Henry W. Grady High School
Encyclopedia
Henry W. Grady High School is located in Atlanta, Georgia
, United States
in Midtown
. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools
(which will be leaving for the APS Transformation Process). It was founded in 1924 as Boys High School, and renovated once in 1950, once in 1987, and once again in 2004.
The namesake of the school is Henry Woodfin Grady, proponent of the "New South" after the Civil War, and Georgia's most celebrated journalist. The school's emphasis on communication skills is a tribute to the man. As of 2007, Vincent Murray is the principal. The mascot is the grey knight and the school colors are grey and cardinal red.
In addition to Midtown, Grady serves Inman Park
, Virginia-Highland
, Lake Claire
, Candler Park
, Fourth Ward
, Morningside-Lenox Park
, Ansley Park
, Kirkwood
, http://ivic02.residentinteractive.com/programs/web.show_html2?xwebsite=&xinput=3445869&parentid=9604 the Atlanta portion of Druid Hills
, and portions of East Lake
.
.jpg)
In 1947 the complexion of the school changed. It became a co-educational, neighborhood school that was renamed Henry W. Grady High School.
Henry Grady, for whom the school was named, was the editor of The Atlanta Constitution for nearly twenty years immediately after the Civil War
.
A well-known orator and writer, Grady proclaimed the advent of what he called the New South
.
At the time Grady High School received its new name, it also went through a physical transformation. The office, media center, and a few classrooms were added to the main wing.
The original neo-classical design of Grady High School in 1924 and the renovation in 1950 was the work of an architect named Philip Trammell Shutze who is now recognized as one of Atlanta's finest architects, famous for such monuments as the Swan House and Glenn Memorial Church.
As this new Grady High School emerged, a faculty that was drawn from both Boys and Girls High inspired a burst of creativity.
The school yearbook
was renamed The Orator and the newspaper The Southerner, names that clearly alluded to Henry Grady's career.
And within a short time, The Southerner was named the best school newspaper in the state and The Orator the third best yearbook.
This creative period in the 1950s was reflected in a cafeteria mural depicting the merger of Girls High and Boys High in an idyllic panorama of boys and girls mingling in Piedmont Park
with the new school in the background.
The cafeteria painting is a reminder of the excitement that was felt in the 1950s when Atlanta Public Schools
were first made co-educational.
But, obviously, this new coed, neighborhood high school did not include every high school age child in the neighborhood. Not until 1961 did Grady High School begin racial integration of the student body.
At that time the school became one of the first high schools in the state of Georgia to open its doors to black students.
Racial integration at Grady made the news both in the state and the nation as integration proceeded peacefully and smoothly. in 1961, Grady and the other high schools, were integrated from the top down. Two black students entered as Seniors (12th grade), one was a male (Lawrence Jefferson) and one a female (Mary McMullen). The first day of school, the sidewalk and street facing the school building was packed with members of the KKK, George Rockwell's American Natzi Party, Lester Maddox and friends with axe handles and assorteds adults with signs. There were city and state police, FBI, but I do not remember any National Guard members. The white students arriving for class that first day mostly ignored the crowds and the first day of school proceeded with no issues.
White flight
did occur as integration proceeded throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
But the makeup of Grady's school population stabilized between 1980 and 1985.
In the 1990s, Grady's ethnic composition remained close to 70% Black, 29% White, and 1% Other.
The stabilization of the ethnic makeup of Grady coincided with dramatic changes in the administrative leadership of the school.
In 1981 Thomas Adger became principal and Kay Earnhardt became the coordinator of the new Communication Magnet.
These two leaders fostered a renaissance at Grady that provided inspiration to the school.
They emphasized hiring creative faculty members, providing flexible scheduling for electives, encouraging cooperation between academic departments, creating advanced placement classes, procuring better technology and equipment from the business community, and developing the community's trust in the safety of the school.
They made Grady a showcase for student talent through revitalized publications, a debate team, and a school-wide festival of the humanities.
They were particularly successful in inspiring teachers and students to experiment.
