Woodrow Wilson High School (Beckley, West Virginia)

Infobox School
name=Woodrow Wilson High School
principal=Charles R. Maynard
schooltype=Public
free_label=Religious affiliation
free_text=None
founded=1925
location=Beckley, West Virginia, U.S.
enrollment=Around 1700(2008-09)
faculty=123
area=Beckley, suburban
mascot=Flying Eagles
school colors=Maroon and White color box|#800000 color box|#FFFFFF

Woodrow Wilson High School is a secondary school located in Beckley, West Virginia, (USA), teaching grades nine through twelve. In 1967, it moved from its original location to its current location at 400 Stanaford Road.

It is administered by Raleigh County Schools.

History

In 1917, Beckley High School, the first public high school in the city, opened in the facilities of the former Beckley Institute. It operated there for one year, until a new high school was built on South Kanawha Street.

The Town District Board of Education made plans for a new building. Through the proceeds from a bond issue, a new structure was built and was occupied in December 1925. It was named for former President Woodrow Wilson, who had died the previous year. When the school moved to its new site ot side of main Beckley, the former site was turned into Park Junior High School (now Park Middle School). During the first year of operation at the new site (1967-68), a record number of 2,432 students attended WWHS. [ [http://www.brccc.com/index.cfm?read=0C4383A7-FE5F-4503-9F1AE8C6A049B314 Beckley - Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce ] ]

Flying Eagle Sports

The Flying Eagles are known statewide for their outstanding basketball teams, which have made numerous state tournament appearances. The basketball team holds the record for the most state championships at 16, 8 second-place finishes, a record 12 straight state tournament appearances, and 65 sectional titles, with the most recent state championship being the 2008 West Virginia Boys' AAA title. Woodrow's football team turned many heads in the 2005-2006 season, losing only one game in the regular season and being ranked #1 in the state for a time. The soccer team consistently advances to the state tournament and, usually, the championship game, and has also been previously nationally ranked. The Lassie Dance Team also won the Tri-Atlantic Championship in 2005.The girl's sports which were underrepresented in the past have earned much presitige. Both volleyball and girl's basketball are gaining state wide recognition. Plans are to promote girl's sports more so than in the past due to complaints about Title-IX violations and threats of lawsuits by parents

The Eagle Academy

In the fall of 2006, Woodrow Wilson administrators implemented the "Eagle Academy", where the ninth grade students have a hall of their own, take a full year of English and Algebra I, and travel in established "groups" of students to most classes (excluding electives). They now have their own lunch, and wear identification badges that incorporate an ID, the student's lunch card, and their library card. Though the Academy has been met with criticism by some students, administrators maintain that it will increase grades, test scores, and decrease the large number of tardies that the ninth grade class has tended to accumulate in recent years.

Notable alumni

* Nick Rahall, United States Congressman
* Chris Sarandon, actor
* Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker ("Supersize Me")
* Tamar Slay, Pierrel Capo d'Orlando player
* Rob Ashford, Broadway choreographer/Tony Award Winner
* Steve Deri, Basketball coach
* Jon McBride, First and only West Virginian Astronaut

References

External links

* [http://wwhs.rale.k12.wv.us Woodrow Wilson High School's website]