Richardson High School

Infobox_School
name = Richardson High School


imagesize = 66px
motto =
established = 1890 (1951 - current facility)
type = High School/secondary school
district = Richardson Independent School District
grades = 9-12
principal = Charles Pickitt
colors = Purple and Gold
mascot = Eagles
location = Richardson, TX
country = USA
information =
website = [http://www.risd.org/schools/rhs Richardson High School Website]

Richardson High School is a high school in Richardson, Texas, United States with a 2006 enrollment of approximately 2500 and a student/teacher ratio of 12.8.fact|date=October 2008

Background

In August 2006, RHS was named one of three "best practices" high schools in the state of Texas. The award granted by the National Council of Educational Accountability and the Just 4 Kids Foundation is based upon staff development, staff retention, standardized test scores and support programs for students.

In May 2007, the Richardson Independent School District was awarded the "Excellence in Education Award for Large School Districts" by the HEB Foundation. Richardson High School and Richardson West Junior High played instrumental roles in the selection process and hosted the site visit committee in March 2007. In addition to the award, the RISD received a check for $100,000.

Richardson High School is part of the Richardson Independent School District. The school has an Fine Arts, Culinary Arts, Theatre, Robotics, Law, Health Science and Science magnet program and an acclaimed Mock Trial team, the Legal Eagles, who have been the regional champion for eleven of the past twelve years, state champions in 2002 (St. Paul - 9th in nation) and 2003 (New Orleans - 8th in nation) and 2007 (Dallas - 8th in nation).

Richardson High School began to offer magnet programs 18 years ago. Based upon the school within a school concept, Richardson offers magnet students the chance to fully participate in all areas of academics and extracurricular activities while exploring specific career interests. From the robotics lab to the full service commercial kitchen for culinary arts, the magnet strands are centered on hands on curriculum designed to build life skills, expose students to specific career related skills and offer authentic experience in their chosen field of study. Currently RHS offers magnet strands in visual arts, communication, law, science, robotics, culinary arts, performing arts, health science technology and theater tech.

In addition to the magnet strands, RHS offers students over 40 clubs and organizations - from National Honor Society and Student Council to Teens In Action, Mu Alpha Theta and the Writer's Guild. RHS boasts the world's largest Interact club. Interact, sponsored by Rotary International, focuses on service to the community. This year over 380 seniors in a class of 420 participated in the service organization conducting over 30 service projects during the course of their senior year. In 2007 RHS proudly hosted the Rotary International District convention - with all support services provided by senior volunteers.

The school, which opened shortly after the first public school in the city was burned down by the infamous Ross Inman in 1890, began in a two-room building on Old Pike Road, a street that is now part of Greenville Avenue. A rural school with fewer than 100 students up to 1950, the school opened its present facility in 1961. During the period of the late 50's, RHS shared facilities with Richardson Junior High School on Abrams Rd. Mr. Bill Passmore was Principal during this transition into the new facility on Beltline Road .

Richardson's sports mascot is the Eagles and the team shares Mustang-Eagle Stadium (capacity 11,000) with J.J. Pearce High School. The school's student news magazine is the "Talon."

As of 2006, the administration at RHS is led by Mr. Charles Pickitt, Principal; Mr. Henry Hall, Senior Principal; Mr. Ramiro Lucio, Junior Principal; Mr. Tony Palagonia, Sophomore Principal; Mrs. Shannon Tovar, Freshman Principal and Mr. Steve Whiffen, Curriculum and Instruction Principal.

Notable Accomplishments

*1983-84 National Blue Ribbon School [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF) ] ]
*Culinary Arts Magnet Student won a chili competition- 2007
*Battlebots - National Championship - 2007
*Economics Team - State Championship - 2007; State Finalist - 2006
*Mock Trial - State Championships 2007 (8th in Nationals), 2003 (8th in Nationals), 2002 (9th in Nationals) - 11 time regional champions - most appearances at state competition by any Texas team
*HOSA - 11 students qualified for National Competition 2007
*Debate - qualified for Nationals 2007
*DECA - students qualified for Nationals 2007
*Citizen Bee - Student finishes in Top 15 in Region - 2007, 2006
*UIL District Competition - Host 2006, 2007, 2008
*"Open Mike Night" - Full Length Motion Picture - written, produced and directed at RHS - premiered May 2006 at the AMC Valley View - awarded Honorable Mention at the Twin Rivers Film Festival 2007 and shown at the Studio Movie Grill Addison - Certamen Team Third in State 2007

Jeremy Delle incident

On January 8, 1991, Jeremy Wade Delle, a 15-year-old sophomore who had recently transferred to the school, killed himself with a .357 Magnum in front of his second-period English class. The incident inspired the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy".

KRET-TV

In 1960 the Richardson Independent School District established KRET, the first TV station in the nation to be owned by a school district Fact|date=April 2008. The studio was located at Richardson High from 1963-1970. The studio was previously located at Richardson Junior High School (1960-1963). The station was converted on August 31, 1970 into a closed-circuit network named "TAGER".

Notable alumni

* Robert Tilton, televangelist
* Jeff Dunham, ventriloquist
* Jay Johnson, ventriloquist
* Shawn Michaels, WWE Athlete
* Jake McDorman, actor
* Bill Nichols, sportswriter
* Michael Mulvey, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
* Stan Rice, Award-winning poet and painter
* Anne Rice, Author
* Catherine Crier, TV Personality, Former Texas State Judge
* Carla Overbeck, Founding member, Women's United Soccer Association
* Benn McGregor, writer, editor, radio personality
* Tim Cowlishaw, Around The Horn Panelist and Sportswriter
* Barry Watson, Actor
* Bill Engvall, Comedian
* Tasos Kostas, Local Radio Personality
* Tracy Hutson, Actress
* Gordon Keith, Local Radio Personality
* Corey Evans, Fox Sports Network
* Dimitri Albert, soccer athlete
* John Maddox Roberts, author
* Dwayne Levels, NFL athlete
* Earl Levine, Silicon Valley inventor and entrepreneur
* James Rives Jones, resident conductor Dallas Symphony Orchestra (1984-1996)
* Skip Baldwin, television sports director/anchor
* Jay Lombardo, clothier
* Deborah Foreman, actress
* Deborah Crombie, mystery writer
* Michael Rogers, Reality Film appearance, Debbie Does Dallas
* Del Ballard Jr., Professional Bowler
* Caleb Jones, Actor

References

External links

* [http://www.risd.org/schools/rhs School Website]
* [http://www.risd.org/ RISD Website]
* [http://richardsonlawmagnet.googlepages.com RHS Law Magnet Website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/sin_on_my_mind/delle.html Personal remembrance of Jeremy Delle's suicide by Jeff Ellis]
* [http://www.ssheps.com/jeremynew.htm Steele Shepherd on Jeremy Delle]