Yorktown High School is one of three high schools located in Arlington, Virginia. There are 140 teachers and 1619 students as of 2006, 981 of which are enrolled in AP courses. It is a fully accredited high school based on Virginia's SOL examinations, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Also is ranked among the top 5 schools in the nation due to pupils GPA.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Yhslogo. ... Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia (which calls itself a commonwealth), directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. By an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned to Virginia effective in 1847 As of 2000... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Mr. ... Arlington Public Schools is a school district that serves Arlington County, Virginia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... This article is about institutionalized education. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wakefield High School is one of three high schools located in Arlington, Virginia, and is just one block away from Alexandria. ... Washington-Lee High School (or simply W-L) is one of three traditional public high schools in Arlington County, Virginia. ... Map of the National District Member Schools The AAA National District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and all of the public high schools in Arlington County. ... The Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. ... Arlington County is an urban county of about 203,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the U.S., directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. [1] Originally part of the District of Columbia, the land now comprising the county was retroceded to Virginia in a July... Advanced Placement (AP) is the term used to describe high school classes that are taught at a college level. ... Standards of Learning or (SOL) is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional accreditor for over 13,000 public and private educational institutions ranging from preschool to college level in the Southern United States. ...

Yorktown has a strong taste for student participation in artistic activities. Instrumental, choral, theatrical, and visual arts are prominent in the school's atmosphere.

Yorktown's athletes participate in the Virginia High School League and are named the Patriots. The teams wear the colors Columbia blue and white. The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ...

History

The school opened for the first time for the 1962-1963 school year. The building was originally an elementary school, which was converted into a high school to relieve crowding at Washington-Lee High School. The school was threatened with closure in 1982 due to declining enrollment, but because of strong community support, the idea was nixed. To boost the school's population, the attendance boundary between W-L and Yorktown in the northeastern portion of the county was redrawn in 1983. Portions of the Donaldson Run, Cherrydale, Woodmont, Dover Crystal, and Old Dominion neighborhoods were transferred into a larger Yorktown district. In the 90s its boundaries expanded once again to serve the communities of Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, and Halls Hill/Highview Park. Today the school has the largest student body of the county's three comprehensive high schools. Construction will begin on an entirely new Yorktown facility in 2008. The repalcement campus was designed by the internationally recogninzed architecture firm Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects. With respect to the school's progressive pedagogical underpinnings, the new facility seeks to create a flexible and sophisticated high school learning environment that will meet the needs of the community well into the 21st century. Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alumni Hall of Fame

Most of these distinguished alumni (and others) are honored in the school's "Hall of Fame and Inspiration," located in the auditorium lobby. The plaques honoring the former students were made possible through the generosity of Hubert N. "Jay" Hoffman III, YHS Class of 1962.

Katherine Anne Katie Couric (born January 7, 1957) is an American media personality who became well-known as co-host of NBCs Today. ... Tom Dolan (born September 16, 1974) is a swimmer from the United States who won a gold medal and silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Dr. Eric E. Schmidt is Chairman and CEO of Google Inc. ... David M. Brown David M. Brown (April 16, 1956 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Naval Captain, NASA astronaut and space shuttle mission specialist. ... David Charlebois (August 29, 1962 - September 11, 2001) was a pilot for American Airlines. ... Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American politician and two-term U.S. Senator from Minnesota. ...

Building Structure and Location

The school building began as a studio for a public broadcasting channel, as well as an elementary school (known as "Yorktown Elementary"). Additions have been continually added over the years, making the school much larger, but leaving many of the older sections still incorporated within the walls, often still being used as classrooms. Yorktown is placed on a small parcel of land and does not own its adjacent newly renovated athletic grounds, which instead belong to Arlington County and are known as Greenbrier Park. Construction has been completed on Greenbrier Park. Individual softball and baseball fields have been installed along with a new turf field to be used for field hockey, football, soccer, and lacrosse. A rubberized track has also been added. Greenbrier Park abuts a small playground frequented by small children and their parents.

The school was built as a three-floored square building, similar to that of Wakefield High School. The lowest level is devoted to all of the non-computer related arts and the gymnasium, with an extra wing for physics and other assorted classes. The middle level (the ground floor from the front of the school) is contains administrative offices, science classes, and various English and social studies classes. The top floor is mostly made up of language and computer classes. In the center of the building, there is a small courtyard, where the round two-floor library is located. The so-called "New Building", completed in 2004, is made up of three floors as well, with classes mixed with little concern to subject matter; however there are no science classes located in this building. This addition is only connected to the older building through the gymnasium, however the doors are only to be used during athletic events. Wakefield High School is one of three high schools located in Arlington, Virginia, and is just one block away from Alexandria. ...

