Valley High School (Des Moines, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Valley High School is a three-year public high school in West Des Moines
, Iowa
, United States
. The school hosts grades 10-12. It is run by the West Des Moines Community School District. Freshmen attend a separate school, Valley Southwoods.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,200 students (largest in the state of Iowa) and 122 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 14.3.
By 1916, the population had grown and a bond issue was passed for a new high school. Construction on the three-story $50,000 structure at Eighth and Hillside was competed in 1917.
In 1938, when Valley Junction changed its name, the school district changed, too, becoming the West Des Moines Independent School District. At this time, one high school, a junior high school and three elementary schools served the needs of the community. In the same year and thanks to a grant from the Public Works Administrations, a new concrete stadium was built just north of the high school on Eighth Street.
In 1962, 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) of farmland near 35th and Ashworth Road were purchased by the School Board for $116,000 as a site for a new high school. Construction of Valley High School was completed in four phases from 1963 to 1970. Valley became a four-year high school during the 1971-72 school year. Costing nearly $5.5 million dollars, Valley High School stretched almost one-quarter of a mile from end to end. Also in 1971, Valley opened the Metropolitan Conference’s newest and largest gymnasium. Additional classrooms, science labs, and other student spaces have been added over the years.
The first year that the new school was open, it was used for classrooms for some sixth grade students and for the 9th grade year of the class of 1970. The next year, it became a three year high school. The graduating class of 1970 was the first class to attend 4 years in the new building.
(AP) courses.
Valley also has recently started an Honors Program, which is meant to be comparable to the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program. This program allows for highly motivated and advanced students to take college-level courses sooner than normal.
Valley also has a "designated scholars" program, which allows students to specialize in one specific area of academics, such as math.
in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. In the 1990s, the West Des Moines School District considered splitting Valley into two high schools, but the proposal failed because of a desire to maintain an advantage in athletics. There were claims made that the reason for the failure to split into two schools was a concern that the school district would not continue to grow, however this excuse ignores the fact that no district in Iowa is expected to grow to the current size of West Des Moines.
Valley's former Athletic Director, Steve Duncan, was named the National High School Athletic Director of the year in 2006.
Football
The Valley High School football team has a successful past. They became a power in the mid 1970s when head coach Lee Crawford took over. In 1977, Valley's football team was the first Metro school to defeat Dowling Catholic in a decade, in a strange game held over two evenings due to a severe thunderstorm. They are a perennial power in the state of Iowa and have amassed a record of 306-122 in its tenure. Under head coach Gary Swenson the Tigers won the Iowa State 4A Championships in 2002, 2003, 2005,2008, and 2011. They've been to the semifinal game 9 times in the last 10 years. They are tied with Dowling Catholic High School, their rival, in playoff appearances. They went to the State Championship Finals from 2002-2005.
Baseball
The Valley High School Baseball team won the 4A state title four years in a row (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).
Softball
The Valley High School Girls Softball Team won State titles in 1990, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010.
Girls Swimming
The Valley High School Girls Swimming and Diving team won the state title in 1974, 1975, in addition to winning it four years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).
Girls Track
The Valley High School Girls won the 4A State Track and Field Meet in 2005.
Girls Soccer
The Valley High School Girls Soccer Team won the 4A State title in 2003, 2005, 2006,2007, 2010.
Boys Soccer
The Valley High School Boys Soccer club won the state title 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006.
Boy Track and Field
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Outdoor Track and Field in 1942, 1955, 1998, 2003 and 2006.
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Indoor Track and Field in 1951 and 1952.
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in the Pentathlon in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Boys Swimming
The Valley High School Boys Swim Team won the 4A State title in 1984 and 2010.
Boys Tennis
The Valley High School Boys' Tennis Team won the State title in 1985, 1986, 1993, 2010.
The Valley Music Department was honored with the first GRAMMY Signature School award in 1999. The 240-member Valley Marchmasters were selected to perform in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade. In March 2007, the band traveled to Dublin, Ireland
to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
In addition to the strong band program, Valley's orchestra has completed concert tours in Austria and Italy. The director of the orchestra is Phil Peters, who also teaches AP Music Theory and plays double bass in the Des Moines Symphony. In June 2007, the orchestra traveled to New York City
, New York
to play at Carnegie Hall
as part of NYBOF'07.
