Palm Beach Lakes Community High School
Encyclopedia
Palm Beach Lakes Community High School, also known as Lakes or PBL, is a coeducational Public High School located in the Palm Beach Lakes community of West Palm Beach, Florida
. It is under the jurisdiction
of the School District of Palm Beach County
. It was founded in 1908 as Palm Beach High School. The school has the Teacher's Academy Program and serves as the Law Magnet for the entire county.
Once having an enrollment of over 3,500, Palm Beach Lakes was once one of the largest schools in its district. However, due to Florida's Class Size Amendment and the continuous building of high schools in the district, Palm Beach Lakes has a school enrollment of just over 3,000. However, it still remains one of the largest high schools in South Florida.
. The school is a year older than Palm Beach County, which was founded in April 1909.
Palm Beach High School served as the original site of Palm Beach Junior College, now Palm Beach Community College
(PBCC). County school superintendent Joe Youngblood and Howell Watkins, the principal of Palm Beach High School who later became the college's first dean, were instrumental in opening the college. The college's initial goal was to provide additional training to local high school graduates who were unable to find jobs during the Great Depression
. PBJC, or PBCC, was founded in 1933 and is the oldest community college
in the state of Florida.
At the start of the 1970–1971 school year, Palm Beach High School merged with Roosevelt High School, forming PBLCH's second incarnation, Twin Lakes High School. The latter, Roosevelt High, was established as the high school for African-Americans in West Palm Beach. They were athletic rivals with John F. Kennedy
High School, the High School for African-Americans in Riviera Beach
. This school would go on to become part of Suncoast Community High School
. Roosevelt High was located at the site of the current Roosevelt Service Center, on the Northwest corner of Tamarind Avenue and L. A. Kirksey Street (15th Street). This site would also become known as Roosevelt Junior High School in the 1960s.
The name of the new school was Twin Lakes High School, derived from the fact that the merging of the schools had integrated
them, and also that the new school setting was diverse with differing groups of ethnicities merging together into a future that was united. The site was located in Downtown West Palm Beach at the current Dreyfoos School of the Arts
site.
In 1988, the school once again changed not only names, but location. It was moved from Downtown West Palm Beach to a new building in Palm Beach Lakes and renamed Palm Beach Lakes Community High School. This site is its current location, on the Northeast corner of Shiloh Drive and Military Trail
.
Students have eight classes, called hours. The school is on block scheduling, which means classes alternate every other day in what are called Odd Days and Even Days. On an Odd Day, students will attend their 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th hour classes, and on Even Days, they will attend their 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th hour classes.
Requirements include having a 3.0 on a 4.0 GPA scale, and maintaining this average throughout high school. Students who enter this program take courses through dual enrollment
with Palm Beach Community College, earning college credit hours that may be applied toward their college degree. Upon graduation, if a student is serious about majoring in education, it is possible for them to enter a Florida state institution with junior-level college credits.
and elected officials, and are well versed. Students not only take rigorous courses, but also participate in realistic court situations in the school's mock
trial room.
Requirements to join the program include having a 2.5 on a 4.0 GPA scale and obtaining three positive teacher recommendations.
The magnet offers classes in several specialized areas of medicine, including Sports Medicine
, where students have to opportunity to assist injured players on the sidelines
of both home and away American football
games, First Responder, where students learn the basics of emergency rescue, participating in eight-hour shifts at West Palm Beach Fire Station 6, working in the rescue truck as Emergency Medical Technician
assistants, Nursing Aide & Pharmacy
Aide, learning the basics of nursing and pharmaceuticals as nursing assistants at nursing homes. As seniors, students will engage in Independent Studies, getting a chance to work at Clinics, Doctors Offices, and Hospitals.
. Sectors of the band include the Flag Team and the Ladies of Distinction—also known as the L.O.D.—the band's dance team.
