Northwestern High School (Hyattsville, Maryland)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Northwestern High School
Address
7000 Adelphi Road Hyattsville, Maryland, 20782  United States
Coordinates	38°58′29″N 76°57′17″W / 38.974745°N 76.954717°W / 38.974745; -76.954717Coordinates: 38°58′29″N 76°57′17″W / 38.974745°N 76.954717°W / 38.974745; -76.954717
Information
School type	Public Comprehensive Secondary School
Established	1951, Replaced: 2000
School district	Prince George's County Public Schools
Oversight	Maryland State Department of Education
Principal	Mr. Jerome Thomas
Assistant principals	Dr. Jean-Paul Cadet Ms. Patricia Cox Mr. Robert Pollard Mr. Charles Ross Mr. Anthony Scott Dr. Regena Williams
Faculty	193+ FTE teachers and staff
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	appx. 2,543 (Fall 2009)
Campus	Co-Educational, Suburban
Color(s)	Navy Blue and White
Mascot	Wildcat
Accreditation(s)	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Newspaper	The Paw Print
Yearbook	The Compass
Communities served	Adelphi, Avondale, Brentwood, Chillum, Hyattsville, Landover, Langley Park, Lewisdale, Mount Rainier, University Park, West Hyattsville
Feeder schools	Hyattsville Middle School Nicholas Orem Middle School
Architect	SHW Group LLP
Phone	(301) 985-1820
School Hours	9:30am - 4:10pm
Rival Schools	DeMatha Catholic High School High Point High School
Athletic Conference(s)	Prince George's Athletic Conference North Division
Website	NHS Official Website

Northwestern High School (est.1951) is a public comprehensive secondary school located in Hyattsville, Maryland in Prince George's County less than a mile from the internationally known University of Maryland, College Park. It is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Two middle schools (Hyattsville Middle School and Nicholas Orem Middle School) feed into Northwestern as well as nine elementary schools which are part of the Northwestern Cluster of Schools. Completed in August 2001, at 386,000 sq ft (35,900 m²), the new Northwestern is the second largest high school in the state of Maryland.

Northwestern houses a branch of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington and operates an Evening High School for the Northern half of the county, as well as a Saturday High School program. Northwestern hosts a very popular Saturday-run "ISP Flea Market" that is sponsored by the school's International Studies Program (ISP). NHS is an official county site for conducting the nationally administered SAT college assessment exams.

Northwestern is home to the county-wide COLOURS Performing Arts Program and, for several years, severed as host to the annual county-wide High School Chorus Festival and Band Festival, that showcases school choirs and bands in the PGCPS who are adjudicated by renowned music directors throughout the country. Northwestern also served as host school for Gateway Music Festival's Washington, DC national choir competition in 2003 and hosted the 2004 Maryland All-State Band Festival.

Mr. Jerome Thomas, is the current principal at Northwestern. He succeeded former principal, William T. Ritter, who was formerly the schools Dean of Students, until 2000, when then principal, Kevin M. Maxwell, left the Prince George's County Public Schools system to head Walter Johnson High School, in Montgomery County. He is now the current superintendent of schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system, in Maryland. William Ritter, himself, was appointed head of the Region 5 District in 2004 (and later, head of the school systems FIRST-Financial Incentive Rewards for Supervisors & Teachers program), where Jerome Thomas---who was a long time vice-principal at Northwestern---took his position.

Jim Henson, famed television writer, producer, and creator of "The Muppets", graduated from Northwestern in 1954. The D/E/F-Building at Northwestern is named in honor of him. Also Daniel Epstein, author of numerous celebrated books of poetry and prose. And Adrienne Parks, playwrite, screenwriter/producer, author, freelance writer.

[edit] The Student Body

As of 2007, enrollment by ethnicity was 56.7% African-American/Black; 35.3% Hispanic; 5% Caucasian; and 3% Asian. There were 857 freshman, 661 sophomores, 584 juniors, and 507 seniors enrolled at NHS. Of those, 1350 were male and 1334 female. About 13.5% of the students were Limited English Proficient and over 11.6% of the students received some form of direct Special Education services. Northwestern has affiliated with High Schools That Work (HSTW) to promote the ten key practices for accelerating student achievement.

[edit] Dress Code

[edit] School Uniforms

In 2005, Northwestern was the first high school in Prince George's County to implement a mandatory school uniform policy. [1]. By the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, almost all county high schools have implemendated a mandatory school uniform policy, following Northwestern's successful implementation. All students at Northwestern are required to comply with a single Mandatory School uniform---white shirts, navy blue slacks or skirts and black, white, or brown shoes.

