Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), is a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 public magnet
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...

 high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 specializing in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

, technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

, and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

. The school was established in 1978 at its current location in Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...

 and is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools
The Prince George's County Public Schools system is a large school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education...

 system. It was the first high school named for former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt was the county's first academic specialized high school for science and technology from its founding until 1982. The program has since expanded to two other centers, located at Charles Herbert Flowers High School
Charles Herbert Flowers High School
Charles Herbert Flowers High School is located in Springdale of Prince George's County, Maryland. United States. The principal is Ms. Helena Nobles-Jones.Flowers High School's motto is "Mecca of Excellence."-History:...

, which serves the central region, and Oxon Hill High School
Oxon Hill High School
Oxon Hill High School is a public senior high school located in Oxon Hill, an unincorporated area in Prince George's County, Maryland, and a suburb of Washington, D.C...

, which serves the southern region. Roosevelt serves the northern region of the county. Each school is a four-year comprehensive high school with the Science and Technology Center serving as an alternative/specialized program. The Science and Tech program is not officially considered a "true" magnet program, as its purpose wasn't intended to serve in the way that a traditional magnet does. The program is the only one within in the system for which admission is through competitive examination only.

Roosevelt has an enrollment of 2,764 students (as of the 2008–2009 school year) in grades 9 through 12. Roosevelt reached an all-time enrollment high of approximately 3,200 students around the turn of the century due to its popular magnet program and Prince George's County's significant population increase. The enrollment has dropped slightly due to school boundary realignment throughout the county and the opening of the Flowers High School center.

Roosevelt has received numerous awards throughout its 34-year history including being twice awarded National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence; a New American High School; a National School of Character; and receiving the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. Roosevelt was named #382 on America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools list for 2009, by Newsweek Magazine and was also recognized as a Silver Medal School by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

, in 2008.

Several prominent figures have attended Eleanor Roosevelt, including Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....

, one of the two founders of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

, R&B singers Mýa and Kenny Lattimore
Kenny Lattimore
Kenny Lattimore is an American R&B singer. Among his most popular hits were "Never Too Busy" and "For You".- Early career :...

, as well as television personalities Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian
Gabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...

 and Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...

; including numerous sports personalities in American basketball and football.

Academics

Roosevelt is best known for its specialized Science and Technology (S/T) program, which has been in place since the school was first opened. Roosevelt is the S/T center for the northern part of Prince George's County, and admission is based on a competitive exam. Roosevelt is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology is an alliance of specialized high schools in the United States whose focus is advanced preparatory studies in mathematics, science and technology....

 (NCSSSMST).

Roosevelt is the first of three specialized science and technology centers located in the Prince George's County Public Schools system. STP is an active member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics
, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). The magnet operates as a "School-Within-A-School", which essentially means it's a separate school within another school, and only a portion of the students who attend the school are actually enrolled in the magnet program. The Science and Technology Center is a highly-competitive selective enrollment program, and students are admitted into the magnet through pre-admission testing, as well as a combination of grades earned in four subjects areas during seventh grade and the first quarter of eighth grade. The comprehensive program at ERHS is further divided into several smaller schools, or Career Academies, as part of the smaller learning communities
Small Learning Community
A Small Learning Community , also referred to as a School-Within-A-School, is a form of school structure that is increasingly common in secondary schools to subdivide large school populations into smaller, autonomous groups of students and teachers....

initiative. Roosevelt was the first high school within the county to feature and successfully implement academy programs, and the strategy has since been expanded and implemented at several other area high schools.

ERHS has classes ranging from Japanese, child development, and television production to bio-organic chemistry, calculus, and a variety of technology courses. Roosevelt has eight different foreign language courses each with multiple levels of difficulty. Other programs include the QUEST/AOIT
Academy of Information Technology
The Academy of Information Technology is one of the three major programs sponsored by the National Academy Foundation which provides students with knowledge of technology and its ever expanding universe. It was formed in 2000, with the first graduating class being the class of 2004, and was the...

 program and the Gilder-Lehrman American History Program.

ERHS also offers several AP (advanced placement) courses which are open to all students. These courses include calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, U.S. history, world history, government, English literature and language, psychology, Latin, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish, and many more. In the 2005-2006, there was an enrollment of 1,585 in AP classes.

The QUEST/AOIT Program

Quality Education in Science and Technology (QUEST) and the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) program, began in 1991 with a target population of 50 sixth-grade African American males. The program currently serves more than 400 students in grades 7-12. Admission to the QUEST/AOIT Program is highly competitive. More than 250 students apply for 64 seats. Ninth grade students must complete a rigorous two-week summer program to be admitted into the program. A major objective of the program is to provide under-represented groups who have not gained admission into the Science and Technology Center at Eleanor Roosevelt an opportunity to
be successful in a rigorous math and science curriculum.

