Boca Raton High School
Encyclopedia
Boca Raton Community High School is a public, coeducational high school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County
, Florida
. The school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the 2010 Newsweek list of the 1,000 Top High Schools.
The school is located at 1501 N.W. 15th Ct., Boca Raton, FL 33486.
In August 2007, the building of a new stadium began, and it was finished by July 2008. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the stadium will feature FieldTurf, a type of artificial turf with a thin, blade-like carpet that will allow use no matter what the weather. The new turf is also twice as soft as the previous field, so falling on it is safer. The installation of the artificial turf is the first for any school in the Palm Beach County School District, according to Jim Cartmill, assistant director of program management with the School Board.
The stadium features a nine-lane track, bleachers that stretch from goal line to goal line (for the home team fans)and from 10-yard line to 10-yard line (for visitors), with seating for up to 4,025 people. That's about 1,000 more seats than the old stadium held. The stadium is accessible to the handicapped. It also has a pole vault and high jump, along with seven new lighted tennis courts. Also, an Olympic-sized swimming pool was added and opened in early 2011..
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
, Technology
, Engineering
, and Math, and was started during the 2004-2005 school year.
Boca Raton High School's first class of STEM graduates, the Class of 2008, have enrolled in honors programs at top Florida universities such as Florida State University
, University of Central Florida
, University of Florida
, Florida Atlantic University
, and University of Miami
, as well as the nation's finest institutions, including Brigham Young University
, Cornell University
, Emory University
, Harvard University
, Nova Southeastern University
, United States Air Force Academy
, United States Naval Academy
, Georgia Institute of Technology
, Dartmouth University, Northwestern University, and University of Wisconsin. Every STEM graduate qualified for a Bright Futures Scholarship and several qualified for substantial financial aid from out of state universities.
. In soccer and volleyball, however, the rivalry is with Spanish River High School.
Soccer:
In 2010, the boys' varsity soccer team finished first in Florida.
Boys Lacrosse:
Cross Country:
In 2008 the boys cross country team defeated St.Thomas Aquinas to capture its first district title in 13 years. The boys team is coached by John Combs.
Marching Band:
Robotics:
Recognition:
Knowledge:
Orders to the Sentry
Principles of Leadership
School District of Palm Beach County
The School District of Palm Beach County is the thirteenth largest public school district in the United States, and the fifth largest school district in Florida. The District encompasses all of Palm Beach County. For the 2010-2011 academic year, enrollment totals 171,692 students in Pre-K through...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the 2010 Newsweek list of the 1,000 Top High Schools.
The school is located at 1501 N.W. 15th Ct., Boca Raton, FL 33486.
Campus
In 2002, the school was almost entirely demolished, and then reconstructed as a new, fully functional, state-of-the-art campus. There is a brand new science building.In August 2007, the building of a new stadium began, and it was finished by July 2008. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the stadium will feature FieldTurf, a type of artificial turf with a thin, blade-like carpet that will allow use no matter what the weather. The new turf is also twice as soft as the previous field, so falling on it is safer. The installation of the artificial turf is the first for any school in the Palm Beach County School District, according to Jim Cartmill, assistant director of program management with the School Board.
The stadium features a nine-lane track, bleachers that stretch from goal line to goal line (for the home team fans)and from 10-yard line to 10-yard line (for visitors), with seating for up to 4,025 people. That's about 1,000 more seats than the old stadium held. The stadium is accessible to the handicapped. It also has a pole vault and high jump, along with seven new lighted tennis courts. Also, an Olympic-sized swimming pool was added and opened in early 2011..
Statistics
- Student-Teacher ratio is 1:17.
- 41% of teachers have Advanced Degrees.
- The average number of years teachers spend teaching is 10.
Student ethnicity
Student Ethnicity is as follows:- White 48%
- Hispanic 19%
- Black 25%
- Multiracial 4%
- Asian/Pacific Islander 3%
- American Indian/Alaskan Native <1%
Student subgroups
Statistics:- Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 21%
- Students with disabilities 11%
- Gifted students 2%
- English language learners 6%
FCAT scores
2009 Passing Rate:Grade 9
- Reading 70% (State Average: 49%)
- Math 85% (State Average: 68%)
Grade 10
- Reading 58% (State Average: 37%)
- Math 89% (State Average: 69%)
- Writing 89% (State Average: 77%)
Grade 11
- Science 53% (State Average: 37%)
| Year | School Grade |
|---|---|
| 1999 | C |
| 2000 | C |
| 2001 | C |
| 2002 | C |
| 2003 | B |
| 2004 | B |
| 2005 | A |
| 2006 | A |
| 2007 | A |
| 2008 | A+ |
| 2009 | A |
STEM Program
Boca High is known for its magnet program, called STEM. This stands for ScienceScience
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and Math, and was started during the 2004-2005 school year.
- Post-STEM
Boca Raton High School's first class of STEM graduates, the Class of 2008, have enrolled in honors programs at top Florida universities such as Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, and University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, as well as the nation's finest institutions, including Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
, United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
, United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, Dartmouth University, Northwestern University, and University of Wisconsin. Every STEM graduate qualified for a Bright Futures Scholarship and several qualified for substantial financial aid from out of state universities.
Advanced placement
In 2011-2012, the following Advanced Placement (AP) exams are available to students:- Art History
- Art: Studio 2-D Design
- Art: Studio 3-D Design
- Art: Studio Drawing
- Biology
- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC
- Chemistry
- Chinese Language & Culture
- Computer Science A
- Economics: Macro
- Economics: Micro
- English Language & Composition
- English Literature & Composition
- Environmental Science
- European History
- French Language
- Geography: Human
- Government & Politics: U.S.
