Mount Pleasant High School (Wilmington, Delaware)
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant High School is a public
secondary school
located in Wilmington
, Delaware
. The current principal is James Simmons III. There were 908 students enrolled in the fall for the 2008-2009 school year. It is the only public high school in Delaware which offers the International Baccalaureate program.
. Joseph Orr sells a lot on September 22, 1830 to the School Committee of School District #2 (note: School District #1 was Naamans Creek, now the Claymont Stone School
). The original Mount Pleasant schoolhouse still stands today. When William DuPont Jr. remodeled Woolton Hall, now called the Bellevue Mansion, he also changed the exterior of the Mount Pleasant schoolhouse from stone to its present Colonial Revival style.
1830 - Mount Pleasant schoolhouse opens
1838 - Mount Pleasant Methodist Church opens (now the Mount Pleasant Meeting House on Philadelphia Pike)
1865 - Mount Pleasant school moves to new location at 1010 Philadelphia Toll Pike, just across the street from the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church
1932 - Mount Pleasant school moves to a much larger location on Duncan Road (now the residence of Mount Pleasant Elementary School)
1958 - Mount Pleasant High School opens on Washington Street Extension
In 1978, the Mount Pleasant Special School District and other school districts in Delaware dissolve due to desegregation. Mount Pleasant High School becomes a part of the New Castle County School District. Quinton Sterling becomes the first African-American principal of the high school. In 1981, the New Castle County School District found it difficult to function as a large district which resulted in the formation of four separate school districts (Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay Consolidated). Dr. Frank J. Furgele becomes the superintendent of the newly formed Brandywine School District
.
The school celebrated their 175th anniversary in a grand series of events during homecoming weekend which included the inaugural Mount Pleasant Hall of Fame on October 14 and 15, 2005. The school now has a Hall of Fame induction ceremony every other year.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2005 - Inductees were Quinton Sterling, Andy Grundberg, Bill Crowthers, Soddy Limmina, and Dave Sokola.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2007 - Inductees were Lisa McDowell, Charles Frampton, John Michalcewiz, Vince Meconi, Wayne Pollari, and Joseph Ambrosino.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009 - Inductees were Arthur Colbourn, John Crum, Carol Hoffecker, Rodney Lambert, John Jancuska, Jesse Morris, and Bob Huber.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2011 - Inductees were Frank Giamboy, Kathleen Jennings, Tom Lapinski, Ron Mask, William Schwartz (Mike Rossi), and David Swayze.
Principals of the High School: E. Raymond Schwinger (1947–1958), Kenneth E. Michael (1958–1962), Charles H. Bomboy (1962–1965), John Michalcewiz (1966–1978), Quinton F. Sterling (1978–1991), Thomas F. Lapinski (1991–2000), Administration Transition Period (2000–2001), Dennis A. Runyan (2001–2003), Gregg P. Robinson (2003–2006), Michael H. Pullig (2006–2008), James L. Simmons III (2008–present). Jim Simmons, Class of 1984, is the first alumnus of Mount Pleasant to be appointed principal.
's top 1300 high schools, which uses a ratio of the number of AP
, IB
and/or Cambridge
tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. In the spring of 2008, 220 students took IB exams and more than 100 students took AP exams. Mount Pleasant's Academic Bowl team placed 2nd in the 2008 Comcast Academic Challenge of Delaware.
91.7 FM, which began broadcasting on October 1, 1969, and was Delaware's only public high school radio
station until McKean
began broadcasting at WHMS 88.1 FM in 1998.
Mount Pleasant also hosts the only completely student-run Relay for Life
in the region. Over the past 5 years, over $150,000 has been raised for the American Cancer Society
through this event.
Mount Pleasant's chapter of the Technology Student Association
has been recognized for the school's contributions to the TSA/ACS Service Project through Relay for Life. The former national president of TSA, Peter Andrews, is an alumnus of Mount Pleasant.
Mount Pleasant puts on a spring musical every year. The 2009 production was Damn Yankees
starring Jordan Weagraff and Melinda Murphy and the 2008 production was The King and I
starring Phoebe Rowe and Cedrick Yancey. The 2010 production was Footloose
starring Jordan Weagraff and Emily Ozer.
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. The current principal is James Simmons III. There were 908 students enrolled in the fall for the 2008-2009 school year. It is the only public high school in Delaware which offers the International Baccalaureate program.
History
In 1830, a law was passed in Delaware to establish the first public school system. One of the first schools built was Mount Pleasant, located on an acre of land which is now part of Bellevue State ParkBellevue State Park (Delaware)
Bellevue State Park is a Delaware state park in the suburbs of Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware in the United States. The park is named for Bellevue Hall, the former mansion of William duPont, Jr. Many of the facilities at the park were built by Mr. DuPont. Bellevue State Park overlooks...
. Joseph Orr sells a lot on September 22, 1830 to the School Committee of School District #2 (note: School District #1 was Naamans Creek, now the Claymont Stone School
Claymont Stone School
The Claymont Stone School, also known as Naaman’s Creek School #1, is a historic schoolhouse built in 1805 on land donated by John Dickinson, located in Claymont, Delaware on the Philadelphia Pike just south of the Darley House. The school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in...
