Ravenwood High School
| Ravenwood High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1724 Wilson Pike Brentwood, Tennessee, Williamson County Schools, 37027 United States of America |
|
| Coordinates | 35°57′28″N 86°46′04″W / 35.95773°N 86.767647°WCoordinates: 35°57′28″N 86°46′04″W / 35.95773°N 86.767647°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Principal | Dr. Pamela Vaden |
| Asst. Principal | Robin Dickerson Reggie Mason Javier Nunez Leigh Webb |
| Color(s) | Red, Black, Khaki |
| Mascot | Raptor, represented by the Red Tail Hawk. |
| Nickname | Raptors |
| National ranking | 200/(est.) 37,000 |
| Website | wcs.edu/rhs/ |
Ravenwood High School is a public high school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, which serves the eastern-most part of Williamson County and is known for its high test scores, athletics, and fine arts programs.
Opened in 2002, the $245 million facility, designed by architect Charlie Johnson, progressively grew its student body, beginning with only 540 students in grades nine and ten, 32 teachers, and 7 staff members. Currently enrolling 1,915 students, Ravenwood aims "to become a model of successful community collaboration with the purpose of developing all learners to be able to work, learn and lead in the 21st century."[1] The mission of Ravenwood is "to develop a community of learners that cultivates the intellect, ability, and character of each person within it."[2] The school colors are red, black, and khaki. The mascot is the Raptor, a bird of prey represented by the Red Tail Hawk. Ravenwood High School was ranked in Newsweek magazine's list of the top 1,000 public schools in the United States[3].
Contents |
[edit] Administration & Faculty
Dr. Pam Vaden is the principal of the school,but four assistant principals, Dr. Reggie Mason, Leigh Webb, Robin Dickerson, and Javier Nunez, aid Dr. Vaden with the day-to-day administration of the school, which include strolling around for kicks and overreacting to minor rule-breaking.
[edit] Academics
Most students at Ravenwood take four academic classes, two electives, one directed study, and a lunch/advocate period. Credits are distributed along a fairly standard path, with most students taking English, mathematics, foreign language, science, and social studies. One year of physical education is also required. The standard high school diploma requires twenty-two credits. In addition, two honors diplomas are offered, the Williamson County Honors Diploma and the Ravenwood Honors Diploma. Ravenwood ranks students using weighted GPAs.
There are 15 Advanced Placement (AP) courses that are offered at Ravenwood; however, right now there are no International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. AP classes are fairly popular among students as 33% of 10th though 12th graders are enrolled in at least one AP class. In 2005, 62% of students scored a 3 or higher on end-of-course AP tests, and in 2006, 77% of students scored a 3 or higher.[4]
[edit] Drama, Forensics, and Choir
Ravenwood High School holds many talents not only in sports but also in the arts, and the arts hold more accomplishments than athletics in general. The Ravenwood Theatre and Forensics department is now under new management with the addition of new drama teacher and forensics coach Kelly Duyn. In her first show Kelly showcased her new and unique style by directing a small show called "Don't Tell Mother". DTM was received wonderfully by the community and the Ravenwood Theatre Department is now working on their spring musical "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying".
The Ravenwood Forensics team has won overall sweepstakes first place in all of it last thirty plus tournaments, including Western Kentucky, Tennessee State Forensics tournament, Collierville Invitational, and many others. Some great accomplishments considered are their many individual wins, including over 30 "breaks" in their last tournament alone, having at least one student place either fist, second, or third in every category. The debate program, as apart of the Ravenwood Forensics Team, is one of the most acclaimed debate programs in the state. The Debate team consistently has three to five students breaking to finals in Extemp and Impromptu, and having teams placing in Public Forum Debate. In the 2011 National Qualifiers, the Ravenwood forensics team qualified three competitors to the National Forensics League Nation Tournament, with former captain Lydia Phillips, making it to the top 12 in the nation in HI, and former IE captain Maddi Mucci placing in the top 30 in OO. In 2011/2012, their head co-captain are Savanah Marquardt and Dalton Hughes, and Debate captains are Ross Hildabrand, Paul Drexler, and Francis Ding.
The Choral program at Ravenwood is also very active. Currenty lead by Mrs. Terri Godfrey, the department produces a show every quarter showcasing their talents. They also have had an enormous success rate with students earning spots in Tennessee's Mid State and All State choirs, as well as ACDA national choirs.
[edit] Extracurricular activities
In addition to sports, Ravenwood has numerous teams, clubs, and organizations covering many interests. Extracurricular activities include:
- Africa Outreach Club
- Anime Club (still?)