Finally, in 1987-88 they led the school through another major renovation of the building. Renovations included adding a theater, air-conditioning the main building and the eighth street wing; installing carpets in most classrooms; replacing windows in the eighth street wing; cleaning the facade; installing a closed circuit television system; creating an improved art room; and adding a communications wing with a large darkroom and desktop publishing area.
The theme of the school in the 1980s was "All children can learn."
That philosophy was soon apparent because test scores in the 1980s improved throughout the student population. Georgia Basic Skills Test scores, for instance, jumped dramatically from 1987 to 1989.
SAT
scores from 1986 to 1990 reflected a similar pattern: an average verbal score of 350 in 1986 soared to 422 in 1990.
In 1983, Grady staff members began the first forensic program in the school system and Grady students have represented Georgia in national competitions every year since 1988.
Much of what was accomplished in the 1980s was recognized in 1991 when Grady High School was named a School of Excellence for the state of Georgia.
The intangible that accounted for much of the turnaround of the 1980s was the school's genuine acceptance of diversity
.
Grady became known as a school where the racism
, sexism
, and cultural bias that was still prevalent in the surrounding society were largely excluded.
Students were learning well, partly because past stereotypes were not hindering them in their interactions with each other or with their teachers.
Grady High School in the 1990s upheld the rapid pace of progress.
Grady's staff changed radically because of retirements and promotions. Led by a new principal, Dr. Vincent Murray, the school adjusted very well to the change.
Additions in personnel included many new teachers, counselors, magnet coordinator, registrar, media specialist, and assistant principal.
Creativity in the faculty has been encouraged in Dr. Murray's shared leadership approach.
The artwork in the halls, the dramatic productions, the multi-cultural humanities workshops, and the infusion of the fine arts into the curriculum through the efforts of the Arts Council are just a few of the activities indicating the creative energy which is sought at Grady High School.
Freedom of expression is celebrated at Grady High and is the foundation for a strong journalism program. Students working on the publications and Grady News Network won the All Georgia Award for the best print and broadcast journalism
program for seven years; twice, the newspaper staff was awarded the Pacemaker citation in print journalism from the National Scholastic Press Association
; the yearbook was a national marketing sample for Walsworth Publishing Company
for seven consecutive years.
While creativity flourished in the 1990s, students continued to excel academically.
By the mid-1990s, Grady's SAT scores were higher than the local, state and national averages.
Furthermore, Grady students showed an impressive performance on Advanced Placement exams.
In 1996, 62% of the advanced placement students scored 3, 4, or 5 on the advanced placement exams. This percentage was higher than the system's percentages.
Those accomplishments were recognized in 1994-95 when, once again, Grady High School was named a Georgia School of Excellence and in 1995-96 for classroom innovation as one of "America's Best Schools" according to the May 1996 issue of Redbook
.
In the July 1996 issue of Atlanta Magazine, Grady High was honored as the "Best of Atlanta".
As the 1990s came to a close, Grady continued to garner national acclaim. Enjolique Aytch, class of 1999, was featured in the October 19, 1998 issue of Time
for her academic accomplishments, and the school was identified by U.S. News & World Report
(January 18, 1999 issue) as an outstanding high school in the United States.
.jpg)
The exceptional teaching staff continues to be a major strength at Grady High School.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1996-97 (Ms. Bryant) and 1997-98 (Mr. Boonyapat) were selected as the Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools.
In addition, Mr. Boonyapat was also chosen as one of the top four teachers in the state.
Mrs. Bolster, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1998-99, and Mr. McCurdy, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 2001-02, were selected as the High School Teacher of the Year for the school system.
In an effort to address the needs of all students, members of the staff have created a Health Career Academy, an inclusion model of collaborative teaching for students in the Program for Exceptional Children, and a ninth grade transition program.
In the fall of 1999 the Georgia Public Policy Foundation
ranked Grady as the best high school in Atlanta Public Schools.
The United States Department of Education
cited Grady High School during the 1999-2000 school year as a "Distinguished Title I High School."
