Valley High School (West Des Moines, Iowa): Difference between revisions
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==Safe Schools== |
==Safe Schools== |
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Valley, and the West Des Moines Community School District, are known for having and working toward a more open and accepting environment for people from all walks of life. Governor Chet Culver, the Governor of Iowa signed trailblazing legislation |
Valley, and the West Des Moines Community School District, are known for having and working toward a more open and accepting environment for people from all walks of life. Governor Chet Culver, the Governor of Iowa signed trailblazing legislation in 2008 at Valley that required all school districts to update their harassment policies, including gender identity, a classification which is frequently ignored across the country and across the world. <ref>[http://www.nctequality.org/Newsletter/2007/junenews07.html National Center for Transgender Equality: Home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Beyond legislation, Valley and its district is active in enforcing their own policies and improving the climate for all students, best illustrated when Superintendent Doctor Tom Narak was the first recipient of the Kathy Collins Reilly “Courage in Education Award” which recognizes educators for courage and work for student equality. <ref>[http://www.iowasafeschools.org/eventgovernorconf.htm News from Iowa Schools Task Force<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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== Construction == |
== Construction == |
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Revision as of 10:01, 14 June 2009
| Valley High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| School district | West Des Moines Community Schools |
| Principal | Dr. Vicky Poole |
| Faculty | 127.7 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Enrollment | 1,900 (as of 2007-08)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.3[1] |
| Color(s) | Orange and Black |
| Nickname | Tigers |
| Information | 515-867-5309 |
| Website | www.wdm.k12.ia.us/valley |
Valley High School is a three-year public high school in West Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The school hosts grades 10-12. It is run by the West Des Moines Community School District. Freshmen attend a separate school, Valley Southwoods.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1884 students and 122 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 15.4.[1]
The 4 A's
At Valley High School, students are encouraged to be involved in a variety of ways. The administration has defined the four following areas: Academics, Athletics, Arts and Activities.
Academics
Valley offers almost 190 academic courses, including 14 Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses. Valley also has recently started an Honors Program, which is meant to be comparable to the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program. This program allows for highly motivated and advanced students to take college-level courses sooner than normal. Valley also is working on a "designated scholars" program, which will allow students to specialize in one specific area of academics, such as math.
Athletics
Valley High is well known throughout Iowa for its strong athletics. The school has been honored as the top school for 4A athletics in Iowa by the Des Moines Register in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Valley is the largest high school in the state of Iowa. In the 1990s the West Des Moines School District considered splitting Valley into two high schools, but the proposal failed because of the desire to maintain an advantage in athletics. The Valley High School football team won the Iowa State 4A Championships in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2008. They've been to the semifinal game 9 times in the last 10 years. They went to the State Championship Finals from 2002-2005 The Valley High School Baseball team won the 4A state title four years in a row (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).
The Valley High School Girls Swimming and Diving team won the state title four years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).
The Valley High School Girls won the 4A State Track and Field Meet in 2005.
Valley's Athletic Director, Steve Duncan, was named the National High School Athletic Director of the year in 2006. [citation needed].
The Valley High School Boys Soccer club won the state title 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006.
Arts
The Arts, both performing, aural, and visual, reflect the soul of Valley's strong tradition of success. The study of Art History, Art Criticism, Art Production, Satanism, and Aesthetics guides the curriculum in the Visual Arts Department.
The Valley Music Department was honored with the first GRAMMY Signature School award in 1999. [2] [3] [4] The 240-member Valley Marchmasters were selected to perform in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade. [3] In March of 2007, the band traveled to Dublin, Ireland to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
In addition to the strong band program, Valley's orchestra has completed concert tours in Austria and Italy. The director of the orchestra is Phil Peters, who also teaches AP Music Theory and plays double bass in the Des Moines Symphony. In June 2007, the orchestra traveled to New York City, New York to play at Carnegie Hall as part of NYBOF'07. [5]
The school's Choir Department is headed by Linda Vanderpool. The show choir, jazz and core ensembles have performed in several national and international festivals from Carnegie Hall to Disney World. receiving awards at many tournaments. [6] The varsity show choir (Choralation) attended FAME Hawaii in March 2008. A new Junior Varsity show choir (Ignition) debuted at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year; both choirs are conducted by Dina Else.
Drama participants, directed by Drama and Speech teacher, Stacy Hansen, have been selected as Iowa High School Speech Association All-State performers and have received the All-State Sweepstakes Trophy, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award. [3] The Drama Department is defending the All-State Sweepstakes trophy for the fourth year in a row.
The school newspaper is the Spotlight, a member of the High School National Ad Network. In the early 1980s, the Spotlight was named the best high school newspaper in the United States, earning a Pacemaker Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Additionally, many of the student journalists who worked on the Spotlight have received awards and other recognition from sources such as the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Los Angeles Times / National Scholastic Press Association, the Quill and Scroll, and the Journalism Education Association.