[edit] Building & Facilities

[edit] School History

Northwestern Senior High School was founded in 1951 as a public secondary school. Beginning in the 1960s, several additions were added to the original school in different stages, including what was called the "new" art wing. By the year 2000, Northwestern consisted of a long "main wing" with three "wings" branching out like fingers attached to it. These wings were referred to as the A-wing, B-wing, and C-wing. The cafeteria was located at the rear of the school on the second floor and attached to the C-wing.

In the early days of Northwestern, despite teachers-as-cafeteria monitors, students with cars would often exit by the cafeteria door to the side parking lot where they would drive to the "Mighty Mo" drive-in, then located at the corner of East West Highway and University Boulevard or the McDonald's then located on Queen's Chappel Road.

The boys gymnasium, girls gymnasium, and band/orchestra/chorus rooms were all located at the rear of the building as well. The C-wing was accessible to the B-wing by a long suspended enclosed bridge that could only be reached from the second floor. A large field of space was located between wings B & C and was dubbed, "The Senior Courtyard". Originally reserved exclusively for seniors to provide their own special area to converge during their assigned lunch, the Senior Courtyard was eventually opened to the entire student body. Northwestern was one of the few schools to allow students outside during lunch as most schools didn't have the proper accommodations to allow this. The Justice Memorial Auditorium was another add-on and was part of the A-wing, which was the final addition to the original building. It should also be noted that the A-wing was the only section of the old facility that was air conditioned. Northwestern was converted from a traditional grades 10-12 "senior high school" to a modern grades 9-12 "high school" configuration, in 1981.

[edit] The New Building

By the mid-1990s, Northwestern was beginning to show its age. A plan to replace the structure with a brand new $45 million dollar facility was proposed. Prince George's County Public Schools contracted the SHW Group LLP to design and build the new Northwestern. Construction of the new school began in late summer of 1998, the new facility located directly behind the old building. Students attended classes in the old building while construction of the new facility took place only yards away from the rear of the old school. In fact, the new school was physically connected to the old building at the rear (stage area) of the auditorium. The new building officially opened to students and staff in August 2000, just in time for the new school year, thus becoming the first new high school constructed in Prince George's County since Eleanor Roosevelt High School was completed, back in 1978. While it took two years to construct the new facility, the building was not actually fully completed until midway through the 2001-02 school year. Classes commenced at the new Northwestern before the former facility had been torn down. The large bus lot, which is located directly in front of the new building, and the expansive main parking lot, had yet to be paved prior to the opening of the new building because the old facility stood where these new areas were to be made. In addition, there were a few exterior portions of the new facility which weren't finally constructed to finalize the building, until 2002. Except for the auditorium, which was retained from the old building and completely overhauled and transformed into Building D of the new school, the old Northwestern was razed while classes were ongoing in the new building. The main parking lot for the new school lies where the former facility once stood.

[edit] Northwestern as of 2009^[update]

At 386,000 sq ft (35,900 m²)., Northwestern High School has a capacity of 2,400 students with a Fall 2009 enrollment of approximately 2,543 students. Northwestern's largest student enrollment was reached during the 2006-2007 school year, in which over 3,000 students were registered. Northwestern had over fifteen portable classrooms, to accommodate the over-enrollment. Northwestern had never had portable trailers until, ironically, after the new facility was built. Until 2006, Northwestern was officially the largest high school in Maryland when measured by square footage, a distinction that has since been given up to the brand new 434,600 sq ft (40,380 m²). Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School, located in Southern Prince George's County. There was controversy for a time for the distinction of, what was then, the "largest high school in Maryland", between Northwestern and neighboring Montgomery Blair High School in Montgomery County, over which of the two schools was physically larger—in square footage—over the other. Both schools were designed by the same architectural firm (SHW Group), both schools were constructed around the same time (Blair, 1998 and Northwestern, 2000), both schools share a very similar design both internally and externally, and both schools are of similar size. Blair was constructed for 372,000 sq ft (34,600 m²) originally and Northwestern for 386,000 sq ft (35,900 m²). Through certain technicalities, Blair's total square footage was upped to around 386,000 sq ft (35,900 m²). But, it was decided that Northwestern—with the addition of its greenhouse to the second floor of the A-Building in 2001—retains its slightly larger physical size over Blair, despite Blair having a larger maximum student capacity.

