Jones High School (Florida)
Encyclopedia
Jones High School is located in the Parramore/Lorna Doone neighborhood in the urban heart of Orlando
, Florida at 801 S. Rio Grande Avenue. It is a public school in the Orange County School District
. The school mascot is the Tiger and the colors are orange and green.
In May 2008, Newsweek
named Jones to its annual America's Top Public High Schools list.
In 1952, the school moved west of downtown to its current location on Rio Grande Avenue. A new campus consisting of a two-story academic building, separate buildings for science, technology, and music, an administrative building, cafeteria, gymnasium, media center, and dedicated historical museum was constructed during the period 2001–2004. During construction, students attended classes in portables across the street from the campus. The new campus was opened for the start of the 2004–2005 school year.
In 1988, as part of a schoolwide project, Jones entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the World's Largest Box of Popcorn. Aided by a propane-powered air popper designed by engineering students from the University of Central Florida
, Jones students popped 3787.5 cubic feet (107.3 m³) of popcorn. Orville Redenbacher
, whose company donated the unpopped corn, mentioned the feat during a broadcast of the now-defunct Pat Sajak Show.
Jones High students may also enroll in its Medical Arts Magnet Program or in an advanced studies program of multiple Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP Courses offered include Art History, Biology, Calculus (AB), Chemistry, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, European History, French Language, Human Geography, Music Theory, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, Spanish Language, Statistics, Studio Art, United States Government and Politics, United States History, and World History.
Selected students who show academic promise who are also among the first in their families to go to college are invited to participate in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID
) Program.
Parade in Washington, DC, 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
, prior to Macy's they also marched at the 2002 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA. Recently, the band performed at WrestleMania XXIV
, playing John Cena
's entrance theme music "The Time Is Now".
Jones is well-known in the Central Florida area for talented, tenacious teams. The varsity football team plays its home games in the Citrus Bowl
. At the end of the 2007–08 school year, former University of Miami
star and NFL player Kenard Lang
was named the head coach of the Tigers.
The Jones High boys basketball team won the Florida 3A state championship in 2006 under Coach Jerry Howard. The girls basketball team has won two Florida state championships, in 2004 under Coach Jimmy Mincy, and in 1997 under Coach Kelvin Harris. Standout players from the 2004 team, Jessica Lawson and Shavonte Zellous
, signed NCAA Division I scholarships to play for the University of California
and the University of Pittsburgh
, respectively.
Zellous was drafted 11th in the first round of the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock
. As a rookie in 2009, Zellous ranked second among rookies in points (11.9), was second overall in the league in free throws made (155) and averaged 1.8 assists per game. Zellous scored in double-digits in 21 of the 34 games played during her first season and earned honors by making the WNBA All-Rookie Team, the lowest draft selection to ever make the All-Rookie team up until that point.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida at 801 S. Rio Grande Avenue. It is a public school in the Orange County School District
Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
. The school mascot is the Tiger and the colors are orange and green.
In May 2008, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
named Jones to its annual America's Top Public High Schools list.
History
The first public school for African Americans in Orlando was formed in 1895 and housed in a building on the corner of Garland Avenue and Church Street. The school was renamed Johnson Academy and moved to a new building on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Jefferson Street. In 1921, a brick Colonial Revival building was constructed on the corner of Parramore Avenue and Washington Street at a cost of $34,000. The school was renamed for the final time in honor of L. C. Jones, a longtime school principal and donor of the property.In 1952, the school moved west of downtown to its current location on Rio Grande Avenue. A new campus consisting of a two-story academic building, separate buildings for science, technology, and music, an administrative building, cafeteria, gymnasium, media center, and dedicated historical museum was constructed during the period 2001–2004. During construction, students attended classes in portables across the street from the campus. The new campus was opened for the start of the 2004–2005 school year.
In 1988, as part of a schoolwide project, Jones entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the World's Largest Box of Popcorn. Aided by a propane-powered air popper designed by engineering students from the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, Jones students popped 3787.5 cubic feet (107.3 m³) of popcorn. Orville Redenbacher
Orville Redenbacher
Orville Clarence Redenbacher was an American businessman most often associated with the brand of popcorn that bears his name.-Early life:...
, whose company donated the unpopped corn, mentioned the feat during a broadcast of the now-defunct Pat Sajak Show.
Academics
Jones High School is an International Baccalaureate World School, offering the Diploma Programme for juniors and seniors and the Middle Years Programme for freshmen and sophomores in articulation with Memorial Middle School.Jones High students may also enroll in its Medical Arts Magnet Program or in an advanced studies program of multiple Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP Courses offered include Art History, Biology, Calculus (AB), Chemistry, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, European History, French Language, Human Geography, Music Theory, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, Spanish Language, Statistics, Studio Art, United States Government and Politics, United States History, and World History.