The QUEST/AOIT program is a highly structured four-year academic program. Of twenty-eight possible credits, a student is required to obtain a minimum of 12 credits in specific mathematics, pre-engineering, technology, science, and research courses. In grades nine and ten, the program consists of common experience courses for all students. In grades eleven and twelve, each student selects course work from one of four focus areas. Students are expected to be enrolled in a full schedule of seven classes per day during the entire four-year program. External experiences are possible and encouraged, but must be a direct extension of, or enrichment of, the QUEST/AOIT Program. Seniors must complete a research project. Since the first QUEST/AOIT class of 1997, one hundred percent of the students who completed the QUEST/AOIT program entered a four-year school of higher education.

The program was expanded to include females and other minorities. QUEST consists of a two-week summer program, fall and spring classroom activities, and tutoring during the school year. The major focus of the program is in two phases.
  • to foster interest in science through hands-on laboratory experiences;
  • enhance students' math skills;
  • monitor academic progress of participants throughout the year;
  • provide rigorous instruction in science and math.

The program receives more than 600 applications from elementary and middle school students each year to participate in the summer program. There are presently 225 students participating in the summer program. Of that number, more than 160 middle school students participate in the fall and spring sessions. The summer program is a major component of the QUEST program. The overall objectives of the program are to:
  • provide academic support;
  • increase critical thinking skills in English, math, science and engineering;
  • get students excited about Science and Technology through a hands-on approach;
  • assist students and parents with future educational planning;
  • discuss the perceptions of minorities outside of Roosevelt who may feel that a career in Science and Technology is unobtainable;
  • monitor academic progress;
  • increase the number of minorities who take the S/T entrance exam.

The program focuses on computer technology, as suggested by its name, Academy of Information Technology. In 1999, Eleanor Roosevelt High School was one of twelve high schools selected nationwide to pilot this type of academy. The goal of this curriculum offered in grades 9-12, is to give students a broad perspective on technology and its applications, recognizing that students will use technology in various disciplines during college and in their careers. Currently, there are more than 230 students in the Academy of Information Technology. The graduating class of 2005 had mean grade point average of 3.3 and a mean SAT score of 1140. Several of the students entered college in the fall of 2005 on full scholarships.

Athletics

The basketball teams are perennial county contenders, with the boys team winning the 4A South Region Title in 3 of the past 5 years. They last won the 4A State Championship in 2002. The program has produced former NBA player Eddie Basden, current NBA player Delonte West, and current University of Kentucky player Darnell Dodson. The girls basketball team has dominated county play in recent years. They won five straight 4A State Championships from 2005–2009 and have sent players to various Division I programs including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Dayton, George Washington, and Duquense. Every player in the starting lineup for the 2008-2009 team earned some type of basketball scholarship.

The football team is also a regional powerhouse, year in and year out they are a contender in the very competitive 4A South league. The team has won one state title and in 2004 produced the number one recruit in the nation, Derrick Williams who played at Penn State. The program has sent players to schools such as Illinois, Buffalo, Boston College, Maryland, and Florida.

In 2007 the Girls Track team broke through at the Penn Relays winning two Penn Relay Championship of America events and they followed that up with another win in 2008. The Girls Outdoor Track team won the State Championship in 1978, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007-2009. The Raiders hold 6 of the top 10 fastest 4X100 M times in State Meet history, 5 of the top 10 4X200 M times, 4 of the top 10 4X400 M times, and 5 of the top 10 4X800 M times.
The cross country teams have also been very consistent with the girls team winning three straight state championships from 2004–2006, with a close second place finish in 2007. In 2007, they went on to Nationals and became 8th best in the country. The Girls Indoor track team has won a state record 20 State Championships.
The boys track team has also been successful having won 7 Indoor State Titles and 5 Outdoor State Titles, most recently in 2008.
The track teams have produced athletes such as Takecia Jameson(Miami), Tameka Jameson(Miami), Amirah Johnson(Tennessee), Afia Charles(UCF), Doris Anyanwu(PSU), Marika Walker(NC St.), Tasha Stanley(UNC), Bever Leigh-Holloway(Ohio St.), Brian Fahrety(UMD), Denny Long(FIU), Kelly Thibou(Del. St.), and Jermaine Lewis(UMD).

