Alamo Heights High School
Encyclopedia
Alamo Heights High School is a secondary school located in the city of Alamo Heights, Texas
and is the only high school in the Alamo Heights Independent School District
.
Alamo Heights High School is known for its excellence as a college preparatory high school where students benefit from a challenging educational program and a wide array of extra curricular opportunities. Most of the students who attend Alamo Heights HS also attended Alamo Heights Junior School (6-8), either Woodridge Elementary or Cambridge Elementary (1-5), and Howard Early Childhood Center (PreK-K). There is also alternative school at the Robbins Academy (6-12). Others come from nearby private or parochial schools such as St. Luke's Episcopal, St. Mary's Hall, St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, The San Antonio Academy, St. Pious X, or Texas Military Institute and Keystone School.
The district includes three "island cities" including all of Alamo Heights, parts of Terrell Hills
and all of Olmos Park
. The district also includes a small part of north central San Antonio. Although Alamo Heights High School is a public school, it does accept a limited amount of tuition students every year who live outside of the Alamo Heights district boundaries.
In 2009, the school was rated "academically acceptable
" by the Texas Education Agency
.
The school has several sports facilities, the most visible of which is Harry B. Orem Stadium, used for football and soccer games. The stadium contains a track and there is also a practice field for these sports. The school's main facility for basketball and volleyball games is the Mule Dome. There is also a practice gymnasium for basketball. The school has full pool facilities for swimming, diving and water polo. Recently, the "skygym" was opened as an extra basketball court and multi-use gymnasium. The school's baseball field is located in the city's Olmos Basin.
Recently, the school has undergone major construction, including the renovation of the auditorium, addition of a two story science building, addition of a second gymnasium building and a new state-of-the-art weight room, renovation of the Central wing of the school, and the conversion of the old practice gym into a facility for the dance and cheerleading teams.
Curriculum: Alamo Heights has designed programs to meet the needs of students at four levels: GT, PreAP/AP, enriched, and regular. The terminal courses in the honors sequence carry the title AP and follow the College Board’s
Advanced Placement curriculum. PreAP/AP courses are offered in the following: English, mathematics, music, science, social studies, foreign languages, and art. Currently, dual credit enrollment courses are offered through San Antonio College for English IV, French IV, Calculus BC, Computer Science III, and Physics II.
24 AP courses offered in subject areas:
Faculty: 115 faculty members; 75% with Master’s degrees and above
Retiring at the end of the 2010- 2011 school year.
The school's mascot is the mule
.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and is the only high school in the Alamo Heights Independent School District
Alamo Heights Independent School District
Alamo Heights Independent School District is a school district based in Alamo Heights, Texas . Alamo Heights ISD also serves Olmos Park, most of Terrell Hills, and a small portion of San Antonio....
.
Alamo Heights High School is known for its excellence as a college preparatory high school where students benefit from a challenging educational program and a wide array of extra curricular opportunities. Most of the students who attend Alamo Heights HS also attended Alamo Heights Junior School (6-8), either Woodridge Elementary or Cambridge Elementary (1-5), and Howard Early Childhood Center (PreK-K). There is also alternative school at the Robbins Academy (6-12). Others come from nearby private or parochial schools such as St. Luke's Episcopal, St. Mary's Hall, St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, The San Antonio Academy, St. Pious X, or Texas Military Institute and Keystone School.
The district includes three "island cities" including all of Alamo Heights, parts of Terrell Hills
Terrell Hills, Texas
Terrell Hills is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States, located five miles northeast of downtown San Antonio. It is part of a group of three cities — Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, and Olmos Park — located between downtown San Antonio and Fort Sam Houston...
and all of Olmos Park
Olmos Park, Texas
Olmos Park is a city located within San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,343 at the 2000 census. The city is the second wealthiest location in the San Antonio metropolitan area after Hill Country Village.- Government :...
. The district also includes a small part of north central San Antonio. Although Alamo Heights High School is a public school, it does accept a limited amount of tuition students every year who live outside of the Alamo Heights district boundaries.
