West Johnston High School
Encyclopedia
West Johnston High School or WJHS is located in Benson, North Carolina
. It is part of Johnston County School district and was established in the 2002-2003 school year to address crowding problems in other local high schools.
After struggling in the first few years on the athletic fields, in 2008 the football team witnessed its best season so far. The team started the season 8-0 and went on to 4-0 in the Greater Neuse River Conference. The cross country team maintains the best athletic record in the school, participating in States more times than any other sports team, both male and female. The cross country team has been awarded the Greater Neuse Conference Cross Country Champions for several years in a row both for Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity, and Girls Junior Varsity.
The Wrestling team has also been one of the top programs in the state, showing that only after 8 years they were a force to be reckoned with. BAM.
The fine arts at West Johnston are considered to many the best in the state. The school has a very strong Marching Band, Dance Department, Choral Music Department, and Theatre Program
West Johnston High School also held the Johnston County Schools teacher of the year, Ms. Melissa Pearce, an English II teacher in the 2007-2008 school year.
Members in order of 2009 standings
1.Harnett Central,
2.SE Raleigh,
3.Garner,
4.Smithfield- Selma,
5.Clayton,
6.East Wake,
7.West Johnston,
8.Knightdale
program at West is directed by Garrett Griffin. The band has performed in many local, regional and national events including the Bands of America
Grand Nationals many times. In 2007 the marching band placed 15 of approximately 90 other competing bands from across the country. The band was also chosen to represent the state by marching in the 2005 Inaugural Parade honoring President George W. Bush
. In November 2008 the band also participated in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade where they were the first to use props.
The WJHS marching band is an academic/ extra curricular course offered at the high school and is available in the fall semester. The program's motto states that "With hard work and dedication, anything is possible".
to compete in the Towson Regional, where they were awarded Grand Champion. Rather than traveling to Grand Nationals after an undefeated season, the band traveled to NYC in November to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
, where they performed their show Boogie Wonderland to the music of Earth, Wind & Fire
.
at WJHS is another extracurricular activity. They have performed in many local, regional, and national competitions, with both WGI
and AIA. The winter guard is split into varsity and junior varsity. The varsity guard has been in the Scholastic Open Class division of Winter guard since 2005, and therefore is commonly known within the school as the "Open Guard". For a similar reason, the junior varsity group is commonly known as the "A Guard".
Both of these groups have performed excellent shows. In 2008, the Open guard placed 2nd and the A guard placed 7th at the Atlantic Power Regional. The Open guard went on to compete in the WGI World Championships, placing 6th in finals.
Also, in 2009, Wind was formed. Wind (West Independent) is composed of West Johnston alumni and friends. At the 2009 WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, they placed 9th in finals with a score of 87.4
On April 10, 2010, the Open Guard was named 2010 WGI World Championships Scholastic Open Class Champions with a score of 97.05 and was awarded the Gold Medal. The Guard's program ("Crossing Over") utilized a 8 ft high metal beam stretched from back right corner to front left corner that one member of the group walked upon for a large portion of the program. This is West Johnston's second WGI medal—in 2004, the Guard (then in A Class) scored 95.6 in the Scholastic A Class Finals and was awarded the Silver medal.
As of 2010, the Fine Arts Department of West Johnston has performed several musicals as well as straight plays.
In 2009 West Johnston was inducted into the North Carolina Theatre Capital Awards, showcasing high school musical theatre excellence. For the 2010 musical "Guys and Dolls" was nominated for several awards including:
Ensemble
Choreography
Lead Actor-Elgin Giles
Best Musical
Featured Performer-Kelsie Jayne
Costumes
Musical Direction
Orchestra
Supporting Actor-Jordan Clifton
West Johnston High School has an outstanding dance department that has won several dance awards locally and nationally. Richard Patten, a former Juilliard student, is the dance department's artistic director.
The award-winning Chorale Ensembles, headed by Sarah Phelps, present many concerts throughout the year and were selected to represent North Carolina in the Festival Of The States 2008 in Washington D.C. West Johnston High School offers Fine Arts courses in the following areas: art design, modern dance, band (marching and ensemble performance), choral groups, and theatre classes.
