Academic Magnet High School
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| Academic Magnet High School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 1526 Avenue B South North Charleston, South Carolina,  United States |
|
| Information | |
| Principal | Carol Tempel |
| Students | 600 |
| Type | High School |
| Campus | Old Naval Base |
| Motto | Only the educated are truly free. |
| Mascot | Raptors |
| Color(s) | Green and Black |
| Established | 1988 |
| School Paper | The Talon |
| Homepage | http://amhs.ccsdschools.com |
Academic Magnet High School (AMHS) is a high school (grades 9-12) in North Charleston, South Carolina. The school requires students to join through an admissions process based on middle school grades and a written essay that is completed with guidelines given by the school. The school during the 2007-2008 school year was the victim of a serious threat that turned the school upside down. Despite several cameras throughout the halls and a new chainlink fence that is being added to the campus, nearly everything has returned to normal, or as history teacher Frank Flanigan would correctly say, "Status Quo Ante."
Contents |
[edit] History
Academic Magnet High School was established in 1988, and the first class graduated in 1992. The school was originally located as a separate sub-campus of Burke High School (South Carolina) in downtown Charleston, SC, but has since moved to the Charleston Naval Base.[1]
[edit] Students
Academic Magnet is home to 599 students in the 2007-2008 school year. The ethnic breakup of the student population is as follows: 59% white, 27% black, 11% Asian, 2% Hispanic. Compared to an average South Carolina high school, there is a considerably higher Asian population and a considerably lower black population at Academic Magnet. The current principal at Academic Magnet is Dr. Carol Tempel.Academic Magnet High School - No. Charleston, South Carolina/SC - Public School Profile</ref>
The school's SAT scores have been consistently the second-best in the state since 1998, surpassed only by the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics.[2] Graduates from AMHS must complete an original thesis in their senior year and receive an AMHS diploma in addition to a state of South Carolina diploma. Because of the curriculum of the school, students are significantly well prepared for college and are admitted into top schools, including Harvard University, Duke University, Princeton University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Stanford, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Swarthmore College, etc.[citation needed]
Unlike the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Academic Magnet is composed entirely of students from the Charleston area, as it is part of the Charleston County School District 20.
[edit] Curriculum
Students must fulfill a 90-hour service requirement in order to graduate.[3] Students must also complete at least four advanced placement (AP) courses throughout their high school career in order to graduate from the Academic Magnet. Another requirement is Senior Thesis. Students take one year to work with a mentor and teacher adviser to pursue a research project on a topic of their choice.
A variety of AP courses are offered, including Science courses, English, Mathematics, History, Arts, and more.
[edit] Community service
In 2005, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control presented the school with the Donna Bates Memorial Award for coastal environmental education activities. It announced that the school would use the accompanying grant to improve its "Splish-Splash Water Testing Project" and to purchase soil and water probes, native plants and other materials to help student-led efforts to restore Noisette Creek in North Charleston.[4]
[edit] Recognition
The Academic Magnet High School is recognized as one of the foremost secondary schools in South Carolina and in the nation. In the May 19, 2008 Newsweek cover story, Academic Magnet High School was ranked 7th among national public high schools based on an index consisting of the quotient of AP exams taken by all students and the quantity of graduating seniors.[5] The school still holds a very respectable rank of 11th according to the 2007 survey. The school's academic team is also one of the best in the county, as they won the 2008 Quest High School Academic Competition at Trident Technical College. [6]
[edit] Faculty
The current acting principal of the Academic Magnet High School is Dr. Carol Tempel, who has been chosen to temporarily fill the spot left by Michael Tolley, as he moved to Seattle to become an administrator. Dr. Patrick Harrington is the Assistant Principal.
[edit] Extracurricular activities
The Raptors have enjoyed success on the athletic fields bringing home a championship in every sport but football. The Raptor football team is still searching for its first winning season in its history, and enjoys a rivalry with the Military Magnet Academy.
[edit] Sports
- Baseball 2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Basketball 2007-2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Crew (Team has competed on the national and international level bringing home several titles.)
- Cross Country 2007 Lower State Champions
- Football Has won before
- Golf 2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Sailing Multiple Regatta Champions
- Soccer 2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Softball 2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Swimming 2007 State Championship qualifiers
- Tennis 2007 Region 6-A Champions
- Track 2006 Lower State Champions
- Wrestling 2007-2008 Region 6-A Champions
- Volleyball 2006 Region 6-A Champions
[edit] Clubs
Academic Magnet has more than 30 clubs, including the following:
- Academic Team
- African American Awareness Club
- Animanga Club
- Asian Awareness Club
- Carpool Club
- Chess Club
- Dirty Birds Drum Corps
- Drama Club
- Fencing Club
- FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)
- Great Books Club
- Jewish Awareness Club
- Juggling Club
- "Attractions" Literary Magazine
- Martial Arts Club
- Math Club
- Mock Trial Team
- Mu Alpha Theta
- Pep Club
- Photography
- Poetry Club
- American Table Pong Federation League USA of America (ATPFLUSAA)[7]
- Sailing
- Science Club (SCJAS South Carolina Junior Academy of Science)
- Speech and Debate Team
- Step Team
- Student Council
[edit] References
- ^ CCSD Building Boom!
- ^ Microsoft Word - 2004 SAT nr.doc
- ^ Welcome to Charleston County School District - Academic Magnet High School
- ^ SCDHEC: News Releases
- ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
- ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
- ^ Ping Pwn
