West Boca Raton Community High School
| West Boca Raton Community High School | |
|---|---|
| File:West Boca Raton High School Logo.jpg | |
| Address | |
 | |
12811 Glades Road , 33498 United States | |
| Coordinates | 26°21′44″N 80°14′54″W / 26.3621°N 80.2483°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, High School |
| Established | 2004[2] |
| School district | Palm Beach County School District |
| School number | 3251[1] |
| Principal | Craig Sommer |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 2277[3] |
| Average class size | 19 |
| Language | English |
| Colour(s) | Tan, White, and Navy Blue |
| Mascot | Bull |
| Team name | West Boca Bulls |
| Newspaper | The Bullseye |
| Yearbook | Bullnanza |
| Website | School's Official Website |
West Boca Raton Community High School is an accredited public high school in an unincorporated area west of Boca Raton, Florida. The school is part of the School District of Palm Beach County and is zoned for the far western area of Boca Raton, with students from any part of the Palm Beach County School District able to enroll if they are accepted into at least one academy. Its curriculum includes a set of magnet programs, or academies, available to all students who qualify. Academies offered at West Boca High include Medical Science, Information Technology, Drafting and Design, Culinary Arts, and a new Performing Arts Academy scheduled to begin in the 2016-2017 school year.
School rating
West Boca High earned an "A" rating from the State of Florida Department of Education for each of its first two school years.[citation needed] In 2006, the school was honored as one of the top fifty high-performing high schools in the state of Florida.[citation needed]
2006–2007
Despite having previously earned "A" ratings, during the 2006–2007 school year West Boca High earned a "B" from the State of Florida Department of Education.[4] http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp
2007–2008
The school received an "A" rating for the 2007–2008 school year.[5]
2008–2009
West Boca High received an "A" rating for the 2008–2009 school year. This grade was met with 64% of students getting high standards in reading, 91% in Math, 93% in Writing, and 60% in Science.[6]
Student schedule
The school follows a block schedule composed of three alternating types of days. Students go to their fifth-hour class every day and attend their even classes on "even" days, odd classes on "odd" days and each of their seven classes on "regular" days. Classes begin at 7:30 AM and end at 2:50 PM. Once every month the school has a late start day, where students arrive at 10:30 AM.
Academies
Each one of the five academy programs has received “National Model Academy” status from the National Career Academy Coalition/Association for Career and Technical Education.
The Medical Sciences Program offers programs designed to provide students with the medical skills and training to succeed in postsecondary healthcare education and/or to successfully transition into the healthcare workforce. This comprehensive program combines a very rigorous academic curriculum with intense clinical and laboratory experiences. Students have the opportunity to earn medical certifications in each program and all medical students will have one to two years of clinical experience at area hospitals and other health care facilities. WBHS offers five different program strands to select from: Allied Health Assisting, Emergency Medical Responder, Health and Wellness (Sports Medicine), Medical Lab Assisting, and Pharmacy Technician. This program gives the students a chance during their 3rd year in the academy to go on "clinicals" in which the students travel to West Boca Hospital where they observe and perform duties in the hospital which can range from taking vital signs, to assisting in births. This program has produced doctors who are currently active in their field. Not to mention, if the student decides in their 4th year to take Pharmacy, they are given the chance to become a Pharmacy Technician and hold a job.
The Culinary Arts Program provides students with the opportunity to train for a variety of careers in the interactive and high-paced food industry. Academic and technical studies are integrated, emphasizing and building proficiency in food production and cooking, cost control, nutrition and sanitation and workplace safety. Practical work experience stresses sanitation and safety,and includes quantity cooking, baking, menu development and preparation. Students in the Culinary Arts Program have the opportunity to plan and cater school events and to sell their products to the community. Throughout the year,students participate in culinary competitions. Students entering this program must have a 2.0 GPA.
Drafting & Design Academy Drafting Program The Drafting Program introduces students to the elements of residential and commercial architecture and civil engineering, using compasses, dividers, T-squares and architectural scales. Once the basics are mastered,students advance to the AutoCAD Computer Aided Design software and 3-dimensional model-making. Internship opportunities with local companies provide relevant learning experiences. Students entering this program must have a 2.0 GPA.
The Communications Technology Program helps students explore the many techniques employed in the visual technologies. In this hands-on program,students learn computer desktop publishing, and the step-by-step process of digital duplicating, screen printing, heat transfer printing, embroidery and sign production. Students have the opportunity to print informational materials and create and produce logo attire and signage for the community. Students entering this program must have a 2.0 GPA.
Information Technology Academy Four programs are available in the Academy of Information Technology to help students focus on a career field. Students entering these Programs must have a 2.5 GPA The Accounting Program teaches students the methods and principles of financial management,including the preparation and basic interpretation of financial statements. Real life work experiences take place on campus, as the students manage the business transactions of school enterprises. The Business Management Program focuses on the principles of business supervision and management, and the various forms of business ownership. Guest speakers include local entrepreneurs who discuss their business enterprises and offer practical advice. The PC Support Program enables students to build, repair and troubleshoot personal computers. The design and securing of computer network systems is also incorporated in preparation for technical certification. The Web Design Program covers HTML commands, page design and interactive web site development. Students help to maintain and advance the development of West Boca High’s web page.
There has been an announcement of a Performing Arts Academy.
Theater
The West Boca Drama Department, Thespian Troupe 6760, was established in 2003, and has grown to hold a significant place in the Boca Raton community. The department has won several State Championships, produced over 18 mainstages seen by tens of thousands, performed at hundreds of community centers, brought home dozens of Cappies and Critics Choice Awards (three times best musical), and graduated many students who have gone on to careers as professionals in the arts.
Band
The West Boca Raton HS Band, known as the “Vanguard”, is made up of 125 student musicians performing in 5 different musical ensembles. The band program features the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, and Percussion Ensemble. The “Vanguard” shines as one of the top band programs in both Palm Beach County and in all of South Florida, as all of its ensembles consistently receive Superior ratings at both the District and State levels. For more information, please visit the “Vanguard” website at http://www.wbhsvanguard.org.
The Vanguard does car washes on glades and 441 that annoy everybody and serve no purpose. Local residents have said "shut up nerds".
In the 2014-2015 school year, both the Symphonic and Wind Ensemble Bands went to States. The Symphonic band was given a 2 (Excellent) rating, and the Wind Ensemble was given a 1 (Superior) rating.
This year Vanguard was invited to play at the New Years Parade in London, England. Only 12 bands in the United States were selected. To support Vanguard, here is the website to help raise money towards the trip https://www.gofundme.com/westbocaband
Teachers
West Boca Raton High has an average of 25 students per teacher. Most faculty members have an average of 9 years experience in teaching.[7]
References
- ^ "http://www.palmbeachschools.org/PDFs/Schools%20by%20Numerical.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-03-21.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ "West Boca Raton High School". Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ "West Boca Raton Community High". Retrieved 2008-03-21.
- ^ "West Boca Raton High School Test Scores". Retrieved 2011-10-24.
- ^ "West Boca Raton High School Test Scores". Retrieved 2008-08-13.
- ^ "Search 2009 FCAT Results for Florida Schools". 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ "Student Teacher Ratio West Boca Raton High School". Retrieved 2007-09-30.