Benson, North Carolina
Benson is a town located in Johnston County, North Carolina. The town lies at the intersection of Interstates 95 and 40. Each year Benson celebrates Mule Days the 4th Saturday of September, a festival that attracts over 60,000 people each year...
. It is part of Johnston County School district and was established in the 2002-2003 school year to address crowding problems in other local high schools.
History
The first graduating class of West Johnston was in 2004, and the first class to graduate after full-four year completion was in 2006. Dr. Patricia Harris led the school for its first 4 years and worked to build the school's reputation as one of the top high schools in the state. In 2006-2007, Brookie Honeycutt took over as principal. Now in 2011, Paula Coats has taken the place of the new principal.After struggling in the first few years on the athletic fields, in 2008 the football team witnessed its best season so far. The team started the season 8-0 and went on to 4-0 in the Greater Neuse River Conference. The cross country team maintains the best athletic record in the school, participating in States more times than any other sports team, both male and female. The cross country team has been awarded the Greater Neuse Conference Cross Country Champions for several years in a row both for Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity, and Girls Junior Varsity.
The Wrestling team has also been one of the top programs in the state, showing that only after 8 years they were a force to be reckoned with. BAM.
The fine arts at West Johnston are considered to many the best in the state. The school has a very strong Marching Band, Dance Department, Choral Music Department, and Theatre Program
West Johnston High School also held the Johnston County Schools teacher of the year, Ms. Melissa Pearce, an English II teacher in the 2007-2008 school year.
West Johnston Football
Greater Neuse River ConferenceMembers in order of 2009 standings
1.Harnett Central,
2.SE Raleigh,
3.Garner,
4.Smithfield- Selma,
5.Clayton,
6.East Wake,
7.West Johnston,
8.Knightdale
Marching band
The marching bandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
program at West is directed by Garrett Griffin. The band has performed in many local, regional and national events including the Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Grand Nationals many times. In 2007 the marching band placed 15 of approximately 90 other competing bands from across the country. The band was also chosen to represent the state by marching in the 2005 Inaugural Parade honoring President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In November 2008 the band also participated in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade where they were the first to use props.
The WJHS marching band is an academic/ extra curricular course offered at the high school and is available in the fall semester. The program's motto states that "With hard work and dedication, anything is possible".
Music from the New World for a New Era (2002)
The first marching band group was established in the fall of 2002 when the high school opened. The head director at the time was M. Lance Britt and colorguard instructor was Matthew T. Spoonemore who also served as the school's Art instructor. The majority of members at this time came from other schools, such as South Johnston High School, contributing varying amounts of experience to the organization. The first class defined the standards by which the program would operate by and excel. The marching band competed in its first Bands of America Regional Competition in New York.Following years (2003-2007)
In the next few years, the group performed the following shows:- H2O: The Properties of Water(2003)
- Placed 10th at the Johnston City Regional in TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
- This was director David S. Duffy's first year at West Johnston
- Undefeated in NC
- Placed 10th at the Johnston City Regional in Tennessee
- A Rock, A River, A Tree (Based upon On the Pulse of the Morning by Maya AngelouMaya AngelouMaya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
)(2004)- Competed at Grand Nationals in IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, and placed 21st in semi-finals - Placed 7th in the NJ regional at Rutgers StadiumRutgers StadiumHigh Point Solutions Stadium is the on-campus football stadium for the football program at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. It is located on the Busch Campus at Rutgers, and overlooks the Raritan River to the South. High Point Solutions Stadium was opened on September 3, 1994 when the...
- Marched for the 55th Inaugural Parade (George Bush's 2nd term)
- Undefeated in NC
- Competed at Grand Nationals in Indianapolis
- All the World's a Stage (Based on the writings of William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
)(2005)- First full graduating class from WJHS
- 7th in the FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Regional - 21st at Grand Nationals
- Undefeated in NC
- Declaration (Based on the Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
)(2006)- 3A Champions, 4th overall in the Towson, MarylandTowson, MarylandTowson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
Regional - Performed in the Exhibition show at the Fort Mill, SC Regional
- 17th in semi-finals at Grand Nationals
- One loss in NC, due to a time penalty
- 3A Champions, 4th overall in the Towson, Maryland
- The Martian Chronicles (based upon the bookThe Martian ChroniclesThe Martian Chronicles is a 1950 science fiction short story collection by Ray Bradbury that chronicles the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled and eventually atomically devastated Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists...
by Ray BradburyRay BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
) (2007)- Entire music selection based upon Amin BhatiaAmin BhatiaAmin Bhatia is a recording artist, film and television music score composer and producer. In 1981 his compositions won the Roland Corporation International Synthesizer competition for two consecutive years. The judges included Oscar Peterson, synth veterans Robert Moog and Ralph Dyck, and Japanese...