Renovation

In 2003 -- thanks to the 2000 Bond Package received by Arlington -- Yorktown High School added an external wing to the school which houses the English and Mathematic departments, as well as some special ed and language classes. Access to the building can be from either the outside or through the main gymnasium between the main building and the new wing.

On May 8, 2006, the Arlington County School Board approved a preliminary design to rebuild the building. Voters approved about $25,000,000 for the project in the 2006 elections and $75,000,000 is on the ballot for next year. On February 1, 2007, the School Board unanimously approved the schematic design for the new Yorktown High School. In addition, a new building opened in September 2004 for the school and the athletic fields were recently renovated. ^[1] is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Demographics

Like many high schools in the United States, Yorktown is predominantly White.
Its demographic breakdown of the 2006-2007 school year is as follows:^[2] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

• 67.8% White
• 15.6% Hispanic
• 8.7% Asian/Pacific Islander
• 7.4% Black
• 0.1% American Indian/Alaskan Native

As of 2006-2007, 88 students receive ESL support. As of 2006-2007, 981 students attend AP courses. “Whites” redirects here. ... Hispanic flag, not widely used. ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... Pacific Islands (or Pacific Person, pl: Pacific People, also called Oceanic[s]), is a geographic term used in several places, such as New Zealand and the United States, to describe the inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Native Americans redirects here. ... Alaskan Natives are Aboriginal Americans who live in Alaska. ... See also: Language education and Second language acquisition ESL (English as a second language), ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) and EFL (English as a foreign language) all refer to the use or study of English by speakers of other languages. ... Advanced Placement (AP) is the term used to describe high school classes that are taught at a college level. ...

The vast majority of the school's students reside in the area of the county commonly called "North Arlington" which is the portion of the county north of Arlington Boulevard (US Rt. 50). The attendance area currently stretches from the high rise neighborhoods that border Washington, DC like Rosslyn, Courthouse and Clarendon in the northeastern part of the county to the more traditional neighborhoods of large single family homes in the northern and western parts of the county adjacent to the City of Falls Chuch, McLean and Upper Northwest (DC). The portion of McLean (22101) within Arlington County is under the jurisdiction of the Arlington Public Schools and its students attend Yorktown. Many of the neighborhoods in the Yorktown attendance area are also zoned to Washington-Lee High School. High school boundary changes between the two schools historically have occurred at least once every decade.

Academics

Focus

The students at Yorktown High School reflect Arlington's rich diversity. Yorktown's primary goal is to provide all students a first-rate academic education, while fostering the development of the social and emotional skills for success in life. The faculty and community commitments to this primary goal make Yorktown a challenging and unique secondary school. Over ninety percent of Yorktown graduates pursue post-secondary education; others go on to the military or join the work force after graduation. A recent Washington Post ranking of high schools placed Yorktown in the top ten most academically challenging high schools in the Washington metropolitan area. Newsweek included Yorktown in its listing of the top 25 high schools in the nation. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Education designated Yorktown a Blue Ribbon "National School of Excellence." With an emphasis on high expectations for every student, Yorktown addresses the needs of its students through a broad curriculum, a large number of special programs, and the support of a wide range of professionals and community members. Several computer labs and mini-labs throughout the building, a Yorktown television studio, and teacher technology productivity centers allow students and faculty opportunities to utilize technology for learning and instruction. Students also enrich their education with electives in foreign languages and fine arts. The high level of student involvement in these programs, and the recognition students regularly receive for their accomplishments in these areas, is a tribute to the student talent and dedication that are hallmarks of Yorktown.

– Arlington Public Schools, ^[3]

Other School Programs and Events

ROCSfest

ROCSfest is a thrice-yearly set of programs designed by Yorktown High School to help each student learn to Respect Others, the Community, and Self. The program was implemented at Yorktown in the 2003-2004 school year by a Social Studies teacher,Mr. Mike Palermo. Consisting of a series of teamwork and trust-building games, the days are not taken seriously and the number of cases of truancy on ROCs days are so high that the administration cannot call and notify all the parents of offenders. For the 2005-2006 school year, the program was split into three half-day session instead of the one full-day program of previous years to cut down on truancy by having classes on the same days as ROCSfest. Unfortunately problems persisted and in the 2006-2007 school year the program was discontinued for reevaluation purposes. For the 2004-2005 program, sportswriter and TV show co-host, Michael Wilbon, attended the event as a motivational speaker for the student body, as did retired U.S. Army General and Secretary of State, Colin Powell for the 2006 program. ROCSfest is facilitated by students from the Leadership & Diversity Training class, which is based on the Help Increase the Peace Program (HIPP), created by a Quaker group known as the American Friends Service Committee. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael R. Wilbon (born November 19, 1958) is an American sportswriter and columnist. ... General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret. ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... American Friends Service Committee logo The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affiliated organization which works for social justice, peace and reconciliation, abolition of the death penalty, and human rights, and provides humanitarian relief. ...