Northwestern is divided into four distinct "sub-schools": Building A, Building B/G, Building C (also known as the "Core Building"), and Building D/E/F. Each sub-school can house around 600-students. The original plan for Northwestern, was to physically divide the school into four smaller schools, hence the design theme of the building. Sub-School A was intended to be the "School of Intensive and Specialized Instruction", and house the schools Honors Program and Advanced Placement Program; Sub-School B was to be the "School of Engineering and Technology"; Sub-School C was to be a general facility that housed mainly elective courses, in addition the schools main offices, security office, and health center; and Sub-School D was to be "The School of Arts, Media, and Communications". Students were not to be permitted to interact with students from other sub-schools, and students from each sub-school was to isolated within their sub-school, for the majority of the school day. Due to scheduling conflicts and feasibility issues with this type of sub-school concept, the idea for restrictive sub-schools was dropped before the new building ever opened, while the idea of smaller learning communities was retained and revised to become less restrictive and isolating.

The sub-schools are connected by a main hallway called, "The Skywalk", which features a tiered two-story design. A student looking over the third floor Skywalk can see straight down to the first floor main hallway. The four main academic sections of the building house specialized programs as part of Northwestern's initiative to provide smaller learning environments in which students can specialize in specific areas of study, similar to a college. Across the main hallway from the sub-buildings are other facilities, Buildings H, J, & K---there is no Building "I", which includes the main gymnasium, auxiliary gymnasium, main cafeteria/food court (Building H), NJROTC unit and Child Development wing (Building K), and library/media center. Buildings H-K aren't separate buildings like Buildings A-F. Northwestern has three satellite cafeterias (or "commissary's) that supplements the main food court. There is a commissary in Buildings A, B/G, and D/E/F. These commissary's were generally intended for seniors, only, but students for all grade levels use the facilities. Northwestern features three "lecture halls" with stadium seating which resemble classrooms typically found at large universities. These lecture halls can seat 30-50 students. Northwestern also has two high capacity elevators that are restricted for personnel use, only. Northwestern in a technologically advanced school and has over six computer labs, in addition to the media center. Northwestern currently has over 1,100 computers, one of the largest of any high school in Maryland. All of the lavatories at Northwestern feature automatic flush toilets, automatic on/off sinks, and automatic hand dryers.

[edit] Image gallery

Main entrance to the auditorium at Northwestern High School.

View of Northwestern's auditorium. This is the only section of the original 1951 building that was retained, renovated, and integrated into the new facility.

Westward view of the entrance to the D/E/F-Building and the main entrance to Northwestern, in the C-Building, seen in the foreground.

View of the main entrance to Northwestern (left) and partial view of the B/G-Building (right).

The B/G-Building at Northwestern High School. This building houses most of the schools advanced courses.

Eastward view of Northwestern's B/G-Building (foreground) and A-Building (background).

The 2nd floor "skywalk" at Northwestern.

The 2nd floor "skywalk" at Northwestern, overlooking the main "food court".

Photo showing three of the four gigantic skylights above the main hallway at Northwestern High School.

The C-Building (core building) at Northwestern High School. This is an interior hallway in the core facility that is adjacent to the "skywalk".

The second floor "skywalk" in front of the C-Building looking towards the D/E/F performing arts building at Northwestern High School.

The second floor "skywalk" at Northwestern looking towards the core facility and D/E/F-Building.

The B/G-Building at Northwestern High School. The large glass "wall" area on the side of the building is one of three "satellite cafeteria's" at Northwestern.

Landscape photo of Northwestern High School looking towards the main entrance of the C-Building, with Buildings B/G and A, in the background.

View of Northwestern High School (Hyattsville, Maryland USA) looking West from the A-Building towards the D/E/F-Building.

Front view showing all of the main entrances to each of the four sub-buildings.

A display case for Jim Henson, creator of "The Muppets", at the Jim Henson School of Arts, Media, and Communications.

Tribute display case in the Jim Henson School of Arts, Media, and Communications.

The trophy and general display cases for the athletics department.

The skywalk at Northwestern High School in front of the B/G Building looking down towards the A Building.

A view of the B/G Building, taken from the second floor skywalk.

One of the three satellite cafeteria's or "commissary's" at Northwestern High School.

View of a second floor hallway in the Jim Henson School of Arts, Media, and Communications.