, William T. Dwyer High School
,and Suncoast Community High School
. Lorenzo Hands, the school's men's basketball coach, was a finalist for the 2006 Palm Beach County Men's Basketball Coach of the Year award and was presented with a Certificate of Congratulations for being named Palm Beach County Coach of the Year that same year.
Palm Beach Lakes holds an annual basketball tournament, known as the Derek Harper
Holiday Tournament. It is named after the retired NBA guard Derek Harper
,. Teams from Palm Beach
, Broward
, and Miami-Dade
counties participate in the tournament which draws thousands each year. The event is held the week after Christmas for 4 days.
To your colors, true we shall ever be
Firm and strong, united are we
Cheer, cheer for Palm Beach Lakes,
Rah-rah rah-rah rah-rah rah,
Vict'ry for Palm Beach Lakes!
We will fight for you
As we travel through life's journey,
We'll be ever true
Palm Beach Lakes, Palm Beach Lakes
Treasure her name
Heads and hearts are filled with pride
Onward, we will face the challenge
Rams ever by our side
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. It is under the jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
of the School District of Palm Beach County
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...
. It was founded in 1908 as Palm Beach High School. The school has the Teacher's Academy Program and serves as the Law Magnet for the entire county.
Once having an enrollment of over 3,500, Palm Beach Lakes was once one of the largest schools in its district. However, due to Florida's Class Size Amendment and the continuous building of high schools in the district, Palm Beach Lakes has a school enrollment of just over 3,000. However, it still remains one of the largest high schools in South Florida.
History
The institution currently known as Palm Beach Lakes Community High School was founded in 1908 as Palm Beach High School. It has the legacy of being the oldest high school in the School District of Palm Beach CountySchool 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...
. The school is a year older than Palm Beach County, which was founded in April 1909.
Palm Beach High School served as the original site of Palm Beach Junior College, now Palm Beach Community College
Palm Beach Community College
Palm Beach State College is a member institution of the Florida College System,a public state college located in Lake Worth, Florida. Palm Beach State College was formerly known as Palm Beach Community College and before that Palm Beach Junior CollegePalm Beach State College enrolls more than...
(PBCC). County school superintendent Joe Youngblood and Howell Watkins, the principal of Palm Beach High School who later became the college's first dean, were instrumental in opening the college. The college's initial goal was to provide additional training to local high school graduates who were unable to find jobs during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. PBJC, or PBCC, was founded in 1933 and is the oldest community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
in the state of Florida.
At the start of the 1970–1971 school year, Palm Beach High School merged with Roosevelt High School, forming PBLCH's second incarnation, Twin Lakes High School. The latter, Roosevelt High, was established as the high school for African-Americans in West Palm Beach. They were athletic rivals with John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
High School, the High School for African-Americans in Riviera Beach
Riviera Beach
Riviera Beach may refer to some places in the United States:* Riviera Beach, Florida* Riviera Beach, Maryland...
. This school would go on to become part of Suncoast Community High School
Suncoast Community High School
Suncoast Community High School is a public magnet high school in Riviera Beach, Florida routinely ranked as one of the best high schools in the United States....
. Roosevelt High was located at the site of the current Roosevelt Service Center, on the Northwest corner of Tamarind Avenue and L. A. Kirksey Street (15th Street). This site would also become known as Roosevelt Junior High School in the 1960s.
The name of the new school was Twin Lakes High School, derived from the fact that the merging of the schools had integrated
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
them, and also that the new school setting was diverse with differing groups of ethnicities merging together into a future that was united. The site was located in Downtown West Palm Beach at the current Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts is a public high school located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Formerly named the Palm Beach County School of the Arts , the school was renamed in recognition of a 1997 donation of $1 million by Alexander W...
site.
In 1988, the school once again changed not only names, but location. It was moved from Downtown West Palm Beach to a new building in Palm Beach Lakes and renamed Palm Beach Lakes Community High School. This site is its current location, on the Northeast corner of Shiloh Drive and Military Trail
Military Trail
Military Trail may refer to:*Florida State Road 809 in Florida, United States*Military Trail, a road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. See Danforth Avenue....