The school also has a radio station, KWDM which broadcasts from 6am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. It is one of only two high school radio programs in Iowa and the only high school program in the state to have a fully digital production and on-air studio. [7]
Current Valley principal Vicky Poole was named Principal of the Year (2006) by the American News Teachers Association.[citation needed]
Activities
The school has announced plans to achieve 37% student involvement in some kind of activity. This program is meant to encourage all students to be more involved in their school through athletics, the arts, or some form of extracurricular activity. The administration believes (and numerous research studies have backed up this claim) that students who are involved more in their school through extracurricular activities succeed more in curricular exploits, do better in secondary education or post education endeavors, and are more invested in their school.
Valley's extracurricular program is among the best in the nation, for example, Valley High School won the 2006 National High School Mock Trial Championship, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[8]
Valley Southwoods
In 1995, the West Des Moines school board voted to create Valley Southwoods, a school built specifically to house the 9th grade. Valley Southwoods was completed in the summer of 1996. Many members of the community question why the old school was not turned into the 9th grade only school, and have the new school turned into 10th-12th. [citation needed] The principal is Mr. Kent Abrahamson, and Southwoods is one of only two all 9th grade schools in the nation. [citation needed]
Safe Schools
Valley, and the West Des Moines Community School District, are known for having and working toward a more open and accepting environment for people from all walks of life. Governor Chet Culver, the Governor of Iowa signed trailblazing legislation in 2008 at Valley that required all school districts to update their harassment policies, including gender identity, a classification which is frequently ignored across the country and across the world. [9] Beyond legislation, Valley and its district is active in enforcing their own policies and improving the climate for all students, best illustrated when Superintendent Doctor Tom Narak was the first recipient of the Kathy Collins Reilly “Courage in Education Award” which recognizes educators for courage and work for student equality. [10]
Construction
Construction at Valley was completed in 2008. Construction included demolishing the former east wing which housed language arts and social studies classrooms, expanding the parking lot, and building a new two-story southwest wing that houses the social studies, language arts, and visual arts departments. The school's media center was also demolished as a part of the former east wing and is now at the center of the school, along with the rebuilt administrative offices and counseling offices.
Notable alumni
- Matt Bullard (born 1967), retired NBA player and NBA champion 1993-94.[11]
- Jared Clauss (born 1981), professional football player.[12]
- Justin Hartwig (born 1978), center for the Pittsburgh Steelers.[13]
- Peter Hedges (born 1962), film director.[14]
- Dana Jacobson (born 1971), ESPN anchorwoman.
- Shawn Johnson (born 1992), artistic gymnast and Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist. She currently attends Valley High School.[15]
- Joey Jordison (born 1975), Slipknot's drummer, guitar player in Murderdolls.
- Kyle Okposo (born 1988), professional hockey player.
- Sid Wilson (born 1978), turntablist of Slipknot.
- Carl Pohlad (1915–2009), owner of Minnesota Twins.
- Karlos Kirby U.S. Olympic Bobsledder
References
- ^ a b c d Valley High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 15, 2008.
- ^ House Journal: Page 1440: Monday, April 19, 1999, Iowa House of Representatives. Accessed October 31, 2007. "1999\732 Valley High School Music Department, West Des Moines - For being selected as the National GRAMMY Signature School."
- ^ a b c Valley Arts Home
- ^ Valley Arts: Band
- ^ Valley Arts: Orchestra
- ^ Valley Arts: Vocal Music
- ^ Valley Activities: KWDM
- ^ Participant History & Past National Winners, National High School Mock Trial Championship. Accessed July 1, 2007.
- ^ National Center for Transgender Equality: Home
- ^ News from Iowa Schools Task Force
- ^ Araton, Harvey. "ON PRO BASKETBALL; Pairing a Gray Fedora With a 3-Point Jumper", The New York Times, June 14, 1994. Accessed October 31, 2007. "That was when his son was a star at Valley High School in West Des Moines, long before the younger Bullard came to grips with his journalist's genealogy."
- ^ Jared Clauss profile, Tennessee Titans. Accessed August 15, 2008. "Clauss and former Titans starting center Justin Hartwig are both products of Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa."
- ^ "Player Spotlight: Justin Hartwig, Tennessee Titans", NFLHS.com. Accessed August 15, 2008. "Following an all-conference and second-team all-state career at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, Hartwig was a three-year starter at right tackle for the Kansas Jayhawks."
- ^ Burns, Douglas. "'Dan In Real Life' Directed By Iowa Native Peter Hedges", Iowa Independent, October 24, 2007. Accessed October 31, 2007. "After graduating from Valley High School in 1980 and then the North Carolina School for the Arts in Winston-Salem, Hedges moved to New York City, now his home."
- ^ Stockdale, Nancy. "Silver lining: Shawn Johnson edged by teammate Liukin", Des Moines Register, August 14, 2008. Accessed August 15, 2008. "Johnson, 16, a junior at Valley High School in West Des Moines, has been the most consistent American gymnast since winning the junior national title in 2006 in St. Paul, Minn."