Pinecrest High School

Infobox high school


image_caption =
imagesize =
name = Pinecrest High School
motto = Your Way to Success...We Develop the Future
established = 1969
type = Public 4-year
staff =
faculty = 115
principal = Joel County
enrollment =
students = 2000+ (07-08 school year)
city = Southern Pines
state = North Carolina,
country = United States
colors = Forest Green, Gold, White
mascot = Patriots
yearbook = Spectrum (Volume 39)
newspaper = The Patriot
information = 910-692-6554
website = http://www.pinecresthighschool.org/
footnotes =

Pinecrest High School is a high school located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, USA. It forms part of the Moore County School District, and was built in 1969.

It offers many classes not offered at other Moore County Schools, including International Baccalaureate classes.

It suffers heavily from overcrowding, and its student body size has nearly doubled from the 1969 school year to the 2008 year, with no increase in graduating class.

History

In 1969, the widespread attention of education was focused on Pinecrest High School as its doors opened for the first time. Located just west of Southern Pines, Pinecrest represents the consolidation of seven high schools in southern Moore County and the merger of three school administrative units.

On September 3, 1969, the Pinecrest student body of about sixteen hundred gathered for the first time. Their day was not divided into the traditional six-period day. Instead, their computer schedules reflected the flexibility of twenty-one blocks of time called mods. They heard terms like team teaching, teacher assistants, media center, closed-circuit television instruction, and programmed instruction.

Pinecrest’s physical plant was tailored for flexible scheduling, large and small group instruction, and independent study. The large, open classrooms could accommodate four small classes at a time or one large group of as many as two hundred students. Traditional study halls were replaced with learning labs. In each building a vending area that provided hot and cold foods replaced the traditional school cafeteria.

The Pinecrest curriculum offered eighty-three courses the first year as well as extra programs for both remediation and enrichment. Pinecrest offered a full range of traditional high school sports. The athletic program was headquartered on campus, but many athletic events utilized the facilities at the feeder schools. The band program was organized before the school was opened. The Marching Band began the first year with twenty-five members. The choral organized the following year.

When the school opened, its physical plant consisted of three two-story classroom buildings. In the spring of 1974, the music program moved into the newly completed music building. The cafeteria, also located in that building, began serving "a la carte" and regular type A school lunches. In the fall of 1974, Pinecrest played its first homecoming game on its own athletic field. An ultra-modern gymnasium was opened in 1975.

The school was dedicated on February 15, 1976. At that time, six and one-half years after it opened, the major facilities were completed. In addition to the classroom building, a music building, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and a football field, the plant included a baseball field, tennis courts, a student commons building, and paved parking areas.

The school day was changed to a more traditional six-period day, and other changes soon followed as the school slowly returned to the traditional structure. Classes returned to a traditional size with larger instruction being offered as the need arose. Programs of instruction were greatly expanded with additions in the vocational and business departments. In the area of remediation, the program for the educable mentally handicapped was improved while programs for the multi-handicapped, educable/trainable, learning disabled, behaviorally and emotionally handicapped, visually and physically impaired were added. Title I Reading was added in 1978 and a Competency Remediation Lab followed passage of the North Carolina Competency requirement. Opportunities for the academically talented were also improved. Students were able to begin their college-bound English as freshmen. Since 1974, seniors have been able to take Advanced Placement English. The Mathematics Department offered the traditional courses in algebra and geometry as well as two courses in advanced math, and in 1973, it added Advanced Placement Calculus. In 1980, the Science Department expanded its college preparatory courses from five to six when it included Advanced Placement Biology. In 1981, the Social Studies Department expanded its program to include Advanced Placement American History. Through the Foreign Language Departments, students were given the opportunity to take four years of French or Spanish. German was added to the curriculum in 1980.

In 1982, the school received a new administration whose emphasis centered on returning the school to a more traditional operating mode while retaining those unique aspects of the earlier years that had been successful. Increased attention was given to student pride, parental involvement, participation in extracurricular activities, community awareness, and continued academic excellence. Results were immediate and tangible. Soccer and swimming have been added to the athletic program while a new softball field and a practice field have been constructed. Currently, plans are to build a modern football field stadium. In the academic area, the school has been recognized twice as a North Carolina School of Excellence. An extensive curriculum review has been conducted and courses in data processing, computerized math, computer science, and computerized accounting have been added. In local competition such as Quiz Bowl, Moorehead nominations, and vocational contests, Pinecrest students have won more than 80% of the awards. Community support has continued to grow, as evidenced by the passage of the 1986 School Bond Referendum which provides a $2,500,000 for construction of a new auditorium as well as other money for facility improvement.

The Pinecrest faculty, administration, staff, and community are committed to providing a quality education for all students, preparing them to emerge as informed and competent citizens ready to meet the challenges of the complex world in which they live.

Pinecrest has been a part of quite a few curriculum and building changes and additions. Included in these are the following:

The Tech Prep program, which was begun in 1988.

The SIMS Program, which was begun in 1988-89.

A computer lab in the Media Center, which was begun in 1990.

A Teen Life Center and program, which was begun in 1990.

The Peer Helpers group, which was organized in 1991-92.

An awards system (Vision Program), which was initiated in 1991-92.

The School-Within-a-School program, which was started in August 1992.

Honors/AP courses, which are now in all the academic areas of the curriculum.