.
Academic programs
Teacher's Academy
The school established the Teacher's Academy in the 1990s. The purpose of the program is to train and prepare future teachers for the world of tomorrow. Requirements to gain entry into the program are top notch, and students must maintain a certain GPA and other credentials to gain access into the magnet program.Requirements include having a 3.0 on a 4.0 GPA scale, and maintaining this average throughout high school. Students who enter this program take courses through dual enrollment
Dual enrollment
In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....
with Palm Beach Community College, earning college credit hours that may be applied toward their college degree. Upon graduation, if a student is serious about majoring in education, it is possible for them to enter a Florida state institution with junior-level college credits.
Center for Pre-Law
The Center for Pre-Law program was established for students who are interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer. However, this magnet is not limited to those interested in law. Courses are geared towards many careers in the legal field, including law enforcement, attorneysLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and elected officials, and are well versed. Students not only take rigorous courses, but also participate in realistic court situations in the school's mock
Mock
Mock may refer to:* In geography: Mock, California, in Inyo County* In programming: Virtual mock or Mock object, simulated objects that mimics the behavior of real objects in controlled ways* In mathematics: Mock modular form, mathematical function...
trial room.
Requirements to join the program include having a 2.5 on a 4.0 GPA scale and obtaining three positive teacher recommendations.
Medical Magnet
The Medical Magnet at Palm Beach Lakes Community High has earned many accolades for its achievements. For many years its students have finished first in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) county competitions and many have gone on to compete at the state and national level. Led by two certified Registered Nurses (Barbara Gissenter and Julie Joyner), the Medical Magnet's main goal is to better prepare students for when they arrive at their professional careers in medicine.The magnet offers classes in several specialized areas of medicine, including Sports Medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
, where students have to opportunity to assist injured players on the sidelines
Sidelines
The "sidelines" is a term commonly used to define the white or colored lines which mark the outer boundaries of a sports field. American football sidelines, for example, mark the edge of the field. Should a player pass through the sidelines, he is considered out of bounds...
of both home and away American 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...
games, First Responder, where students learn the basics of emergency rescue, participating in eight-hour shifts at West Palm Beach Fire Station 6, working in the rescue truck as Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
assistants, Nursing Aide & Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
Aide, learning the basics of nursing and pharmaceuticals as nursing assistants at nursing homes. As seniors, students will engage in Independent Studies, getting a chance to work at Clinics, Doctors Offices, and Hospitals.
Palm Beach Lakes Ram Regiment Band
The Ram Regiment Band is one of the school's main draws and a symbol of great pride for both students and faculty. They are led under the direction of Lonnie Green, a graduate of FAMU, and a former member of the Marching 100Marching 100
The Marching 100 is the official name of the marching band at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:The first band at FAMU was organized in 1892, under P.A. Van Weller...
. Sectors of the band include the Flag Team and the Ladies of Distinction—also known as the L.O.D.—the band's dance team.
Other activities
- Florida Future EducatorsTeacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
of America (FFEA) - Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
- Future Homemakers of America (FHA)
- Key Club International
- 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...
- Palm Beach Lakes ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Club - Palm Beach Lakes Superior ChorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
- Palm Beach Lakes Drama Club
- Palm Beach Lakes French Club
- Palm Beach Lakes HispanicHispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Club - Palm Beach Lakes Student CouncilStudent councilStudent council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
- Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)
- Quill and ScrollQuill and ScrollQuill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in scholastic journalism. According to the Quill and Scroll website, over 14,104 high schools in all 50 U.S. states and 44 countries have established local...
Sports
The school's major sports rivals are Palm Beach Gardens Community High SchoolPalm Beach Gardens Community High School
Palm Beach Gardens Community High School is a public magnet high school for grades 9-12 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The school mascot is the Gator. It is well known for its athletics and medical magnet program. It was built in 1969 as a public high school...
