John Glenn High School (Westland, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
John Glenn High School is a public high school in Westland
, Michigan
. It is a part of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools
district. The school mascot is a rocket.
, John Glenn High School is located in the city of Westland, Michigan
. The school, which opened in 1964, was named for astronaut
John Glenn
, who just two years prior had become the first person to orbit the earth. Glenn went on to serve as a United States Senator, and returned to NASA
at age 77 to become the oldest human to visit space; the school that bears his name, similarly, has had a long and distinguished career.
Like its namesake, who was born in rural Cambridge, Ohio
and grew up in even smaller New Concord, Ohio
, the school comes from humble beginnings. When John Glenn High School opened its doors in 1964, it did not have its own football field, having to play home games on the field of rival Wayne Memorial High School for the better part of its first decade. The building was only a fraction of its current size. Through the years, it has added new wings for Fine Arts and Special Education, as well as a new gymnasium and, of course, its own football field. To its credit—and that of its namesake—the building is one of the few high schools in the state to feature a planetarium
, which is a must for a school named after an astronaut and whose mascot is a Rocket.
When John Glenn High School opened under principal Frank Higgins, it served students in grades 7-11.The second and third year was 8-12 After a brief stint as a four-year high school, it stabilized as a 10-12th grade school in 1970, finally returning to its 9-12 status in 1995 when the Wayne-Westland district adopted the current middle school format. It currently serves approximately 2,250 of the 14,100 students in the Wayne-Westland district, accepting its students from Marshall Middle School and Stevenson Middle School.
Westland, Michigan
Westland is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located about west of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,094.-Politics:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is a part of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools
Wayne-Westland Community Schools
Wayne-Westland Community Schools is a school district headquartered in Westland, Michigan.-High schools:Zoned* John Glenn High School* Wayne Memorial High SchoolAlternative* William D...
district. The school mascot is a rocket.
History
One of two traditional high schools serving the Wayne-Westland Community SchoolsWayne-Westland Community Schools
Wayne-Westland Community Schools is a school district headquartered in Westland, Michigan.-High schools:Zoned* John Glenn High School* Wayne Memorial High SchoolAlternative* William D...
, John Glenn High School is located in the city of Westland, Michigan
Westland, Michigan
Westland is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located about west of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,094.-Politics:...
. The school, which opened in 1964, was named for astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
, who just two years prior had become the first person to orbit the earth. Glenn went on to serve as a United States Senator, and returned to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
at age 77 to become the oldest human to visit space; the school that bears his name, similarly, has had a long and distinguished career.
Like its namesake, who was born in rural Cambridge, Ohio
Cambridge, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,520 people, 4,924 households, and 2,954 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,055.1 people per square mile . There were 5,585 housing units of an average density of 996.3 per square mile...
and grew up in even smaller New Concord, Ohio
New Concord, Ohio
New Concord is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2000 census. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of the Muskingum County Library System.-Geography:...
, the school comes from humble beginnings. When John Glenn High School opened its doors in 1964, it did not have its own football field, having to play home games on the field of rival Wayne Memorial High School for the better part of its first decade. The building was only a fraction of its current size. Through the years, it has added new wings for Fine Arts and Special Education, as well as a new gymnasium and, of course, its own football field. To its credit—and that of its namesake—the building is one of the few high schools in the state to feature a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
, which is a must for a school named after an astronaut and whose mascot is a Rocket.
When John Glenn High School opened under principal Frank Higgins, it served students in grades 7-11.The second and third year was 8-12 After a brief stint as a four-year high school, it stabilized as a 10-12th grade school in 1970, finally returning to its 9-12 status in 1995 when the Wayne-Westland district adopted the current middle school format. It currently serves approximately 2,250 of the 14,100 students in the Wayne-Westland district, accepting its students from Marshall Middle School and Stevenson Middle School.
Clubs and Organizations
John Glenn allows their students to run clubs with the assistance of a sponsor (normally a teacher). The clubs have to be approved by an Administrator to be official.Clubs By Name
This list is no where near complete- Rocket Marching BandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
- mathletes
- True Colors Club (GSA)Gay-straight allianceGay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
- Film Club
- Art Club
- Drama Club
- Ninja Club