Atlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School | |
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Address | |
2455 West Atlantic Avenue South Florida Delray Beach, Florida 33445 United States | |
Coordinates | 26°27′32″N 80°05′56″W / 26.458853°N 80.0989°WCoordinates: 26°27′32″N 80°05′56″W / 26.458853°N 80.0989°W |
Information | |
School type | Public, High School |
Established | 1949 |
School district | Palm Beach County School District |
Principal | Mrs. Tara Ocampo |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 2370 |
Number of students | 2,155 |
Language | English, Creole, Spanish |
Campus | Suburban |
School colour(s) | Green and White |
Mascot | Eagle |
Nickname | Atlantic , ATL |
Rival | Boca Raton Community High School |
Newspaper | The Squall |
Yearbook | Nautilus |
Magnet Programs |
International Baccalaureate |
Club Directory | School's Club Directory |
Website | School's Official Website |
Atlantic Community High School (also known as Atlantic and ATL) is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for its academics, many students attend due to the school's International Baccalaureate program and its ranking as a top-rated school for many years. In the 2010 Newsweek ranking of America's best high schools, Atlantic High ranked 89th.[1] In 2005, the school moved to its current location and added a freshman academy and a construction-oriented magnet program.
History
Atlantic Community High School, originally named Seacrest High School, was built in 1949 as a racially segregated school for white students in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida. African-American students living in the area attended Carver High School, which later became Carver Middle School and is now the Delray Beach Full Service Center. In 1971, the school began the process of desegregation and changed its name to Atlantic High School. The school adopted the colors of Seacrest High School (Green and White) and the mascot of Carver High School (the eagle). It kept Seacrest High's old location along Seacrest Boulevard. In 1989, the school became an International Baccalaureate World School. In 2005, the school moved to its current location on Atlantic Avenue. In 2011, Kathleen Weigel was promoted from principal of the school to the new district position of Assistant Superintendent of Professional Growth. Weigel, who was principal for more than 10 years was replaced by Bear Lakes Middle School principal Anthony Lockhart.[2]
Student demographics
According to the school's website, 2570 students are enrolled in Atlantic Community High School.[3] In 2009, its student body was 77% African-American, 8% white, 7% Hispanic, 6% Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and 1% multiracial, and less than 1% Native American.
Academics and magnet programs
School ratings
The school is rated annually by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.[4]
Year | School Grade |
---|---|
1999 | C |
2000 | C |
2001 | C |
2002 | C |
2003 | B |
2004 | B |
2005 | B |
2006 | B |
2007 | C |
2008 | C |
2009 | B |
2010 | B |
2011 | A |
2012 | A |
2013 | A |
2014 | A |
2015 | A |
2016 | A [5] |
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International Baccalaureate
Atlantic is home to one of the five International Baccalaureate (also known as IB) high school programs of Palm Beach County (the others being Forest Hill Community High School, Pahokee High School, Suncoast High School, and William T. Dwyer High School) and caters to students living in the southern parts of the district.[6]
Construction Academy
Atlantic's construction academy was added to the school beginning in fall 2005. The students of the academy designed and built a house called the "Eagle's Nest" (after the school mascot) for charity in collaboration with the city of Delray Beach. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project kick-off was held in December 2005. It is a three bedroom, two bath house, 1,500 square feet (140 m2).[7]
On October 25, 2010, the Construction Academy broke ground on a new house called "Eagle's Nest 2". The house is to be a "green" house and the design incorporates aspects of a green building, using green construction material design principles. It too is being done in collaboration with the city of Delray Beach.[8]
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Atlantic participates in the 8A athletic division of the FHSAA. The school fields teams in 43 sports including football, basketball, baseball, swimming, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, volleyball, cross country, track and field, weightlifting, and flag football among others. The Atlantic Boys' Baseball Team won the 13-7A District Championship against Dwyer on April 24, 2014. The Atlantic Boys' soccer team made it into the 4A state final four in the 2013-14 season. In 2015, Atlantic added a lacrosse team, both Boys and Girls. They ended up playing their inaugural season that year. In the 2015-16 season, the undefeated Eagles football team won the 10-8A District Championship against the undefeated Boca Raton Bobcats on October 30, 2015 in a rivalry matchup.
JROTC
Atlantic is home to the Eagle Battalion of the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Band
The Atlantic War Eagle Marching Band has performed around the United States, marching in the Fiesta Bowl Parade in 1997 in Tempe Arizona, including at halftime of the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana), the 2000 Aloha Festival Parade (Waikiki, Hawaii), the 2005 New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade, the 2007 Saint Patrick's Day parade in Savannah, Georgia,, April 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Festival Competition, and the 2011 New York Saint Patrick's day parade.
Clubs
Atlantic supports a wide variety of clubs, including Mu Alpha Theta, Academic Games, ACE, French National Honors Society, Black Student Union, Literary Club, Art Club, International Culture Club, Science Club / Science Olympiad, Blood Drive, People for Animal Welfare (PAW), Jewish Forum, Model UN, We the People, Robotics Club, Drama Club, Key Club, and chapters of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society.[9]
Incidents
On Thursday, March 17, 2016 during a pep rally; a fire breathing performer caught fire in the school's gymnasium. During the event the performer known as Inferno accidentally set fire to his face and clothing after a mishap with the oil used to blow fire. He was flown to a hospital, and several students were also treated on site or taken to the hospital after inhaling fire extinguisher fumes, experiencing anxiety, and fainting.
Notable alumni
- Ricardo Jordan, Former MLB player (Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds)
- Rick Rhoden, Former MLB player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Houston Astros)
- Mike Rumph, former cornerback for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. Currently the cornerbacks coach for the Miami Hurricanes Football team
- Omar Jacobs, fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2006 NFL Draft, and former quarterback for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe.
- David Clowney, wide receiver played one year for the Carolina Panthers and four years for the New York Jets. Finished his career with only 22 catches in the National Football League.[10]
- Brandon Flowers, defensive back played for the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League currently a free agent.[11]
- Bobby Butler after playing at Florida State went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons throughout the eighties and early nineties.
- Courtney Robinson signed by the Philadelphia Eagles after being undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft on April 27, 2009.[2] He was waived on August 4.
- Jayron Hosley, a cornerback played four years with the New York Giants currently a free agent.
- Orlando Franklin, right tackle for the San Diego Chargers started career with the Denver Broncos.
- Preston Parker, Wide receiver played for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants currently a free agent.
References
- ↑ http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas-best-high-schools/list.html
- ↑ Freeman, Marc (18 July 2011). "Leadership changes under way within Palm Beach County School District". Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-08-15. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ↑ http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/xls/1314/SGbasic_2014.xls
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
- ↑ Atlantic Community High School Archived May 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. official web site, retrieved 2008-04-22
- ↑ http://news.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/pao/tag/atlantic-high-school-construction-academy/
- ↑ http://www.atlanticcommunityhighschool.com/clubs.html
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ↑ http://www.chargers.com/team/roster/Brandon-Flowers/526230f3-b29f-4a54-bceb-73745465e115/