Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Encyclopedia
Baton Rouge Magnet High School is a magnet school
in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. It was founded in the early 1890s. The current school building was built in 1928, and, as Baton Rouge High School, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986. The school requires students to pass enrollment standards and exceed graduation standards. As a result, nearly all graduating students attend college.
was named principal of Baton Rouge High School. Five years later, he became the state education superintendent and held that post until 1940.
The present campus was put into use in 1925 (although some sources cite 1927 or 1928 as the year the new building opened) when the main four-story building was built. Additional buildings were added and renovations made during the 1950s. By 1972, the present facilities were completed and air conditioning was installed. In the fall of 1976, BRMHS began operating under the new Magnet School Curriculum, and the Class of 1980 became the first graduating class to attend all four full years under the Magnet Program.
Numerous district and state championships have been won as is attested by the vast collection of trophies on view in the lobby. Though the major sports of football
, basketball
, and baseball
were discontinued in 1976, the individual and life-time sports have continued a tradition of winning district and state championships. State and district rally honors have increased as have the number of National Merit Students among the student body.
The 4th floor of BRMHS used to be home to the band and orchestra, but is now closed off to the student body. Elvis Presley
played on the Baton Rouge High stage with Faron Young
on May 2, 1955
The school also was used in 2009 as a location for the filming of parts of the film Ticking Clock.
BRMHS location has been moved to the old Lee High School building, due to renovations being done on the 1925 campus. The renovations should take approximately two years. Students should be able to return in fall 2012.
for Academic Excellence for the school years 1982-1983 and 2003-2004. The school offers 19 Advanced Placement
classes, including Science Lab, with an additional American Government
course speculated for 2008-2009. It has 20 honors courses, two dual enrollment courses through Baton Rouge Community College
, and three foreign languages; French
I-V, Spanish
I-V, Latin
I-V. Due to funds being cut by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Japanese
is no longer offered. Greek
is offered sporadically and was last offered in 2008. Due to faculty shortage, since 2007 German
and Russian
are no longer available. Having a college-preparatory Magnet program, BRMHS employs a rigorous curriculum
resulting in almost all of its graduates attending college. The school regularly has the most National Merit Scholarship Award recipients in the state. The 270 students graduating in 2006 were offered over $8 million in college scholarships, with almost all going on to enter college.
Four graduates have also gone on to be named Rhodes Scholars after college. One graduate has gone on to be named a Fulbright Scholar.
It received a special award in 2004 from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
, distinguishing it as one of five schools in the nation excelling in performing arts. It was one of two high schools to receive this award. On March 21, 2005, the school performed and displayed aspects of its arts and performances programs on one of the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stages.
BRMHS is one of the few high schools in the nation to offer two student run radio station
s on campus. The original station, WBRH, was joined in 1997 by KBRH. They are both non-profit radio stations and are run with the financial support of the listening community. They publicly broadcast jazz
on WBRH 90.3 FM, and classic R&B and local music on KBRH 1260 AM.
Awards
, basketball
, or baseball
team. This was a result of the school switching to the magnet program that year, changing the school's official name from Baton Rouge High School to Baton Rouge Magnet High School.
BRMHS has played in the 5A classification, the highest in the LHSAA, since moving up from 4A in 1998. It has won numerous state championships in many sports. Gymnastics and track and field programs are especially strong.
In 2003, BRMHS had a banner year for sports, winning 5 state championships: women's outdoor track, men's outdoor track, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, and women's cross country.
The women's swim team was state runner-up in 2005. Men's and women's coach George Newport has won the city's Coach of the Year award several times. Joanne Chien, class of 2010, won 5 individual state titles in her career, including setting a 5A record in the 100-yard backstroke in 2007.
The school's football team won state championships in 1944 & 1964 before being disbanded in 1976.
BRMHS has won the Southern Quality Ford Cup (previously Picadilly Cup), the all-sports trophy, several times, despite not competing in football
, basketball
, or baseball
.
The school has a small wrestling team.
The cross-country program was a dominant force in the 1980s and early 1990s as the men's team won 10 consecutive state titles from 1978-1988, setting a national record. The women's program won 6 state titles and placed numerous individual state champions.