The boys lacrosse team is a Club Team currently (2010–2011) composed of players from surrounding public county high schools. As Lacrosse is not a sport currently offered at all of the high schools in Prince George's County, MD the team competes against area schools in the MILL (Maryland Independent Lacrosse League). In 2009, the total number of county high schools with Lacrosse programs including public and private was up to nine.

The girls swimming team won the state title in the second year of the title's existence in 2008 and they were runner-ups the previous year.

The golf team is perenially one of the best in the county. In 2007 Caroline Sweet won the Girls State title.

The tennis team is also typically one of the best in the county. In 2007 Katelyn Stokes won the Girls Singles State Title as a freshman. She was upset her sophomore year but went on to win again in 2009 and 2010.

The wrestling team is a consistent contender in the county winning the past 4 county titles. They are under the tutelage of longtime coach Mike McRae, the Raiders highest placed finish in the State Tournament was in 1989 when they finished 4th.

The girls soccer team has a fierce rivalry with the Bowie Bulldogs. The Raiders won three region titles in a row from 2005-2007. The Raiders won the lone State Championship by a County team in 2003 on a header by Erin Casey off of a Katie Greenwood corner kick. The Raiders saw their State Title hopes fall just short in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 they lost a State Semi Final Game to C.M. Wright on penalty kicks and in 2006 they lost a State Semi Final Game to Quince Orchard. This was a game that they thouroughly dominated, hitting the crossbar or post at least five times and conceding a goal on a miscommunication in the 2nd OT period. The 2007 Region Final Game against Bowie was one of the most thrilling ever in the series with the Raiders erasing a goal deficit in the final 20 minutes of play.

The baseball program is headed by alumnus Andrew Capece, under Capece the Raiders made it to the state semifinals numerous times only to be thwarted each and every time until they broke through in 2007. In the State semifinal game they beat the Quince Orchard Cougars behind a strong offensive outburst and solid pitching from Sean Swetnam. In the state final Swetnam pitched a gem and they defeated Sherwood 8-1, finally bringing coach Andrew Capece the illusive state title. They continued their success in 2008 by once again reaching the state semi-finals, but Angel Martinez was the hard luck loser in a 7-5 loss to eventual State Champion Sherwood. Overall since 2006 the Raiders have won all but 2 4A South Region title.

School/Class Colors

The school colors are Columbia blue and white. Each class is assigned one of four colors during their freshmen year. In order, these are purple, green, orange, and yellow. When a class graduates, their color is transferred to the incoming freshmen. For example, 2011 is orange, 2012 is yellow, 2013 is purple, 2014 is green, and so on. There is both a fall and spring spirit week which ends with the Homecoming and Spring Fling Dances. Both spirit weeks have Crazy Day on Wednesday, Theme Day on Thursday, and Class Color Day on Friday. Monday and Tuesday change each time around. There is an overarching theme for the spirit week which then fits into Theme Day. For example, in the spring of 2008 the theme was Musicals, the freshman had Hairspray, the Sophomores had Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, the juniors had The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...

, and the seniors had Grease
Grease
Grease may refer to:* Grease , a type of industrial lubricant* Yellow grease, in rendering, used frying oils, or lower-quality grades of tallow...

. In the fall there is a Pep Rally and in the spring there is Class Night, which is similar to Pep Rally but is a contest between the classes. Two of the key factors in determining the winner of Class Night are the girl's powder puff football games and the boy's powderpuff performances. The boy's performances consist of various forms of dancing, acting, and stepping. From 2005-2008 the Class of 2008 won an unprecedented 4 straight boy's powder puff titles. Some of the members of this team were: Andrew Felter, Adeboyega Akinsiku, Kyle Flynn, Kamal Knight, Brian Gibbs, Phil Geter, Orsam Ahmed, Jeremy Bowers, Kester Wilkening, Henry Ofori, and Robert Davis.

Accolades & Achievements

Roosevelt has received numerous prestigious academic awards throughout its thirty-four year history. The school is a rare two-time awarded National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for 1991 and 1998; a 1991 and 1998 Maryland Blue Ribbon School; a 1999 New American High School; a recipient of the 2002–2003 national Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement; and was named a 2002 National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership
Character Education Partnership
The ' is an advocacy group for character education based in Washington, D.C. It is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, coalition of organizations and individuals committed to fostering effective character education in our nation's K-12 schools." CEP's mission is "Leading the nation in helping...

. Eleanor Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most academically challenging high schools in the nation, and for years has consistently ranked as the highest performing school in Prince George's County, averaging the highest combined SAT score in the county of 1570 out of 2400. Roosevelt also has more students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses---with more students receiving a passing score of three or higher---than any other high school in the county. Roosevelt was recently named #382 on America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools list for 2009, by Newsweek Magazine and was also recognized as a Silver Medal School by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

, in 2008.

