Wenonah High School
Encyclopedia
Wenonah High School is a high school
for grades 9
- 12
in Birmingham, Alabama
. It is part of the Birmingham City Schools
.
In the fall of 1947, students in grades 8
- 12 from Galilee Baptist, Mt. Olive and Bryant Chapel Baptist Churches and Riley Elementary School began classes in the downstairs classrooms of Wenonah Elementary School while construction was being completed upstairs and on the high school.
The school plant was built at a cost a cost of $500,000.00 and included 15 classrooms, administrative office, lunchroom, athletic room, shoe repair, upholstery and radio repair shop, cosmetology, foods and clothing labs.
In January 1948, the grades 9 - 12 students at the elementary school, Powderly School and students from surrounding areas of Jefferson County as far away as Shades Valley area in McCalla area, attended classes in the new building led by Principal Leon Kennedy. In May 1948, the first senior class graduated from Wenonah High School.
In 1956, seven classrooms, a library and gym were added to the school plant.
In August 1968, the dream of having a Wenonah Area Vocational School became a reality and its doors were opened to students in September 1968.
In the spring of 1970, a new facility was erected by the Jefferson County Board of Education at a cost of $300,000.00 to house the Wenonah Area Vocational School. The building was located on the southwest side of the Wenonah High School campus, which provides an ideal situation for faculty and students.
In 1973, Wenonah High School was annexed into the city of Birmingham. Administration of Wenonah was taken over by the Birmingham Board of Education.
In 1981, a new gym was constructed and equipped at a cost of more than $1,000,000.00.
The Wenonah physical plant was valued at approximately $3,500,000.00, and was a part of the Wenonah Educational Complex which also includes the elementary school, a state technical school and a junior college.
The new Wenonah High School replaces the 1948 building with a 183000 square feet (17,001.3 m²) facility that is built for 1,200 students.
The new school includes a 750-seat auditorium with theatrical lighting and sound systems. The main academic building features a state-of-the art media center, computer laboratories and classrooms for science, math, social studies, English and other subjects.
The career-technical wing contains an electronics classroom with lab areas, a classroom and fully equipped commercial kitchen for the schools well-known culinary arts program and a family and consumer science classroom. There are also classrooms and labs for welding and cosmetology.
Band and chorus classrooms also are part of the career-tech wing, which includes the cafeteria.
The new school includes a gymnasium for practice and physical education classes. The "new gym" that was part of the old school, a free-standing building, has been renovated and expanded to be a 1,400 seat-competition gym.
The school includes a football stadium with a six-lane track, concession stands, restrooms and irrigation system. The stadium, which seats 4,500, was scheduled to be completed in December 2007. The January 25, 2008 issue of the Birmingham News reported that the Doster Construction Co. completed construction of the new school.
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for grades 9
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
- 12
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. It is part of the Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools is the public school district that serves the U.S. city of Birmingham, Alabama.It is currently the fourth largest school system in Alabama behind Mobile County Public School System, Jefferson County School System, and Montgomery Public Schools...
.
Previous Wenonah High School
After Wenonah School was destroyed by fire in 1946, the Tennessee Coal & Iron (TCI) Company donated a large parcel of land consisting of approximately 16 acres (6.5 ha) to be used to construct a new elementary and high school. Construction began in late 1946.In the fall of 1947, students in grades 8
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
- 12 from Galilee Baptist, Mt. Olive and Bryant Chapel Baptist Churches and Riley Elementary School began classes in the downstairs classrooms of Wenonah Elementary School while construction was being completed upstairs and on the high school.
The school plant was built at a cost a cost of $500,000.00 and included 15 classrooms, administrative office, lunchroom, athletic room, shoe repair, upholstery and radio repair shop, cosmetology, foods and clothing labs.
In January 1948, the grades 9 - 12 students at the elementary school, Powderly School and students from surrounding areas of Jefferson County as far away as Shades Valley area in McCalla area, attended classes in the new building led by Principal Leon Kennedy. In May 1948, the first senior class graduated from Wenonah High School.
In 1956, seven classrooms, a library and gym were added to the school plant.
In August 1968, the dream of having a Wenonah Area Vocational School became a reality and its doors were opened to students in September 1968.
In the spring of 1970, a new facility was erected by the Jefferson County Board of Education at a cost of $300,000.00 to house the Wenonah Area Vocational School. The building was located on the southwest side of the Wenonah High School campus, which provides an ideal situation for faculty and students.
In 1973, Wenonah High School was annexed into the city of Birmingham. Administration of Wenonah was taken over by the Birmingham Board of Education.
In 1981, a new gym was constructed and equipped at a cost of more than $1,000,000.00.
The Wenonah physical plant was valued at approximately $3,500,000.00, and was a part of the Wenonah Educational Complex which also includes the elementary school, a state technical school and a junior college.
Current Wenonah High School
In 2005, construction was begun of the current Wenonah High School. The site of the new school is located northeast of the previous Wenonah High. Students, faculty and staff of Wenonah High School watched as their new school at 2800 Wilson Road was built next door to the old school. By August 2007 they started classes in the new $40 million school.The new Wenonah High School replaces the 1948 building with a 183000 square feet (17,001.3 m²) facility that is built for 1,200 students.
The new school includes a 750-seat auditorium with theatrical lighting and sound systems. The main academic building features a state-of-the art media center, computer laboratories and classrooms for science, math, social studies, English and other subjects.
The career-technical wing contains an electronics classroom with lab areas, a classroom and fully equipped commercial kitchen for the schools well-known culinary arts program and a family and consumer science classroom. There are also classrooms and labs for welding and cosmetology.
Band and chorus classrooms also are part of the career-tech wing, which includes the cafeteria.
The new school includes a gymnasium for practice and physical education classes. The "new gym" that was part of the old school, a free-standing building, has been renovated and expanded to be a 1,400 seat-competition gym.
The school includes a football stadium with a six-lane track, concession stands, restrooms and irrigation system. The stadium, which seats 4,500, was scheduled to be completed in December 2007. The January 25, 2008 issue of the Birmingham News reported that the Doster Construction Co. completed construction of the new school.
Notable alumni
- Judge Ralph D Cook, Class of 1961, a former Birmingham judge, appointed a justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama in 1993.
- Samuel Richard Shade, Class of 1991, a former American football safety in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played eight seasons in the NFL from 1995–2002. He played for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
- Alonzo EphraimAlonzo EphraimAlonzo Brandon Ephraim is an arena football offensive lineman for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League, as well as Team Alabama of the All American Football League. He played college football at Alabama.Ephraim was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia...
, Class of 1999, former player for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Currently plays offensive line for the New York DragonsNew York DragonsThe New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
of the Arena Football League. - Ronnie (Ron) Damien Jackson, Class of 1971, former major league baseball player with the California Angels and coach with the Chicago White Sox. Currently, hitting coach with the Triple A, Round Rock Express (Texas) of the Pacific Coast League.
- Chad Kelton Williams, Class of 1998, professional football player with Baltimore and San Francisco.
- Ligarius Jennings, Class of 1996, professional football player with Cincinnati.
- Johnny McDaniel, Class of 1969, professional football player with Cincinnati and Washington.
- Lamar JohnsonLamar JohnsonLamar Johnson Sr. is a retired professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from 1974-1982...
, Class of 1968, professional Baseball player with Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. - Joe WebbJoe WebbJoseph "Joe" Webb, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. In college he played for the UAB Blazers. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round, number 199 overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft.-Early years:Born to Joseph and Wanda Webb,...
, Class of 2005, University of Alabama-Bham (UAB) QB; WR, Minnesota Vikings 2010-Present.
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