- Dunbar High School (Fort Myers, Florida)
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Dunbar High School, Academy For Technology Excellence, Center For Math & Science
Location Edison avenue, Fort Myers, FL
United StatesInformation Type Public Established 1926 School district Lee County School District Principal Carl Burnside Grades 9-12 Color(s) Green, Orange Mascot Tiger Nickname Fighting Tigers Website www.dhs.leeschools.net Dunbar High School is a school located in Fort Myers, Florida. It was established in 1926 and re-established in 2000. This secondary school is home to the Dunbar High School Academy of Technology Excellence and the Dunbar High School Center for Math and Science.
It is the home of the "Fighting Tigers". The school mascot is a Tiger and the school colors are Orange and Green.
The school received an "A" grade for the 2009-2010 school year, along with two other Lee County schools. [1]
Contents
History
In 1926, Dunbar High School was constructed on what is now High Street in Fort Myers. It was named for the poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. The construction of this school, along with the adjacent Williams Primary, provided K-12 educational opportunities for the neighborhood children.
This Dunbar High School graduated its last class of students in 1962. This original facility, renamed as the Dunbar Community School, continues to provide services to meet the educational needs of community members young and old.
In 1962, students moved to a new school on Edison Avenue which was named Dunbar Senior High School. Graduates emerged from the halls of this school from 1962 through 1969.
In 1969, this school was closed (later to open as Dunbar Middle School). High school aged students from the Dunbar community attended any of several high schools throughout Lee County.
Notably, the middle school on Edison Avenue changed its name to again honor the poet – it became Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School. In the fall of 2000, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School moved to its new location, on Winkler Avenue Extension, just south of Colonial Boulevard. Also, in the fall of 2000, Dunbar High School was opened - on East Edison Avenue (where the middle school was located).
The Center for Math and Science
The Center for Math and Science's title is usually shortened to just "C.M.S."
CMS is a program that helps Dunbar students exceed in math and science related areas. A separate application is required to be admitted into the Center. Registered students have the opportunity to listen to a number of special guest speakers and an optional study period called CMS Research.
The Dunbar High School Center for Math and Science has had success in both the Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Science and Engineering Fair and the Florida State Science Olympiad. Recently the Science Olympiad team received first place in the regional competition at FAU.
Science Olympiad
DHS is also home to a Science Olympiad team.
2006: In the 2006 Florida state competition, Dunbar fielded one team which placed sixth.
2007:In the 2007 competition season, Dunbar fielded two teams in both the regional and state competitions.
On Dunbar's C-15 team, team members Joseph Scofield and Smit Patel placed third in Forensics, and team members Abigail Bryant and Josh Katine placed third in Rocks & Minerals. Dunbar's C-18 team placed first in Remote Sensing with team members Juan Carlos Quijada and Woody Culp. C-15 received 8th Place overall with a total of 240 points. C-18 received Tenth Place overall with a total of 263 points. Notably, Ernest R. Greer achieved third place by himself in a team competition. [2]
2008: In 2008, the Dunbar team competed in the regional competition at FAU. The team received first place overall in this competition.
The Academy for Technology Excellence
In the Fall of 2005, Dunbar High School began the Academy for Technology Excellence. Upon completion of the program, students are prepared to excel in aed technologically advanced society. The program offers 9th-12th grade students hands-on experiences taught by highly certified instructors. All ATE students have the opportunity to acquire 12 or more recognized industry standard computer certifications in areas associated with information technology.
Students completing any of the component programs will have far greater fluency with technology, with specific productivity software, and with critical thinking skills that embody so much of the technical work that they do. The Academy offers honors weighted credit and dual enrollment credit for many of its courses, plus meets the requirements for the Florida Gold Seal Scholarship. Students exiting these programs will be ready to either advance to the next level of formal education or directly enter the workforce and become a technical specialist, systems engineer, PC support technician, office end-user specialists, web designer, software developer, database administrator, security specialists and many more. In addition, students will have an earning potential ranging from $35,000-$50,000 annually upon successful completion of these certifications.
Upon graduation, students will have all the prerequisite skills and knowledge to choose a career path within the Information Technology (IT). Combined with Dunbar’s rigorous Center for Math & Science and AP programs, students who are part of the Academy for Technology Excellence will have a competitive and empowering edge over most college-bound students.
Microsoft In November 2007 recognized Dunbar High School as the nation's first Microsoft Certified High School. Microsoft has provided vouchers for all 980 students plus all the staff, not just for students in the academy. Microsoft would like every student to have at least one by the end of the year. Also the week of December 10 Microsoft was at Dunbar High School filming a documentary. [3]
Certifications Offered
The Academy for Technology Excellence is dedicated to providing a rigorous and deliberate track as a part of the Information Technology computer science fields. As a response, the school offered a complete immersion track of courses that allowed students to have the potential to earn up to 12 industry standard, IT computer certifications. 1st and 2nd year (Tier 1 & Tier 2) Academy students will have a 2 period block in the Academy technology labs. 3rd and 4th (Tier 3 & Tier 4) year students will have a 3 period block in the Academy technology labs.
Tier One (Year One)
- CompTIA A+ (Essentials & IT Technician)
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Word
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Excel
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in PowerPoint
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Windows Vista
Tier Two (Year Two)
- Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- CompTIA Network+
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Access
Tier Three (Year Three)
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
- Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
- Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Windows Vista
Tier Four (Year Four)
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for Windows 7
- Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional Enterprise Support Tech
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Enterprise Administrator
- Microsoft Certified Application Specialist in Outlook
Awards and Achievements
- 208 IT Certification tests passed in 2009-2010 as of 1-5-2010
- 328 IT Certification tests passed in 2008-2009
- Ryan Donald Gates received the CompTIA Creating Futures Scholarship on December 11, 2008.
- 313 IT Certification tests passed in 2007-2008
- 236 IT Certification test passed in 2006-2007
- Selected as one of the top 15 innovative technology programs in the nation by T.H.E. journal
- Comptia IT merit scholarship award winners
- Danny Bell
- Jacob Osterhout
- Denise Spence, magnet grant technology lead teacher, was selected as the 1st ever career and technical education teacher of the year for 2006
- Regularly featured as guest speakers for tech talk on learnTV in 2005-2008.
- The Junior Class of 2009 is the first Academy class to have every student a Microsoft Certified Professional in March 2008
Athletics
Dunbar High School takes pride in its athletics.
Here are the following FHSAA Athletic awards Dunbar has received since it reopened:
2003 - Football District Champs
2004 - Boys Basketball District Champs
2006 - Girls Basketball District Champs
2007 - Boys Basketball District Champs, Girls Basketball STATE RUNNER-UPS.
Spring 2008 - First Boys Soccer Team District Runner-ups in full history of Dunbar High School, Girls Basketball District & Regional Champs, Girls Basketball STATE RUNNER-UPS, Boys Basketball District Runner-ups & Regional Champions.
Fall 2008 - Football District Champs
References
- ^ "State Releases High School Grades" (Press release). The School District of Lee County. 2010-12-07. http://communications.leeschools.net/press/2010/December/High%20School%20Grades%202010.pdf. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
- ^ "School Science Olympiad Team Members Place in the top 3 at State Competition" (Press release). The School District of Lee County. 2007-03-26. http://www.leeschools.net/dept/comm/press_releases/fy07releases/mar07/LCSD_PR_032607b.htm. Retrieved 4/6/2007.
- ^ "Microsoft planning to tout Dunbar technology academy" (Press release). News-Press. 2007-12-22. http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712220492. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
Categories:- High schools in Lee County, Florida
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