Altamont School

Infobox_School
name = The Altamont School
motto = Truth, Knowledge, Honor


imagesize = 150px
established = 1975
type = Private
district =
grades = 5-12
principal = Sarah Whiteside
faculty = 54
enrollment = 425
student teacher ratio: 8:1
athletics = Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track and Field, Volleyball, Baseball, Fast Pitch Softball, Golf, and Swimming
colors = Gold, White, and Black
mascot = Knight
location = 4801 Altamont Road
Birmingham, AL 35222
information = Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website = http://www.altamontschool.org

The Altamont School, located in Birmingham, Alabama atop Red Mountain, is a college preparatory day school with coeducational enrollment of grades 5-12. In 2005-2006, The Altamont School enrolled 425 students, with 188 in the Lower School and 237 in the Upper School. Most of the students live in Birmingham and the surrounding communities. Admission is highly competitive. [ [http://altamontschool.org/admissions/ Altamont School: Admissions] ]

History

Altamont was established in 1975 as a merger between the Brooke Hill School, a college preparatory school for girls founded in 1940, and the Birmingham University School, founded in 1922 by Basil M. Parks.

Following the merger Edna Earle Mullins of Brooke Hill became headmistress of the new school and Bill Haver of B.U.S. became assistant-headmaster. One year later, Edna Mullins retired and Bill Haver became headmaster. Prominent roles were also played by Margaret Gage of Brooke Hill and Martin Hames of B.U.S.

In November 2007, long time Altamont teacher Sarah Whiteside took over as headmistress. She is the first female leader of the school since its founding in 1975. [http://altamontschool.org/aboutus/schoolprofile.asp Altamont School: Profile] ]

Campus

Altamont's main campus is located on 28 acres on the crest of Red Mountain just south of downtown Birmingham. The main school building houses 40 classrooms, two science wings, a fine arts Center, a student center, an art gallery and sculpture garden, a computer lab, a 20,000-volume library, and special studios for chorus, art, photography, orchestra. An audio-visual recording studio was recently added to the fine arts suite. The athletic facilities include two gymnasiums with two basketball courts, three volleyball courts and a weight room. The main campus offers six tennis courts, a soccer field and a track. A second campus provides another gymnasium as well as soccer, baseball, and softball fields.

tudents, faculty, and administration

Approximately 80% of Altamont graduates matriculate to out of state colleges and universities. A total of 14% of the students in the Class of 2008 were named National Merit semifinalists, the highest percentage of a school in the state. The faculty consists of 54 teachers, of whom nearly three quarters hold Masters degrees or higher. Altamont is governed by a Board of Trustees. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Athletics

Under the leadership of head coach Jim Palmer and former Olympian Phil Mulkey [ [http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mu/phil-mulkey-1.html SportsRefernce.com: Phil Mulkey] ] the girls track and cross country teams have won the state title each of the last 14 years. [ [http://altamontschool.org/studentlife/athletics_program.asp Altam,ont School: Athletics] ] Altamont boys track won the outdoor title in 2006 and the indoor in 2004 and 2005.

From 2003 through 2006 Coach Barry Bearden lead the Knights boys basketball to place first in the state for their class (at the time 2A) for over year.

Both the boys and girls soccer teams have had great success. The girls soccer team have won State Titles in 2004, 2006, and 2007. The boys team won in 2003. Both continue to compete at the top of their division (class 1A-4A). [http://altamontschool.org/studentlife/athletics_recordbook.asp Altamont School: Athletic Records] ]

Notable alumni

* William J. Cabaniss, former ambassador to the Czech Republic
* Joseph M. Farley, Commercial nuclear power pioneer, attorney, and former president of Alabama Power
* Rebecca Gilman, Evening Standard Award winning playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist
* Kate Jackson, actress
* Diane McWhorter, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
* Walker Percy, National Book Award-winning author
* Wayne Rogers, actor
* Warren St. John, reporter for "The New York Times, author of Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer"
* Margaret Tutwiler, former ambassador to Morocco and former undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. State Department
* Daniel Wallace, author of "Big Fish"

References

External links

* [http://www.altamontschool.org/home/ The Altamont School]