- Art & Photography Club
- Astronomy Club
- Book Club
- Crash
- Coffee House Theology
- Color Guard
- Connect-R(avenwood)
- Culinary Arts Club
- Distributive Education Club of America (DECA)
- Drama & Forensics
- Environmental Club
- Equestrian Club
- Expolorer Post
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
- Film Club
- French Club
- French National Honors Society
- Future Business Leaders of America Club (FBLA)
- FCCLA
- German Club
- Golf Club
- Habitat for Humanity
- Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA)
- Indoor Drumline (Winter Drumline)
- Interact Club
- International Council
- Junior Classical League (JCL)
- Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC)
- Knitwits Club
- Latin Club
- Marching Band
- Mock Trial
- Model UN
- Mu Alpha Theta
- National Honor Society
- Newspaper Staff ('The Black & Red')
- Red Cross Club
- Science Club
- Sign Language Club
- SkillsUSA
- Spanish Club
- Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS) Student Executive Council (SEC)
- Student Council
- Songwriter's Club
- Techno Club
- Together Educators Are Children's Hope (TEACH)
- Ultimate Frisbee Club
- Victory Club
- Windows of the World Club
- Winter Guard
- Winter Running Club
- Yearbook Staff ('The Eye of the Raptor')
- Youth Legislature
The 2005-2006 Ravenwood Mock Trial team was the first team ever to win both first and second place in the regional tournament, along with receiving the awards for Best Witness and Best Attorney.[citation needed] Ravenwood advanced on to the state competition and received sixth place. Harry Watson, a junior at the time, was also rewarded the Best Defense Witness Award for the state.
The Ravenwood National Forensics League competes at many local and district wide tournaments. Along with a two-time district-winning Reader's Theatre, individuals at Ravenwood have placed first in numerous events at state level, including Dramatic, After Dinner Speaking, and Duet Acting. The Duet Acting team of Mitch Miller and Lindsey Stegall placed in the top sixty in the national level with their piece "Bus Stop", the first time anyone at Ravenwood competed nationally.[citation needed]
[edit] Facilities
Ravenwood includes 51 classrooms, 7 computer labs, 10 science labs, a TV production facility, band and choral rooms, art rooms, counseling center, state-of-the art media center, full production theater, weight room, practice gymnasium, and a full-size gymnasium, as well as a bank, retail store, and cafeteria. Outdoor facilities include a football stadium with a surrounding track, practice football field, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, and several multi-purpose fields for soccer, lacrosse, and rugby.[citation needed]
[edit] Student body
Ravenwood High School is populated primarily through Woodland and Sunset Middle Schools, which are in turn populated by Kenrose, Nolensville, Sunset, Edmonson, and Crockett Elementary Schools. The most notable senior prank the student body has seen was in the spring of 2010. The graduating class of 2010 released 25,000 crickets prior to the opening of school. Exterminators were called in but graciously did the extermination free of charge. Various news channels covered the story although the culprits were never caught.
[edit] Sports
Ravenwood provides many various athletic teams in which students are invited to participate. TSSAA-sponsored sports include:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cheerleading - 2009, 2010 State Runner-up
- Cross Country
- Dance-
State Champions Jazz Division-2003,2006,2008,2009, and 2010, National Dance Team Championships 2010 6th place varsity jazz, 1st place all-star jazz
- Football - 5A State Champions 2005, Runner-up 2006
- Golf - Girls Golf 2009, 2010 TSSAA State Runner-ups
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis - 2010 TSSAA State Champions
- Track & Field
- Volleyball - 2010 TSSAA State Champions, 2009 - TSSAA State Runner-up
- Wrestling
Ravenwood is home to many successful club sports, including:
- Hockey - 2006, 2010 State Champions
- Lacrosse
- Rugby - Multiple Girls and Boys State Champions
- Swimming
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Ping Pong (Table Tennis) Club
[edit] Testing
The ACT exam is a graduation requirement, and students are urged towards a class ACT goal at an annual pep rally. The 2005 average ACT score of Ravenwood was a 22.5, and in 2006, the average score was 23.8.[4] In addition, all sophomores are required to take the PLAN, a pre-ACT course. In 2006, the average composite PLAN score for the sophomore class was 21.4, compared to the state average of 18.2 and the national average of 16.5. PSAT and SAT testing is common, but not required. In the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) writing assessment, the 91% of students passed in 2005 and 96% in 2006. In 2006, Tennessee Gateway scores were also very high, with 95.7% passing Algebra I, 99.7% passing English II, and 99.7% passing Biology.[4] There were six National Merit Semi-Finalists in the class of 2006 and one National Merit Semi-Finalist in 2005.
[edit] References
- ^ "Ravenwood High School". Directory of Schools. Williamson County Schools. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080302105202/http://wcs.edu/district/schools/ravenwood.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- ^ "Mission, Vision". Ravenwood High School. http://www.wcs.edu/rhs/About/mission.htm.
- ^ Complete List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools (2011)
- ^ a b c "Ravenwood Report Card". Ravenwood High School. http://www.wcs.edu/rhs/About/achievements.htm.
