Green Hope High School
Encyclopedia
Green Hope High School is a school in Cary
, North Carolina
, serving grades 9-12. In 2006, approximately 2,044 students attended according to the WCPSS page, and with a 95% graduation rate, about 530 seniors graduated. Green Hope High is one of the most acclaimed schools in North Carolina
and is regarded as one of the best public high schools in Wake County due to its numerous awards received. It is considered as one of the most competitive high schools in the state with students taking large numbers of Advanced Placement Courses. It consistently has large amounts of students that attend premier universities like Duke and UNC Chapel Hill as well as Ivy League schools. It was ranked as the 206st best high school according to the 2011 Newsweek Rankings of Top U.S High Schools.
GHHS opened its doors in 1999, drawing only freshmen and sophomore students from neighboring overcrowded schools. It added a grade level for the two subsequent years and graduated its first senior class in 2002. It is located next to its sister school, Green Hope Elementary School, which is at an adjacent campus. Both schools are operated by Wake County Public School System
. The site also features a tennis facility operated by the Town of Cary.
A recent growth in student population resulted in an off-site "9th Grade Annex" roughly 1/2 mile from the main campus. In the 2006-2007 school year, the 9th Grade Annex was turned into Carpenter Elementary to accommodate the rising number of students in Wake County.
The school mascot is the Green Hope Fighting Falcon
; a statue of one graces the school's western lawns.
in Wake County, placing it among the highest-performing public schools in North Carolina. The school's culture has evolved greatly since its inception, as teachers and administrators gain more experience and a developing school heritage evolves with the student body. The current serving principal is Dr. James E. Hedrick. He holds a Ph.D. in education. Hedrick is known for his involvement with coordinating student events as well as profound student involvement.
at the high school. Based on the overall performance of its athletic teams, Green Hope was awarded the 2009-10 Wachovia Cup trophy for NCHSAA 4-A schools.
Green Hope has one of the largest high school cross country teams in the U.S., which was featured in a 2008 USA TODAY article. Green Hope swept the 2010 NCHSAA 4-A cross country state meet, with the boys winning their first ever championship, and the girls' team defending their 2009 title with a state meet record low score of 34 points. The GHHS Swim Team is also known for their recent performance at the 2010-2011 State Champsionship Meet, placing 2nd in the state's 4A classification.
These organizations include cultural, religious, academic, and intramural sports organizations.
Of particular note, due to high levels of student/faculty involvement are:
Other clubs include various honor societies, community outreach programs, extracurricular foreign-language and culture clubs (French, Spanish, Latin), a school paper of news, and athletic boosters.
and Apex. It also features a program to provide bus service from south Raleigh
in order to meet county socio-economic status quotas. The future of this program is uncertain as the Wake County Board of Education is debating whether or not to break up this program.
As of 2006, redistricting and explosive population growth may cause dramatic demographic changes. Suburban neighborhoods, featuring multi-million dollar mansions, sit adjacent to old tobacco farms and rural land tracts.
60% of the student body is enrolled in honors or AP
courses, compared with only a 4% state-wide average.
In 2005, 31% of students performed at or above grade-level. The school ranks as a North Carolina
Honor School of Excellence and meets capacity requirements as a High Growth School.
The school is a traditional (non-magnet
) school by official designation (and funding considerations).
The school prides itself on technology
integration - 100% of classrooms have internet
access, and teachers and students use an online course-reporting and grading system like other new Wake County Public High Schools.
It provided Grades 1 through 12 during its lifetime as a consolidated school. This continued until 1952, when it was re-dubbed Green Hope Elementary School, providing primary-education while the higher grades were reallocated to nearby Cary or Apex High schools. Green Hope Elementary proudly became the first accredited rural school in Wake County. By 1963, it served 172000 students. However, at the time, the school was a whites-only
establishment.
.
Three fire departments responded: Apex
, Morrisville
, and Yrac. (Yrac Department was created in 1958 as a temporary reorganization of Cary Rural Fire District; in 1998 it was merged with Cary F.D. Yrac is Cary spelled backward, for reasons unknown at the time of this writing).
Despite this response, the school was completely destroyed. Damage was estimated at greater than $400,000, and the school was not reconstructed. The cause of fire was officially described as suspicious circumstances. However, arson
was suspected as a cause, and firefighters reported a car speeding away from the blaze. Possible motives include opposition to the racial integration of the local districts. This process continued, however, expedited by the creation of Wake County Public School System in 1976.
This set the goal of unifying the diverse racial and economic
demographic of the growing community, and ensuring that the affluent suburbs and the poorer urban
areas of Raleigh
received equal and integrated
education. However, the site of Green Hope School remained unoccupied until 1999.
The present location of the school is across the road from the old building site.
It too has earned recognition for academic performance, meeting qualifications as a School of Excellence for five consecutive years since it began operation.
The school operates its own library and media center.
