George Washington High School (Denver, Colorado)
| George Washington High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Denver, CO United States |
|
| Information | |
| Motto | "Patriot Pride" |
| Established | 1960 |
| School district | Denver Public Schools |
| Principal | Loan Maas |
| Faculty | 89 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | 1491 |
| Color(s) | Green & White |
| Athletics | Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling |
| Athletics conference | Denver Prep League |
| Mascot | Patriot, the Green Foot and the Green Giant |
| School Newspaper | The GW Surveyor |
| JROTC | 6th Battalion |
| Sports Division | 5A |
| Website | gwhs.dpsk12.org, georgeib.com |
George Washington High School (also "GW", "GWHS", "G-Dubb" and "George") is located near the intersection of South Monaco Parkway and Leetsdale Drive in Denver, Colorado. The school is located in the Glendale neighborhood on the southeast side of Denver. GW is recognized as the first school in Colorado to offer International Baccalaureate courses, beginning in 1984. GW is a large urban high school serving grades 9-12. GW is one of 14 high schools in the Denver Public Schools system, and one of four named for a U.S. president.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
George Washington's existing building was constructed in 1960 and has had many renovations since its opening. The Jolly Green Giant became George Washington's mascot in 1965 when GW students Ken Waters, Tom Turril and friends pulled a unique “prank” that survives to this day. Ken Walters called The Green Giant Co., which agreed to donate The Giant as GW’s mascot. The seniors put the Giant on the roof of the high school, with painted footprints running up the wall. The prank became notorious when the story appeared in newspapers and on television. Since then, The Giant has become a regular at pep rallies, basketball and football games, and has even had his senior portrait featured in the high school yearbook.[2]
Intro Correction: It is near but not in the CITY of Glendale. It is in Denver in the Washington/Virginia Vale Neighborhood. Source: I live here.
[edit] Demographics
Enrolled in the 2009-2010 school year was 1,491 students.
- 30.0% White
- 42.0% African American
- 22.3% Latino
- 0.8% Native American
- 5.0% Asian
Using federal government guidelines, 50.97% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.[3]
[edit] International Baccalaureate Program
George Washington High School became Colorado's first International Baccalaureate World School in April 1984. The school offers two dozen International Baccalaureate classes.[4][5] In 2007, 100% of GWHS IB graduates went on to attend college (39% in-state, 61% out-of-state), with a mean ACT score of 28.5 and SAT of 1920. Historically, half of GWHS IB graduates receive merit-based scholarships.[6]
[edit] Athletics/Extracurriculars
The school newspaper is The George Washington Surveyor, which is part of the High School National Ad Network. The paper takes its name from president George Washington's lifelong association with geography and cartography. The Surveyor newspaper was the winner of the prestigious National Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association in 2007, 2008, and 2009.[7]
George Washington currently has 47 active clubs[8] and the GW Athletic department currently offers 21 sports in JV and Varsity.[9]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Chauncey Billups, NBA player for the New York Knicks, NBA Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons[10]
- Sierra Boggess, singer and actress[11]
- David Jacobson, Radio program director/announcer "Deuce" on KPTT>[1]</ref>
- Greg Primus, former NFL player for the Chicago Bears
- Dianne Reeves, jazz vocalist, winner of Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2001, 2002, 2004 & 2006[12]
- Martin Moran, Broadway actor and author of The Tricky Part
- Brer Rabbit and Andy Guerrero, members of The Flobots
- Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent and other fiction and non-fiction books
[edit] References
- ^ Denver Public Schools: List of High Schools
- ^ History of GW
- ^ http://www.piton.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=SchoolFacts.Summary&School_ID=216
- ^ George Washington High School IB Program Background
- ^ International Baccalaureate Organization: George Washington High School
- ^ Class of 2007 Statistics
- ^ National Scholastic Press Association: 2007 Pacemaker Winners
- ^ GW Clubs
- ^ GW Athletics
- ^ JockBio: Chauncey Billups
- ^ Denver Post: Star of "Little Mermaid" musical visits her alma mater
- ^ Profile of Dianne Reeves, The Morning News
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 39°42′19.99″N 104°54′51.58″W / 39.7055528°N 104.9143278°W