Selected students who show academic promise who are also among the first in their families to go to college are invited to participate in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID
Advancement Via Individual Determination
Advancement Via Individual Determination is an American college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges, focusing on students in the academic middle. The formula is to raise expectations of students...
) Program.
Extracurriculars
The Marching Tiger Band is well-known throughout the Central Florida area. They marched in the 1976 United States BicentennialUnited States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
Parade in Washington, DC, 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, prior to Macy's they also marched at the 2002 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA. Recently, the band performed at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
, playing John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
's entrance theme music "The Time Is Now".
Athletics
Jones High fields varsity sports teams in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, flag football (girls), football, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball, and weightlifting.Jones is well-known in the Central Florida area for talented, tenacious teams. The varsity football team plays its home games in the Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
. At the end of the 2007–08 school year, former University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
star and NFL player Kenard Lang
Kenard Lang
Kenard Dushun Lang was an American football defensive end who played in the National Football League...
was named the head coach of the Tigers.
The Jones High boys basketball team won the Florida 3A state championship in 2006 under Coach Jerry Howard. The girls basketball team has won two Florida state championships, in 2004 under Coach Jimmy Mincy, and in 1997 under Coach Kelvin Harris. Standout players from the 2004 team, Jessica Lawson and Shavonte Zellous
Shavonte Zellous
Shavonte Zellous is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the guard position for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA and previously was a standout basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh. Zellous was drafted 11th in the first round of the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Shock...
, signed NCAA Division I scholarships to play for the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
and the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, respectively.
Zellous was drafted 11th in the first round of the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
. As a rookie in 2009, Zellous ranked second among rookies in points (11.9), was second overall in the league in free throws made (155) and averaged 1.8 assists per game. Zellous scored in double-digits in 21 of the 34 games played during her first season and earned honors by making the WNBA All-Rookie Team, the lowest draft selection to ever make the All-Rookie team up until that point.
Notable alumni
- David L. Brewer IIIDavid L. Brewer IIIDavid L. Brewer is a retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy and former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The 35-year veteran of the Navy commanded Military Sealift Command from August 2001 until his retirement in March 2006, and served as Vice Chief of Naval...
, former Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District - Jerry Demings, Orange County Sheriff; Orange County Public Safety Director; first African-American Chief of Police for the City of Orlando
- Sylvester James GatesSylvester James GatesSylvester James Gates, Jr. is a noted American theoretical physicist. He received BS and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the latter in 1977. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry. Gates is currently the John S...
, PhD, noted theoretical physicist - Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy, first African-American elected City Commissioner of Orlando
- Kevin Lewis, former New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... - Dr. Portia Maultsby, ethnomusicologist
- Bernard MorrisBernard MorrisBernard Raphael Morris is an American football quarterback, who is currently a Free Agent of the Arena Football League. He was signed as a street free agent by the Arkansas Twisters in 2009. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd.-Early years:Morris was born on May 29, 1985 in...
, former Marshall UniversityMarshall UniversityMarshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
quarterback - Nate NewtonNate NewtonNathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985...
- Tim NewtonTim NewtonTimothy Reginald "Tim" Newton is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
- Belvin PerryBelvin PerryBelvin Perry Jr. presently serves as chief judge in the Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit. He was the presiding judge for the high profile Casey Anthony murder trial.-Early life and career:...
, Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida (Orange/Osceola) - Eric Powell (American football)
- Curtis Rayam, operatic tenor
- Vince SandersVince SandersVince Sanders has SWAG! A veteran of the broadcast industry having spent nearly 40 years on the job. Sanders has written two books. Both titles are dedicated to his years behind the microphone or on the stage as an actor...one is titled and the other is called Sanders began his broadcast career...
, Chicago Radio Personality; former V.P. National Black NetworkNational Black NetworkThe National Black Network, or NBN, began operation in July 1973 as the first coast-to-coast radio network wholly owned by African Americans.-Early years:...
; Co-Founder ABJ - Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
- Charlie B. Walker, former Fire Chief, City of Orlando
- Shavonte ZellousShavonte ZellousShavonte Zellous is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the guard position for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA and previously was a standout basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh. Zellous was drafted 11th in the first round of the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Shock...
, 2009 WNBA All-Rookie Team, Detroit ShockDetroit ShockThe Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... - Yusuf EstesYusuf EstesYusuf Estes is an American Muslim preacher and teacher who converted to Islam in 1991. He was the National Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons through the 1990s. He became the Muslim Delegate to the United Nations World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders held at the U.N....
Former National Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons. Was a Delegate to the United Nations World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders held in September 2000.
See also
- Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
- Citrus BowlCitrus BowlThe Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
- List of high schools in Florida
- Orange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
Sources
- http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/2096
- http://www.cfhf.net/orlando/1921.htm