Digital Harbor High School
Encyclopedia
Digital Harbor High School, formerly Southern High School
, is a public, magnet
high school
located in Baltimore, Maryland
. It is currently the only public information technology
high school in Baltimore.
in the gentrifying Federal Hill neighborhood made it an attractive choice for a magnet school drawing students from citywide. A planning committee convened and a multi-million dollar renovation project was undertaken over a five year period. The building was completely transformed, with approximately $50 million spent to renovate the campus, with $6 million allocated toward information technology
and audio visual equipment.
The school was partially designed by the original principal, Michael Pitroff (2002-2005), who is said to be the "Father of Digital Harbor." In 2005, he was reassigned to be the Technology Department Head for the Baltimore school system. The pupil transition from the old Southern High School began in 2002 with the entering 9th graders inaugurating the new school. With the graduation of Southern High School's last Class of 2005, all grade levels for Digital Harbor High School were phased in and another school, the National Academy Foundation School
, was also housed on its first floor.
The students must meet not only the BCPSS requirements for graduation, but must also fulfill the requirements for their particular "pathway" as well. Currently Digital Harbor is one of the most technologically advanced schools in the city, and touts one of the highest attendance rates in Baltimore (92%).
and wired internet access all over the school.
The majority of the desktop computer
s come from Dell with Windows XP Professional
, and IBM
Thinkpad
laptops, although the media pathway has Macintosh
computers as well for use of particular students.
All four floors have pathway offices designed with the school colors.
dress code which includes khaki pants and a Columbian blue or white polo shirt or oxford shirt,as well as a black polo shirt or oxford shirt exclusively for registered seniors.
Class 1A. As of the 2008-2009 school year, varsity and junior varsity level sports include:
with a $5,000 loan to start a school store, which sells several school oriented memorabilia (cups, mugs, School Uniforms, wristbands etc.); and also sells snacks, drinks, and school supplies.Store Website The store was given the loan based on a presentation given by a group of students in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
(NFTE) program. The bank has even donated a school mascot uniform to the school named Nifty (after the NFTE program).
Southern High School (Baltimore)
Southern Senior High School was a former secondary school in south Baltimore, Maryland, originally built in 1910 with an addition in 1926. Part of the Baltimore City Public School System, it was originally located on the southeast corner of Warren Avenue and William Street...
, is a public, magnet
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
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 Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is currently the only public information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
high school in Baltimore.
History
The vision for Digital Harbor High School started in 2000 when then-Baltimore schools chief Carmen V. Russo wanted to create a high school for computer studies in downtown Baltimore. Southern High School was the chosen site for the new school because it had suffered low graduation rates and disorder in recent years. Its prime location near Inner HarborInner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the World.” The Inner Harbor is actually the end of the...
in the gentrifying Federal Hill neighborhood made it an attractive choice for a magnet school drawing students from citywide. A planning committee convened and a multi-million dollar renovation project was undertaken over a five year period. The building was completely transformed, with approximately $50 million spent to renovate the campus, with $6 million allocated toward information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and audio visual equipment.
The school was partially designed by the original principal, Michael Pitroff (2002-2005), who is said to be the "Father of Digital Harbor." In 2005, he was reassigned to be the Technology Department Head for the Baltimore school system. The pupil transition from the old Southern High School began in 2002 with the entering 9th graders inaugurating the new school. With the graduation of Southern High School's last Class of 2005, all grade levels for Digital Harbor High School were phased in and another school, the National Academy Foundation School
National Academy Foundation School (Baltimore, Maryland)
National Academy Foundation School is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland. It's based on the models of schools by the National Academy Foundation to have "small learning communities."...
, was also housed on its first floor.
Academics
The academic focus of the school has been on computers and information technology. Its curriculum is divided into four separated into 4 separate areas of study ("pathways") for students to choose from:- Networking and computer systems
- Programming software development
- Interactive video and media production
- Information and support services
The students must meet not only the BCPSS requirements for graduation, but must also fulfill the requirements for their particular "pathway" as well. Currently Digital Harbor is one of the most technologically advanced schools in the city, and touts one of the highest attendance rates in Baltimore (92%).
Facilities and policies
Digital Harbor is a first among Baltimore City Schools, with millions of dollars in equipment devoted to modernizing all of the classrooms and the adding of Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
and wired internet access all over the school.
The majority of the desktop computer
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
s come from Dell with Windows XP Professional
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Thinkpad
ThinkPad
ThinkPad is line of laptop computers originally sold by IBM but now produced by Lenovo. They are known for their boxy black design, which was modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox...
laptops, although the media pathway has Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computers as well for use of particular students.
All four floors have pathway offices designed with the school colors.
School uniform
The school currently has a school uniformSchool uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
dress code which includes khaki pants and a Columbian blue or white polo shirt or oxford shirt,as well as a black polo shirt or oxford shirt exclusively for registered seniors.
Sports
The Rams compete in Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic AssociationMaryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association
Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Associationor , is the association that oversees public high school sporting contests in the state of Maryland. Organized in 1946, MPSSAA is made up of public high schools from each of Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City...
Class 1A. As of the 2008-2009 school year, varsity and junior varsity level sports include:
-
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- Soccer
- 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...
- 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...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball 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...
(women) - 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...
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
(women) - Track and FieldTrack 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...
- 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...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- CheerleadingCheerleadingCheerleading 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...
(Men and Women) - DanceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
- Basketball
- In 2004, the Rams track team won the Class 2A-1A Central region title, Class 1A South Regional crown and the state title.
- The varsity softball team was undefeated in the same year and placed first in the city.
- The football team has also been on the rise since its inception, which is reflective in their season records:
- 2004: 2 W - 7 L
- 2005: 3 W - 7 L
- 2006: 5 W - 5 L
- 2007: 8 W - 3 L (City Champions)
- 2007: 10W - 0 L (JV City Champions) Win over City College
- In 2007, the Rams baseball team went undefeated in the city and won the Baltimore City Championship.
- Winter of 2008, the boys indoor track team finished first in the state.
- In March, 2009 both the Rams boys and girls basketball teams won the state 1A championship in basketball.
Clubs
Digital Harbor offers a variety of clubs for students. Clubs currently offered at Digital Harbor include:- Anime Club,
- iDev (Website, App & Media) Team,
- Equestrian Club,
- Chess Club,
- Inner-city Outings Club, and
- International Club.
Achievements
The school was honored by M&T BankM&T Bank
M&T Bank is an American commercial bank that was founded in 1856 in western New York, and today remains headquartered in Buffalo at One M & T Plaza...
with a $5,000 loan to start a school store, which sells several school oriented memorabilia (cups, mugs, School Uniforms, wristbands etc.); and also sells snacks, drinks, and school supplies.Store Website The store was given the loan based on a presentation given by a group of students in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship , also referred to as NFTE , is an international non-profit organization providing entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities.Through entrepreneurship education NFTE helps young people from low-income communities build...
(NFTE) program. The bank has even donated a school mascot uniform to the school named Nifty (after the NFTE program).