- Government & Politics: Comparative
- German Language
- Music Theory
- Physics B
- Psychology
- Spanish Language
- Spanish Literature
- Statistics
- U.S. History
- World History
AICE Curriculum
Recently, Boca Raton High School began to offer AICE classes, or Advanced International Certificate of Education. These courses are college accredited throughout universities in Florida; AICE is run by the University of Cambridge in England. The following AICE classes and standardized tests are offered at Boca Raton High School:- US History (History of the Americas)
- International History
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Thinking Skills
- General Paper
- English Language
- Spanish Language
- Business
- Art and Design I
- Art and Design II
- Music I
- Marine Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- General Math
- Portuguese Language (initiated during the first quarter of the 2011-2012 school year)
Athletics
There has been a history of competitive rivalry with the neighboring high school, West Boca Highschool, and Atlantic High School in 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...
. In soccer and volleyball, however, the rivalry is with Spanish River High School.
Types of sports offered
As of 2008:- Baseball: Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Basketball: Girls', Boys'- Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Bowling: Girls', Boys'- Varsity
- Cross-Country
- Football: Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Intermural Flag Football
- Lacrosse: Girls', Boys'
- Marching Band
- Soccer: Girls', Boys'- Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Softball: Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Competitive Cheerleading
- Track/Field
- Water Polo: Girls', Boys'
- Weightlifting: Varsity
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Ice Hockey
- Volleyball: Girls', Boys'
- Wrestling: Junior Varsity, Varsity
Achievements
Swimming:- In 2008, after two years of near misses, the girls' team won the state championship. The boys' team placed 37th in 2007, and followed with third in 2008; the second-highest finish in school history. As of 2008, the swim team is coached by Eric Hill.
Soccer:
In 2010, the boys' varsity soccer team finished first in Florida.
- In 2009, the boys' varsity soccer team finished 2nd in the state championship.
Boys Lacrosse:
- In 2009, the Varsity lacrosse team went 10-6 before losing to Spanish River 6-5 in the district semifinals. Since 2008, the Boys Lacrosse program is led by Matt Paolano.
Cross Country:
In 2008 the boys cross country team defeated St.Thomas Aquinas to capture its first district title in 13 years. The boys team is coached by John Combs.
Marching Band:
- In 2010, the PRIDE of the Gold Coast Marching Band, directed by Laura Beard, won 2nd place in the FMBC State Finals.
Robotics:
- In 2010, Boca High's FLLFIRST Lego LeagueThe FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
Team Mafia competed successfully, reaching the state Championship level. They also won "Master Champions" of the Palm Beach County competition. - In 2011, Team 3622 "Robocats" competed in FRCFIRST Robotics CompetitionThe FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
, winning the "Rookie All Star Award" and earned a place at the FIRST Championships in St. Louis, MO.
Student Government Association (SGA)
The Student Council of Boca Raton Community High School has a dominant presence at the Florida Association of Student Councils, and has been recognized accordingly. The leadershipians have won more project awards in more categories then any other school in the state of Florida. For the 2011-2012 school year, Boca High has been elected President of the Florida Association of Student Councils.The Leadershipians most recently accomplished the following at the 2010 FASC States Competition:- Gold Medallion Council
- 1st Place School Spirit
- 1st Place Community Service
- 1st Place Membership Motivation
- 2nd Place Environmental Concerns
- 2nd Place Citizenship Development
- 3rd Place Faculty and Staff Relations
Boca Raton NJROTC
The Bobcat Battalion was started in 1994 by Lieutenant Commander Kenneth A. Bingham, USN (Ret.) and Chief Petty Officer Edwin A. Morales, USN (Ret.). It has since become one of the best in the nation. The Battalion consists of four companies, with approximately 180 cadets in the unit as of 2010. Cadets' daily curriculum involves academics, physical training (PT) and general knowledge on life in the United States navy. The JROTC main goal is to develop informed citizens.Recognition:
- 1st place 2011 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 1st place 2011 Florida State Championship
- 3rd place 2010 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 1st Place 2010 Florida State Championship
- 2nd Place 2009 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 1st Place 2008 Academic Team at Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 2nd Place 2008 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 2nd Place 2007 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 2nd Place 2007 Florida State Championship
- 2nd Place 2006 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 3rd Place 2006 Florida State Championship
- 4th Place at 2005 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 2nd Place, 2005 Florida State Championship
- 6th Place at 2004 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 1st Place at 2004 Florida State Championship
- 3rd Place at 2003 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 2002 Top NJROTC Unit in Area 7
- 2nd Place at 2001 Navy Nationals in Pensacola
- 3rd Place at 2000 Navy Nationals in Chicago
- 3rd Place at 1999 Navy Nationals in Chicago
- 2nd Place at 1998 Navy Nationals in San Diego
- 5th Place at 1997 Navy Nationals in College Station Texas
Knowledge:
Orders to the Sentry
- 1. Take charge of this post and all government property in view.
- 2. Walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything within sight or hearing.
- 3. Report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
- 4. Repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse or quarter-deck than my own.
- 5. Quit my post only when properly relieved.
- 6. Receive, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the commanding officer, command duty officer, officer of the day, officer of the deck, and all officers and petty officers of the watch only.
- 7. Talk to no one except in the line of duty.
- 8. Give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
- 9. Call the corporal of the guard or officer of the deck in any case not covered by instructions.
- 10. Salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
- 11. Be especially watchful at night, and during the time of challenging, challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
Principles of Leadership
- 1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement
- 2. Be technically proficient
- 3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
- 4. Make sound and timely decisions
- 5. Set the example
- 6. Know your people and look out for their well-being
- 7. Keep your workers informed
- 8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers
- 9. Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished
- 10. Train as a team
- 11. Use the full capabilities of your organization