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Camden High School (Camden, South Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Camden High School, is located in Camden, South Carolina
and is one of three high schools in the Kershaw County School District
. It is the second largest high school, with around 1,036 students and is home of the Camden High School Bulldogs. Camden High School is located in the heart of the city of Camden in Kershaw County. In 1992-93, Camden High moved from Laurens Street, which became Camden Middle School, to its present location on Ehrenclou Drive. The main building houses classrooms, the Media Center, and a Lecture Hall. The two-story building houses the Freshman Academy. There is also a gymnasium and a mini-gym located at the back of the campus along with 4 parking lots. Three new structures are under currently construction: a cafeteria that will have a new kitchen and serving facilities, a performing arts facility which will seat approximately 350, and a wellness/athletic complex that will seat approximately 450. In 2004, the district started its iCan laptop program, and since then every incoming freshmen has received an HP
laptop to be used for their next four years at the school. That same year, the Freshmen Academy was created, giving freshmen partial interaction with the upperclassmen while still keeping them mostly to themselves. This program gives freshmen extra time to adjust to high-school life. Camden High School's chief rival is Lugoff-Elgin High School
, located across the Wateree River and also in the Kershaw County School District
. The annual football game between Camden and Lugoff-Elgin is one of the most heated games of the season and always draws a huge crowd of thousands. This game usually means more to the student body than going to the state championship and earns them bragging rights for the entire year.
Past the first half of the century, white and black students were educated separately. Black students attended the Jackson schools, founded in 1867 on Campbell St. In their early years both school systems used remodeled homes or churches to house the high schools. In 1936, the first buildings built specifically to house the two high schools were constructed. Both were two story brick structures.
In 1965 the schools desegregated under freedom of choice, and by the 1970-71 school year, a unitary school system was in operation. All high school students began to attend the enlarged CHS campus. Originally Camden High drew its students from the environs of the city of Camden. Throughout the years populations of several rural county schools were consolidated into Camden High School, including Charlotte Thompson, Antioch, and Midway Schools. Students from the Lugoff area across the river also attended Camden schools. The consolidation with the rural schools as well as Jackson High yielded a CHS population of over 2,000 for a time. The building of Lugoff-Elgin High and North Central High in other parts of the county eased overcrowding and attendance lines were redrawn.
In 2009, the Camden High School Boys Basketball team defeated the Greer High School Yellow Jackets and won the AAA State Championship.
Camden, South Carolina
Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
and is one of three high schools in the Kershaw County School District
Kershaw County School District
Kershaw County School District is a public school district in Kershaw County, South Carolina . Led by Superintendent of Schools Frank Morgan, KCSD serves 10,200+ students and employs 1,300 faculty members across 20 schools...
. It is the second largest high school, with around 1,036 students and is home of the Camden High School Bulldogs. Camden High School is located in the heart of the city of Camden in Kershaw County. In 1992-93, Camden High moved from Laurens Street, which became Camden Middle School, to its present location on Ehrenclou Drive. The main building houses classrooms, the Media Center, and a Lecture Hall. The two-story building houses the Freshman Academy. There is also a gymnasium and a mini-gym located at the back of the campus along with 4 parking lots. Three new structures are under currently construction: a cafeteria that will have a new kitchen and serving facilities, a performing arts facility which will seat approximately 350, and a wellness/athletic complex that will seat approximately 450. In 2004, the district started its iCan laptop program, and since then every incoming freshmen has received an HP
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
laptop to be used for their next four years at the school. That same year, the Freshmen Academy was created, giving freshmen partial interaction with the upperclassmen while still keeping them mostly to themselves. This program gives freshmen extra time to adjust to high-school life. Camden High School's chief rival is Lugoff-Elgin High School
Lugoff-Elgin High School
Lugoff-Elgin High School is 1 of 3 of the high schools in the Kershaw County School District in South Carolina. It is often shortened to LE or LEHS. Lugoff-Elgin's biggest rival is Camden High School, located across the Wateree River and also in the Kershaw County School District...
, located across the Wateree River and also in the Kershaw County School District
Kershaw County School District
Kershaw County School District is a public school district in Kershaw County, South Carolina . Led by Superintendent of Schools Frank Morgan, KCSD serves 10,200+ students and employs 1,300 faculty members across 20 schools...
. The annual football game between Camden and Lugoff-Elgin is one of the most heated games of the season and always draws a huge crowd of thousands. This game usually means more to the student body than going to the state championship and earns them bragging rights for the entire year.
Renovations and additions
During the 2007-2008 school year, Phase One of the Kershaw County School District's facilities improvement plan began on the CHS campus. The construction includes: a 185-space student parking lot in the front area of the school, additions and renovations to the cafeteria, a 350-seat performing arts center near the existing band room, a wellness center near the existing gym, lights and restrooms at the tennis courts, press boxes at the baseball and softball fields, an eight-lane track and storage building on a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) tract of land across Ehrenclou Drive, and the bus drop off/pickup areas will be relocated to a covered walkway area near the commons area.History
The first separate building designated "Camden High School" was established in 1903. The 11th grade was added in 1915 and the 12th grade in 1947. These early schools stood in the vicinity of Laurens and Lyttleton Streets.Past the first half of the century, white and black students were educated separately. Black students attended the Jackson schools, founded in 1867 on Campbell St. In their early years both school systems used remodeled homes or churches to house the high schools. In 1936, the first buildings built specifically to house the two high schools were constructed. Both were two story brick structures.
In 1965 the schools desegregated under freedom of choice, and by the 1970-71 school year, a unitary school system was in operation. All high school students began to attend the enlarged CHS campus. Originally Camden High drew its students from the environs of the city of Camden. Throughout the years populations of several rural county schools were consolidated into Camden High School, including Charlotte Thompson, Antioch, and Midway Schools. Students from the Lugoff area across the river also attended Camden schools. The consolidation with the rural schools as well as Jackson High yielded a CHS population of over 2,000 for a time. The building of Lugoff-Elgin High and North Central High in other parts of the county eased overcrowding and attendance lines were redrawn.
Academics
Camden High offers a variety of academic routes, so every student can pick a course that best suits their future needs. Advanced Placement programs are offered along with Dual Enrollment at Central Carolina Technical College. The Journalism Department has three classes which produce the Palmetto Leaf school newspaper, the Gold and Black yearbook, and the Paw freshman newspaper. The school offers language courses in Spanish and French to help prepare students for courses in college and later in their lives.Athletics
Camden High has a very good athletic program although most of the focus is on football. The games take place at Zemp Stadium in downtown Camden. The CHS Bulldog Football Team was most recently the South Carolina State Champions in 1990 and 2001. Camden High offers a variety of sports including Golf, Cross Country, Boy's and Girl's Basketball, Track, and Soccer. Also offered are Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Cheerleading, Wrestling and Boy's and Girl's Tennis.In 2009, the Camden High School Boys Basketball team defeated the Greer High School Yellow Jackets and won the AAA State Championship.
Notable alumni
- Bobby EngramBobby EngramSimon J. "Bobby" Engram III is currently the offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
- professional American 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...
player, Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... - Vonnie HollidayVonnie HollidayDimetry Giovonni "Vonnie" Holliday is an American football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 19th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
- professional American 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...
player, Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... - Reggie Lloyd - Director of SLED, 2/2008-07/2011
- Vincent Sheheen - SC State Senator and Democratic Nominee for Governor 2010
- Michael Kohn- Major League Baseball player
- Calvin Grant - Broadway Actor
- Patrick Davis - Nashville Singer/Songwriter
- Chris Jones - SharePoint Administrator, Technical Writer