In 2009, the school was rated "academically acceptable
Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system
The Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system rates all public schools, charter schools, and school districts in the State of Texas.The criteria are the same for schools and districts, and are discussed below...
" by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
.
Facilities
The two-story school building is divided into four halls: Main, South, Central and North. Main provides access to the attendance and principal's offices, the library, the auditorium and a few classrooms. North contains the mathematics and history departments. Central is occupied by the technology department, as well as the nurse's and counselors' offices. South contains the English and foreign languages departments. The school's main sitting area is outside between North and Central. This area is called "The Oaks" after its many oak trees. The Oaks Building is located across The Oaks from the main building. It contains two art rooms, the language laboratory, which contains computers with headsets for use with recorded language teaching materials and a multi-purpose room. The auditorium is located north of the North Wing, with the band hall north of the auditorium.The school has several sports facilities, the most visible of which is Harry B. Orem Stadium, used for football and soccer games. The stadium contains a track and there is also a practice field for these sports. The school's main facility for basketball and volleyball games is the Mule Dome. There is also a practice gymnasium for basketball. The school has full pool facilities for swimming, diving and water polo. Recently, the "skygym" was opened as an extra basketball court and multi-use gymnasium. The school's baseball field is located in the city's Olmos Basin.
Recently, the school has undergone major construction, including the renovation of the auditorium, addition of a two story science building, addition of a second gymnasium building and a new state-of-the-art weight room, renovation of the Central wing of the school, and the conversion of the old practice gym into a facility for the dance and cheerleading teams.
Statistics
- Employs 115 faculty members
- 75% of staff have master's degrees
- Enrollment: 1,543 students
- 95% of graduates attend college
- 80% in four-year colleges and 15% in junior/community colleges
Administration
- Dr. Kevin Brown, district superintendent
- Dr. Linda Foster, principal
- Frank Padilla, Randy White (retired as of second 2009-2010 semester) and Terri Duncan, vice-principals
Academics
Alamo Heights High School is known for its excellence as a college preparatory high school where students benefit from a challenging educational program and a wide array of extra curricular opportunities. Graduates must demonstrate mastery of Reading, Mathematics, and Writing as measured by the (TAKS). Students are encouraged to complete one of the advanced/recommended programs set forth by the Texas State Board of Education. Additional courses in math, science, social studies, foreign language, computer studies, fine arts, public speaking, and journalism distinguish these programs. A seal denoting the student’s program completion is affixed to his/her transcript at the end of the senior year.Curriculum: Alamo Heights has designed programs to meet the needs of students at four levels: GT, PreAP/AP, enriched, and regular. The terminal courses in the honors sequence carry the title AP and follow the College Board’s
Advanced Placement curriculum. PreAP/AP courses are offered in the following: English, mathematics, music, science, social studies, foreign languages, and art. Currently, dual credit enrollment courses are offered through San Antonio College for English IV, French IV, Calculus BC, Computer Science III, and Physics II.
24 AP courses offered in subject areas:
- AP English Lang., AP English Lit.
- AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics
- AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics
- AP World History, AP US History, AP Human Geography,
- AP European History , AP Government, AP Economics
- AP Spanish Lang., AP Spanish Lit. AP French Lang.
- AP French Lit., AP Latin Vergil, AP Latin Lit.
- AP Art 2-D Design, AP Art Drawing, AP Music Theory.
- AP Psychology
Faculty: 115 faculty members; 75% with Master’s degrees and above
Notable teachers
- Paul Foerster was in 1983 named the state recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching in 1983. He has also published mathematical textbookTextbookA textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s, including Calculus: Concepts and Applications.
Retiring at the end of the 2010- 2011 school year.