In recent times, the women's outdoor track and field program has been one of the most dominant in the state, winning state championships in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2011. They were also state runners-up in 2005 and 2006.
The men's gymnastics team, as of the end of the 2010-2011 school year, under the tutelage of longtime coach Kevin Nee, has won 7 of the last 9 LHSAA state championships, including four straight from 2002-2005. The women's team has placed in the top 3 in the state for 6 of the last 9 years, with one state championship in 2003.
The men's cross country team has a two-time 5A state champion in Philipp Goettert (2006, 2007).
The soccer team competes in district 5 of the 5A classification of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. As of 2011, the team has made the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years. In the 2010-2011 season, senior forward Naveed Asayesh scored 47 goals, placing him 3rd in the state and 2nd in 5A.
The women's soccer team (as of 2010) has advanced to the regional playoffs (round of 16) each of the last four years, including reaching the state semifinals in 2009 as an underdog #6 seed, upsetting #3 Mt. Carmel 1-0 in the quarterfinals before losing to #1 Fontainebleau in a penalty kick shootout 3 to 2.
The girls' golf team placed 3rd in the 2010 Baton Rouge Metro High School Championship.
The most recent addition to the athletic roster is men's bowling, which began play in the 2005-2006 school year, the same year the LHSAA held its first state championships in the sport.
In addition, the school has an intramural sports program consisting of American flag football, basketball, and volleyball.
The Choral Department has been directed by Robbie Giroir, the organist at St. Joseph's Cathedral, for over twenty years. They host an annual candlelight Christmas Concert in downtown Baton Rouge. Giroir has taken the Festival Singers, a small vocal ensemble, to venues around the world.
. In 2007 the program had over seventy-five choristers.
The Choral Union is a principle choral ensemble of forty auditioned choristers. They perform in the Fall and Spring Concerts held in the Chapel of St. Alban's on the LSU Campus, and the annual formal Candlelight Concert traditionally held in St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Baton Rouge.
The Choral Union and Festival Singers have also performed in Carnegie Hall
, Lincoln Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The Festival Singers have toured the United Kingdom where solo choral performances were given at Winchester Cathedral
, St.Paul's Cathedral, Ely Cathedral
, and the World War II Memorial Chapel (Ely). In 2005, the Festival Singers performed a concert tour of Germany and Austria.
In 2009, the Festival Singers went to Spain to perform in numerous cathedrals in cities such as Sevilla, Madrid, Toledo, Escorial, and Segovia. The Festival Singers are also planning a trip to Prague and Budapest for the 2010-2011 school term.
Through competitive auditions, many BRMHS choristers are chosen for All State and All District Honor Choirs. Under the tenure of Giroir, the Department of Choral Studies has sung over twenty major choral works by noted composers and has produced over fifteen major musical productions on the BRMHS stage.
Many BRMHS Choristers have gone on to professional performing and music education careers that include Broadway and University Professors.
In addition to the radio training program, the department offers multi-year courses in choral and instrumental music, drama, stagecraft, ballet, and television production.
The drama department produces several main stage and small stage plays each year. These include a Shakespearean play and a winter production in conjunction with the dance department. The later is performed each year for audiences of local elementary school children. The dance department also produces its own recitals, and many of the dancers perform with other dance companies.
The school offers instrumental courses including woodwind, jazz, and strings.
keyboards. Advanced students present two recitals each year. Students also perform for Nursing Homes, Retirement Centers, and other community functions. All styles of music are studied.
In 2008, art club members are finishing a full-color mural
on an outside wall of the school Performing Arts building.
A large renovation and reconstruction project by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board commenced in August 2010 that will completely transform the campus. The project is expected to last approximately two years and will consist of a complete renovation of the landmark school structure, and a demolition and reconstruction of the remaining structures. During the project, all students and staff have relocated to the previously shuttered Lee High School and will stay there for the next 2 years.
The Baton Rouge High Parent Faculty Club http://www.brmhs-pfc.com/ lead the way for safe storage of memorabilia items during renovations. Items were moved to storage prior to renovations and will be safely returned when the renovations have been completed.
