Education in Washington Court House
Encyclopedia
Education in Washington Court House, Ohio
area is composed of two public school districts as well as a private school and a community college.
enrolls most school-age children within the city limits of Washington Court House. Presently, operating school buildings include:
The district also operates a combination administrative office and school bus garage.
was used as the Kindergarten building for 11 years. The hallways are covered in murals. This school building was sold to Heritage Memorial Church in "Capture the Dream" school facility reconstruction project. The school is now a free clothing center for low income families called "The Well."
s (Belle Aire, Cherry Hill, Eastside, and Rose Avenue) were demolished (With the exception of the newer portion of Belle Aire) in accordance with the school reconstruction project. New Cherry Hill and Belle Aire facilities house K-2 and 3-5, respectively.
The current middle school houses grades 6-8.
Drama and Choral Music
The Middle School Choir was directed by Jane Morse, who recently retired. She and Mrs. Wright, who is the study hall director, present a Jr. Broadway musical each year. In the past they have done Annie Get Your Gun, Bugsy Malone, The Music Man, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Once Upon a Mattress, Aladdin, and most recently, Annie. Choirs include sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade. Mrs. Morse also coached students for the annual solo and ensemble competition.
Instrumental Music
In fifth grade, students interested in band choose their instruments. The Middle School Band Department is led by Ben Streitenberger. Bands include sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and jazz. The seventh and eighth grade bands participate in annual solo and ensemble and large group contests.
Some residents protest that the high school does not participate in the National Honor Society, and that the district's substitute, the "Academy of Scholars," does not hold as much weight with colleges as the NHS.
Washington Senior High has approximately 50 staff members, and approximately 700 students in grades 9-12. Only the school board is aware of numbers as to teacher/student capacity in the new schools.
Drama and Choral Music
In the past several years, Washington has performed annual Broadway musicals, such as South Pacific
, Big, Footloose
, Children of Eden
, West Side Story
, Beauty and the Beast
, Seussical
, The Sound of Music
, Godspell
, Peter Pan
, and most recently, The Phantom of the Opera
. The school also has the concert choir, the symphonic choir, and the show choir.
Instrumental music
The director of the high school's bands is master teacher Matt Stanley. He directs the school's jazz band, concert band, symphonic band, marching band, and pep band.
On Friday Nights during the Autumn Football Season, the marching band can be heard throughout town. The marching style of the band is modeled after The Ohio University Marching 110, which is not a true "marching" band but more a "performance" band. The WCH Marching Band currently has 140 members. The band plays a variety of songs from Classic Rock Crazy Train
by Ozzy Osbourne
, to newer hits like Bad Romance
by Lady Gaga
. The trademark song of the marching band is Long Train Runnin' by The Doobie Brothers
.
The pep band supports the school's boys' basketball team.
Research History
This class in Washington Court House's high school curriculum places seniors within reach of leading national scholarship through the analyzation of primary source
documents. Master teacher Paul LaRue instructs students for this class.
Some projects either completed or in progress are as follows:
In 2005, the research history team sent two representatives to Washington, DC to compete in a national history research competition sponsored by "The History Channel." The program, called "Save Our History," included project submissions from hundreds of schools and extracurricular teams from across the country. Washington Court House's Research History class placed in the final four high school teams, and thus, was offered an all-expenses-paid trip for two student representatives to the nation's capital. For the same project work done, the class received plaques from the Veteran's Administration's headquarters in Washington, DC.
On May 7, 2006, a groundbreaking ceremony took place near the old high school and Eastside Elementary.
Washington City Schools began a two year construction project which replaced the existing facilities with four new school buildings. The project took roughly three years to complete, and was met with mixed reviews from the community.
The Miami Trace Local School District serves parts of the city in question, while providing education for almost every area in Fayette County which surrounds the city. The vast amount of land area covered by this school district, while less population-dense of an area, warrants a larger student body than the "city" school district. As a tradition, Miami Trace and Washington city schools are athletic rivals.