Notable Students and Alumni

  • Sergey Brin
    Sergey Brin
    Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....

     (1990), Co-founder and President of Technology of Google
    Google
    Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

  • Chris Adler
    Chris Adler (actor)
    Chris Adler is an American film actor and writer.-Biography:Chris Adler has worked in the television and film industry since the mid 1980s. He was in born in Cheverly, Maryland, in the Washington D.C...

     (1993), American film actor
  • Derrick Burgess
    Derrick Burgess
    Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi....

     (1996), professional football athlete
  • Daniel Cates
    Daniel Cates
    Daniel Cates as known as jungleman12 or w00ki3z is a professional poker player from the USA who is widely considered the best heads-up No Limit Texas Hold 'em player in the world. His online cash game earnings at Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars are almost $7m...

     (2007), Professional poker player
  • Gabrielle Christian
    Gabrielle Christian
    Gabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and its musical prequel film Girltrash!: All Night Long...

     (2002), American film and television actress
  • Rob Davis (1986), professional football athlete
  • Jared Gaither
    Jared Gaither
    Jared Gaither is an American football offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft...

     (2004), professional football athlete
  • Myla Goldberg
    Myla Goldberg
    Myla Goldberg is an American novelist and musician.-Biography:Goldberg was born into a Jewish family. She was raised in Laurel, Maryland, and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School. She majored in English at Oberlin College, graduating in 1993...

     (1989), American author (Bee Season
    Bee Season
    Bee Season is a 2000 novel by Myla Goldberg. It follows a young girl as she attempts to win the national spelling bee, and the repercussions of her success on the other members of her family.-Plot summary:...

    , Wickett's Remedy)
  • Chris King
    Chris King
    Christopher Donnell King is a retired American professional basketball player, most notably for the NBA...

     (1988), Stock Analyst, Forbes List 2007 - Best of the Best, Financial Times, 2010, Best Telecom Analyst
  • Mýa Marie Harrison (1996), musical entertainer
  • Derrick Harvey
    Derrick Harvey
    - Jacksonville Jaguars :Harvey was drafted 8th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was the first defensive end chosen by the Jaguars in the first round in franchise history. Was one of four defensive ends chosen in the first round of 2008 draft and third overall...

     (2004), professional football athlete
  • Bill Heiser
    Bill Heiser
    Bill Heiser is a former U.S. soccer defender. He was a member of the FIFA U-16 World Championship 1989 held in Scotland. Currently, Dr...

     (1991), soccer athlete (FIFA U-16 World Championship 1989, Parade Magazine All-American team member)
  • Charles Hill
    Charles Hill (American football)
    Charles LeDawnta Hill is an American football player. He was selected in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans and played for one season in the National Football League. He has played in the NFL Europe league and since 2006 has competed in the Arena Football League.-Early...

     (1998), professional football athlete
  • Sports Junkies
    The Junkies
    The Sports Junkies, also known as The Junkies, are the hosts of an eponymous morning drive time radio show aired in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The hosts are John Auville, Eric Bickel, Jason Bishop and John-Paul Flaim. Their show is heard on WJFK-FM, at 106.7 on the FM radio dial...

    , John Auville and J.P. Flaim (both 1988), radio personalities
  • Kenny Lattimore
    Kenny Lattimore
    Kenny Lattimore is an American R&B singer. Among his most popular hits were "Never Too Busy" and "For You".- Early career :...

     (1985), singer
  • Martin Lawrence
    Martin Lawrence
    Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...

     (1984), comedian, actor
  • Jermaine Lewis
    Jermaine Lewis
    Jermaine Edward Lewis is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001...

     (1992), professional football athlete
  • Justin Ross
    Justin Ross
    Justin Ross is an American politician, first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 to represent District 22, which covers Prince George's County.-Background:...

    , (1994), member of Maryland House of Delegates
    Maryland House of Delegates
    The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

  • John Turner
    John Turner (basketball)
    John L. Turner is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round of the 1991 NBA Draft. A 6'8" power forward from Allegany Community College and Phillips University, Turner played in only one NBA season...

     (1986), professional basketball athlete
  • Delonte West
    Delonte West
    Delonte Maurice West is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...

     (2001), professional basketball athlete
  • Derrick Williams (2005), professional football player
  • Joe Pug
    Joe Pug
    Joe Pug is a singer-songwriter from Chicago. He has released two EPs, Nation of Heat and In the Meantime, the latter of which has been made available for free on his website. He has toured extensively since 2008 and has opened for alt-country pioneer Steve Earle, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and...

    (2002), singer/songwriter
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