One of the second floor hallways in the B/G Building.

[edit] Athletic Facilities

In addition to the football stadium (previously know as the Prince George's County Memorial Stadium), which can accommodate the entire student population, there are also two softball/baseball fields (one at either side of the football field) and six tennis courts. The new baseball field was dedicated to long time baseball coach, football coach, gym teacher, athletic director and alumnus Martin "Marty" Gallagher. This honor was organized by Coach Gallagher's former athletes from the 60's, 70's and 80's. The gymnasium is currently the second largest gymnasium in Prince George's County; the facility is able to seat over half the school's population. When the bleachers are retracted, the gymnasium is able to provide three full-sized basketball courts for practice and play. It was widely rumored that the new school was to feature, amongst other things, an indoor swimming pool, but it did not come to fruition for various reasons.

[edit] Northwestern Health & Wellness Center

The Health & Wellness Center is a joint venture between Northwestern High School and the Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland. When the original Health & Wellness Center was founded back in the mid-90s in the old building, it was the first of its kind in PGCPS. Two other centers have since been established more recently in other area schools.

The Health Center is located across from the Main Administrative Offices (Room C207) and combines the Health and Wellness Center and the Health Suite in one location. The Health and Wellness Center provides basic health, counseling, education and prevention services in support of Northwestern students' academic and social success. Services include physical examinations, tests and treatment for infections and transmittable diseases, immunizations and well-baby care, mental health counseling and health behavior education. All students and infant/toddlers of teen parents enrolled in the Adolescent Teen Parenting Program are eligible to receive confidential primary health care services and treatment. The emphasis is on health promotion, disease prevention and self-care.

Services are provided at no direct charge to students or parents/guardians, except when appropriate to bill enrollee's insurance company or medical assistance.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Sub-Schools & Academy Programs

As part of adopting a "smaller learning communities" program of instruction, Northwestern High School offers several specialized programs in addition to the core curriculum mandated by the Prince George's County Public Schools system. A career academy operates as a "school-within-a-school" model, that provides a college preparatory curriculum with a career-related theme. The curriculum organizes instruction in academic subjects around an industry or career theme and enables students to fulfill requirements for college entrance in addition to acquiring work-related knowledge and skill.

All students will be provided a core set or curricula and experiences in the ninth and tenth grades. Ninth graders will become a part of the Ninth Grade Academy to provide greater structure and focus with the goal of enhancing basic skills and preparing them for more intensive study after their selection of a career academy by the end of sophomore year. During the eleventh and twelfth grades, students will be exposed to more specific or specialized instruction and participate in various work-based learning experiences. Since all students take a "core foundation" of academic courses, career pathways overlap enough to allow the flexibility to change academies, if interests change or new knowledge and skills are acquired.

Northwestern has identified seven career clusters, which are organized around broad career fields. Of the seven career cluster, Northwestern has implemented five academies. Each building at Northwestern host at least one sub-school and one or more "academy programs". Northwestern offers more academies than any other high school in Prince George's County. The various programs are:

• The Jim Henson School of Arts, Media, and Communications
  • Academy of Visual Arts
  • Academy of Vocal Music
  • Academy of Instrumental Music
  • Academy of Arts & Humanities
• School of Business and Finance
  • Academy of Business Management
  • National Academy of Finance
• School of Human Resource Services
  • International Studies Academy (ISP)
  • Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Academy
• School of Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology
  • Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering Academy

Northwestern also features the America's Choice School Design Signature Program, a whole-school program which promotes reading and the language arts.

[edit] Course Offerings

Northwestern offers a large array of courses which meets the needs of all its students. Below is a partial list of those courses.

English 

Students are state-required to complete 4 years of English, which include English 9 through English 12. Talented & Gifted students are required to take Honors English 9 (in Grade 9), Honors English 10 (in Grade 10), Honors English 11 or AP English Language & Composition 11 (in Grade 11), and AP English Literature & Composition 12 (in Grade 12). There are a variety of elective English courses for the more ambitious student including Journalism/Newspaper, Journalism/Yearbook, and Drama.

Mathematics 

Maryland mandates students complete 3 credits of mathematics. Most students come to Northwestern having taken at least Algebra 1. From there students can take (in sequence) Geometry, Algebra 2, and Trigonometry/Analysis. For the advanced student, Honors Geometry is usually taken freshman year (if not completed in middle school), followed by Honors Algebra 2-Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus AB. The more mathematically gifted student can also elect to take the ever challenging, Calculus 2-Differential Equations course. AP Computer Science was offered until 2001.