). The original Mount Pleasant schoolhouse still stands today. When William DuPont Jr. remodeled Woolton Hall, now called the Bellevue Mansion, he also changed the exterior of the Mount Pleasant schoolhouse from stone to its present Colonial Revival style.
1830 - Mount Pleasant schoolhouse opens
1838 - Mount Pleasant Methodist Church opens (now the Mount Pleasant Meeting House on Philadelphia Pike)
1865 - Mount Pleasant school moves to new location at 1010 Philadelphia Toll Pike, just across the street from the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church
1932 - Mount Pleasant school moves to a much larger location on Duncan Road (now the residence of Mount Pleasant Elementary School)
1958 - Mount Pleasant High School opens on Washington Street Extension
In 1978, the Mount Pleasant Special School District and other school districts in Delaware dissolve due to desegregation. Mount Pleasant High School becomes a part of the New Castle County School District. Quinton Sterling becomes the first African-American principal of the high school. In 1981, the New Castle County School District found it difficult to function as a large district which resulted in the formation of four separate school districts (Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay Consolidated). Dr. Frank J. Furgele becomes the superintendent of the newly formed Brandywine School District
Brandywine School District
Brandywine School District is a public school district in northern New Castle County, Delaware in the United States. It serves a portion of the city of Wilmington.-Current members:...
.
The school celebrated their 175th anniversary in a grand series of events during homecoming weekend which included the inaugural Mount Pleasant Hall of Fame on October 14 and 15, 2005. The school now has a Hall of Fame induction ceremony every other year.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2005 - Inductees were Quinton Sterling, Andy Grundberg, Bill Crowthers, Soddy Limmina, and Dave Sokola.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2007 - Inductees were Lisa McDowell, Charles Frampton, John Michalcewiz, Vince Meconi, Wayne Pollari, and Joseph Ambrosino.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009 - Inductees were Arthur Colbourn, John Crum, Carol Hoffecker, Rodney Lambert, John Jancuska, Jesse Morris, and Bob Huber.
HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2011 - Inductees were Frank Giamboy, Kathleen Jennings, Tom Lapinski, Ron Mask, William Schwartz (Mike Rossi), and David Swayze.
Principals of the High School: E. Raymond Schwinger (1947–1958), Kenneth E. Michael (1958–1962), Charles H. Bomboy (1962–1965), John Michalcewiz (1966–1978), Quinton F. Sterling (1978–1991), Thomas F. Lapinski (1991–2000), Administration Transition Period (2000–2001), Dennis A. Runyan (2001–2003), Gregg P. Robinson (2003–2006), Michael H. Pullig (2006–2008), James L. Simmons III (2008–present). Jim Simmons, Class of 1984, is the first alumnus of Mount Pleasant to be appointed principal.
Academics
In 2008, Mount Pleasant ranked #602 in NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's top 1300 high schools, which uses a ratio of the number of AP
Advanced Placement Exams
Advanced Placement examinations are taken each May by students at participating American, Canadian, and international educational institutions. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement courses. All but one of the AP exams combine multiple-choice questions with a...
, IB
International Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate , formerly the International Baccalaureate Organization , is an international educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and founded in 1968. IB offers three educational programmes for children ages 3–19.The organization's name and logo were changed...
and/or Cambridge
UCLES
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge and is a not-for-profit organisation...
tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. In the spring of 2008, 220 students took IB exams and more than 100 students took AP exams. Mount Pleasant's Academic Bowl team placed 2nd in the 2008 Comcast Academic Challenge of Delaware.
Activities
Mount Pleasant is also the home of WMPHWMPH
WMPH is Delaware's first high school radio station, located in Wilmington. The Brandywine School District Board of Education owns the license granted by the FCC. The call letters WMPH stand for Mount Pleasant High and offered several program formats including Top 40, progressive rock, dance and...
91.7 FM, which began broadcasting on October 1, 1969, and was Delaware's only public high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station until McKean
Thomas McKean High School
Thomas McKean High School is a comprehensive public high school located on 301 McKennan's Church Road in Wilmington, Delaware. The school opened in December, 1966, and graduated its first class in June 1967.- Traditions :...
began broadcasting at WHMS 88.1 FM in 1998.
Mount Pleasant also hosts the only completely student-run Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
in the region. Over the past 5 years, over $150,000 has been raised for the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
through this event.
Mount Pleasant's chapter of the Technology Student Association
Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
has been recognized for the school's contributions to the TSA/ACS Service Project through Relay for Life. The former national president of TSA, Peter Andrews, is an alumnus of Mount Pleasant.
Mount Pleasant puts on a spring musical every year. The 2009 production was Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
starring Jordan Weagraff and Melinda Murphy and the 2008 production was The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
starring Phoebe Rowe and Cedrick Yancey. The 2010 production was 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:...
starring Jordan Weagraff and Emily Ozer.