Yorktown High School (photo by Daniel Ryan)

Image File history File links YorktownHigh. ...

The Rock

One unique feature at Yorktown is the beloved Rock. The Rock has been at the corner of the school near the athletic fields since at least the mid 80's. It has been tagged by classes, sports teams, clubs, and people trying to raise awareness about certain issues every year. An inspection of a piece of fallen-off paint has revealed that the cumulative coats of paint on the rock is nearly one inch thick. The Rock has even been known to receive several new layers of spray paint in a night, by different groups of students. In 2002 the Rock was buried next to its normal position, presumably by hooligans from local rival Washington-Lee who dug a hole and then rolled the Rock in. It was not resurrected until over a year later. It has been suggested that Rotational bell painting be merged into this article or section. ...

Clubs and Activities

Yorktown is characterized by a large student body with most students participating heavily in several clubs and activities. Several classes also call for extensive after-school time, leaving the halls of Yorktown filled with students even after the final bell. Yorktown offers a debate team, a student newspaper (The Yorktown Sentry), an award-winning music program, and extensive theatrical activities in addition to numerous student-led clubs and sports teams. Those who cannot find a club or activity at Yorktown can usually find an activity at the Arlington Career Center by using two class periods to take a course there. If all else fails, students can work together and start their own club. This has led to the formation of clubs such as the Rock, Paper, Scissors club and the Anime Club. Rock, Paper, Scissors chart Listen to this article ( info) in media player in browser This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2006-07-13, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... “Animé” redirects here. ...

Senior Experience

To the likeness of neighboring high school, Washington-Lee, Seniors are privileged to use the final four weeks of their fourth year to involve themselves in various job experiences of interest. The student must use the hours of the school day to participate in his/her work of choice. At the end of the final week, the students gather for small group discussions to talk about the difference of school and work. All selected students for the program must complete the program in order to graduate from Yorktown High School. Washington-Lee High School (or simply W-L) is one of three traditional public high schools in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Performing Arts

• The Marching Patriots compete 3-4 times a season and consistently receive grade I and II honors, including with VBODA. During their season, they also partake in several parades including Arlington's Neighborhood Day Parade.

• All the instrumental and choral groups -- including the String Orchestra, Band, and Choir -- compete twice annually amongst other schools both at the District 12 level in the fall and on an out-of-state trip in the spring. The groups usually come home with grade I or II honors.

• Yorktown's Theatre Department performs in three different performances per year, including a fall drama production, a competitive One-Act production in the winter, and its more popular spring musical, all of which spawn award-winning performances. The spring musical competes annually amongst DC Metropolitan high schools in a formal ceremony for Cappies, awards similar to the Tonys. They also have a partnership with Arlington's Signature Theater.

The Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (more commonly known as VBODA) is an organization of high school, middle school, and elementary school band and orchestra directors within the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose mission is to help promote opportunities of music education to K-12 students. ... The Critics and Awards Program for High School Students or short form, The Cappies, is an American high school awards program intended to encourage students to become involved in the theater. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ...

Athletics

Yorktown's athletic department competes through the Virginia High School League and are called the Patriots. The teams wear the colors Carolina blue and white. The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ...

List of Teams

An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ... For the song titled Orchestra, see The Servant (band). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Pool and Stadiums

Yorktown has a public partnership with Arlington County to use the athletic facilities of Greenbrier Park for softball, baseball, and track & field events. The public is free to use the Yorktown stadium for football, soccer, and other field games.

Yorktown High School owns and manages its own swimming pool. During the week, it is used for physical education for the students of Yorktown and for students of neighboring middle and elementary schools. Other times, it is used publicly for the community at large. The community does not have a team to represent the public pool, but is represented by the Patriots' swim and dive teams. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Starting in 2002, Arlington County was to spend well over $700,000 on the installation and maintenance of new Astroturf in various athletic fields and stadiums. In 2006, Yorktown's outdoor stadium was the last of the three Arlington high schools to undergo installation. Washington-Lee High School and Wakefield High School had their fields installed in 2005 and 2004, respectively.^[4] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cifrão. ... This article is about artificial grass. ... Washington-Lee High School (or simply W-L) is one of three traditional public high schools in Arlington County, Virginia. ... Wakefield High School is one of three high schools located in Arlington, Virginia, and is just one block away from Alexandria. ...

References

1. ^ Greenbrier Park - Construction Updates (html). Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
2. ^ Find all information about Yorktown High School on the Local School Profile [1]
3. ^ Yorktown High School Brochure (html) (Last updated on Thursday July 26, 2007 at 1:22 PM). Retrieved on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:55:35 UTC.
4. ^ Arlington and Synthetic Turf Fields [2]

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Arlington County Public Schools
• Arlington Career Center
• Yorktown High School
• Yorktown High School Athletics
• Yorktown High School Alumni
• Yorktown High School Band
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