Science 

Students are required to take 3 years of science. Most follow the course pattern of Earth & Space Science or Biology (in Grade 9), Biology or Conceptual Physics (in Grade 10), and Chemistry (in Grade 11), with a 4th year science elective (usually Physics) highly recommended. Honors students usually take Honors Earth & Space Science and Honors Biology in Grade 9, Honors Chemistry in Grade 10, Anatomy/Physiology and Microbiology or Honors Physics or AP Science Elective with Lab in Grade 11, with a 4th year advanced or AP science Elective with Lab, strongly recommended. AP science courses offered are AP Biology with Lab, AP Chemistry with Lab, AP Environmental Science with Lab, and AP Physics with Lab.

Social Studies 

There is a 3 year requirement in Social Studies. Students generally start off in 9th grade with United States History, continue sophomore year with LSN Government (Local, State, & National Government), and conclude with World History in 11th grade. Students can also elect to substitute select courses with AP U.S. Government, AP Comparative Government, AP Human Geography, AP World History, and the ever challenging AP U.S. History. The highly popular AP Psychology is also available.

Foreign Language 

Students must satisfy a 2 year foreign language requirement in order to receive a state diploma. Northwestern offers one of the most expansive foreign language programs of any high school in Prince George's County. Students can take courses in Spanish, Latin, French, Japanese, German, and Italian. Currently, AP level courses are available only in Spanish and French.

Arts 

One Art credit is required for graduation; students may satisfy this requirement with a Fine and Visual Arts or Performing Arts class.

• In Fine & Visual Arts, students can take courses such as Art 1-4, Computer Graphics 1 & 2, and Television Production. Advanced-level courses include Honors Art 1 & 2, AP Studio Art, AP Art History, and AP Computer Graphics.

• Northwestern's expansive performing arts programs offers vocal music courses such as Concert Choir, Advanced Chorus/Chamber Choir, Gospel Choir, and Show Choir. The instrumental music program offers Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, Jazz Band, Steel Band, Marching Band, and numerous small ensembles. Other non-performance based music courses include AP Music Theory, Musicianship, and Music Survey. Northwestern's Instrumental and Vocal music programs have prospered through the years. Under the direction of Mr. Townes, the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra have consistently received Excellent and Superior ratings at local, state, and national adjudications. Under the direction of Ms. Leona Lowery, who has been with NHS since 1997, the choir program consists of a Concert Choir, Advanced Chorus/Chamber Choir, Gospel Choir, and Show Choir. The Concert, Advanced, and Gospel Choirs have all received numerous superior ratings at local, state, and national venues. The Choirs participate yearly in nationwide and international choral competitions, consistently bringing home multiple 1st place/Superior honors for eight of the last twelve years. The Choir most recently traveled internationally to Canada where they partook in a competition sponsored by "Music Festivals". The choir ranked first place and also received the higher grand champion trophy for best choir overall. The Choirs have received first place and grand championship honors at competitions in: Chicago, IL (1999); Myrtle Beach, SC (2001); New Orleans, LA (2002); Baltimore, MD (2003); Atlanta, GA (2004); New York City, NY (2005); and Williamsburg, VA (2006), and Toronto, Canada (2008). The choir is traveling to Walt Disney World to compete, in Spring 2010.

Performing Groups

Other Courses 

Students must take one half credit each of P.E. and Health Issues. Other various elective course offers in Family & Consumer Sciences, Health Education, Business Education (including Computer Science, and Physical Education are offered. Students can take classes such as Food Trends & Technology, Food & Nutrition, Keyboarding, and Dance. The NFTE Entrepreneurship program has flourished at the school under teacher, Beverly Jackson.

NJROTC 

Northwestern also has an NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program. The NJROTC program provide secondary school students the opportunity to become informed, responsible citizens through a military environment. Sixty percent of the curriculum focuses on development of academic areas including United States military history, national security, meteorology, astronomy, aerospace vehicles and environment (aircraft, rocketry satellite, and spacecraft), management, communications, survival, navigation, and physical fitness. Forty percent of class time is spent in developing leadership skills and military courtesies and customs. Enrichment activities include before or after school color guard and drill practice, summer leadership school, camps, and naval cruises. The program also provides college scholarship opportunities and Military Academy appointments for qualified individuals. Students who successfully complete three years of the JROTC program and qualify to enter the active duty military service may be paid two grades above non-JROTC recruits.