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, serving grades 9-12. In 2006, approximately 2,044 students attended according to the WCPSS page, and with a 95% graduation rate, about 530 seniors graduated. Green Hope High is one of the most acclaimed schools in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and is regarded as one of the best public high schools in Wake County due to its numerous awards received. It is considered as one of the most competitive high schools in the state with students taking large numbers of Advanced Placement Courses. It consistently has large amounts of students that attend premier universities like Duke and UNC Chapel Hill as well as Ivy League schools. It was ranked as the 206st best high school according to the 2011 Newsweek Rankings of Top U.S High Schools.
GHHS opened its doors in 1999, drawing only freshmen and sophomore students from neighboring overcrowded schools. It added a grade level for the two subsequent years and graduated its first senior class in 2002. It is located next to its sister school, Green Hope Elementary School, which is at an adjacent campus. Both schools are operated by Wake County Public School System
Wake County Public School System
The Wake County Public School System is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 143,289 students enrolled in 163 schools as of the 2010/11 academic year, it is the largest public school district in North Carolina and the 17th largest district in the United States.-...
. The site also features a tennis facility operated by the Town of Cary.
A recent growth in student population resulted in an off-site "9th Grade Annex" roughly 1/2 mile from the main campus. In the 2006-2007 school year, the 9th Grade Annex was turned into Carpenter Elementary to accommodate the rising number of students in Wake County.
The school mascot is the Green Hope Fighting Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
; a statue of one graces the school's western lawns.
Introduction
Green Hope High School (GHHS) is a primary example of a developing suburban education system. The school has an excellent academic record, as well as a reputation for managing the resources available to it. It has earned highest accolades in its academic achievements.in Wake County, placing it among the highest-performing public schools in North Carolina. The school's culture has evolved greatly since its inception, as teachers and administrators gain more experience and a developing school heritage evolves with the student body. The current serving principal is Dr. James E. Hedrick. He holds a Ph.D. in education. Hedrick is known for his involvement with coordinating student events as well as profound student involvement.
Departments
- Career and technical education
- career management, small business entrepreneurship
- computer applications I-II, computer programming I-II, computerized accounting I-II, digital communication systems, foundations of information technology
- marketing, sports & entertainment marketing I-II, strategic marketing, principles of business & personal finance, fashion merchandising
- apparel development I-II, family & consumer sciences advanced studies, child development, early childhood development I-II, teen living, trade & industrial advanced studies, foods I-II
- drafting I-III, furniture & cabinetmaking I-II, housing & interiors I
- medical science I-II, biomedical technology, health team relations
- English
- English I-IV, ap English III-IV
- sat verbal/math prep, special interest seminar, speech I-II, creative writing I-II, intro to communications & mass media
- yearbook I-III, newspaper I-III
- Fine arts
- Orchestra
- Student art gallery
- Theatre
- visual arts I-IV, sculpture/ceramics I-II, art history, AP Studio
- modern dance I-IV, theatre arts I-IV, technical theatre I-II
- vocal music I-IV, beginning guitar, band I-IV, orchestra I-IV
- music appreciation, ap music theory
- Technical Theater
- Foreign languages
- Spanish I-V, Spanish I-II for native speakers, ap Spanish language, ap Spanish literature
- french I-V, ap french language
- Latin I-V Lenny Miraglioulo-
- Math
- technical math I-II, introductory math
- algebra I: part I, algebra I: part II, algebra I, algebra II
- geometry, advanced functions & modeling, analytic geometry/trigonometry, discrete math
- pre-calculus, intro to college math, ap calculus ab, ap calculus bc, ap statistics
- Healthful living
- healthful living I, lifetime sports I-II, team sports I-II
- weight training I-II, personal fitness I-II, sports medicine I-III, pepi I-II
- Science
- earth science, marine & astronomical science
- biology, anatomy & physiology, forensics
- physical science, chemistry, physics
- ap environmental science, ap biology, ap chemistry, ap physics
- Social Studies
- world history, civics & economics, United States history, Vietnam war/international relations, geography
- law & justice, sociology, psychology
- AP United States history, AP comparative government, AP us government & politics, AP psychology
- Special programs
- curriculum assistance, icr English, icr math, icr social studies
- Media Center (Photo — Library and Computer Lab) and (Website)
Athletics
The Athletics Department operates competitive and intramural sportsIntramural sports
Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. The term derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning "within walls", and was used to indicate sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an ancient city...
at the high school. Based on the overall performance of its athletic teams, Green Hope was awarded the 2009-10 Wachovia Cup trophy for NCHSAA 4-A schools.
| Listing of sports at Green Hope: | ||
| Men's Sports | Women's Sports | Coed Sports |
|---|---|---|
Green Hope has one of the largest high school cross country teams in the U.S., which was featured in a 2008 USA TODAY article. Green Hope swept the 2010 NCHSAA 4-A cross country state meet, with the boys winning their first ever championship, and the girls' team defending their 2009 title with a state meet record low score of 34 points. The GHHS Swim Team is also known for their recent performance at the 2010-2011 State Champsionship Meet, placing 2nd in the state's 4A classification.
