Spotsylvania High School
Spotsylvania High School is a public high school in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.[2] It serves the southern half of the county.[3] The Knights are the least densely populated of the schools in the division. SHS houses the only International Baccalaureate programme in the division, as well as being one of two sites for the Commonwealth Governor's School, both of these centers are made up of students accepted into the program who come from SHS as well as other high schools in Spotsylvania County, SHS also works in partnership with Germanna Community College to offer the Gladys P. Todd academy where students attend GCC during the day for their junior and senior years - achieving an Associates Degree along with their high school diploma upon graduation. The Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program is known as the Knight Battalion which consists of cadets from both Massaponax High School and Spotsylvania High School. The Knight Battalion as of 2008-2009 school year is an Honor Unit with Distinction. The Original Spotsylvania High School opened in 1940 and three schools hosted the name of Spotsylvania High School.
| Spotsylvania High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| |
6975 Courthouse Road Spotsylvania, VA 22551 United States | |
| Coordinates | 38°09′36.2″N 77°39′11.2″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| School district | Spotsylvania County Public Schools |
| Principal | Mr. Kelly Guempel |
| Faculty | 80.1 FTEs[1] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,152 (as of 2017-2018)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.1:1[1] |
| Color(s) | Red and Navy Blue |
| Athletics | Football, Track, Basketball, Soccer, Field Hockey, Wrestling, Girl's Soft Ball, Volleyball, Baseball, golf |
| Mascot | Knights |
| Feeder schools | Spotsylvania Middle School Post Oak Middle School |
| Theme | Building relationships to promote a positive climate and culture |
| Teacher of the year and New Teacher of the Year | Ms. Sharon Kiple (Teacher of the Year), Mrs. Tamara Ritzco (New Teacher of the Year), Mrs. Lindsay Herndon (Mentor Teacher of the Year) |
| Website | https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/Domain/36 |
| All information is subject to change as the years go by | |
As of the 2017-2018 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,152 students and 80.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.1:1. There were 371 students (33.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 92 (8.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
About the building
Spotsylvania High was the county’s first consolidated high school for students who had previously attended much smaller schools in tiny rural communities including Marye and Margo. Spotsylvania High, on Courthouse Road, was considered state of the art when it opened; when numbers of students grew, the next Spotsylvania High School was built across the street in 1967. Black students from segregated John J. Wright High School began attending Spotsylvania High when schools became fully integrated in 1968. The third and current Spotsylvania High opened in 1994.
Construction started on the school in May, 1992 and occupied in January, 1994. The cost of the project was reported to be $23.7 million. A total of 75.5 acres (306,000 m2) were developed for the school. Within the building there is 257,066 square feet (23,882.2 m2) of space. Total capacity is 1583 students in 79 classrooms. The auditorium can seat 1300, the gymnasium seats 2000, and the stadium seats 4000 people. Massaponax High School, built in 1998, was constructed from the same blueprint as Spotsylvania High School.
Administration
Mr. Kelly Guempel is the current principal of Spotsylvania High School. Assistant principals include Mr. Robert Marchetti, Mrs. Veronica Jackson, and Mr. Reitha Abed. Other administration staff include Ms. Michelle Hart, Instructional Coordinator, Mr. William Swink, Activities Director, and Ms. Rachel Bentley-Goode, School Counseling Director.[4]
Following the 2015-2016 school year, Principal Rusty Davis and Athletic Director Buddy Herndon were reassigned to different positions in the school system for unknown reasons.[5]
Advanced Placement Program and International Baccalaureate Programme
The Advanced Placement (AP) Program gives students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while still at Spotsylvania County. Upon completion of the courses, students may receive advanced placement and/or credit when entering college. Academically oriented students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Advanced Placement Program. Students take these courses at high school. Advanced Placement (AP) courses follow the suggested College Board course curriculum and serve to prepare students for the AP examinations in May. AP Courses listed below are offered based on enrollment. However, depending on how many students sign up for an AP class, depends on which course is offered. So some of the courses may not be offered because there are not enough students that sign up for it. Grades earned carry weighted credit in the GPA calculation. The International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) is a new program to SHS, with the Class of 2018 seeing its first graduates. Currently, Spotsylvania High School offers the Diploma Programme. The International Baccalaureate® (IB) offers a continuum of international education. The programmes encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development. The programme aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge – students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.
Athletics
Spotsylvania High school has won 4 State championships since their existence. The most recent State Championship is the 13-8 win in extra innings against Abingdon High school on June, 9th, 2018.
Football: 1991, 1994, 1997
Baseball: 2018
Track & Field:
-Indoor High Jump State Champion 2018- Limiah Coleman -Indoor High Jump State Champion 2019- Limiah Coleman
Band, Choir, and Orchestra
Spotsylvania High School is known for its strong fine arts department. In 2018, the school re-established itself as a Blue Ribbon School of Music, led by Mr. Brian Jacobs and Ms. Joanna Peters.
Notable faculty
- Bobby Orrock (born 1955), agriculture instructor who has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.[6]
Sexual harassment
On October 23, 2015, two Spotsylvania High School students were sexually assaulted in the locker room by other members of the football team prior to a football game.[7]
References
- School data for Spotsylvania High, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 12, 2016.
- http://www.spotsyschools.us/
- http://www.spotsyschools.us/shs/
- "Meet the Administrative Team / About the Admin Team". http. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
- LANCE-STAR, JEFF BRANSCOME THE FREE. "Spotsylvania High principal, athletic director reassigned". Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
- Branscombe, Jeff. "Del. Bobby Orrock visits President Trump at the White House", The Free Lance–Star, April 27, 2017. Accessed October 4, 2017. "Orrock, who is also a part-time agriculture teacher at Spotsylvania High School, said he received the invite from a White House staffer who worked on House Speaker Bill Howell’s GOP primary campaign two years ago."
- LANCE-STAR, KEITH EPPS/THE FREE. "Spotsylvania High football player charged in apparent hazing incident". Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
Authority control  |
|---|