[edit] International Studies Program (ISP)

The International Studies Program (ISP) at Northwestern High School is an interdisciplinary honors program which affords students the opportunity to choose a curriculum offering a focus in global education and technology. ISP students are strongly encouraged to participate in international travel, as there is no more powerful educational experience within international studies than a field trip to another country. This component of the ISP greatly enhances participating students’ understanding of their world and enriches their ability to interact successfully with a broad range of peoples and regions. Similarly, the experiences offered within ISP reinforce students’ capacity for viewing career paths in technology-related professions, as well as in foreign policy, international affairs and foreign exchange.

[edit] Release-Time/Work Study Program

Northwestern has three groups of 12th grade students that have an abbreviated class schedule. Most of these students take two classes per day before leaving school. These groups include:

• Released Time students
• Marketing Work Study students
• COE/Government Connection Work Study students.

Released Time students are allowed to leave school prior to the end of the normal school day to pursue a noncredit program of activities approved but not sponsored or supervised by the school. Most of these students leave after their 2nd period class. While released time students have school privileges, such as participation in athletic and other extracurricular activities, they must exit the school building at the conclusion of their normal day and return at the time their scheduled activity begins. The Guidance Counselors discuss the terms of release time with students, and the students and their parents must complete the necessary paperwork for students to be on released time.

Marketing Work Study students are seniors participating in the Marketing Completer program. These students take their scheduled classes and, in most cases, are dismissed from school at the end of 2nd period. All Marketing Work Study students should have a label on the back of their student IDs that identifies them as participants in the Marketing Work Study program. These students are also not to leave school before the conclusion of second period class. While these students have jobs, their work schedules should not conflict with their normal school day.

The Cooperative Office Experience (COE)/Government Connection Work Study students participate in a school sponsored work-based learning experience in partnership with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC. Students must report to their work site by a specified time. Prince George's County school buses transport these students to the Prince George's Plaza Metro Station. COE students can be identified by their student identification and FCC work identification badges.

[edit] Advanced Placement Program Honors

Northwestern High School was cited in The Washington Post for its achievements in its Advanced Placement (AP) program, for 2005. Northwestern was ranked second in the county (out of 24 high schools) for students scoring highest on the nationally administered Advanced Placement Tests, by College Board, the association which governs AP programs and its related courses throughout the country.

In January 2006, the College Board reported that 17.9% of Northwestern's 2005 graduates earned a passing score of 3 or higher (the highest being a 5) which is above the national average of 14.1%. This achievement ranks Northwestern only behind the county's leading, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, which has consistently ranked first in the county due largely in part to its specialized, Science and Technology Center magnet program. This is the first time that Northwestern has achieved this honor.

Northwestern offers one of the largest AP programs in Prince George's County, offering courses such as AP Physics, AP U.S. History, AP English Literature, AP Studio Art, and AP Spanish, just to name a few. Northwestern's rating of 17.9% surpasses the national average of 14.1%. Northwestern's closest contender in the county is academically notable, Bowie High School, which received a rating of 13.2%.

[edit] Magnet Program (Former)

In the mid-1990s Northwestern housed the University of Maryland Collaborative Project continuation magnet program for students who were enrolled in the Science, Mathematics, and Technology Magnet Program at Nicholas Orem Middle School. The program allowed the University of Maryland, College Park to share resources with NHS and for students in the program to work interdependently with the University of Maryland's flagship College Park campus, which is only about a mile away from NHS. Due to the court-ordered restructuring of PGCPS magnet programs, several magnets were eliminated in 2003 including Northwestern's and Nicholas Orem's.

[edit] Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

In 2003, Northwestern was slated (by former school district superintendent Iris T. Metts) to become a "Center for the Visual and Performing Arts" (VPA) Magnet School, in Fall 2004 for the northern area of the county. This decision was based largely on (1) the new building and its huge fine/performing arts wing, (2) the tremendous successes of NHS's award-winning choirs, bands, and orchestra, and (3) feeder school Hyattsville Middle becoming a "Creative and Performing Arts" Magnet that same year. This announcement was made during the official naming ceremony for the schools D/E/F Building in honor of Jim Henson. Northwestern would have joined Suitland High School in the Southern part of the county as a VPA Magnet School.