Grady's Mock Trial
team won the state championship at the 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010 competitions, and placed second in the 1999, 2007 and 2008 competitions. In 1999, Grady placed second to Clark Central High School. In 2007 and 2008, Grady placed second t to Jonesboro High School. In all three years, those teams won won the National Championship.
In the spring of 2000, the Grady Foundation used funding from several private sources to complete the first phase of the courtyard project.
This landscaped area provides many opportunities for students, faculty, and friends to enjoy and learn in a natural environment.
The literary magazine, newspaper, yearbook, and Grady News Now continue to win both state and national awards.
In 2002 Grady won the School Change Award from the National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Beginning in the summer of 2003, Grady began a major renovation: the 8th Street wing was demolished, and a three-story addition which houses the cafeteria, media center, magnet, health academy, business classrooms, and the arts was added; the Charles Allen
building was gutted and renovated to include new science labs and classrooms for the core curriculum.
in the Atlanta Public Schools System.
A magnet program develops a special emphasis within a high school setting. In the Grady magnet program, students supplement their college preparatory course of study with elective courses to gain a competitive edge in effective communication skills for a profession in mass media
or for any chosen career. During the 2010-11 school year, the Communications program will begin a four year transformation from a magnet program to a small learning community.
, oral communication (policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate
, drama
or public speaking
) and computer applications.
Second-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism and fine arts (music, chorus or art).
Third-year students select an area of emphasis to explore for both semesters of their junior and senior years.
Those areas include:
(Clayton State University
), Falany Hall (Reinhardt College
) and the Recital Hall of Georgia State University
. They have also performed with the William Baker Festival Singers and have annual fall performances with the Woodstock High School
Varsity Singers. Every year since 2005 many singers have auditioned for and attended the Georgia All-State Chorus, and in 2006 all three members who attended received honorary seals on their certificates.
Additional magnet electives are: beginning photography, advanced photography and advanced computer applications.
Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published since 1947.
The Southerner has won numerous awards, such as the Pacemaker Award, and the Quill & Scroll Award, earning the publication wide acclaim.
Polls, surveys and interviews are used to write columns that find the voice of the student body and preserve it for future generations. The Orator is created for students by students, and the staff consists of 11th and 12th graders.
The yearbook staff is led by teachers Susan Mercer and Paul Nicolson.
This yearbook is published mostly using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Money for the Orator is raised through ad sales, yearbook sales and various other fundraisers.
Its success in the 2004 - 2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. The second year (2005–2006) was met with great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from The Georgia Scholastic Press Association. In the 2008-2009 school year Nexus has won "All Southern" from SIPA.
It is in between 8th Street and 10th Street, and directly across from Piedmont Park
. The area where Grady is located includes many stores, shops, restaurants, and a movie theater.
10th and Home, the designated family housing unit of Georgia Tech, is zoned to Grady.
In 2005, 44% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
Current Fight Song
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
We're going to fight Grady Knights fight,
fight Grady Knights fight!
We are here to win this game, our team can't be beat.
The middle school that feeds into Grady is Samuel M. Inman middle school. All of the schools listed prep their students.
, Freak Nasty
, and Outkast
. Grady is also the birthplace of several recording artists and popular local groups—such as national rap act Supreeme
and The Grape Tree Music Collective. Several movies have also been shot on Grady's campus, including "Remember the Titans."
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
(which will be leaving for the APS Transformation Process). It was founded in 1924 as Boys High School, and renovated once in 1950, once in 1987, and once again in 2004.
The namesake of the school is Henry Woodfin Grady, proponent of the "New South" after the Civil War, and Georgia's most celebrated journalist. The school's emphasis on communication skills is a tribute to the man. As of 2007, Vincent Murray is the principal. The mascot is the grey knight and the school colors are grey and cardinal red.
In addition to Midtown, Grady serves Inman Park
Inman Park
Inman Park was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who intended to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first of Atlanta's electric streetcar lines. The East Atlanta Land Company acquired and developed more than 130 acres east of the city...
, Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous...
