Raleigh Charter High School
Encyclopedia
Raleigh Charter High School is a free, independent public school chartered by the North Carolina State Board of Education
.
decided to establish a new charter high school so that their students could continue to learn in a nurturing and academically rich environment.
From its inception through the 2010-2011 school year, Raleigh Charter occupied the historic Pilot Mill behind Peace College in downtown Raleigh (pictured). Over the summer of 2011 the school moved to the former Methodist Building on Glenwood Avenue. This location offers proximity to the downtown Raleigh resources that enhance classroom studies, additional and better classroom space, and a good and reliable central location for wake county and the surrounding areas. But the move was motivated, not by dissatisfaction with Pilot Mill, but by financial issues: the school rented its first space, but owns the current one.
. The principal, from the beginning of the school through the present, is Dr. Tom Humble. The school newspaper is titled The Flame. School hours are 9:00 AM to 2:40 PM with a traditional six period school day, but students can choose an optional 7th period class at 8:10 AM. These 7th period classes include Healthful Living and AP Music Theory.
magazine based on the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests. It was rated number 53 and 18 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In 2003, 99 percent of tenth grade students at Raleigh Charter High School met or exceeded the requirements of the North Carolina End-of-Course Tests. For five years Raleigh Charter's students have been well ahead the state's high schools in EOC scores. In addition, almost everyone in the senior class of 2004 was accepted into college.
In the College Board
's AP Report for 2005, Raleigh Charter High School had the highest percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on the Environmental Science AP Test for medium-sized schools in the world.
team in the state of North Carolina
, which has since been discontinued. They practiced on Lake Wheeler in the fall and spring after school. Raleigh Charter also offers other sports including basketball
, volleyball
, soccer, tennis
, swimming, track and field
, cross country
, and an intramural inline hockey
team. They notably do not offer a football
team or cheerleading
squad, but pickup football is common.
In 2006, Raleigh Charter was entered in the Mid State 1A/0A conference with other high schools including, Cummings
, Graham, Northwood
, Durham School of the Arts
, North Carolina School of Science and Math
.
In 2005-06 the Raleigh Charter women's swimming
team finished intermural runners-up for the 0A/-1A classification.
The men's tennis
team at Raleigh Charter has found tremendous success in the past couple of years. After a rocky couple of years, the 2008 squad sent Senior Bobby Schultz and Junior Mac Schultz to the NCHSAA State and Regional Doubles Championships. The 2009 team made it to the 1A state finals and the 2010 team made it to 1A Semi-Finals where they lost to NCSSM.
The Raleigh Charter women's soccer
team, the Lady Phoenix, has also done well in recent years. In 2005 and 2006, they were the only 1A team to reach the 1A/2A regional playoff quarterfinals, effectively finishing as the 1A state champions. In 2007, the NC Soccer Coaches Association ranked them third in the overall 1A/2A poll, after which the team won the inaugural 2007 North Carolina 1A women's soccer state championship. In the 2008 soccer 1A state tournament, the team lost in triple overtime to Dixon High School in the 3rd round game. Dixon then went on to win the 2008 1A title. Following the season, Raleigh Charter's original and long-time women's soccer coach retired, leaving behind a flourishing program for his successor. Dan Williams took over the program in 2009 and led the team to the 1A state championship game, where they lost 1-0 to Polk County on a late goal in the second half.
North Carolina State Board of Education
The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the North Carolina Constitution, supervises and administers the public school systems of North Carolina...
.
History
In the summer of 1998, some parents of 8th graders at The Magellan Charter SchoolThe Magellan Charter School
The Magellan Charter School is a charter school in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded by Marybeth Childers and George Coccarelli. Today it is considered to be one of the best charter schools in North Carolina. Magellan was founded on the premise that learning can be a dynamic interactive and...
decided to establish a new charter high school so that their students could continue to learn in a nurturing and academically rich environment.