Golf
The Men's Golf team at Green Hope has experienced much success since the school opened in 2001. The Falcons have captured four team State Championship Titles (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) and five individual titles (Brendon Todd, 3, Michael Cromie, 1, and Kevin O'Connell, 1). Golfers from Green Hope have been widely recruited to play Division 1 NCAA Golf. Graduates have played at various Universities across the country including the University of Georgia (Brendon Todd), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kevin O'Connell) And current Senior Michael Cromie will be attending the University of Georgia next year., University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Will Shambley), the University of Arkansas (Drew Eibner), Pepperdine University (Eric Shriver), Appalachian State University (Dan Gossin), East Carolina University (Elliot Jones and Tripp Brizendine), the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Kyle Sonday and Will Almand) and The University of Virginia (Ben Kohles).School organizations
Extracurricular activities, clubs, and other student organizations flourish as a result of student, parental, and faculty involvement.MENS SOCCER
In just 10 years, the program has earned a reputation as a soccer powerhouse. The team has reached the State Playoffs nine times - advancing to two State Finals, four Semifinals, and three times to the 3rd round. Very known for graduating seniors that go to top programs throughout the country and always turn out all state and all conference performers.Theater Department
GHHS has a very strong theater department, they put on yearly musicals. They are one of few schools that have a technical theater class. At the triangle's Capital Awards (awards for the state's HS musical productions) Green Hope won 5+ awards, including best Musical, in 2010.These organizations include cultural, religious, academic, and intramural sports organizations.
Of particular note, due to high levels of student/faculty involvement are:
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Science Olympiad
- Gay-Straight Alliance
- Literary Journal
- Environmental Club
- Green Hope Marching Band
- Key Club
- Technology Student Association
- National Honor Society
Other clubs include various honor societies, community outreach programs, extracurricular foreign-language and culture clubs (French, Spanish, Latin), a school paper of news, and athletic boosters.
School demographics
The school serves affluent Western Wake, including CaryCary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
and Apex. It also features a program to provide bus service from south Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
in order to meet county socio-economic status quotas. The future of this program is uncertain as the Wake County Board of Education is debating whether or not to break up this program.
As of 2006, redistricting and explosive population growth may cause dramatic demographic changes. Suburban neighborhoods, featuring multi-million dollar mansions, sit adjacent to old tobacco farms and rural land tracts.
60% of the student body is enrolled in honors or AP
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...
courses, compared with only a 4% state-wide average.
In 2005, 31% of students performed at or above grade-level. The school ranks as a North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Honor School of Excellence and meets capacity requirements as a High Growth School.
The school is a traditional (non-magnet
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...
) school by official designation (and funding considerations).
The school prides itself on 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 ;...
integration - 100% of classrooms have internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access, and teachers and students use an online course-reporting and grading system like other new Wake County Public High Schools.
History
The school is named for the older, historic Green Hope School, built in 1927.It provided Grades 1 through 12 during its lifetime as a consolidated school. This continued until 1952, when it was re-dubbed Green Hope Elementary School, providing primary-education while the higher grades were reallocated to nearby Cary or Apex High schools. Green Hope Elementary proudly became the first accredited rural school in Wake County. By 1963, it served 172000 students. However, at the time, the school was a whites-only
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
establishment.
Fire and Destruction
On August 15, 1963 at 1 AM, the school caught fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
.
Three fire departments responded: Apex
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
, Morrisville
Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 according to a April 1, 2010 census. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
, and Yrac. (Yrac Department was created in 1958 as a temporary reorganization of Cary Rural Fire District; in 1998 it was merged with Cary F.D. Yrac is Cary spelled backward, for reasons unknown at the time of this writing).
Despite this response, the school was completely destroyed. Damage was estimated at greater than $400,000, and the school was not reconstructed. The cause of fire was officially described as suspicious circumstances. However, arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
was suspected as a cause, and firefighters reported a car speeding away from the blaze. Possible motives include opposition to the racial integration of the local districts. This process continued, however, expedited by the creation of Wake County Public School System in 1976.
This set the goal of unifying the diverse racial and economic
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
demographic of the growing community, and ensuring that the affluent suburbs and the poorer urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
areas of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
received equal and integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
education. However, the site of Green Hope School remained unoccupied until 1999.
The present location of the school is across the road from the old building site.
Green Hope Elementary School
The elementary school began operation in 2000, one year later than the high school.It too has earned recognition for academic performance, meeting qualifications as a School of Excellence for five consecutive years since it began operation.
The school operates its own library and media center.
External links
- Official GHHS Site. (High school)
- Official GHES Site. (Elementary school)
- Yrac Fire Department Report of fire in 1963. This site also has a great history of North Carolina fire departments
- History of Wake County Public School System Official website
- History of Green Hope Elementary School Official website
- History of Green Hope High School Official website