The school's Choir Department is headed by Linda Vanderpool. The show choir, jazz and core ensembles have performed in several national and international festivals from Carnegie Hall to Disney World, receiving awards at many tournaments. The varsity show choir (Choralation) attended FAME Hawaii in March 2008. A new Junior Varsity show choir (Ignition) debuted at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year; both choirs are currently conducted by Dr. Keith E. Touchton.
Drama participants, directed by Drama and Speech teacher, Stacy Hansen, have been selected as Iowa High School Speech Association All-State performers and have received the All-State Sweepstakes Trophy, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award. The Drama Department is defending the All-State Sweepstakes trophy for the fourth year in a row.
The school newspaper is the Spotlight, a member of the High School National Ad Network. In the early 1980s, the Spotlight was named the best high school newspaper in the United States, earning a Pacemaker Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Additionally, many of the student journalists who worked on the Spotlight have received awards and other recognition from sources such as the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Los Angeles Times / National Scholastic Press Association, the Quill and Scroll, and the Journalism Education Association.
The school also has a high school radio
station, KWDM
, which broadcasts from 6am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. It is one of only two high school radio programs in Iowa and the only high school program in the state to have a fully digital production and on-air studio.
Former Valley principal Vicky Poole was named Principal of the Year (2006) by the American News Teachers Association.
Valley's extracurricular program is among the best in the nation, for example, Valley High School won the 2006 National High School Mock Trial Championship
, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. Valley High School also has a nationally successful debate program, frequently sending debaters to the prestigious Tournament of Champions
and National Speech and Debate Tournament
. Valley hosts a major national circuit debate tournament, which has an octafinals bid to the Tournament of Champions. Valley has won more TOC national championships in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
than any other team in the country. Their last finals appearance was in 2010.
Valley has a large selection of clubs for students to participate in. One club, noted for its uniqueness and rarity, is the Valley Abstinence Movement. The club promotes sexual abstinence before marriage. Since its beginning in 2006, it has been a controversial club in the high school.
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school hosts grades 10-12. It is run by the West Des Moines Community School District. Freshmen attend a separate school, Valley Southwoods.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,200 students (largest in the state of Iowa) and 122 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 14.3.
History
In October 1895, the doors opened to the first established high school in Valley Junction at 415 Seventh Street (the site of the present Phenix Elementary Early Childhood Center). Valley Junction’s first graduation was held on May 31, 1901 with just nine graduates.By 1916, the population had grown and a bond issue was passed for a new high school. Construction on the three-story $50,000 structure at Eighth and Hillside was competed in 1917.
In 1938, when Valley Junction changed its name, the school district changed, too, becoming the West Des Moines Independent School District. At this time, one high school, a junior high school and three elementary schools served the needs of the community. In the same year and thanks to a grant from the Public Works Administrations, a new concrete stadium was built just north of the high school on Eighth Street.
In 1962, 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) of farmland near 35th and Ashworth Road were purchased by the School Board for $116,000 as a site for a new high school. Construction of Valley High School was completed in four phases from 1963 to 1970. Valley became a four-year high school during the 1971-72 school year. Costing nearly $5.5 million dollars, Valley High School stretched almost one-quarter of a mile from end to end. Also in 1971, Valley opened the Metropolitan Conference’s newest and largest gymnasium. Additional classrooms, science labs, and other student spaces have been added over the years.
The first year that the new school was open, it was used for classrooms for some sixth grade students and for the 9th grade year of the class of 1970. The next year, it became a three year high school. The graduating class of 1970 was the first class to attend 4 years in the new building.
The 4 "A"s
At Valley High School, students are encouraged to be involved in a variety of ways. The administration has defined the four following areas: Academics, Athletics, Arts and Activities.Academics
Valley offers almost 190 academic courses, including 14 Advanced Placement ProgramAdvanced 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...
(AP) courses.
Valley also has recently started an Honors Program, which is meant to be comparable to the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program. This program allows for highly motivated and advanced students to take college-level courses sooner than normal.
Valley also has a "designated scholars" program, which allows students to specialize in one specific area of academics, such as math.