Location
Basic Information
Raleigh Charter is attended by approximately 500 students per year, with an average class size of 20. The student to teacher ratio is 10:1. Raleigh Charter is located at 1307 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, North Carolina. The Raleigh Charter mascot is the PhoenixPhoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
. The principal, from the beginning of the school through the present, is Dr. Tom Humble. The school newspaper is titled The Flame. School hours are 9:00 AM to 2:40 PM with a traditional six period school day, but students can choose an optional 7th period class at 8:10 AM. These 7th period classes include Healthful Living and AP Music Theory.
Mission statement
"To graduate citizens of the world by creating an interconnected learning environment that combines a demanding college-preparatory education with a curriculum that teaches and models citizenship skills. We will involve the students in the many resources of downtown Raleigh - the government, performing arts, social services and the international community. RCHS will be a place of opportunity for highly motivated students and actively involved parents."Honors and awards
On December 5, 2008, U.S. News & World Report ranked Raleigh Charter the 20th best high school in the country. In 2005 Raleigh Charter High School was named the ninth best public high school in the nation by NewsweekNewsweek
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...
magazine based on the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests. It was rated number 53 and 18 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In 2003, 99 percent of tenth grade students at Raleigh Charter High School met or exceeded the requirements of the North Carolina End-of-Course Tests. For five years Raleigh Charter's students have been well ahead the state's high schools in EOC scores. In addition, almost everyone in the senior class of 2004 was accepted into college.
In the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
's AP Report for 2005, Raleigh Charter High School had the highest percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on the Environmental Science AP Test for medium-sized schools in the world.
Athletics
Raleigh Charter High School was the home to the first high school rowingRowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
team in the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, which has since been discontinued. They practiced on Lake Wheeler in the fall and spring after school. Raleigh Charter also offers other sports including basketball
Basketball
Basketball 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...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis 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...
, swimming, track and field
Track and field
Track 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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross 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...
, and an intramural inline hockey
Inline hockey
Inline hockey, often referred to as roller hockey in the United States, is a sport similar to ice hockey but played with inline skates. Like its parent sport, skaters on two teams use hockey sticks to direct a disk-shaped puck into the opponent's goal; however, various details of the game, such as...
team. They notably do not offer a football
American football
American 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...
team or cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
squad, but pickup football is common.
In 2006, Raleigh Charter was entered in the Mid State 1A/0A conference with other high schools including, Cummings
Hugh M Cummings High School
Hugh M. Cummings, III Senior High School in Burlington, North Carolina, and part of the Alamance-Burlington School System. The school opened in 1970 and serves the east side of the city. The school is currently a part of the Mid-State 2A conference.-Athletics:Cummings is also the home to...
, Graham, Northwood
Northwood High School (North Carolina)
Northwood High School is located in Pittsboro, North Carolina, In Chatham County. The school is the largest of three high schools in Chatham County and is operated by Chatham County Schools. The school's mascot is the Charger and the school colors are gold and green. It is a member of the Mid State...
, Durham School of the Arts
Durham School of the Arts
Durham School of the Arts is a secondary magnet school located in downtown Durham, North Carolina, housing 1,381 students. Its focus is on the visual and performing arts....
, North Carolina School of Science and Math
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, North Carolina, that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology. The school accepts rising juniors from across North Carolina and enrolls them through...
.
In 2005-06 the Raleigh Charter women's swimming
Swimming (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...
team finished intermural runners-up for the 0A/-1A classification.
The men's tennis
Tennis
Tennis 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...
team at Raleigh Charter has found tremendous success in the past couple of years. After a rocky couple of years, the 2008 squad sent Senior Bobby Schultz and Junior Mac Schultz to the NCHSAA State and Regional Doubles Championships. The 2009 team made it to the 1A state finals and the 2010 team made it to 1A Semi-Finals where they lost to NCSSM.
