Palm Beach Lakes Community High School

Palm Beach Lakes Community High School, also known as Lakes or PBL, is a coeducational, Public High School located in the Palm Beach Lakes community of West Palm Beach, Florida. It is under the jurisdiction of the School District of Palm Beach County. The school has the Teacher's Academy Program and serves as the Law Magnet for the entire county.

Once having an enrollment of over 3,500, Palm Beach Lakes was once one of the largest schools in its district. However, due to Florida's Class Size Amendment and the continuous building of high schools in the district, Palm Beach Lakes has a school enrollment of just over 3,000. However, it still remains one of the largest high schools in South Florida.

History

The institution currently known as Palm Beach Lakes Community High School was founded in 1908 as Palm Beach High School. It has the legacy of being the oldest high school in the School District of Palm Beach County. The school is a year older than Palm Beach County, which was founded in April 1909.

Palm Beach High School served as the original site of Palm Beach Junior College, now Palm Beach Community College (PBCC). County school superintendent Joe Youngblood and Howell Watkins, the principal of Palm Beach High School who later became the college's first dean, were instrumental in opening the college. The college's initial goal was to provide additional training to local high school graduates who were unable to find jobs during the Great Depression. PBJC, or PBCC, was founded in 1933 and is the oldest community college in the state of Florida.

At the start of the 1970-1971 school year, Palm Beach High School merged with Roosevelt High School, forming PBLCH's second incarnation, Twin Lakes High School. The latter, Roosevelt High, was established as the high school for African-Americans in West Palm Beach. They were athletic rivals with John F. Kennedy High School, the High School for African-Americans in Riviera Beach. This school would go on to become part of Suncoast Community High School. Roosevelt High was located at the site of the current Roosevelt Service Center, on the Northwest corner of Tamarind Avenue and L. A. Kirksey Street (15th Street). This site would also become known as Roosevelt Junior High School in the 1960s.

The name of the new school was Twin Lakes High School, derived from the fact that the merging of the schools had integrated them, and also that the new school setting was diverse with differing groups of ethnicities merging together into a future that was united. The site was located in Downtown West Palm Beach at the current Dreyfoos School of the Arts site.

In 1988, the school once again changed not only names, but location. It was moved from Downtown West Palm Beach to a new building in Palm Beach Lakes and renamed Palm Beach Lakes Community High School. This site is its current location, on the Northeast corner of Shiloh Drive and Military Trail.

Academic Programs

Students have seven classes, called hours. The school is on block scheduling, which means classes alternate every other day in what are called Odd Days and Even Days. On an Odd Day, students will attend their 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th and 7^th hour classes, and on Even Days, they will attend their 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th hour classes. The fifth hour class is taken every day, because it is half as long as the other classes to accommodate lunch. Lunch is done in two sections, with half the school going to their fifth hour class first while the other half is at lunch, and then switching positions.

Teacher's Academy

The school established the Teacher's Academy in the 1990s. The purpose of the program is to train and prepare future teachers for the world of tomorrow. Requirements to gain entry into the program are top notch, and students must maintain a certain GPA and other credentials to gain access into the magnet program.

Requirements include having a 3.0 on a 4.0 GPA scale, and maintaining this average throughout high school. Students who enter this program take courses through dual enrollment with Palm Beach Community College, earning college credit hours that may be applied toward their college degree. Upon graduation, if a student is serious about majoring in education, it is possible for them to enter a Florida state institution with junior-level college credits.

Center for Pre-Law

The Center for Pre-Law program was established for students who are interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer. However, this magnet is not limited to those interested in law. Courses are geared towards many careers in the legal field, including law enforcement, attorneys and elected officials, and are well versed. Students not only take rigorous courses, but also participate in realistic court situations in the school's mock trial room.

Requirements to join the program include having a 2.5 on a 4.0 GPA scale and obtaining three positive teacher recommendations.

Medical Magnet

The Medical Magnet at Palm Beach Lakes Community High has earned many accolades for its achievements. For many years its students have finished first in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) county competitions and many have gone on to compete at the state and national level. Led by two certified Registered Nurses (Barbara Gissenter and Julie Joyner), the Medical Magnet's main goal is to better prepare students for when they arrive at their professional careers in medicine.

The magnet offers classes in several specialized areas of medicine, including Sports Medicine, where students have to opportunity to assist injured players on the sidelines of both home and away American football games, First Responder, where students learn the basics of emergency rescue, participating in eight-hour shifts at West Palm Beach Fire Station 6, working in the rescue truck as Emergency Medical Technician assistants, Nursing Aide & Pharmacy Aide, learning the basics of nursing and pharmaceuticals as nursing assistants at nursing homes. As seniors, students will engage in Independent Studies, getting a chance to work at Clinics, Doctors Offices, and Hospitals.

Clubs & Activities

Palm Beach Lakes Ram Regiment Band

The Ram Regiment Band is one of the school's main draws and a symbol of great pride for both students and faculty. They are led under the direction of Lonnie Green, a graduate of FAMU, and a former member of the Marching 100. Sectors of the band include the Flag Team and the Ladies of Distinction--also known as the L.O.D.--the band's dance team.

Other Activities

* Florida Future Educators of America (FFEA)
* Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
* Future Homemakers of America (FHA)
* Key Club International
* National Honor Society
* Palm Beach Lakes Chess Club
* Palm Beach Lakes Superior Chorus
* Palm Beach Lakes Drama Club
* Palm Beach Lakes French Club
* Palm Beach Lakes Hispanic Club
* Palm Beach Lakes Student Council
* Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)
* Quill and Scroll

ports

The school's major sports rivals are Palm Beach Gardens Community High School, William T. Dwyer High School,and Suncoast Community High School. Lorenzo Hands, the school's men's basketball coach, was a finalist for the 2006 Palm Beach County Men's Basketball Coach of the Year award [http://www.palmbeachsports.com/institute/HOF%20Annual%20Award%20Winners%20past.html Palm Beach County Sports awards] ] and was presented with a Certificate of Congratulations for being named Palm Beach County Coach of the Year that same year. [http://fly2palmbeach.net/newsroom/0406/04-05-06_coach.htm Palm Beach County] ]

ports at Palm Beach Lakes

* Baseball - Men 6A
* Basketball - Men and Women 6A (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
* Bowling - Men and Women
* Cheerleading - (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
* Football - 6A (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
* Flag Football - Women
* Golf - Men and Women
* Track and Field - Men and Women 4A
* Soccer - Men and Women (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
* Softball - Women 6A
* Swimming - Men and Women
* Volleyball - Men and Women (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
* Wrestling - Men and Women (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)

Palm Beach Lakes holds an annual basketball tournament, known as the Derek Harper Holiday Tournament. It is named after the retired NBA guard and Palm Beach Lakes Alumni, Derek Harper, class of 1980. Teams from Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties participate in the tournament which draws thousands each year. The event is held the week after Christmas for 4 days. [http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=51222&tclass= Derek Harper Holiday Tournament] ]

Notable Alumni

* George Hamilton - Award winning actor
* Derek Harper - Retired NBA guard
* Burt Reynolds - Award winning actor
* Vinny Sutherland - former NFL player
* Rice Brothers - Local businessmen; famous for their dwarfism and commercials

ee also

* List of high schools in Florida

References

* [http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us School District]
* [http://www.pbhsalumni.org/history.htm Palm Beach High School Alumni]

External links

* [http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/PalmBeachLakesHS PBL website]
* [http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us School District of Palm Beach County]
* [http://www.palmbeachlakesalumni.com/ Palm Beach Lakes Alumni Archive]