Some of the most active clubs include Beta Club
, Frisbee, ICA, Mu Alpha Theta
, Junior Classical League
and Habitat for Humanity. ICA and African Heritage co-host a cultural show each spring which features presentations by students from various, diverse backgrounds sharing cultural experiences. Beta Club
, Mu Alpha Theta
, and the Junior Classical League
always attend their club's state convention, often sweeping many awards for their chapter.
BETA, Mu Alpha Theta, ICA, Hi-Y/Tri-Hi-Y, Frisbee, and Habitat for Humanity are the largest clubs at BRMHS.
There has also been talk of starting a Sadie Hawkins Dance.
for the school we all adore
We will raise our standards high
Till known from shore to shore -
Then we'll fight! Fight! Fight!
With all our might till victory's in sight
Then we'll raise our banners high
For dear old Baton Rouge High
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. It was founded in the early 1890s. The current school building was built in 1928, and, as Baton Rouge High School, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986. The school requires students to pass enrollment standards and exceed graduation standards. As a result, nearly all graduating students attend college.
BRMHS history
In 1903, T. H. HarrisT. H. Harris
Thomas H Harris was the dominant figure in Louisiana public education in the first half of the 20th century through his role as the state school superintendent from 1908-1940.-Early years and education:...
was named principal of Baton Rouge High School. Five years later, he became the state education superintendent and held that post until 1940.
The present campus was put into use in 1925 (although some sources cite 1927 or 1928 as the year the new building opened) when the main four-story building was built. Additional buildings were added and renovations made during the 1950s. By 1972, the present facilities were completed and air conditioning was installed. In the fall of 1976, BRMHS began operating under the new Magnet School Curriculum, and the Class of 1980 became the first graduating class to attend all four full years under the Magnet Program.
Numerous district and state championships have been won as is attested by the vast collection of trophies on view in the lobby. Though the major sports of football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
were discontinued in 1976, the individual and life-time sports have continued a tradition of winning district and state championships. State and district rally honors have increased as have the number of National Merit Students among the student body.
The 4th floor of BRMHS used to be home to the band and orchestra, but is now closed off to the student body. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
played on the Baton Rouge High stage with Faron Young
Faron Young
Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars...
on May 2, 1955
The school also was used in 2009 as a location for the filming of parts of the film Ticking Clock.
BRMHS location has been moved to the old Lee High School building, due to renovations being done on the 1925 campus. The renovations should take approximately two years. Students should be able to return in fall 2012.
Academics and Awards
BRMHS was awarded the Blue RibbonBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
for Academic Excellence for the school years 1982-1983 and 2003-2004. The school offers 19 Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
classes, including Science Lab, with an additional American Government
AP United States Government and Politics
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, also known as AP US Gov & Pol, AP US Gov, AP Go Po or AP Gov, is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program...
course speculated for 2008-2009. It has 20 honors courses, two dual enrollment courses through Baton Rouge Community College
Baton Rouge Community College
Baton Rouge Community College, an open admissions, two-year post-secondary public community college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was established on June 28, 1995. The college settled into a permanent location in 1998...
, and three foreign languages; French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
I-V, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
I-V, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
I-V. Due to funds being cut by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
is no longer offered. Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
is offered sporadically and was last offered in 2008. Due to faculty shortage, since 2007 German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
are no longer available. Having a college-preparatory Magnet program, BRMHS employs a rigorous curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
resulting in almost all of its graduates attending college. The school regularly has the most National Merit Scholarship Award recipients in the state. The 270 students graduating in 2006 were offered over $8 million in college scholarships, with almost all going on to enter college.
Four graduates have also gone on to be named Rhodes Scholars after college. One graduate has gone on to be named a Fulbright Scholar.
It received a special award in 2004 from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, distinguishing it as one of five schools in the nation excelling in performing arts. It was one of two high schools to receive this award. On March 21, 2005, the school performed and displayed aspects of its arts and performances programs on one of the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stages.
BRMHS is one of the few high schools in the nation to offer two student run radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s on campus. The original station, WBRH, was joined in 1997 by KBRH. They are both non-profit radio stations and are run with the financial support of the listening community. They publicly broadcast jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
on WBRH 90.3 FM, and classic R&B and local music on KBRH 1260 AM.