The Raleigh Charter women's soccer
Women's football (soccer)
Women's association football has been played for many decades, but was associated with charity games and physical exercise in the past before the breakthrough of organized women's association football came in the 1970s. Before the 1970s, football was basically seen as a men's game...
team, the Lady Phoenix, has also done well in recent years. In 2005 and 2006, they were the only 1A team to reach the 1A/2A regional playoff quarterfinals, effectively finishing as the 1A state champions. In 2007, the NC Soccer Coaches Association ranked them third in the overall 1A/2A poll, after which the team won the inaugural 2007 North Carolina 1A women's soccer state championship. In the 2008 soccer 1A state tournament, the team lost in triple overtime to Dixon High School in the 3rd round game. Dixon then went on to win the 2008 1A title. Following the season, Raleigh Charter's original and long-time women's soccer coach retired, leaving behind a flourishing program for his successor. Dan Williams took over the program in 2009 and led the team to the 1A state championship game, where they lost 1-0 to Polk County on a late goal in the second half.
Further information
- Raleigh Charter hosts Flex Days and Ex Days multiple times each year for its students. Flex Days are two consecutive Fridays on which all regular classes are canceled. Instead, students participate in activities - many of which take place off campus - relating either to community values or the subjects they are currently studying. Ex Days are a Thursday and Friday on which the length of each class period is doubled. Students attend class periods one, three and five on Thursday, and two, four and six on Friday.
- Students participate in Community Workdays where they give a full day of work to the community once a semester.
- Raleigh Charter has no cafeteria or vending machines. Students may bring their lunches to school or purchase the food (sub sandwiches, wraps, burritos, pizzaPizzaPizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
or Chick-Fil-AChick-fil-AChick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
) sold every day in varying locations throughout the school. Lunch is eaten either outside or in classrooms throughout the school. The Key Club sponsors a food booth called Phoenix Foods. They sell healthy items every day such as yogurt, fruitFruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, granola bars, cheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, milkMilkMilk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
.
- Raleigh Charter does not supply transportation to or from school. They do encourage carpooling and keep a database to make it easier for parents to find one. Some students also use the Raleigh City Buses (CAT or TTA) and information about routes is posted in the office.
- Clubs at Raleigh Charter include: Amnesty International, Classical Society (Latin club), Chess Club, Key Club, RCCF (Raleigh Charter Christian Fellowship), Spanish, French and German clubs, Melting Pot (in support of diversity), Fencing Club, Math Club, GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), Brain Game and Quiz Bowl, Sailing Club, Science Olympiad, Art Club, Baha'i Club, Improv Club, International Thespian Society (Drama Honor Society), Drama club, Student Government, Jewish Cultural Club, Social Justice club, Film Club, Gaelic Society, Model UN, Student Legislative Assembly, Web Design Club, Prom Committee, and many others. Most clubs meet either during lunch once a week or after school. In 2009, a Peer Mentoring Program was started, with the goal of easing the transition between middle school and high school for new students.
- Raleigh Charter's Quiz BowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
team, run by Eric Grunden and Betsy NewmarkBetsy NewmarkElizabeth Ellen "Betsy" Newmark is your typically stupid right-wing blogger who since mid-2002 has published Betsy's Page.Newmark is a government and history teacher at Raleigh Charter High School in Raleigh, North Carolina...
, is known throughout North Carolina and the southeastern United States for its dominating performances in tournaments and has won the North Carolina Academic Team Association (NCATA) championship four years running. In 2006 the team won its first PACE National Scholastic ChampionshipPartnership for Academic Competition ExcellenceThe Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is a nonprofit organization which runs the National Scholastics Championship , an end-of-year championship for North American high school quizbowl teams...
.
- Raleigh Charter's Science OlympiadScience OlympiadScience Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
team is nationally recognized as one of the top competitors from North Carolina. In 2008, 2009, and 2010 the team placed nationally in the top 20 out of over 6000 teams nationwide. In addition the Raleigh Charter Science Olympiad Team organizes and hosts an elementary science olympiad tournament for schools in the area.
- Capital campaign: When Raleigh Charter High School acquired its new facility to meet the growing needs and demands of its students and staff, it began a Raleigh Charter High School capital campaign known as: Recognized for Excellence, Building our future.
External links
- Raleigh Charter High School
- The Flame
- US Department of Education: The Education Innovator
- The North Carolina Report Card
- Raleigh Charter Quiz Bowl Team
- 2010-2011 Google Calendar
- 2011-2012 Google Calendar
- http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/