Athletics
Valley High is well known throughout Iowa for its strong athletics. The school has been honored as the top school for 4A athletics in Iowa by the Des Moines RegisterDes Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. In the 1990s, the West Des Moines School District considered splitting Valley into two high schools, but the proposal failed because of a desire to maintain an advantage in athletics. There were claims made that the reason for the failure to split into two schools was a concern that the school district would not continue to grow, however this excuse ignores the fact that no district in Iowa is expected to grow to the current size of West Des Moines.
Valley's former Athletic Director, Steve Duncan, was named the National High School Athletic Director of the year in 2006.
Football
The Valley High School football team has a successful past. They became a power in the mid 1970s when head coach Lee Crawford took over. In 1977, Valley's football team was the first Metro school to defeat Dowling Catholic in a decade, in a strange game held over two evenings due to a severe thunderstorm. They are a perennial power in the state of Iowa and have amassed a record of 306-122 in its tenure. Under head coach Gary Swenson the Tigers won the Iowa State 4A Championships in 2002, 2003, 2005,2008, and 2011. They've been to the semifinal game 9 times in the last 10 years. They are tied with Dowling Catholic High School, their rival, in playoff appearances. They went to the State Championship Finals from 2002-2005.
Baseball
The Valley High School Baseball team won the 4A state title four years in a row (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).
Softball
The Valley High School Girls Softball Team won State titles in 1990, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010.
Girls Swimming
The Valley High School Girls Swimming and Diving team won the state title in 1974, 1975, in addition to winning it four years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).
Girls Track
The Valley High School Girls won the 4A State Track and Field Meet in 2005.
Girls Soccer
The Valley High School Girls Soccer Team won the 4A State title in 2003, 2005, 2006,2007, 2010.
Boys Soccer
The Valley High School Boys Soccer club won the state title 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006.
Boy Track and Field
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Outdoor Track and Field in 1942, 1955, 1998, 2003 and 2006.
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Indoor Track and Field in 1951 and 1952.
The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in the Pentathlon in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Boys Swimming
The Valley High School Boys Swim Team won the 4A State title in 1984 and 2010.
Boys Tennis
The Valley High School Boys' Tennis Team won the State title in 1985, 1986, 1993, 2010.
Arts
The Arts, both performing, aural, and visual, reflect the soul of Valley's strong tradition of success. The study of Art History, Art Criticism, Art Production, and Aesthetics guides the curriculum in the Visual Arts Department.The Valley Music Department was honored with the first GRAMMY Signature School award in 1999. The 240-member Valley Marchmasters were selected to perform in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade. In March 2007, the band traveled to Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
In addition to the strong band program, Valley's orchestra has completed concert tours in Austria and Italy. The director of the orchestra is Phil Peters, who also teaches AP Music Theory and plays double bass in the Des Moines Symphony. In June 2007, the orchestra traveled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to play at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
as part of NYBOF'07.
The school's Choir Department is headed by Linda Vanderpool. The show choir, jazz and core ensembles have performed in several national and international festivals from Carnegie Hall to Disney World, receiving awards at many tournaments. The varsity show choir (Choralation) attended FAME Hawaii in March 2008. A new Junior Varsity show choir (Ignition) debuted at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year; both choirs are currently conducted by Dr. Keith E. Touchton.
Drama participants, directed by Drama and Speech teacher, Stacy Hansen, have been selected as Iowa High School Speech Association All-State performers and have received the All-State Sweepstakes Trophy, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award. The Drama Department is defending the All-State Sweepstakes trophy for the fourth year in a row.
The school newspaper is the Spotlight, a member of the High School National Ad Network. In the early 1980s, the Spotlight was named the best high school newspaper in the United States, earning a Pacemaker Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Additionally, many of the student journalists who worked on the Spotlight have received awards and other recognition from sources such as the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Los Angeles Times / National Scholastic Press Association, the Quill and Scroll, and the Journalism Education Association.
The school also has a 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, KWDM
KWDM
KWDM, "88.7 KWDM The Point," is a modern rock high school radio station serving the Des Moines, Iowa, area. It is located at 88.7 on the FM dial. The radio station's studio is located at Valley High School in West Des Moines. It is owned and operated by the West Des Moines Community School...