Awards
- 1982 Redbook Magazine - Top 100 High Schools in America
- 1983 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education
- 2003 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education
- 2004 Creative School Ticket of Excellence
- 2004 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence
- 2004 Kennedy Center School of Distinction Creative Ticket Award
- 2005 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award
- 2005 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence
- 2006 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award
- 2006 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence
- 2006 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement
- 2006 Magnet Schools of America. Magnet School of Distinction
- 2007 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence
- 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching
- 2008 US News and World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation
- 2008 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award
- 2009 US News and World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation
- 2010 National Magnet Schools of America - Magnet school Principal of the year
- 2010 National Magnet Schools of America - Excellence Award
- 2010 US News and World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation
- 2011 Newsweek. #122 Ranked High School in the US (3rd highest SAT average amongst 500 schools)
Sports and athletics
BRMHS has an unusual athletics program in that since 1976, it has not fielded a footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, or baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. This was a result of the school switching to the magnet program that year, changing the school's official name from Baton Rouge High School to Baton Rouge Magnet High School.
BRMHS has played in the 5A classification, the highest in the LHSAA, since moving up from 4A in 1998. It has won numerous state championships in many sports. Gymnastics and track and field programs are especially strong.
In 2003, BRMHS had a banner year for sports, winning 5 state championships: women's outdoor track, men's outdoor track, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, and women's cross country.
The women's swim team was state runner-up in 2005. Men's and women's coach George Newport has won the city's Coach of the Year award several times. Joanne Chien, class of 2010, won 5 individual state titles in her career, including setting a 5A record in the 100-yard backstroke in 2007.
The school's football team won state championships in 1944 & 1964 before being disbanded in 1976.
BRMHS has won the Southern Quality Ford Cup (previously Picadilly Cup), the all-sports trophy, several times, despite not competing in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, or baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
The school has a small wrestling team.
The cross-country program was a dominant force in the 1980s and early 1990s as the men's team won 10 consecutive state titles from 1978-1988, setting a national record. The women's program won 6 state titles and placed numerous individual state champions.
In recent times, the women's outdoor track and field program has been one of the most dominant in the state, winning state championships in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2011. They were also state runners-up in 2005 and 2006.
The men's gymnastics team, as of the end of the 2010-2011 school year, under the tutelage of longtime coach Kevin Nee, has won 7 of the last 9 LHSAA state championships, including four straight from 2002-2005. The women's team has placed in the top 3 in the state for 6 of the last 9 years, with one state championship in 2003.
The men's cross country team has a two-time 5A state champion in Philipp Goettert (2006, 2007).
The soccer team competes in district 5 of the 5A classification of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. As of 2011, the team has made the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years. In the 2010-2011 season, senior forward Naveed Asayesh scored 47 goals, placing him 3rd in the state and 2nd in 5A.
The women's soccer team (as of 2010) has advanced to the regional playoffs (round of 16) each of the last four years, including reaching the state semifinals in 2009 as an underdog #6 seed, upsetting #3 Mt. Carmel 1-0 in the quarterfinals before losing to #1 Fontainebleau in a penalty kick shootout 3 to 2.
The girls' golf team placed 3rd in the 2010 Baton Rouge Metro High School Championship.
The most recent addition to the athletic roster is men's bowling, which began play in the 2005-2006 school year, the same year the LHSAA held its first state championships in the sport.
In addition, the school has an intramural sports program consisting of American flag football, basketball, and volleyball.
Visual and performing arts
The school has music programs, including an award winning choir, a jazz band and concert band, and a string orchestra.The Choral Department has been directed by Robbie Giroir, the organist at St. Joseph's Cathedral, for over twenty years. They host an annual candlelight Christmas Concert in downtown Baton Rouge. Giroir has taken the Festival Singers, a small vocal ensemble, to venues around the world.
Choral Studies
The BRMHS Department of Choral Studies offers choral singing, solo vocal literature, music theory, and the art of English handbell ringingHandbell
A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle — traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic — and moves the wrist to make the hinged clapper inside the bell strike...
. In 2007 the program had over seventy-five choristers.