, Lake Claire
Lake Claire (Atlanta)
Lake Claire is a neighborhood in eastern Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately 1,200 homes. It is entirely in the DeKalb County side of the city, east of Candler Park, north of Kirkwood, west of Decatur, and south of Druid Hills....
, Candler Park
Candler Park
Candler Park is a 55-acre city park located at 585 Candler Park Drive NE, in Atlanta, Georgia. It is named after Coca-Cola magnate Asa Griggs Candler, who donated this land to the city in 1922...
, Fourth Ward
Old Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
, Morningside-Lenox Park
Morningside-Lenox Park
Morningside/Lenox Park is a residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia founded in 1931. It is located north of Virginia-Highland, east of Ansley Park and west of Druid Hills...
, Ansley Park
Ansley Park
Ansley Park is an affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. One of the first suburban neighborhoods in the city designed for automobiles, it features wide, winding roads rather than the grid pattern typical of older streetcar...
, Kirkwood
Kirkwood (Atlanta)
Kirkwood is a neighborhood in eastern Atlanta, Georgia that was designed by architect, Will Saunders. It is situated entirely in DeKalb County and near Lake Claire, East Lake, and Oakhurst. Kirkwood is bound on the north by DeKalb Avenue and on the south by Memorial Drive...
, http://ivic02.residentinteractive.com/programs/web.show_html2?xwebsite=&xinput=3445869&parentid=9604 the Atlanta portion of Druid Hills
Druid Hills, Georgia
Druid Hills is a community which includes both a census-designated place in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, as well as a neighborhood of the city of Atlanta. The CDP's population was 14,568 at the 2010 census...
, and portions of East Lake
East Lake (Atlanta)
East Lake is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, situated in DeKalb County.It is the eastern-most of the 238 neighborhoods in the City of Atlanta . East Lake is bordered by:* Knox St./Pharr Rd. and the Decatur neighborhood of Oakhurst to the north;* 1st St...
.
Early history (1924–1947)
When the school year began on the site of what is now Henry W. Grady High School for the school year 1924-1925, Atlanta's schools were segregated both by gender and by race. The school began, therefore, as an institution for white males, divided into Boys High School and Tech High. Because Boys High and Tech High were the only high schools for white males in early twentieth century Atlanta, these schools count among their graduates many of Atlanta's most influential citizens in the past fifty years.1947–1961
Henry Grady, for whom the school was named, was the editor of The Atlanta Constitution for nearly twenty years immediately after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
A well-known orator and writer, Grady proclaimed the advent of what he called the New South
New South
New South, New South Democracy or New South Creed is a phrase that has been used intermittently since the American Civil War to describe the American South, after 1877. The term "New South" is used in contrast to the Old South of the plantation system of the antebellum period.The term has been used...
.
At the time Grady High School received its new name, it also went through a physical transformation. The office, media center, and a few classrooms were added to the main wing.
The original neo-classical design of Grady High School in 1924 and the renovation in 1950 was the work of an architect named Philip Trammell Shutze who is now recognized as one of Atlanta's finest architects, famous for such monuments as the Swan House and Glenn Memorial Church.
As this new Grady High School emerged, a faculty that was drawn from both Boys and Girls High inspired a burst of creativity.
The school yearbook
Yearbook
A 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...
was renamed The Orator and the newspaper The Southerner, names that clearly alluded to Henry Grady's career.
And within a short time, The Southerner was named the best school newspaper in the state and The Orator the third best yearbook.
This creative period in the 1950s was reflected in a cafeteria mural depicting the merger of Girls High and Boys High in an idyllic panorama of boys and girls mingling in Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
with the new school in the background.
1961–1991
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
were first made co-educational.
But, obviously, this new coed, neighborhood high school did not include every high school age child in the neighborhood. Not until 1961 did Grady High School begin racial integration of the student body.
At that time the school became one of the first high schools in the state of Georgia to open its doors to black students.
