Palmyra Area High School
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Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,096 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palmyra is located at ....
, Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania, 17078
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
Secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
and Orange
Palmyra Area Senior High School (typically referred to as Palmyra High School or PHS) is a public 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....
located in Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,096 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palmyra is located at ....
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Palmyra Area School District
Palmyra Area School District
The Palmyra Area School District is the public school system in southwest Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.The district serves the residents of Palmyra Borough, North Londonderry Township, South Londonderry Township, Campbelltown, Lawn, and Mount Gretna. This suburban district encompasses approximately...
.
The school, located at 1125 Park Drive in North Londonderry Township serves students in grades nine through 12 from the western part of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
and includes: Palmyra
Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,096 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palmyra is located at ....
, North Londonderry Township
North Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania
North Londonderry Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, South Londonderry Township
South Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania
South Londonderry Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the villages of Campbelltown
Campbelltown, Pennsylvania
Campbelltown is a census-designated place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Campbelltown is located at ....
, Lawn and Mount Gretna
Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania
Mount Gretna is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 242 at the 2000 census...
. The school was founded in 1962.
Administration
Dr. Collene Van Noord is the Superintendent of Schools for the Palmyra Area School District. The High School's principal is Mr. David Jones. Palmyra High School has two vice principals, Paul Steigerwald and Daryl Reisinger. There are four guidance counselors serving the school.Education
The Palmyra Area High School is an accredited school by most post-secondary institutions. Below is a list of the different academic departments in the school, and the respective department heads.- English Department - Susan Stroh
- Science Department - Amy Mateer
- Math Department - Kathy Baum
- History/Social Studies Department - Larry Geib
- Foreign Languages - Cynthia Hitz
- Related Arts - Joan Linn
- Business/Computer Department- Lisa Smith
Palmyra High School's academic day is part of Block Scheduling
Block scheduling
Block scheduling is a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day but each class is scheduled for a longer period of time . A student might be taking 7 different classes, but only 4 per day, and the specific daily classes would rotate through a changing daily cycle...
. Until the 2009-2010 school year, students participated in four classes a day for 85 minutes, resulting in eight credits per year (four 1st semester, four 2nd Semester), plus a 30 minute lunch and an additional remedial period or study hall, known as Flex. During this time, students would meet for clubs and were able to get extra help. At the end of the 2009 school year, it was announced that this schedule would be adjusted to add two more credits and eliminate the flex period, thereby shortening the classes.
Academic Achievement
PSSA Results11th Grade Reading
2010 - 67% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 76%, State - 65%.
2008 - 65%, State - 65%
2007 - 63%, State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
2010 - 62% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 61%, State - 56%
2008 - 51%, State - 56%
2007 - 54%, State - 53%
11th Grade Science
2010 - 48%, State - 39%
2009 - 55%, State - 34%
2008 - 40%, State - 39%
College remediation
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 31% of Palmyra Area School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher EducationPennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
or community colleges. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.
Dual enrollment
The high school offers a Dual EnrollmentDual enrollment
In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....
program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.
For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $9,016 for the program.
Graduation requirements
The Palmyra Area School Board has determined that beginning in 2012, 35 credits will be required for graduation in 2015.By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.
Beginning with the class of 2015, students must take the Keystone Exams in Literature and Algebra 1.
Renovations
The Palmyra Area High School recently underwent a $35 million renovation to the existing school, as well as additions. Due to a population increase in the Palmyra area, school officials decided that the aging building could no longer support the projected increase in students. The School Board decided a renovation with additions was more sensible than building a new school.The first phase was the construction of a new 15 classroom, 2 story addition to the existing school. This was completed in December 2006, and held student occupation on January 2, 2007. Also, the new cafeteria was completed for January 23, 2007.
Additions included; a new two story, 15-classroom wing, new weight training center, new art rooms, a new cafeteria and new communication and production technology classrooms.
Despite the large amount of progress with the project, work was stopped suddenly both on renovations and in the classrooms. On Monday April 9, 2007 at about 8:50AM, a fire broke out on a Tar Roofing Machine on the north end of the campus, by the new wing. An immediate evacuation of nearby classrooms into the gymnasium was conducted for a short time, and nearby propane tanks which fueled the device were removed. Local fire services arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished the fire. Exhaust and smoke then moved into the school building and covered windows and vehicles. The event caused a minor delay in the school schedule.
Phase III was completed at the end of summer 2007. It included the renovations of the Business Department Wing, which went under renovation on April 17, 2007. Also, the new Library opened, in the area of the old Kitchen and Production Technology Room. Additional miscellaneous classrooms opened in the old cafeteria location.
Extracurriculars
The schools offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.
The school colors of the district are Black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
and Orange, and the school mascot is the Cougar.
The school board is weighing spending $650,000 to add artificial turf to Buck Swank Athletic Field. The community's reaction is mixed. The project would require costly borrowing. Several board members suggest raising the necessary funds through donation. There have also been calls to institute pay to play for all district athletics and extracurriculars, in order to ease the burden these programs create on local taxpayers.
Athletics
Palmyra competes in District III of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic AssociationPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
(PIAA). Palmyra fields teams in the following Mid Penn Conference sports:
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
-1999 PIAA Class AAA State Champions - BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- 2005 PIAA Class AA State Champions, 2007 PIAA Class AA State Runner-up - FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Soccer - 2007 PIAA Class AA State Champions
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- TrackTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
- Girls' Lacrosse
Boys Lacrosse
Clubs and activities
Student activities at Palmyra High School include:- ACTS Club
- Art Club
- BandSchool bandA school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
- Color guard
- Chess ClubChess clubA chess club is a club formed for the purpose of playing the board game of chess. Chess clubs provide for both informal games and timed games, often as part of an internal competition or in a league.-Organisation:...
- ChorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
- Computer club (defunct as of January 2007)
- EnvirothonEnvirothonEnvirothon is an annual environmentally themed academic competition held by the United States and Canada on a regional, state, and national level. It is sponsored by Canon, conservation districts, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Association of Conservation Districts...
- Family and consumer scienceFamily and consumer scienceFamily and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
club - FBLA
- FIRST Robotics team 2539
- Key ClubKey ClubKey Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
- Spring MusicalMusical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
(Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast (musical)Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
in 2009-2010) - Orchestra
- Palm Echo YearbookYearbookA yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
- Play (Theater)
- PHIDA (Philosophical, Intellectual Discussion Assoc.)
- PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Club - National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
- RoboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
Club - Sign LanguageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
Club - Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
- Student CouncilStudent councilStudent council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
- Medical Careers Club
- Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU)
- The Cougar Chronicle Student NewspaperStudent newspaperA student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
- Youth and Government Club
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