited to) Drama Club, a wide variety of sports, a marching band, jazz band, concert band, drumline, indoor percussion, color guard, chamber orchestra, full orchestra, Debate Team, chorus, arts, cooking, step team, cheerleading, foreign language clubs, journalism club, flag football, multicultural society, Mu Alpha Theta, DECA, Key Club, National Honor Society (NHS) and JROTC. Advanced Placement classes are offered also.

Monarch students presently attend school from 7:40 AM to 2:40 PM, Monday through Friday on block schedule. The current schedule requires students to attend four 90 minute classes and a 30 minute lunch period each day with a six minute passing period between each class.

The school uses a program called Pinnacle Internet Viewer, by Excelsior Software, which allows students to check their grades from any computer connected to the internet. Other information, such as absences and missing assignments, can also be viewed.

Digital Learning Environment

The school provides each student with a laptop computer to use in their classes, as part of a program to enhance accessibility to data on the internet, as well as students' knowledge of technology. Monarch High is usually referred to as a Digital Learning Environment (DLE).

At the beginning of the DLE program, in the school's second academic year (2004–2005), students were provided with a laptop that could be taken home and brought back with them to school on a regular basis to further enhance the program. This element was withdrawn after three years because of budget cuts, the expense of computer repairs and maintenance and because of misuse, vandalism and stolen/ lost computers.^[3]

Pinwheels for Peace

A program started by two teachers at Monarch High, the Pinwheels for Peace Project invites students to create and display their pinwheels on the campus during the International Day of Peace and has been adopted internationally.^[4] Groups in more than 1,500 places have planted more than half a million pinwheels throughout the world.^[5]

Traditions

Knights Code of Chivalry

The school emphasizes a code of conduct among students, teachers, faculty and peers dubbed the "Knights Code of Chivalry." The code was created by a student panel the year before the school opened. Plaques containing the code are present in every classroom.^[6]

• Responsibility
• Citizenship
• Kindness
• Respect
• Honesty
• Self-Control
• Tolerance
• Cooperation

Alma Mater

Hail to thee brave knights of Monarch lift your banner high.
We’ll Remember good old Monarch, Noble, proud, and true.
Wave the silver, black, and red and face each day with pride.
Alma mater of our high school, we will cherish you.
Monarch High, School We love, Knights we praise Guide us onward through our days. Strong of heart, with courage true create a better way.^[7]

Student Diversity

As of 2011, the total student enrollment was 2834. The ethnic makeup of the school was 50% White, 12% Black, 26% Hispanic, 3% Asian or Pacific Islander, 3% Multiracial, and 5% Native American or Native Alaskan.^[8]

References

1. ^ FCAT School Grades - High
2. ^ "Monarch High School", Learning by Design 2004, American School Board Journal
3. ^ "Digital Learning Environment", Monarch High School
4. ^ "Pinwheels for Peace", Education World, August 9, 2005
5. ^ "No place for Pinwheels for Peace", Patty McCormac, Valley News, January 9, 2006
6. ^ "2009-2010 Course Catalog", Monarch High School, Spring 2009
7. ^ "INVERNESS NEWSLETTER NO. 2", Monarch High School, Fall 2008
8. ^ Enrollment Counts

External links

• Pinwheels for Peace
• Monarch High School
• Broward County Public Schools