Olympia High School (Olympia, Washington)
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| Olympia High School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | We, the Olympia High School Community, are dedicated to personal excellence and responsible citizenship. |
| Established | 1882, 1907 became William Winlock Miller |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Principal | Matt Grant |
| Students | 1850 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 1302 North St., Olympia, Washington,, USA |
| District | Olympia School District 111 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | |
| Mascot | the Bear |
| Newspaper | The Olympus |
| Website | olympia.osd.wednet.edu |
"'Olympia High School'" is ranked by the Newsweek article "Our Schools and Their Dilemma" as top 5% of all high schools nationally, due to the significant number of students taking AP Tests, as well as notable music, drama, and sports programs.
Olympia High School (OHS) opened in 1882 as additional public schooling beyond 1-8 curriculum, and graduated its first class in 1886. OHS shared a few locations with elementary schools before having its own building in 1907, when OHS became officially named William Winlock Miller School [sic], a high school. Still commonly known as Olympia High School, it's often referred to as Oly. OHS is located in the southeast part of Olympia, Washington along its border with Tumwater.
Until 1955, Oly drew students from all of Thurston County, WA, except its most southern reaches. But Oly's catchment area split in 1955 with the creation North Thurston High School, then split again in 1961 as Tumwater High School opened, then once again with the spawning of Capital High School in 1975.
The 1907 building was built on a square block donated by the widow of pioneer leader William Winlock Miller on ground immediately east of the today's sunken gardens, part of the Washington State Capitol Campus. That building burned in 1918, its Tenino sandstone was salvaged in 1920 to construct the face of the Power House on Capitol Lake, used to heat Washington's permanent capitol campus that proceeded in construction.
The next structure for W.W. Miller High School was built in 1919 between 12th and 13th Streets on Capitol Way because the state had purchased the land near the sunken garden to increase the Capitol grounds. An auditorium, gymnasium, and more classrooms were added to that building in 1926; however, any further expansion on this site was impossible. As the school's capacity needed increasing, 40 acres (160,000 m2) between Carlyon Avenue and North Street were purchased.
Today's location of OHS opened in 1961, and underwent a full renovation, completed in the summer of 2000 that enclosed the 9 separate buildings of the 1961 design. Before and after the renovation, portables were placed on campus, 10 are now there today, nine of which are in use for regular classrooms.
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[edit] Information
- 86% scored 3, 4, or 5 on AP tests
- Drop out rate: 1.47%
- Graduation Rate: 93.3%
- SAT Score Average: verbal = 560, Math = 556
- 58 Vocational Class Offerings
- Cooperative agreement with New Market Vocational Skills Center
- Alternative programs provided in the areas of: Direct Instruction in Reading and Math, Academic Contractual Learning, and Social Affective Block for students with adjustment needs.
[edit] Sports
Olympia High School is a 4A-division member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.[1]
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Cross Country, Girls | 1 | 1978 |
| Football | 1 | 1953, 1984 | |
| Golf, Boys | 1 | 1996 | |
| Swimming, Girls | 1 | 1987 | |
| Volleyball, Girls | 2 | 1998, 2011 | |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys | 2 | 1929, 1986 |
| Swimming, Boys | 3 | 1956, 1957, 1985 | |
| Spring | Golf, Girls | 1 | 1998 |
| Tennis, Boys | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1998 | |
| Track and Field, Boys | 2 | 1932, 1998 | |
| Track and Field, Girls | 1 | 2006 | |
| Total | 18 | ||
State Championships, second place:
Boys Basketball - 1987, 1998; Girls Golf - 1997; Girls Gymnastics - 1998; Girls Soccer - 1988, 1995; Boys Swimming - 1958, 1970, 1972; Girls Swimming - 1989, 1995; Boys Tennis - 1979, 1982, 1990, 2007; Girls Tennis - 1982, 1999, 2006; Girls Volleyball - 1981
[edit] Notable alumni
- General Muir S. Fairchild, '13, Vice Chief of Staff for the newly-created USAF, first Academy commander, key air war strategist in WWII, WWI Flyboy
- Eric Alexander, '86, Jazz musician
- Gerry L. Alexander, '54, Chief Justice, Washington State Supreme Court
- Floyd Brown, '80, author, speaker and media commentator
- Gretchen Christopher, '58, singer, The Fleetwoods
- Bruce P. Crandall, '51, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) (Helicopter pilot, call sign "Snake", in movie We Were Soldiers)
- Daniella Deutscher, '94, actress
- Barbara Ellis, '58, singer, The Fleetwoods
- Kathleen Hays, '70, financial reporter on the Bloomberg TV network
- Rickie Lee Jones, '72, singer–songwriter
- Douglas Massey, '70, Professor of sociology and former President (2000–01) of the American Sociological Association
- Joy Osmanski, '94, actress, television series The Loop
- Travis Shook, '86, jazz musician
- Irene Stewart, '75, Seattle School Board member
- Gary Troxel, '58, singer, The Fleetwoods
- Courtney Love, dropped out, musician, Hole (referenced in the song Rock Star)
- Bill Moos, '69 University of Oregon, and Washington state Athletic Director.
- Adam Conley, the second round pick by the MLB's Florida Marlins in the 2011 draft
[edit] References
[edit] External links
