Highlands High School (Kentucky)

Infobox Secondary school
name = Highlands High School
motto = Tradition of excellence
established = 1888
type = Public Secondary school
principal = Brian Robinson
asst principal = Matthew Haskamp
faculty = approx. 70
enrollment = approx. 800
grades = 9-12
address = 2400 Memorial Pkwy
city = Fort Thomas
state = Kentucky
country = USA
district = Fort Thomas Independent Schools
superintendent = John Williamson
oversight_label =
oversight =
accreditation =
campus =
colors = Blue and White
colours =
athletics =
mascot = Bluebirds
emblem =
yearbook =
newspaper =
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
testname =
testaverage =
National_ranking = Top 550
website = http://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us
nickname =
footnotes =
picture =
image_caption =
picture2 =
image_caption2 =

Fort Thomas Highlands High School is a public secondary school located in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Operated by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, Highlands was founded in 1888. The school took its name from the original name of Fort Thomas, "The Highlands". It currently has around 800 students in grades 9-12.

History

The school moved to its current location in 1915. However, the south wing of the building was destroyed by fire in 1962 and a new middle school was built in its location. In 2001, the new middle school building was built just north of the high school and the high school took over the space previously occupied by the middle school. The gymnasium was added in 1956. The north wing of the high school (also commonly referred to as 'the old high school') began a drastic renovation in 2006. Plans to renovate the old middle school building are contingent on funds.

Academics

In 2007, Highlands was ranked 832nd in the nation by Newsweek [ [http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?sort=Rank&count=1351&Search=&start=800&limit=100&year=2007& "The Top of the Class - The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. schools"] , Newsweek, 2007] , and in the top 550 high schools by U.S.News & World Report. They boast average ACT and SAT scores well above both state and national averages [ [http://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us/administrativeDepartment.aspx?aid=30 Fort Thomas Independent Schools ] ] . Approximately 90% of the school's graduates go to college and it is the only public high school in the state with a chapter of the Cum Laude Society. Highlands also has chapters of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. Twenty Advanced Placement classes are offered [http://www2.fortthomas.kyschools.us/Curriculum/HHS_Course_Catalog_08-09.pdf] and the school is consistently a local leader in National Merit Finalists. Highlands has won the State Championships six out of the past seven years and placed in the top 25 at the National Finals in 2007 [ [http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=national_finals_2007&&page2=winners Center for Civic Education National Finals 2007 ] ] .

The school was named a 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School, the highest award that can be given to a school by the US Department of Education [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2007/2007-schools.html No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools] . United States Department of Education. (undated). Retrieved December 18 2007] and received a national High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award in 2008 [ [http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080624/NEWS0103/306240017/1056/NEWS01 Highlands High earns recognition | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com ] ] .

Athletics

The school's nickname was the Blue Devils until the 1920s when all teams became the Bluebirds. The school currently competes in the following sports:
*Baseball (Boys)
*Basketball(Boys and Girls)
*Cheerleading (Girls)
*Cross Country (Boys and Girls)
*Football (Boys)
*Golf (Boys and Girls)
*Soccer (Boys and Girls)
*Softball (fast pitch)(Girls)
*Track and Field (Boys and Girls)
*Volleyball (Girls)With the exception of football, Highlands plays in the AA division. The football team currently plays in 5A, but prior to the realignment effected in the fall of 2007 that expanded the sport from four divisions to six, the football team played 3A.

The Bluebirds football team won their 17th state title in 2007, second in the state. [http://www.khsaa.org/records/football/statefootballteamrecords.pdf] This is one of six state records that Highlands holds. Highlands is also ranked fifth nationally in all-time wins with 758. The girls' soccer team won back to back state championships in 2005 and 2006 [http://www.khsaa.org/records/soccer/pastgstatechampresults.pdf] and the girls' cross country team won three consecutive state championships in 2002-2004 and in 1978-1980. [http://www.khsaa.org/handbook/winners/xcgwinners.pdf]

Notable alumni

* Jared Lorenzen [Ralph Vacchiano. [http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/09/16/2007-09-16_giants_qb_jared_lorenzen_waiting_for_cha.html "Giants' QB Jared Lorenzen Waiting for Chance to Start] . "New York Daily News" (September 17 2007). Retrieved December 18 2007)] , NFL player
* Derek Smith [cite news|author=Lonnie Wheeler|first=Lonnie|last=Wheeler|url=http://www.cincypost.com/bengals/2002/lonnie11-07-2002.html|title=Smith Relishes Shot with Bengals|work=The Cincinnati Post|publisher=E. W. Scripps Company|date=2007-11-07|accessdate=2007-12-18|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041028134926/http://www.cincypost.com/bengals/2002/lonnie11-07-2002.html|archivedate=2004-10-28] , NFL player
* Marty Moore [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MOOREMAR02 "Marty Moore"] , [http://www.databasefootball.com databaseFootball.com] . Retrieved December 18 2007] , NFL player

References

External links

* [http://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us/school_home.aspx?schoolID=1 Official school site]
* [http://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us Official district site]
* [http://nkyviews.com/campbell/fortt_schools.htm Historical Images of Fort Thomas Schools]
* [http://www.highlands-bluebirds.com/ Site devoted to Highlands Football]