Thomas S. Wootton High School
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
| Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
2100 Wootton Parkway , 20850 | |
| Coordinates | 39°04′36″N 77°11′02″W / 39.07661°N 77.18376°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary |
| Established | 1970 |
| School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Principal | Kimberly Boldon |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-Educational |
| Enrollment | 2414 (2009-2010) |
| • Grade 9 | 571 |
| • Grade 10 | 590 |
| • Grade 11 | 605 |
| • Grade 12 | 648 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 13.7 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | red, white and blue |
| Team name | Patriots |
| Rival | Winston Churchill High School |
| Newspaper | Common Sense |
| Feeder schools | Robert Frost Middle School Cabin John Middle School |
| Website | Home Page |
Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School or Wootton High School (WHS) is a public high school in Rockville, Maryland. Its namesake is Thomas Sprigg Wootton, the founder of Montgomery County. The school was founded in 1970 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Robert Frost Middle School along with half of Cabin John Middle School feeds into Wootton. The principal from July 2003 to August 2015 was Michael Doran.[1] The Wootton class of 2009 was the largest class ever to graduate the school, with 664 students.[2]
Academics
In 2005, Wootton was named the 17th best high school in the United States by Newsweek. The only school from Montgomery County to beat it was Richard Montgomery High School, which placed 11th. However, the rankings have come into question because of the controversial method used to evaluate schools. "Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2004 divided by the number of graduating seniors." This method completely disregards the scores on the test, i.e., the school ranked number one could have the lowest scores on tests in the country as long as that school takes the most tests.[3][4] In addition to the usual selection of Advanced Placement and Honors-level classes and the unique College Institute program, which allows senior students to take classes through Montgomery College. Wootton also offers three signature programs: the Humanities and Arts Program, the STARS Program, and the AOIT Program.
Humanities and Arts Program
In the Humanities and Arts Program, students typically have an affinity for at least some of the following: Social Studies, English, Foreign Language, and Fine Arts. Humanities students are enrolled in separate classes in the subjects of English and Social Studies for their freshman, sophomore and junior years. These classes count for the same credits and cover the same materials as their regular counterparts, but allow for more creativity and intellectual discussion in the classroom.
In order to complete the program, students must complete five more credits than what is normally required to graduate. In addition, students must have an "Off-campus Experience". This requirement can be fulfilled by studying abroad, attending a pre-college program on a college campus, or interning in a humanities or arts subject. It encourages Humanities students to step outside their comfort zone and learn outside the classroom. Finally, students must complete a "Senior Independent Project" (SIP), which is the focus of the Humanities Program for a student's junior and senior years. The project may be in the form of an extended essay or creative project. The extended essay involves writing an argumentative research paper of 18–20 pages, while the creative project involves completing a relevant project and writing a shorter argumentative or expository essay of 8–10 pages. The SIP was introduced to the program a year after the Humanities Program was formed in 2001, and it has been a defining part of the senior-year experience. Humanities students have traditionally been closely involved in Wootton's musical and theatrical productions.
STARS Program
STARS is short for the Science Technology and Research Scholars Program at Wootton. Students in STARS are passionate about science and technology, and wish to pursue careers in these fields. Students can choose to focus on one of the following during their high school years: Global Science, Computer Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or Molecular Biology. They take challenging courses in their area of interest and participate in various extracurricular activities related to their subject. With the change of leadership in the STARS program in 2008, several major changes were made in the program's requirements.
AOIT Program
AOIT stands for Academy of Information Technology. Students that participate in this program focus on technology courses throughout their high school careers.
Notable events
- In November 2001, President George W. Bush visited Wootton HS and signed the congressional bill officially recognizing "Veterans Awareness Week" which takes place the week before Veteran's Day.[5]
- In early 2005, the Wootton cheerleading squad was caught in a scandal when pictures of cheerleaders in uniform in provocative poses made their way to pornographic sites. The story made the national media, including The Washington Post.[6]
Notable alumni
- Utkarsh Ambudkar (2001), actor in 2012 film Pitch Perfect and American tv show The Mindy Project
- Steve Coll (1976), two-time Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and former managing editor of The Washington Post
- Phil Galfond, professional poker player who won the 2008 World Series of Poker
- Timothy Hwang, CEO of FiscalNote and 32nd Student Member of the Board for Montgomery County Public Schools
- Mack Hollins, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.
- Thomas Jane, actor,The Punisher, Hung
- Chris Lu, executive director of the Obama-Biden Transition Project and White House Cabinet Secretary
- Eric Luedtke, member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Montgomery County
- Members of alternative rock group O.A.R. Chris Culos (1997), Benj Gershman (1998), Richard On (1997), and Marc Roberge (1997)
- Dick Scanlan (1977), Tony-nominated lyricist of the Broadway musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
- David M. Thomas (1976), current director of Joint Operations (N3JOD)
- Scott Weinrich, musician with bands The Obsessed and Saint Vitus
Notes
- ^ Donna St. George (August 19, 2015). "Longtime Wootton High School principal found dead in apartment". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Wooton Yearbook, 2009
- ^ "The Complete List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools". Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Best High Schools in America Archived February 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "President George W. Bush announces his Lessons of Liberty initiative at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, MD. The initiative is an opportunity for American students to learn more about our country and its values, as well as the people that have been called upon to defend its freedom. White House photo by Tina Hager". November 1, 2001. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Ylan Q. Mui (January 12, 2005). "Unplanned Appearance". The Washington Post. p. B01. Retrieved November 1, 2017.