In 2009, a new elementary school for Miami Trace was completed, which lies adjacent to the high school along S.R. 41-NW. Currently under construction is a state-of-the-art middle school, which is slated for open for spring of the 2010-2011 academic year. With the completion of the new middle school, Miami Trace Local School District will be known as a centralized education district.
of Southern State Community College
(SSCC) is the only college in this town. It is primarily used by students at the local high schools for college classes and credit, or for getting primary classes finished. Southern State Community College allows students to transfer their credits to some other colleges.
Washington Court House, Ohio
Washington Court House is a city in Fayette County, Ohio, United States. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located approximately halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The population was 14,192 in 2010 at the 2010 census...
area is composed of two public school districts as well as a private school and a community college.
Washington Court House City Schools
The Washington Court House City School DistrictWashington Court House City School District
The Washington Court House City School District is a public school district serving Washington Court House, Ohio and surrounding areas. The district enrolls most school-age children within the city limits of Washington Court House....
enrolls most school-age children within the city limits of Washington Court House. Presently, operating school buildings include:
- Cherry Hill Elementary (Grades K-2)
- Belle Aire Intermediate (Grades 3-5)
- Washington Middle School (Grades 6-8)
- Washington High School (Grades 9-12)
The district also operates a combination administrative office and school bus garage.
Sunnyside Kindergarten
Sunnyside KindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
was used as the Kindergarten building for 11 years. The hallways are covered in murals. This school building was sold to Heritage Memorial Church in "Capture the Dream" school facility reconstruction project. The school is now a free clothing center for low income families called "The Well."
Washington Elementary Schools
The four elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s (Belle Aire, Cherry Hill, Eastside, and Rose Avenue) were demolished (With the exception of the newer portion of Belle Aire) in accordance with the school reconstruction project. New Cherry Hill and Belle Aire facilities house K-2 and 3-5, respectively.
Washington Middle School
The current middle school is located on Elm Street, conjoined to the high school by a building called Liberty Hall.The current middle school houses grades 6-8.
Drama and Choral Music
The Middle School Choir was directed by Jane Morse, who recently retired. She and Mrs. Wright, who is the study hall director, present a Jr. Broadway musical each year. In the past they have done Annie Get Your Gun, Bugsy Malone, The Music Man, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Once Upon a Mattress, Aladdin, and most recently, Annie. Choirs include sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade. Mrs. Morse also coached students for the annual solo and ensemble competition.
Instrumental Music
In fifth grade, students interested in band choose their instruments. The Middle School Band Department is led by Ben Streitenberger. Bands include sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and jazz. The seventh and eighth grade bands participate in annual solo and ensemble and large group contests.
Washington Senior High School
The oldest standing high school is the city's old middle school, which is home to the city's auditorium. The second-oldest standing high school was the city's old Sunnyside Kindergarten, which is now The Well, a free-clothing store for low-income houses. In the early 1960s, a new high school was constructed on Willard Street. However, that high school has been recently demolished, as it was built upon a marsh-like ground, and began to sink. In 2009, the newest high school was built, which currently sits on Elm Street along with the new middle school. Both schools are connected by a building called Liberty Hall, which has a very small auditorium that can fit roughly 150 people.Some residents protest that the high school does not participate in the National Honor Society, and that the district's substitute, the "Academy of Scholars," does not hold as much weight with colleges as the NHS.
Washington Senior High has approximately 50 staff members, and approximately 700 students in grades 9-12. Only the school board is aware of numbers as to teacher/student capacity in the new schools.
Drama and Choral Music
In the past several years, Washington has performed annual Broadway musicals, such as South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
, Big, Footloose
Footloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
, Children of Eden
Children of Eden
Children of Eden is a two-act musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel, and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood...
, West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, Seussical
Seussical
is a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two US national tours and a UK tour...
, The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
, Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, and most recently, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
. The school also has the concert choir, the symphonic choir, and the show choir.
Instrumental music
The director of the high school's bands is master teacher Matt Stanley. He directs the school's jazz band, concert band, symphonic band, marching band, and pep band.