The Choral Union is a principle choral ensemble of forty auditioned choristers. They perform in the Fall and Spring Concerts held in the Chapel of St. Alban's on the LSU Campus, and the annual formal Candlelight Concert traditionally held in St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Baton Rouge.
The Choral Union and Festival Singers have also performed in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Lincoln Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The Festival Singers have toured the United Kingdom where solo choral performances were given at Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
, St.Paul's Cathedral, Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, and the World War II Memorial Chapel (Ely). In 2005, the Festival Singers performed a concert tour of Germany and Austria.
In 2009, the Festival Singers went to Spain to perform in numerous cathedrals in cities such as Sevilla, Madrid, Toledo, Escorial, and Segovia. The Festival Singers are also planning a trip to Prague and Budapest for the 2010-2011 school term.
Through competitive auditions, many BRMHS choristers are chosen for All State and All District Honor Choirs. Under the tenure of Giroir, the Department of Choral Studies has sung over twenty major choral works by noted composers and has produced over fifteen major musical productions on the BRMHS stage.
Many BRMHS Choristers have gone on to professional performing and music education careers that include Broadway and University Professors.
Performing arts
The BRMHS has the only student operated AM and FM radio stations in the country. The school was honored with a "Creative Ticket in the Arts" in 2005 by the Louisiana Division of the Arts and nominated for recognition on a national level.In addition to the radio training program, the department offers multi-year courses in choral and instrumental music, drama, stagecraft, ballet, and television production.
The drama department produces several main stage and small stage plays each year. These include a Shakespearean play and a winter production in conjunction with the dance department. The later is performed each year for audiences of local elementary school children. The dance department also produces its own recitals, and many of the dancers perform with other dance companies.
The school offers instrumental courses including woodwind, jazz, and strings.
Piano Department
The piano department has a lab consisting of 19 full-size instruments, including Yamaha Clavinovas, and Rolands, as well as three 64-key WurlitzerWurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
keyboards. Advanced students present two recitals each year. Students also perform for Nursing Homes, Retirement Centers, and other community functions. All styles of music are studied.
Visual Arts
Visual artists at BRMHS can take four years of art classes. Student artwork is displayed frequently at the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board office and various Baton Rouge galleries, and the department has its own show at the school each spring.In 2008, art club members are finishing a full-color mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
on an outside wall of the school Performing Arts building.
Orchestra
The orchestra at Baton Rouge High, under the direction of Mr. Christopher Frazier, is also an award-winning program. They have performed in Carnegie Hall and at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The group has also participated in musical festival events in Atlanta, Memphis, and Dallas. They will travel back to New York City in April 2011. The orchestra has over 100 members and also performs with the McKinley High Orchestra to form the BRM Orchestra. Placement in the orchestra of Baton Rouge Magnet High is determined by audition.Condition of physical building
BRMHS has had problems with building damage from moisture, and the school system is struggling with funding as well as the mechanics of how to continue education while undergoing a major renovation. The district is planning the details of a major reconstruction project. Various articles in Baton Rouge print media have highlighted the various physical problems on the Baton Rouge High campus. The Baton Rouge High Alumni Association also has documented deteriorating conditions at the school.A large renovation and reconstruction project by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board commenced in August 2010 that will completely transform the campus. The project is expected to last approximately two years and will consist of a complete renovation of the landmark school structure, and a demolition and reconstruction of the remaining structures. During the project, all students and staff have relocated to the previously shuttered Lee High School and will stay there for the next 2 years.
The Baton Rouge High Parent Faculty Club http://www.brmhs-pfc.com/ lead the way for safe storage of memorabilia items during renovations. Items were moved to storage prior to renovations and will be safely returned when the renovations have been completed.
Extracurricular activities
Baton Rouge High School has many clubs for students to choose from. Clubs range from academic to social and clubs number at least 59. The following is a brief list of clubs at BRMHS:- The academic clubs include:
- Beta ClubNational Beta ClubThe National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
, Chess Club, Computer Science Club, Epidemiology Club, Law Club, Literary Travel, Mechanical Tech, Media Tech, Mock TrialMock trialA Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
, Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
, National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, Quiz BowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
, and Science Club.
