Grayson County High School (Kentucky)

Infobox School
name = Grayson County High School
motto = Guiding our Children to Succeed
established = 1974
fundingtype = Public
schooltype = high school
district = Grayson County Public Schools
grades = 9-12
principal = Doug Robinson
address = 340 School House Road
city = Leitchfield
state = Kentucky
zipcode = 42754
country = USA
campus type = Rural
enrollment = about 1300
feeders = Grayson County Middle School
nickname = Cougars
colors = Orange color box|orange Blue color box|navy
athletic conference= KHSAA

"'Grayson County High School" near (Leitchfield, Kentucky) was established in 1974 after the three high schools throughout Grayson County were consolidated. Grayson County originally had one high school in each major community: Clarkson High School (Red Hawks), Leitchfield High School (Bulldogs), and Caneyville High School (Purple Flash). Today, each of these communities has an Elementary School (Leitchfield has 2) which all feed into one county middle and high school. To appease the various communities who had just lost their high schools, GCHS was located in a central location, and the colors and mascot were neutral of the old colors of the original schools.

History

The school has had a fairly eventful history, including student protests in 1993 and 2007 that garnered attention from local media.The campus of the school has also underwent several improvements, including the construction of a technology center to teach vocational education, and the addition of a new wing in the front of the main building to allow for more classrooms. In 2006, the school implemented a controversial Freshman Academy, designed to improve performance of Freshman, and to ease their transition to high school.

Campus

The GCHS campus consists mainly of two buildings: the main building and the Technology Center. A gym, which seats approximately 3000, is part of the main building, and a football stadium seating about 2000 is located behind the school. Other features of the campus are several storage buildings, a weight room, several greenhouses, and parking space around the school for students, teachers, and visitors. A large lawn in front of the school is rarely used. It could be utilized in the future for possible expansion of the school itself or the addition of more parking space.

Daily Schedule

The school day begins each day at 7:55 AM and ends at 2:42 PM. The school operates on a Block Schedule, which consists of 4 classes each day, lasting for about 90 minutes each, and then switching those 4 classes for a new set of classes each semester (except in the cases of AP classes which last all year). Freshman operate on different schedules, with the last half of the day being the same, but the first half of the day being split up into four 55 minute classes that run all year.

On Wednesdays, the schedule is slightly altered, with A Block and B Block shortened to create about 30 minutes set aside for an "activity period", which allows students to attend club meetings that rotate on a weekly basis.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from GCHS, a student must earn at least 27 credits, complete at least 7 1/2 semesters, and complete a writing portfolio. Usually, students graduate at the end of their senior year in May, but many students take the option of graduating early, halfway through their senior year, in December.

Course Offerings

GCHS offers numerous courses for its students. They must take the basic curriculum of Social Studies, English, Science, Math, Arts and Humanities, PE, and Health. There are also numerous electives offered in those subjects, such as Political Science in Social Studies, or Anatomy in Science. These classes aren't required for graduation, but can be useful for further study in college in one of those subjects. On top of that, students can also take electives in subjects such as Agricultural Education, Life Skills, Foreign Language (which is strongly encouraged for college bound students), Visual Arts, and various vocational classes such as Welding, Carpentry, and Marketing classes that are offered through the school's Technology Center.

The school also offers 9 AP Classes and one Dual Credit course. The AP classes offer a weighted GPA for students, and more advanced and in depth look at subjects that wouldn't get as much coverage in the regular forms of those classes.

Grade Scale

*A=90-100
*B=80-89
*C=70-79
*D=60-69
*F=0-59

Extra Curricular Activities

The school has been able to move past its internal rivalries and compete with external foes in various competitions. The girls' tennis team has won several regional titles and is a perennial regional favorite. The softball team has been very successful as well, even once gaining the ranking of #1 in the state and #25 in the nation. It has developed a strong rivalry with the other regional powerhouse, Owensboro Catholic. The baseball team has also been somewhat successful, winning several regional titles. The football team has struggled for much of its history but did make the semifinals of the state playoffs in 1982. The team has seen a ray of hope in recent years, finishing the 2007 season with a 7-4 record and a second-straight playoff appearance. The boys' basketball team has been moderately successful, winning regional championships in 1993 and 2001.

The Cougars' main rivals are the Edmonson County High School Wildcats. The football teams play each year for the Tobacco Stick in the "Tobacco Bowl." The two schools also compete in the same district and region in many other competitions. GCHS also has rivalries with Ohio County High School, Breckinridge County High School, Butler County High School, and Elizabethtown High School.

The school also fields competitors in track and field, soccer, cross country, cheerleading, cance team, golf, boys' tennis, girls' basketball, and academic team. The GCHS band is regarded as one of the better bands in the state and was asked to march in Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's Innaugural Parade. The school also has an orchestra and chorus, and sponsors several clubs, including DECA, Beta Club, National Honor Society, and FFA.

Notable Alumni

*Ben Shaffer, Minor League Baseball Player
*Daniel Kinkade, Creative Team Director, The Oprah Winfrey Show
*Gavin Logsdon, Pitcher for the University of Louisville Baseball Team
*Allen Hemberger, worked on Visual Effects for several movies including King Kong and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
*Chris Gaither, former basketball player for Temple University and Georgetown College
*Jimmy Mattingly, fiddle player for country musicians such as Garth Brooks