Washington-Lee High School

This article is about the high school in Arlington, Virginia. For the high school in Montross, Virginia, see Washington and Lee High School. For the university, see Washington and Lee University.

Washington-Lee High School
Address
1301 North Stafford Street Arlington, Virginia 22201
Information
School type	Public, high school
Founded	1925
School district	Arlington Public Schools
Principal	Gregg Robertson
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,030  (2011)
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue and Gray
Mascot	Generals
Rival schools	Wakefield High School Yorktown High School
Athletic conferences	National District Northern Region
Website	Washington-Lee High School

Washington-Lee High School (often simply called "W-L") is one of three traditional public high schools in the Arlington Public Schools district in Arlington, Virginia, covering grades 9-12. As of 2011, the school had over 2,000 students and 120 teachers. In 2010, W-L was listed at # 63 in Newsweek's listing of "America's Best High Schools," and # 3 in the state of Virginia.

From 2006-2009, Washington-Lee underwent a complete reconstruction, costing Arlington County nearly $100 million and making it one of the most expensive high school construction projects in the United States.

History

Construction on Washington-Lee began in 1924, with the school opening its doors in 1925 and graduating its first class in 1927. The architectural firm Upman & Adams designed the building in a simplified version of the Colonial Revival style. The school fronted on 13th St. N, which separated the school from its athletic field, eventually dedicated as Arlington County's War Memorial Stadium. In 1932, 41 classrooms, new offices, and another gym were added to the original building. A new wing and a large library with Palladian windows and two reading rooms were built in 1942 with WPA funds. The rifle range was also constructed in the shop area. In 1951, noted architect Rhees Burkett designed an addition that fronted on N. Quincy Street in the International Style. Along with the new Stratford Junior High School, it helped usher in a wave of contemporary commercial and school architecture that defined much of Arlington until the 1980's.

In 1975, the school board made the controversial decision to demolish the original sections of W-L and construct a new facility with an open space instructional environment. The new school opened in 1977, and a new auditorium was constructed a few years later. In 1984, with the introduction of a new "closed campus" policy for underclassmen, a cafeteria was constructed in the school's commons.

In 2009, the school underwent a complete reconstruction; none of the older buildings remain. The theater and nearby classrooms were demolished to allow for the construction of the new classroom building, which opened in January 2008. An axial orientation to War Memorial Stadium and the primary parking areas is the defining characteristic of the new school. A ten-lane regulation NCAA short course swimming pool (with optional 25 meter lanes), gym and other indoor athletic facilities, and an 800-seat auditorium opened to the public in July 2009. The demolition of the 1951 building and the construction of auxiliary athletic fields and additional landscaping was completed in December 2009.

Campus

The new four story building frames the northern end of War Memorial Stadium, referencing the orientation of the original three story 1924 building. A stepped terrace leads to the field from the school's student commons and outdoor eating areas. The school's primary corridor on the ground floor is the focal point for the more public spaces, which include the performing arts center, student commons, alumni conference room, cyber cafe, and journalism suite. It spans the distance between the commons and a primary entrance with access to a multistory parking structure and bus lanes. A public entrance is located on N Stafford St, and a separate public entrance serves the pool.

The compact massing of the new building allowed for the construction of additional athletic fields on land previously occupied by the former school. The orientation of the new school within the surrounding open space and the abundant pedestrian connections across the site that connect neighborhoods adhere to Arlington County's urban design guidelines, which follow "smart growth" planning principles. The new building was certified LEED gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) rating system, the second high school in Virginia to achieve that benchmark.

Crossed sabres logo above the bleachers at Washington-Lee, 2011

Notable alumni

• Forrest Tucker (actor), 1938
• Gena Rowlands (actress), 1947
• Shirley MacLaine (actress), 1952
• Nancy Dussault, 1953, Actress and Broadway musicals singer and dancer, ABC's Good Morning America co-anchor
• Pat Priest, Actress The Munsters, 1954
• Warren Beatty (actor), 1955
• Robert Richardson, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, 1955
• George Lee Butler, Commander in Chief, USSC, 1957
• Jake Scott, (two time Super Bowl champion w/ Miami Dolphins: Super Bowl VII and VIII), 1963
• Stan Winston (film director, visual effects supervisor), 1964
• Reggie Harrison, 1969 (two time Super Bowl champion w/ Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowls IX and X)
• Eric Sievers, 1976 (10-year NFL player, 1981–90)
• Steve Buckhantz, Play-by-play voice of the Washington Wizards
• Brian Blados, 1980 (Nine year NFL player, first round draft choice and Pro Bowler for Cincinnati Bengals)
• Carl Tanner, (World-class opera tenor), 1980
• Sandra Bullock (Academy-award winning actress), 1982
• Will Baker (Posse Scholar), 2010

Academics

Since the 1950s, W-L has received national recognition for its academic programs. W-L was the first high school in the country to exempt qualified seniors from final exams during the '58-'59 academic year. In the 1960s, Time Magazine named W-L the second best public high school in the nation. The Ladies Home Journal also grouped W-L with an elite list that included New Trier in Winnetka, IL, and the Bronx High School of Science. In 1985, W-L was named a National (Blue Ribbon) School of Excellence by the US Department of Education. The school has also received honors from the Virginia Board of Education and the Virginia Department of Education. In 2007, Newsweek Magazine ranked Washington-Lee 33rd among the nation's top high schools.