IB Program 1998-Present

Buildings

Pinecrest is composed of nine different buildings. Pinecrest's buildings 1-3 are the original buildings that were built in 1969. Building 4 is a more recent building that connects with the cafeteria and gym. Building 9, also referred to as the Freshman Academy (even though more than just freshman students use the building) is the newest building that was completed before the second semester of the 06-07 school year. Pinecrest has a Gymnasium along with a Field House that houses the Home and Visitors locker rooms for its athletic teams. The Butler building houses a room for In School Suspension and PC's agricultural classes. The Auditorium is located on the west side of the school and houses the Band, Orchestra, and Chorus.

Architecture

Pinecrest High School has an outdoor/indoor design, with students having to traverse between outdoor classes, and some classrooms that are inside of hallways. Most buildings are two floors, except the 9th Grade Building, and the learning cottages. The courtyard is in the center of the school, and is where most students eat their lunch. Most of the buildings have direct access to the courtyard, excluding the gym, weight room, auditorium, the 9th grade building, and the learning cottages. Also, there are benches and picknick tables set up in the courtyard allowing students the ability to sit and enjoy their lunch.

The Patriot

The Patriot, Pinecrest's school paper, has been around since the founding of the school itself in 1969. As of 07-08, the mentor in charge of the newspaper staff is Lorna Martin. The editors as of 07-08 are Jennifer Miller and Emily Ivey with a staff of 11 working below them.

tudent Parking

Pinecrest High School is very strict concerning student parking. A student must be an 11th or 12th grader with a valid license to be able to get a parking pass for a fee of $50 USD. There are three designated student parking areas. Students can park there and only there. If they park anywhere else an SRO or a parking lot official has the authority to give the student a ticket which he/she must pay within seven days. They can also request that the students vehicle be towed at the students expense. Students can appeal a parking ticket. Tardies and/or frequent absences can revoke a students right to have a parking spot.

Clubs

Pinecrest is also known to be home of some of the most dynamic clubs in the county.
The Pinecrest High School Step Team also known as Omega Psi Rho.

Pinecrest also has clubs such as M.A.C. (modern arts club), Backstage technical Theater club, Earth club, Art club, Debate team, Key club, Leo club, Interact, Take Back, Drill team, Orienteering, Spanish, French, and German clubs.

Forensics

Pinecrest is home to one of the most successful and fastest growing National Forensics League teams in the state, the Pinecrest speech and debate team. The team has seen extreme success in recent years in both local tournaments at area high schools and in national tournaments, such as the Harvard National and The Florida Blue Key Invitational. The team has also qualified students to the NFL national tournament. Since 2006, the team has also been a member of the NCFL, sending several students on to the National Catholic Forensics league tournament in Texas, as well as Wisconsin.

The team is coached by Libby Carter, who was profiled in the NFL's Rostrum magazine in February 2007 [http://www.nflonline.org/uploads2/Rostrum/0207_020_021.pdf] . She is assisted by newly appointed assistant coach Robert Sheard as well as many extremely helpful parents and teachers.

The team competes in events including Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, Public Forum Debate and Student Congress. It has historically not competed in Policy or CX debate as it does not consider them legitimate forms of debate. The team has also sent delegates to the Model United Nations simulation at Methodist University since it began in 2006. In 2007 Pinecrest sent two teams to the annual Wade Edwards Mock Trial Competition, one coached by local lawyer Bruce Cunningham and another by Prosecutor and long time debate supporter Tony Berk. The Pinecrest Gold team, coached by Mr. Berk, won second place at the event. In 2008 Pinecrest intends to send one team coached by Mr. Berk.

As of 2007, Pinecrest has also established the Moore County Middle School Debate League, in order to give middle schoolers the ability to expand their horizons through participation in public speaking and debate. The team sent veteran students to many area middle schools in order to teach and assist middle-scchoolers in research, speech writing, and presentation. Pinecrest hosted the first ever Moore County Middle School Debate Tournament on November 17, 2007 in which 6th, 7th, and 8th graders competed along side novice freshman debaters in events including Impromptu Speaking, Interpretation Events, Original Oratory, Student Congress, and Public Forum Debate. .

Athletics

Pinecrest High school is a 4-A high school.

The John Williams Athletic Complex which includes a lighted 4500 seat football/soccer stadium and an eight lane track.

The John Williams Baseball Field which is lighted and seats 500.

The James Moore Gymnasium is the home for basketball, volleyball and wrestling and seats 1400.

The remainder of the athletic facility includes a lighted softball field, which seats 250 a practice football field,a practice soccer field, a lighted ROTC practice area (turned into parking lot before the 07-08 school year), and six hard court tennis courts. There are also many trails that run through the woods behind the school, these trails are used by the cross country and track teams.

Teams

*Chess
*Baseball
*Men's & Women's Basketball
*Men's and Women's Cross Country
*Football
*Men's and Women's Golf
*Men's and Women's Soccer
*Swimming
*Softball
*Men's and Women's Tennis
*Men's and Women's Track
*Volleyball
*Wrestling

Team Divisions

Most of Pinecrest's sports teams have a Junior Varsity (JV) and a Varsity (V). Football, basketball, and baseball are the only teams that have a 9th grade team along with both JV and V teams. Near the middle of the JV season, most of the 9th grade team joins the JV team. The soccer team will have a second JV team during the 08/09 season. This team will play a full schedule alongside the regular JV and Varsity.

External links

*http://www.pinecresthighschool.org/ All of the info posted here came from PCHS's home site and/or prior knowledge.