Winston Churchill High School (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Infobox Secondary school
name = Winston Churchill High School
logo =
motto = School of Excellence
Where Excellence Soars
established = 1964
type = Public Secondary
community superintendant = Sherry Liebes
principal = Dr. Joan C. Benz
students = 2101 (2007-2008)
09th Grade: 506
10th Grade: 547
11th Grade: 534
12th Grade: 514
grades = 9–12
city = Potomac
state = Maryland
country = USA
district = Montgomery County Public Schools
campus = Suburban
colors = Kelly Green and Royal Blue
mascot = Bulldog
newspaper = [http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/churchillhs/churchill_observer/ The Churchill Observer]
website = [http://www.churchillhs.org/ http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/churchillhs/]
picture =

Winston Churchill High School, often referred to as WCHS or Churchill, is a high school in Potomac, an unincorporated section of Montgomery County, Maryland.

The school's namesake is Winston Churchill, British statesman, politician and WWII-era Prime Minister. The school was founded in 1964 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. The majority of the students come from Herbert Hoover Middle School and Cabin John Middle School. It is a 60/40 split between the two middle schools. The principal is Dr. Joan C. Benz.

Departments and programs

Churchill was in the top 100 High Schools in the United States in 2006 and 2007.Fact|date=September 2008 It has several different departments, including Alternative Education, ESSO Program, Art, the Bridge Program, Computer Science, English, Family Science, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, and Theater.

The school also has a Signature Program, which allows students the opportunity to follow one of several course paths to specialize in a particular career field. The Signature Program comprises three academies: The Academy of Math, Science, & Technology; The Academy of International Studies; and The Academy of Creative and Performing Arts. [http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/churchillhs/programs/signature/index.shtm]

Churchill was given the 2006-2007 Maryland Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence by the Maryland State Department of Education.Fact|date=September 2008

Churchill was selected as a 2007 National No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.Fact|date=September 2008

Performing Arts

Many theater productions are put on regularly, including several nights of one-act plays in which many students are able to participate. Theater classes at three levels and a television production class are taught.

In 2007, Churchill's fall production of Singin' in the Rain was nominated for 6 Cappies High School Theater Awards: Best Orchestra, Best Cameo Actor, Best Cameo Actress, Best Featured Actor, Best Lead Actor, and Best Musical, winning Best Orchestra(for the third year in a row), Best Cameo Actor, and Best Cameo Actress.Fact|date=September 2008 Only one other school received more awards.Fact|date=September 2008

Churchill is well known for its annual Blast From the Past production, in which over 200 student singers, dancers, and musicians perform a variety of popular songs from the 1950s to today, which all relate to a selected theme for each year, but continually seem to displease audiences.

David Levin and Kristofer Sanz conduct Churchill's bands and orchestras. Levin is also the conductor of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras (MCYO) Philharmonic Orchestra.

Many students form their own bands, typically of a rock variety, and the school occasionally facilitates this by sponsoring a battle of the bands or allowing band performances or even day-long concerts (such as The Merritthon, a fundraising event for Leukemia research which occurred annually from 2002 through 2004) to take place on school grounds.

Bridge Program

The mission of the Bridge Program is to meet the needs of socially vulnerable MCPS Middle and High School students who may be challenged by: Problem Solving; Abstract Thinking; Organizing and Planning; Interpreting Social Cues; Establishing Relationships with Peers; Coping with Anxiety, Changes in Routine, and Transitioning

Through the use of the Interdisciplinary Team they empower all students to reach academic and social successes within the least restrictive environment.

Further, the Bridge Program fosters emotional, social and academic growth within their students, which enables them, to the best of their abilities, to be socially well-adjusted and productive members of their communities and society.

Publications

Churchill has three publications, all of which are award-winning, including its newspaper, "The Churchill Observer"; its yearbook, "Finest Hours", and its literary magazine, "Erehwon" (Nowhere backwards).Fact|date=April 2007 Each publication is accompanied by three levels of instruction in the related publishing topics. "The Churchill Observer" is particularly successful. Another publication, "Churchill Students Speak," has gained recognition around the county for its in-depth interviews with students about life as teenagers. However, one month after being published, all issues were recalled by the Montgomery County Public Schools board for having too many opinions that were violently racist towards African-Americans and homosexuals.

Notable alumni

*Michael Hardt - philosopher
*Dhani Jones - NFL Football Player
*Rachel Nichols - ESPN reporter
*Darren Star - Television ("Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place", "Sex and the City") creator and producer
*Bruce Murray - US Soccer Player
*Don Kirkpatrick - Former guitarist for band Animotion
*Jeffrey Allan Kemp - NFL Football Player, son of Jack Kemp
*Paul Palmer - NFL Football Player (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Palmer_%28American_football%29)
*Jimmy Kemp - CFL Football Player
*Jeff Halpern - NHL Hockey Player
*{Zach Nathan] - Registered Nurse
*Marc Zell - International Attorney
*Brian Holloway- NFL Football Player
*Mike Barrowman - class of '87 1992 Olympic Gold Medal winner, 200 meter breaststroke
*Chris Ortellani - DARPA scientist who invented the first cell phone using high powered gamma radiation to transmit information from one galaxy to the next with extreme efficiency.
*Mark Henry - most survived shark attacks in a day (14)

External links

*http://www.churchillreunion.com/ 40th Class Reunion 1967-1968-1969
*http://www.ktrevents.com/ Class of 1998 10-Year Reunion
* [http://www.churchillhs.org Winston Churchill High School official site]
* [http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04602.pdf Churchill statistics from MCPS]