W-L offers courses required as part of a standard high school curriculum (Math, Social Science, English, Science,Physical Education). Beyond these courses, the school offers elective classes in Computer Science, Business, Art, Music, Foreign Languages, Drama, Psychology, and Tech Education. The school also runs a HILT (high-intensity language training) program for students who are not well-versed in English.

Washington-Lee is the only school in Arlington that offers both the Advanced Placement Program as well as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. 450 of its students take advantage of these advanced courses or diploma programs.

Fine arts

The school offers fine arts courses and electives. Within the music department, electives include the marching and symphonic bands, madrigals, choir, orchestra, music theory, and guitar. In 2007, the music department received the Blue Ribbon Award, the highest award given by the Virginia Music Educators Association. The school is also a blue ribbon school for 2010-2011.

Technology

There are over 500 computers at Washington-Lee connected to its local area network which provides access to educational software, administrative data bases, and the Internet. Additionally all classrooms have SMART board interactive whiteboards. The school currently has 7 computer labs, with one in its library and an additional cyber café with computers. There are also multiple mobile laptop labs and several mini labs in math, business and publications. All science classrooms are equipped with 6 or more student computer stations. Washington-Lee has a student-operated broadcasting studio which is used to produce the morning announcements to all classrooms on its closed circuit television channel. A technologically advanced distance-learning classroom in the school allows classes conducted in that room to be viewed by students in other schools and by individuals watching from their homes.

The school's CNC/digital fabrication lab has been updated to meet the latest standards in digital fabrication technology. The lab has CAD and 3d modeling software, 3d printers, a laser cutter, vacuum former, 3-axis CNC milling machine, and standard wood shop equipment. The lab provides students with interests in architecture, industrial design, and engineering a complete set of digital and analog design tools for form-making.

Demographics

The school boasts a diverse student population, representing more than 20 countries around the world. The student population is 40.9% White, 32.6% Hispanic, 13.3% Black, 12.9% Asian, and 0.1% American Indian. 140 of its students receive English as a second language, or ESL.

Sons and daughters of prominent Washington families have attended W-L, and the attendance area includes some of the region's most affluent neighborhoods. W-L also draws students from middle and low-income areas throughout Arlington, and this helps account for the socio-economic diversity of the student body.

The attendance area includes neighborhoods both suburban and urban in character. North Arlington neighborhoods: Dover Crystal, Riverwood, Woodmont, Maywood, Lyon Village, Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, Cherrydale, Ballston/Virginia Square, Waycroft-Woodlawn, Tara-Leeway Heights, Waverly Hills, Stonewall Jackson, Dominion Hills, Arlington Forest, Buckingham, Fort Myer, Bluemont. South Arlington neighborhoods: Glencarlyn, Columbia Heights West, Arlington View.

Most current W-L students matriculate from Swanson or Kenmore for grades 6-8 and Taylor, Barrett, Science Focus or McKinley for K-5. However, students in the IB Program may reside in any part of the county and can transfer from their home school.

Test scores

Washington-Lee High School is a fully accredited high school base on its performance on the Standards of Learning tests in Virginia. W-L's average SAT score in 2007 was a 1,095 (548 in Reading; 548 in Math).

Athletics

The school mascot is the "Generals." The men's crew team was started in 1949 and the women's crew team in 1975. The crew teams have won 31 SRA (Scholastic Rowing Association) National Championships (Men's Varsity 8). W-L boats in other events have also won at both Nationals and Stotesbury. Washington-Lee Crew has competed seven times at Henley, winning it twice. The crew team has also produced four national team members, and three Olympians. The crew team rows from the Potomac Boat Club boathouse in Georgetown along the Potomac River. The 1960 football team won the Virginia State Championship under the coaching of head coach John Youngblood and assistants Sal DiGeorgi, Roger Coggins and Clarence Dryer. The team, dubbed The Untouchables by the local press because they were unscored upon for the first half of the season, had few stars but a solid and tenacious body of players.

A Washington-Lee senior, Chris Tyson, recently achieved the state championship in the 1000m run in 2007.

All other athletic teams, as well as many scholastic competitions, compete through the Virginia High School League.

List of Teams

Boys Athletics: Cross Country Golf Football Rifle Team Basketball Wrestling Track and Field Ice hockey Swim & Dive Soccer Lacrosse Baseball Tennis Crew

Girls Athletics: Drill Team Cross Country Cheerleading Volleyball Field Hockey Rifle Team Gymnastics Basketball Track and Field Swim & Dive Soccer Lacrosse Softball Tennis Crew