Wheaton High School
| Wheaton High School | |
|---|---|
| thumbnail | |
| Location | |
| Wheaton, Maryland USA |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1954 |
| School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Principal | Dr. Debra K. Mugge |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,465 (2014) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red and Gold |
| Mascot | Knight |
| Rival | John F. Kennedy High School |
| Yearbook | The Lance |
| Website | Wheaton High School |
Wheaton High School is an American four-year public high school in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located in the unincorporated Wheaton/Glenmont section of Montgomery County, near Silver Spring, about 5 miles north of Washington, D.C..
The high school is a part of the Montgomery County Public School system and a member of its Downcounty Consortium. The school is named for the Wheaton area, which is in turn named for Frank Wheaton (1833-1903), a career officer in the Union Army who rose to the rank of major-general while serving before, during, and after the Civil War.
The school is also physically connected to the Thomas Edison High School of Technology, named in honor of the famous American inventor.
Contents
Academies
Wheaton High School has four main academies of education: The Academy of Biosciences and Medicine, the Academy of Engineering (voted the top CTE program in Maryland), the Academy of Information Technology, and the Academy of International Global and Cultural Studies.
Magnets
The Wheaton High School magnet program was launched at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. There are two magnet programs, Biomedical and Engineering.
Biomedical
- Consists of math, science, medicine sequence of courses.
- Hands-on, collaborative approach to learning.
- Exploration into disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Challenge of solving problems in forensic science.
Engineering
- Rigorous math, science, engineering sequence of courses.
- Hands-on, collaborative approach to learning.
- Gives the opportunity to use 3D Software used by companies such as Lockheed Martin and Intel.
- Trains in using the design process to solve problems through innovation.
Music
The Institute of Global and Cultural Studies has a state of the art digital music lab featuring 34 new iMac computers and Roland Fp-4 keyboards equipped with studio microphones and such software as Garageband, Logic, Final Cut, Sibelius, and Synthesia. The lab is unique in music education because it incorporates the composition, production, and performance of popular music styles like electronic music and rap into the curriculum.
Sports
The school mascot is the Wheaton Knight, representative of valor, chivalry, and bravery.
Wheaton's athletic teams have brought home several state championships. The Football Team captured a 2A State Championship in 1996 and were state finalists in 1994. They also were state semi-finalists in 1979 and 1980. The Girls Basketball Team won State Championships in 1985, 1997 and 1998. They were also state finalists in 1976 and 1982.
Wheaton's main rival is John F. Kennedy High School which is located down Randolph Road. The rivalry is fueled by the schools' close proximity to one another. The Wheaton-Kennedy competitive rivalry is one of the oldest in Montgomery County. Wheaton's main rival in the 60's was Richard Montgomery High School Rockville, MD (Montgomery County, Maryland)|
Fall sports
Winter sports
Wheaton High School has produced several titles in Winter Sports to include multiple boys and girls basketball State Championships and Wrestling State Champions. In Wrestling, Wheaton has the longest running tradition of state qualifiers in the entire state of Maryland that has not been broken since 1970. The next closest in comparison is Damascus High School with a 27-year-long run from 1982-2009
Spring sports
Renovation
Plans are being made for the current Wheaton High School building and the adjoined Thomas Edison High School of Technology to be entirely reconstructed where Wheaton's football and baseball fields are currently located. Since other schools are too full to accommodate Wheaton's current student body, the original building will not be demolished until the new buildings are completed. Debate has taken place about whether to construct the high schools separately or joined like their current state. However, site planners have generally preferred for the buildings to be built separately. Wheaton High School has had its last home football game during the 2012-2013 season before construction is projected to begin on the site where the football field is located. Construction is expected to begin during the 2013-2014 school year.[1]
Project-Based Curriculum
Along with the upcoming renovation, curriculum changes are being integrated into Wheaton High. The current Engineering and Biomedical Magnets are curriculums based on Project Lead The Way (PLTW) standards. This is the basis for a project-based curriculum which is to be integrated into as many subjects as possible. This project-based curriculum will give students more hands-on projects and fewer lectures and quizzes. If successful, the curriculum technique is expected to influence other high schools in the Montgomery County school system. [2]
Alumni
One notable alumnus of Wheaton High School is rock star Joan Jett who gained fame with her bands, The Runaways and The Blackhearts. Jett attended Wheaton High School briefly in the early 1970s before moving to L.A. to launch her music career. Hair Dresser's and Paul Mitchell school owners Ed and Myrna Ruiz also attended the school. Another notable Wheaton High School alumni is Debra Monk, class of 1967. Debra has gained fame as a Broadway Star, movie actress, and singer. Her awards consist of: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. Debra has been nominated for the following awards: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.
References
External links
- Wheaton High School website
- Wheaton High School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
- Wheaton High School Downcounty Consortium (DCC) webpage
- MCPS Downcounty Consortium (DCC) webpage
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