However, the addition of the VPA Magnet at Northwestern has been delayed indefinitely. This delay was partly due to severe budget constraints on the school system. Further, the system under Metts' successor, Dr. Andre J. Hornsby, faced increasing pressure from the state to overhaul the county's hallmark magnet programs, which were created in the 1980s by a court mandate to end racial segregation in Prince George's County schools, since racial segregation was ruled no longer an issue in the now predominantly African-American county.

Since 2004, Northwestern has still been actively pursing having a performing arts magnet program, implemented within the school. This has not been easy, largely due to the high turnover rates of the county's superintendents. Each time a new superintendent is brought into the school system, Northwestern has to essentially "sell its case of the magnet", to the new superintendent.

[edit] Block Schedule

Under Principal Kevin Maxwell, Northwestern was the first high school in the Washington Metropolitan region, to adopt a "4x4 Block Scheduling system", in the mid-1990s. It allowed students to take four 90-minute long courses each semester, totaling eight courses a year. This was advantageous as it allowed students to earn a maximum of 32 courses to be taken over four years as opposed to schools that operated on a seven-period traditional schedule, which only usually allowed for around 28 courses to be taken. So essentially, students who attended Northwestern, received five years of high school education!

In 2004, Northwestern, along with the other Prince George's County public high schools, adopted the modified "Alternating A/B Block Schedule". Unlike the former 4x4 block, the A/B block allows students to take four alternating, every-other-day classes, all year. A-Days consist of Periods 1A-4A and B-Days consist of Period 1B-4B. For the 2009-10 school year, Northwestern modified its bell schedule, once again, reducing its total lunches from three to only two, however, the length of those lunch periods will increase from just 30-minutes a piece, to 45-minutes each. According to the principal, this move was to reduce the excessive loitering in the hallways during the lunch shifts and also to combat the number of students skipping class and attending multiple lunches. This new bell schedule will be unique to any other high school in the PGCPS, and is very similar to the schedule used at most high schools, in neighboring Montgomery County.

[edit] Student life

[edit] Clubs and activities

• Alpha Stomp Omega (Men's and Women's Step Team)
• Band
• "N" Club
• Black Male Achievement
• Black Pursuits
• Cheerleading
• Chess Club
• Choir
• Environmental Club
• Forensics Team
• French Club
• International Club
• International Honors Council
• Leo Club
• Literary Magazine
• National Honors Society
• National Society of Black Engineers
• Newspaper
• Peer Mediation
• Pom Poms
• Renaissance Theater
• Robotics Club
• Step Team (Co-Ed)
• Student Coalition Against Racism (SCAR)
• Spanish Club
• SECME
• Student Government Association (SGA)
• Technology Honors Society
• Unified Believers
• Yearbook

[edit] Athletics

Northwestern High School sports teams are called the Wildcats. The Wildcats sports teams compete in the Prince George's Athletic Conference North Division, and are a part of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA). Northwestern is a class 4A school, which are those in the upper one-fourth of schools in the state by enrollment.

The Wildcats have a long and illustrious sports history. Over the years, Northwestern teams have produced 13 team state championships, as well as numerous regional, bi-county (soccer)and county championships. A number of student-athletes have also won numerous individual state championships in sports such as track & field and wrestling. One notable athlete was Mark Christian ("Captain Christian"), who won several individual state track titles and captained the Wildcats to the state basketball championship in 1967 as a 6'3" center. The most recent team state championship came in 2004 for boys' basketball, led by current Seattle Supersonics NBA player, Jeff Green. The Wildcats offical flag was designed in 1965 via a competition judged by the art department in conjunction with the then pricipal and vice-principal. The winning artist was Adrienne Parks, Class of 1966.

Northwestern has also produced three other NBA players. During his senior year in 1968 at Northwestern, a classmate accidentally closed a door on the fingers of All-Metropolitan, Player-of-the-Year Harold Fox. Although his shooting and ball handling never fully recovered, Fox went on to play college basketball with Artis Gilmore at Jacksonville, and was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in 1972. Michael F. Morrison was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. Northwestern graduate Larry Michael Spriggs of North Brentwood, Md graduate of Howard University played 5 season with the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers 1981-86. The late Len Bias starred up the road at the University of Maryland under Lefty Driesell, and was drafted by the Boston Celtics.

State Championships

• 1956: Boys Basketball
• 1957: Boys Track & Field
• 1958: Boys Track & Field
• 1967: Boys Basketball
• 1968: Boys Basketball
• 1973: Boys Cross Country
• 1973: Boys Soccer
• 1979: Girls Basketball
• 1987: Boys Basketball
• 1987: Girls Indoor Track
• 1995: Boys Soccer
• 1999: Boys Track & Field
• 2004: Boys Basketball

Northwestern offers a wide variety of varsity and junior varsity sports programs.