, which broadcasts from 6am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. It is one of only two high school radio programs in Iowa and the only high school program in the state to have a fully digital production and on-air studio.
Former Valley principal Vicky Poole was named Principal of the Year (2006) by the American News Teachers Association.
Activities
The school has announced plans to achieve 100% student involvement in some kind of activity. This program is meant to encourage all students to be more involved in their school through athletics, the arts, or some form of extracurricular activity. The administration believes (and numerous research studies have backed up this claim ) that students who are involved more in their school through extracurricular activities succeed more in curricular exploits, do better in secondary education or post education endeavors, and are more invested in their school.Valley's extracurricular program is among the best in the nation, for example, Valley High School won the 2006 National High School Mock Trial Championship
National High School Mock Trial Championship
The National High School Mock Trial Championship is an American nationwide competition of high school mock trial teams. The competition debuted in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin....
, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. Valley High School also has a nationally successful debate program, frequently sending debaters to the prestigious Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions
The Tournament of Champions may refer to:* H&R Block Tournament of Champions, one of the four major bowling tournaments on the PBA Tour* Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, a tournament of past major winners in the game show Jeopardy!...
and National Speech and Debate Tournament
National Speech and Debate Tournament
The National Speech and Debate Tournament is a week-long high school championship forensics competition hosted by the National Forensic League...
. Valley hosts a major national circuit debate tournament, which has an octafinals bid to the Tournament of Champions. Valley has won more TOC national championships in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
than any other team in the country. Their last finals appearance was in 2010.
Valley has a large selection of clubs for students to participate in. One club, noted for its uniqueness and rarity, is the Valley Abstinence Movement. The club promotes sexual abstinence before marriage. Since its beginning in 2006, it has been a controversial club in the high school.
Valley Southwoods
In 1995, the West Des Moines school board voted to create Valley Southwoods, a school built specifically to house the 9th grade. Valley Southwoods was completed in the summer of 1996. Many members of the community question why the old school was not turned into the 9th grade only school, and have the new school turned into 10th-12th. The principal is Mr. Kent Abrahamson, and Southwoods is one of only two all 9th grade schools in the nation.Safe Schools
Valley, and the West Des Moines Community School District, are known for having and working toward a more open and accepting environment for people from all walks of life. Chet Culver, the former Governor of Iowa signed trailblazing legislation in 2008 at Valley that required all school districts to update their harassment policies, including gender identity, a classification which is frequently ignored across the country and across the world. Beyond legislation, Valley and its district is active in enforcing their own policies and improving the climate for all students, best illustrated when Superintendent Doctor Tom Narak was the first recipient of the Kathy Collins Reilly “Courage in Education Award” which recognizes educators for courage and work for student equality.Construction
Construction at Valley was completed in 2008. Construction included demolishing the former east wing which housed language arts and social studies classrooms, expanding the parking lot, and building a new two-story southwest wing that houses the social studies, language arts, and visual arts departments. The school's media center was also demolished as a part of the former east wing and is now at the center of the school, along with the rebuilt administrative offices and counseling offices. More construction is planned for the near future, including a new auditorium.Notable alumni
- Matt BullardMatt BullardMatthew Gordon Bullard is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, who went undrafted after graduating from the University of Iowa in 1990...
(born 1967), retired NBA player and NBA champion 1993-94. - Jared ClaussJared ClaussJared Clauss is an American football defensive tackle for Team Michigan of the All American Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.Clauss attended Valley High School in West Des Moines,...
(born 1981), retired professional football player. Played for the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
after being drafted in the 7th round from the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... - Justin HartwigJustin HartwigJustin Hartwig is an American football center who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(born 1978), center for the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. - Peter HedgesPeter HedgesPeter Hedges is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film director.Hedges grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, and attended Valley High School, where he was involved in the theater department, including the improv group and the mime troupe, "The Bakers Dozen". He later went to the North Carolina...
(born 1962), film director. - Shawn JohnsonShawn JohnsonShawn Machel Johnson is an American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and all-around, and floor exercise silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion, and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion...
(born 1992), artistic gymnastArtistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
and Olympic Gold & Silver MedalistGymnastics at the 2008 Summer OlympicsAt the 2008 Summer Olympics, three different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium on August 9–19. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing...
.