- Beta Club
- The athletic organization clubs include:
- Dance Club, Frisbee, Gymnastics, Intramural Club, Woods and Waters, and SCUBA Club.
- The language and culture oriented clubs include:
- African Heritage, Arabic Club, Chinese Club, French Club, German Club, International Cultural Association (ICA), Junior Classical LeagueNational Junior Classical LeagueThe National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
, Muslim Student Association, Spanish Club, and Indian Student Association.
- African Heritage, Arabic Club, Chinese Club, French Club, German Club, International Cultural Association (ICA), Junior Classical League
- The political clubs include:
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Gay-Straight AllianceGay-straight allianceGay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
, Invisible ChildrenInvisible ChildrenInvisible Children: Rough Cut is a 2003 American documentary film. Its subject is the abduction and forced enlistment of children by the sectarian Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.-Synopsis:...
, Teenage RepublicansTeenage RepublicansTeen Age Republicans or "TARs" is a political youth organization that is an official auxiliary to the United States Republican Party. There are various TAR clubs throughout the United States, at county and state levels. TAR has a presence in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and...
, and Young Democrats.
- Amnesty International
- The service oriented clubs include:
- 4-H4-H4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
, Best BuddiesBest Buddies InternationalBest Buddies International is a nonprofit 501 organization. It consists of volunteers that attempt to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ....
, Cancer Club, Interact, Key ClubKey ClubKey Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity.
- 4-H
- The student organization clubs include:
- Hi-Y, Tri-Hi-Y, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and Student Government Association (SGA).
- Other clubs include:
- Anime Club, Film Club, Awakening, the Piano Club, Potpourri (the literary publication produced by Baton Rouge High students), The Musician's Guild, WBRH/Radio Club, and DiplomacyDiplomacy (game)Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954 and released commercially in 1959. Its main distinctions from most board wargames are its negotiation phases and the absence of dice or other game elements that produce random effects...
Club.
- Anime Club, Film Club, Awakening, the Piano Club, Potpourri (the literary publication produced by Baton Rouge High students), The Musician's Guild, WBRH/Radio Club, and Diplomacy
Some of the most active clubs include Beta Club
National Beta Club
The National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
, Frisbee, ICA, Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
, Junior Classical League
National Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
and Habitat for Humanity. ICA and African Heritage co-host a cultural show each spring which features presentations by students from various, diverse backgrounds sharing cultural experiences. Beta Club
National Beta Club
The National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
, Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
, and the Junior Classical League
National Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League...
always attend their club's state convention, often sweeping many awards for their chapter.
BETA, Mu Alpha Theta, ICA, Hi-Y/Tri-Hi-Y, Frisbee, and Habitat for Humanity are the largest clubs at BRMHS.
The library
The library of Baton Rouge High boasts over 12,000 books and other volumes. The library and the adjoining lab have at least 45 computers, some are networked to a wireless network allowing access to laser printers, scanners, digital cameras and more.Academic
- Caddo Magnet High SchoolCaddo Magnet High SchoolCaddo Parish Magnet High School, or simply "Magnet" as it is known by its students, is located in Shreveport, Louisiana at 1601 Viking Drive. Its motto is, "In our hands we hold today; in our minds we hold tomorrow." Its goal is stated, "To share what we know, what we have, and what we are with...
- Benjamin Franklin High School
- Lafayette High School (Louisiana)Lafayette High School (Louisiana)Lafayette High School is a public four-year high school located in Lafayette, Louisiana.With an enrollment of 2279 students, Lafayette High is one of the largest schools in the state of Louisiana...
Athletic
Because BRMHS has not fielded any baseball, basketball, or football teams since switching to magnet designation in 1976, most recent sports rivalries have developed in soccer.- Catholic High School (boys' soccer)
- St. Joseph's AcademySt. Joseph's Academy (Baton Rouge)St. Joseph's Academy is an all-girls Catholic school established in 1868 by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. It is located on a live oak shaded campus in Mid-City Baton Rouge, Louisiana, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.SJA has been recognized three times...
(girls' soccer) - McKinley Senior High SchoolMcKinley Senior High SchoolMcKinley Senior High School, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is located on 800 E. McKinley St. is home to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board's first gifted and talented high school programs...