Notable alumni
- Patrick BaileyPatrick BaileyPatrick Bailey is an American football linebacker who is currently with the Tennessee Titans. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, class of 2004, is currently a linebacker for the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and won a Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009. - Chase ClementChase ClementChase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
, class of 2004, is currently a quarterback for the Las Vegas LocomotivesLas Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
and won the UFL's 2010 Championship Game2010 UFL Championship GameThe 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a...
taking home the game MVP trophy. - Angela BelcherAngela BelcherAngela M. Belcher is a materials scientist, biological engineer, and W.M. Keck Professor of Energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. She is director of the Biomolecular Materials Group at MIT and a 2004 MacArthur Fellow.Belcher grew up in San...
, attended, is the Director of the Biomolecular Materials Group at MIT. - Marie BrennerMarie BrennerMarie Brenner is an American author, investigative journalist and writer-at-large for Vanity Fair. She has also written for New York, The New Yorker and the Boston Herald and has taught at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism...
, class of 1967, is an author, investigative journalist, and writer-at-large for Vanity Fair magazine. - Christopher CrossChristopher CrossChristopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
, class of 1969, is a recording artist with Top 40 hits including "Sailing" and "Arthur's Theme". - Light Townsend CumminsLight Townsend CumminsLight Townsend Cummins, born 1946, is an educator and historian. He is the Bryan Professor of History at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and is also the official State Historian of Texas.-Education:...
, class of 1964, is the official State Historian of Texas. - Dayna Devon, class of 1988, is a fomer TV host of the syndicated show- EXTRA.
- Janet KruegerJanet KruegerJanet Eager Krueger is an artist known for her large-scale oil paintings of South Texas ranching life. She is an associate professor of art at Texas A&M International University in Laredo and lives on a ranch in nearby Encinal, Texas, in the southwestern corner of La Salle County just north of the...
, class of 1970, is an award-winning Texas artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. - Robert Reeves, class of 1965, is an astronomy and space exploration author. Asteroid 26591 is named Robertreeves in his honor.
- Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
, class of 1982, is a San Antonio-based novelist of the award winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and the New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series for children. - Joe StrausJoe StrausJoseph R. Straus, III, known as Joe Straus , is the current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. He represents District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including part of San Antonio, Texas, and several surrounding communities...
, class of 1978, is the current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. - Clay TarverClay TarverClay Tarver is an American guitarist and writer.-Music career:He first came to prominence as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Boston hard rock/punk band, Bullet LaVolta in the late 1980s. They recorded a few records for Taang! RCA and Matador records before disbanding in 1991...
, class of 1984, screenwriter for Joy Ride. - Peter WellerPeter WellerPeter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
, class of 1965, is an actor in movies such as RoboCopRoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
.
Athletics
The school offers football, tennis, water polo, volleyball and cross country in the fall. It offers basketball, swimming and diving and soccer in the winter and tennis, baseball, softball, water polo, track and field, and club lacrosse in the spring. Golf is year round.The school's mascot is the mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
.
Notable athletic achievements
- Football - Class 4A Division II State semifinalist (2003), Class 4A Division I State Champions (2006)
- Men's soccer - State champions (1987), Class 4A State runner-up (2003)
- Track and Field - Regional qualifier (4 x 100 Relay) (2006)
- Cross country - Regional qualifier (2005), (2007), (2008)
- Women's soccer - Class 4A State semifinalist (2006)
- Tennis - State champions (1973, 1984,1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002)
- Water Polo - State runner-up (1996),(1986), state champs, men and women (1973). 3rd place in state for men's water polo in 1985, Undefeated Regional Champions (Boys and Girls) 2010
- Basketball - State runner-up (1951), State Champions (1952, 1954), Class 4A State semifinalist (1988), Class 4A State runner-up (1991)
- Diving -Regional Champions (2003, 2004)
- Swimming- State record for Girls 100m backstroke(2006)
- Spurs Dance Team- Nationally Ranked (3rd Place)[2008]
- JROTC - National Champions (2007, 2008, 2009)
- Cheerleading- UCA Finals 2007 (9th), Nationally Ranked (2006, 2007, 2008), UCA Nationals Finals Large Varsity Division II 2010 (6th)
- Rugby - TYRA Division II 2010 (2d)