On Friday Nights during the Autumn Football Season, the marching band can be heard throughout town. The marching style of the band is modeled after The Ohio University Marching 110, which is not a true "marching" band but more a "performance" band. The WCH Marching Band currently has 140 members. The band plays a variety of songs from Classic Rock Crazy Train
Crazy Train
"Crazy Train" is a song written by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley. It was released as the first single in 1980 on Osbourne's first solo studio album, Blizzard of Ozz. The song was recorded in 1980, a year after leaving Black Sabbath, and later included on the live album Tribute,...
by Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, to newer hits like Bad Romance
Bad Romance
"Bad Romance" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the lead single from her third extended play , and second major release The Fame Monster . Written by Lady Gaga and produced by RedOne, the track was inspired by Gaga's fear of negative love relationships and the...
by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. The trademark song of the marching band is Long Train Runnin' by The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
.
The pep band supports the school's boys' basketball team.
Research History
This class in Washington Court House's high school curriculum places seniors within reach of leading national scholarship through the analyzation of primary source
Primary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
documents. Master teacher Paul LaRue instructs students for this class.
Some projects either completed or in progress are as follows:
- Compiling a single record of all who are buried in the Soldier's Home Cemetery, Washington, DC (the companion national cemetery to Arlington) from two separate and conflicting records. Washington C.H. High School seniors are the sole laborers in the U.S. to complete this project of national significance.
- Constructing and maintaining two websites on the Civil War U.S. Colored Troops, or USCT. One website is dedicated to USCT from Ohio and is highly ranked in Google searches.
- Obtaining and installing headstones for many unmarked black veterans in the Washington Cemetery, many from the USCT.
- Obtaining and installing headstones for unmarked veterans in the Bloomingburg Cemetery, Bloomingburg, OH. (For which the students earned an award from The History Channel, below)
- Compiling a publishable historical account of the Bloomingburg Cemetery
- Obtaining Historical Site Markers from the Ohio Historical Society for many historically significant areas in and around Washington Court House
- Developing pamphlets for distribution about various historical sites around Washington Court House
In 2005, the research history team sent two representatives to Washington, DC to compete in a national history research competition sponsored by "The History Channel." The program, called "Save Our History," included project submissions from hundreds of schools and extracurricular teams from across the country. Washington Court House's Research History class placed in the final four high school teams, and thus, was offered an all-expenses-paid trip for two student representatives to the nation's capital. For the same project work done, the class received plaques from the Veteran's Administration's headquarters in Washington, DC.
New School Buildings
Some time ago, some residents voted on a levy in order to secure tax monies to replace the aging school buildings currently in use, with a total budget of $60,693,801. The majority of funds, $39,694,272, were provided by state, while the local community is providing $13,946,000. Locally funded initiatives provided an extra $7,053,529.On May 7, 2006, a groundbreaking ceremony took place near the old high school and Eastside Elementary.
Washington City Schools began a two year construction project which replaced the existing facilities with four new school buildings. The project took roughly three years to complete, and was met with mixed reviews from the community.
Miami Trace Local School District
The Miami Trace Local School District serves parts of the city in question, while providing education for almost every area in Fayette County which surrounds the city. The vast amount of land area covered by this school district, while less population-dense of an area, warrants a larger student body than the "city" school district. As a tradition, Miami Trace and Washington city schools are athletic rivals.
In 2009, a new elementary school for Miami Trace was completed, which lies adjacent to the high school along S.R. 41-NW. Currently under construction is a state-of-the-art middle school, which is slated for open for spring of the 2010-2011 academic year. With the completion of the new middle school, Miami Trace Local School District will be known as a centralized education district.
Fayette Christian School
A small number of students attend Fayette Christian School, placing it as the only alternative to public education in Fayette county.Southern State Community College
The Fayette County campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of Southern State Community College
Southern State Community College
Southern State Community College is a community college centrally based in Hillsboro, Ohio. The college is divided into four campuses located in Sardinia , Washington Courthouse , Hillsboro , and Wilmington , Ohio....
(SSCC) is the only college in this town. It is primarily used by students at the local high schools for college classes and credit, or for getting primary classes finished. Southern State Community College allows students to transfer their credits to some other colleges.