’s Interstellar Suite - 3A Champions at the Towson regional
- Placed 15th at Grand Nationals. (Note: This was the last time WJHS band performed in the RCA DomeRCA DomeRCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
, due to demolition.) - Garrett Griffin's first year working as an assistant-director at West
- Entire music selection based upon Amin Bhatia
The Inner Compass (2008)
The Inner Compass was a show based on an individual's decisions made based on their inner compass. The drill depicted many images of compasses pointing west (a play on the high school's name). All the music for this show was composed from the Broadway Musical/movie West Side Story. During this season, West traveled to MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
to compete in the Towson Regional, where they were awarded Grand Champion. Rather than traveling to Grand Nationals after an undefeated season, the band traveled to NYC in November to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, where they performed their show Boogie Wonderland to the music of Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
.
Winter Guard
The Winter guardWinter guard
Winter guard is an indoor color guard activity, derived from marching band or drum & bugle corps. Unlike traditional color guard, winter guard is performed indoors, usually in a gymnasium or an indoor arena...
at WJHS is another extracurricular activity. They have performed in many local, regional, and national competitions, with both WGI
Winter Guard International
Spawning from the organization Drum Corps International , Winter Guard International was founded in 1977. WGI is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional and national competitions for color guard and indoor percussion ensembles. Contests are held in the U.S...
and AIA. The winter guard is split into varsity and junior varsity. The varsity guard has been in the Scholastic Open Class division of Winter guard since 2005, and therefore is commonly known within the school as the "Open Guard". For a similar reason, the junior varsity group is commonly known as the "A Guard".
Both of these groups have performed excellent shows. In 2008, the Open guard placed 2nd and the A guard placed 7th at the Atlantic Power Regional. The Open guard went on to compete in the WGI World Championships, placing 6th in finals.
Also, in 2009, Wind was formed. Wind (West Independent) is composed of West Johnston alumni and friends. At the 2009 WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, they placed 9th in finals with a score of 87.4
On April 10, 2010, the Open Guard was named 2010 WGI World Championships Scholastic Open Class Champions with a score of 97.05 and was awarded the Gold Medal. The Guard's program ("Crossing Over") utilized a 8 ft high metal beam stretched from back right corner to front left corner that one member of the group walked upon for a large portion of the program. This is West Johnston's second WGI medal—in 2004, the Guard (then in A Class) scored 95.6 in the Scholastic A Class Finals and was awarded the Silver medal.
Fine Arts Department
West Johnston High School offers Fine Arts courses in the following areas: art design, modern dance, band (marching and ensemble performance), choral groups, and theatre classes.As of 2010, the Fine Arts Department of West Johnston has performed several musicals as well as straight plays.
- 2003: The Wizard of Oz
- 2004: The Music ManThe Music ManThe Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
- 2006: GreaseGrease (musical)Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
- 2007: Into the WoodsInto the WoodsInto the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
- 2008: Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
- 2009: Evita
- 2010: Guys and DollsGuys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
In 2009 West Johnston was inducted into the North Carolina Theatre Capital Awards, showcasing high school musical theatre excellence. For the 2010 musical "Guys and Dolls" was nominated for several awards including:
Ensemble
Choreography
Lead Actor-Elgin Giles
Best Musical
Featured Performer-Kelsie Jayne
Costumes
Musical Direction
Orchestra
Supporting Actor-Jordan Clifton
West Johnston High School has an outstanding dance department that has won several dance awards locally and nationally. Richard Patten, a former Juilliard student, is the dance department's artistic director.
The award-winning Chorale Ensembles, headed by Sarah Phelps, present many concerts throughout the year and were selected to represent North Carolina in the Festival Of The States 2008 in Washington D.C. West Johnston High School offers Fine Arts courses in the following areas: art design, modern dance, band (marching and ensemble performance), choral groups, and theatre classes.