(boys'/girls' soccer)
Spirit Day
On one of the first Fridays after school begins, BRMHS hosts a "Spirit Day" where each class represents their school spirit by wearing green and gold. Seniors traditionally wear completely outrageous costumes, including capes, Mitres, wigs, pom-poms, and matching shirts. A Spirit Assembly is held where each class is mocked by every other class. The freshmen are made fun of, in good taste, and the seniors mock the underclassmen.Fall Fair
During the week leading up to Halloween, BRMHS has a different costume theme for each day of the week. In the past, there has been a Toga Day, a Decades Day, and a Twin/Triplets/Duos/Famous Couples Day, a Pirates Vs. Ninjas Day and a Superheroes Day. The theme is changed each year by the Student Government Association. The last day of Fall Fair week is always Masquerade Day, where everyone wears whatever costume they so choose. On this day, students are dismissed from class early, and go out to enjoy Fall Fair on the soccer field and track. School clubs are allowed to register booths, and they come up with inventive ways to raise money for their club. German Club traditionally holds a "German Disco", while the Junior Classical League has held "Gladiator Fights" with pool noodles and cardboard shields. Many of the culture clubs sell ethnic foods, such as fajitas, pita bread, and eggrolls.Dances
Annual dances include: Get Acquainted (August/September), Turkey Jam (November), Winter Formal (December/January), and Prom (April/May).There has also been talk of starting a Sadie Hawkins Dance.
Alma mater
For Baton Rouge High we raise our cry;for the school we all adore
We will raise our standards high
Till known from shore to shore -
Then we'll fight! Fight! Fight!
With all our might till victory's in sight
Then we'll raise our banners high
For dear old Baton Rouge High
Notable alumni
- Bobby JindalBobby JindalPiyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
(Class of 1988): former U.S. CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and current Louisiana Governor - Jay DardenneJay DardenneJohn Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
(Class of 1972): former Louisiana secretary of state and state senatorLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, current Louisiana Lieutenant Governor. - Mike Futrell (Class of 1978): Louisiana state representative, lawyer
- Ron GomezRon GomezRonald James Gomez, Sr., known as Ron Gomez , is a veteran print and broadcast journalist, author , and businessman from Lafayette, Louisiana, who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from Lafayette Parish, from 1980-1989. From 1990-1992, he was the secretary of natural resources in...
(Class of 1952): Louisiana state representative, journalist, and author - Karey KirkpatrickKarey KirkpatrickKarey Kirkpatrick is an American screenwriter and director. His films include James and the Giant Peach, Space Jam, The Iron Giant, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charlotte's Web and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy adaptation. He has also directed the films, Imagine That starring Eddie Murphy as...
: Screen writer of Chicken RunChicken RunChicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
, and Over the HedgeOver the HedgeOver the Hedge is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, turtle, a squirrel, and their friends who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over by suburbia, trying to survive the increasing flow of humanity and technology...
. - Jim Taylor: NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Player (Inducted 1976)
- Johnny RamistellaJohnny RiversJohnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
a.k.a Johnny RiversJohnny RiversJohnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
: 1950s & 60s rock & roll musician - Jimmy ClantonJimmy ClantonJimmy Clanton is an American singer who became known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just A Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number four on the Billboard chart and sold a million copies...
: 1950s & 60s swamp pop and R&B musician - Bob PettitBob PettitRobert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
: NBA Hall of Fame Basketball Player (Inducted 1970) - Jim Odom: President/Founder/CEO at PreSonusPreSonusPreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. is an American manufacturer of recording and live sound equipment, founded in January 1995 by engineers Jim Odom and Brian Smith, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
Audio Electronics - Wayne KirkpatrickWayne KirkpatrickWayne Kirkpatrick is an American singer/songwriter and musician born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 1979....
: Grammy-winning songwriter of "Change the World" - James Grissom: writer for Sex and the City and other television programs. Author of Follies of God (Alfred A. Knopf), a book about Tennessee WilliamsTennessee WilliamsThomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
. - Richard Boudreaux: award-winning foreign correspondent
- Chris Arnold: World renowned architect. Owner of Thaddeus Conceptual Swag Designs inc.