[edit] Northwestern Fight Song

Go U Northwestern, break right through that line,
With our colors flying we will cheer you all the time!
U Rah, Rah,
Go Northwestern, fight for victory
Spread far the fame of our fair name, and
Go Northwestern win that game.

whistle
Go Northwestern, go!
whistle
Go you Northwestern, go!
Hit 'em hard!
Hit 'em low!
Go Northwestern, go!

Go U Northwestern, break right through that line,
With our colors flying we will cheer you all the time!
U Rah, Rah,
Go Northwestern, fight for victory
Spread far the fame of our fair name, and
Go Northwestern win that game.

[edit] Northwestern Alma Mater

To you our Alma Mater
Our praises we unite,
Standing like a beacon
In Navy Blue and White.
With wisdom ever flowing
Thru your spacious door,
Courage that will guide us,
Knowledge to explore.
Our hearts are here in Maryland
Where loyalty is King.
So to you, Northwestern High School
Let honor ever ring.

[edit] Communities served by Northwestern

Northwestern High School serves students from almost all of the city of Hyattsville and all of the city of Mount Rainier, the towns of Avondale, Brentwood, North Brentwood, and University Park, and the communities of Lewisdale and West Hyattsville.

Students from portions of the city of College Park, Langley Park, Landover, Riverdale Park, and some areas considered to be Adelphi, also attend Northwestern.

It was not until 1965 that Northwestern received its first multi-cultural students who were bussed in from an adjacent area (Bladensburg).

[edit] Feeder Patterns and Admissions

[edit] Admissions

Hyattsville is fed directly by 13 schools---11 elementary and 2 middle schools (see below).

There is no admissions process (i.e. pre-entrance examination) for students to attend Northwestern. Students must live in the designated zoned attendance area for NHS. In 8th grade, middle school students who will be attending Northwestern freshman year must complete a form which reflects which of the ten academy programs they will be interested in enrolling in. Certain academies have specific requirements that students need to satisfy in order to apply for that program.

[edit] Northwestern feeder schools

• Northwestern High School | Hyattsville | Grades 9-12
  • Hyattsville Middle School | Hyattsville | Grades 7-8 (Creative & Performing Arts Magnet School)
    • César Chávez Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
    • Hyattsville Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
    • Mount Rainier Elementary School | Mt. Rainier | Grades K-6
    • Riverdale Elementary School | Riverdale | Grades PreK-6
    • Thomas S. Stone Elementary School | Mt. Rainier | Grades K-6
    • University Park Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
  • Nicholas Orem Middle School | Hyattsville | Grades 6-8
    • Carole Highlands Elementary School | Takoma Park | Grades PreK-6
    • César Chávez Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
    • Chillum Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
    • Lewisdale Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades PreK-5
    • Rosa L. Parks Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades PreK-6
    • Ridgecrest Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades PreK-6
    • University Park Elementary School | Hyattsville | Grades K-6
    • New Elementary School | Hyattsville (opening SY2011-12 appx)

[edit] Notable alumni

• Len Bias, famed college basketball player; drafted by the Boston Celtics
• Leigh Bodden, NFL player (Cleveland Browns)
• Steve Charnovitz, Law Professor
• Danny Epstein, Author, Class of '66
• John Fahey, Guitarist
• Jeff Green, NBA player (Oklahoma City Thunder)
• Mohammad Haque, artist of Dark Horse Comics comicbook and webcomic AppleGeeks
• Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets
• Chad Nkang, NFL player (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• Adrienne Parks, Screenwriter, Playwrite, Author
• DeAngelo Redman, featured on MTV's "Making the Band 4"; signed to Sean "Diddy" Combs "Bad Boy Records" music label
• Larry Michael Spriggs, NBA player (Los Angeles Lakers 1981-1986)

[edit] External links

• Northwestern High School Official Website
• The Paw Print Online, Northwestern HS Newspaper Publication
• The Washington Post: Northwestern Emerging As Academic Contender
• The Washington Post: Northwestern Choir Participates in 50th Anniversary Celebration of "The Muppet Show"
• The Gazette: Building Dedication of The Jim Henson School of Arts, Media and Communication
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington - Northwestern High School Branch