, William T. Dwyer High School
William T. Dwyer High School
William T. Dwyer High School is a public high school for grades 9–12 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States. The school was named for William T. Dwyer, former vice president of Pratt & Whitney's Government Products Division and a community leader in Palm Beach County. It is best known for...
,and Suncoast Community High School
Suncoast Community High School
Suncoast Community High School is a public magnet high school in Riviera Beach, Florida routinely ranked as one of the best high schools in the United States....
. Lorenzo Hands, the school's men's basketball coach, was a finalist for the 2006 Palm Beach County Men's Basketball Coach of the Year award and was presented with a Certificate of Congratulations for being named Palm Beach County Coach of the Year that same year.
Sports at Palm Beach Lakes
- Baseball – Men 6A
- Basketball – Men and Women 6A (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
– Men and Women - CheerleadingCheerleadingCheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
– (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman) - FootballAmerican footballAmerican 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...
– 6A (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman) - Flag FootballFlag footballFlag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
– Women - Golf – Men and Women
- Track and Field – Men and Women 4A
- Soccer – Men and Women (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
– Women 6A - Swimming – Men and Women
- Volleyball – Men and Women (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
– Men and Women (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman)
Palm Beach Lakes holds an annual basketball tournament, known as the Derek Harper
Derek Harper
Derek Ricardo Harper is a retired American professional basketball player from the University of Illinois, who spent 16 seasons as a point guard in the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.-College:After graduating from...
Holiday Tournament. It is named after the retired NBA guard Derek Harper
Derek Harper
Derek Ricardo Harper is a retired American professional basketball player from the University of Illinois, who spent 16 seasons as a point guard in the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.-College:After graduating from...
,. Teams from Palm Beach
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, Broward
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, and Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
counties participate in the tournament which draws thousands each year. The event is held the week after Christmas for 4 days.
Fight song
Palm Beach Lakes, our hats off to theeTo your colors, true we shall ever be
Firm and strong, united are we
Cheer, cheer for Palm Beach Lakes,
Rah-rah rah-rah rah-rah rah,
Vict'ry for Palm Beach Lakes!
Alma mater
Dear old Palm Beach Lakes, we love theeWe will fight for you
As we travel through life's journey,
We'll be ever true
Palm Beach Lakes, Palm Beach Lakes
Treasure her name
Heads and hearts are filled with pride
Onward, we will face the challenge
Rams ever by our side
Notable alumni
- Malcolm KnowlesMalcolm KnowlesMalcolm Shepherd Knowles was an American Adult Educator, famous for the adoption of the theory of Andragogy—initially a term coined by the German teacher Alexander Kapp...
– Adult Education Theorist - George HamiltonGeorge Hamilton (actor)George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
– Award winning actor - Fabrice NoëlFabrice NoëlFabrice Noël is a Haitian soccer player who currently plays for Shanghai East Asia in the China League One.-Early life and career in Haiti:...
– Haitian international soccer player - Burt ReynoldsBurt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
– Award winning actor - Vinny SutherlandVinny SutherlandVincent Joseph Sutherland is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. He was a standout receiver and kick returner for Purdue University from 1997-2000...
– former NFL player - Rice BrothersRice Brothers"Rice Brothers" redirects here. For the bluegrass albums, see The Rice Brothers and The Rice Brothers 2.John Rice and Greg Rice , sometimes known as the Rice Brothers or Rice Twins, were identical twin dwarfs, known throughout the United States for their appearances in various commercials and...
– Local businessmen; former holders of the world recordWorld recordA world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for being the shortest living twins - Jarrett BrownJarrett BrownJarrett Brown is an American football quarterback who is currently with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at West Virginia, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL Draft...
– Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers - Mike Brown- Florida Atlantic University Senator
- Eddie LovettEddie LovettEddie Lovett is an American sprinter who specializes in the 110 metres hurdles. He currently attends the University of Florida....
– American hurdler - Midas Mulah - Recording Artist Miami