Racial integration at Grady made the news both in the state and the nation as integration proceeded peacefully and smoothly. in 1961, Grady and the other high schools, were integrated from the top down. Two black students entered as Seniors (12th grade), one was a male (Lawrence Jefferson) and one a female (Mary McMullen). The first day of school, the sidewalk and street facing the school building was packed with members of the KKK, George Rockwell's American Natzi Party, Lester Maddox and friends with axe handles and assorteds adults with signs. There were city and state police, FBI, but I do not remember any National Guard members. The white students arriving for class that first day mostly ignored the crowds and the first day of school proceeded with no issues.
White flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
did occur as integration proceeded throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
But the makeup of Grady's school population stabilized between 1980 and 1985.
In the 1990s, Grady's ethnic composition remained close to 70% Black, 29% White, and 1% Other.
The stabilization of the ethnic makeup of Grady coincided with dramatic changes in the administrative leadership of the school.
In 1981 Thomas Adger became principal and Kay Earnhardt became the coordinator of the new Communication Magnet.
These two leaders fostered a renaissance at Grady that provided inspiration to the school.
They emphasized hiring creative faculty members, providing flexible scheduling for electives, encouraging cooperation between academic departments, creating advanced placement classes, procuring better technology and equipment from the business community, and developing the community's trust in the safety of the school.
They made Grady a showcase for student talent through revitalized publications, a debate team, and a school-wide festival of the humanities.
They were particularly successful in inspiring teachers and students to experiment.
Finally, in 1987-88 they led the school through another major renovation of the building. Renovations included adding a theater, air-conditioning the main building and the eighth street wing; installing carpets in most classrooms; replacing windows in the eighth street wing; cleaning the facade; installing a closed circuit television system; creating an improved art room; and adding a communications wing with a large darkroom and desktop publishing area.
The theme of the school in the 1980s was "All children can learn."
That philosophy was soon apparent because test scores in the 1980s improved throughout the student population. Georgia Basic Skills Test scores, for instance, jumped dramatically from 1987 to 1989.
SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores from 1986 to 1990 reflected a similar pattern: an average verbal score of 350 in 1986 soared to 422 in 1990.
In 1983, Grady staff members began the first forensic program in the school system and Grady students have represented Georgia in national competitions every year since 1988.
Much of what was accomplished in the 1980s was recognized in 1991 when Grady High School was named a School of Excellence for the state of Georgia.
The intangible that accounted for much of the turnaround of the 1980s was the school's genuine acceptance of diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
.
Grady became known as a school where the racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
, and cultural bias that was still prevalent in the surrounding society were largely excluded.
Students were learning well, partly because past stereotypes were not hindering them in their interactions with each other or with their teachers.
1991–1999
Grady's staff changed radically because of retirements and promotions. Led by a new principal, Dr. Vincent Murray, the school adjusted very well to the change.
Additions in personnel included many new teachers, counselors, magnet coordinator, registrar, media specialist, and assistant principal.
Creativity in the faculty has been encouraged in Dr. Murray's shared leadership approach.
The artwork in the halls, the dramatic productions, the multi-cultural humanities workshops, and the infusion of the fine arts into the curriculum through the efforts of the Arts Council are just a few of the activities indicating the creative energy which is sought at Grady High School.
Freedom of expression is celebrated at Grady High and is the foundation for a strong journalism program. Students working on the publications and Grady News Network won the All Georgia Award for the best print and broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
program for seven years; twice, the newspaper staff was awarded the Pacemaker citation in print journalism from the National Scholastic Press Association
National Scholastic Press Association
The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...
; the yearbook was a national marketing sample for Walsworth Publishing Company
Walsworth Publishing Company
Walsworth Publishing Company is a commercial printing and publishing company that specializes in student yearbooks. It is also the parent company of The Donning Company, which it acquired in 1985.-History:...
for seven consecutive years.
While creativity flourished in the 1990s, students continued to excel academically.
By the mid-1990s, Grady's SAT scores were higher than the local, state and national averages.
Furthermore, Grady students showed an impressive performance on Advanced Placement exams.
In 1996, 62% of the advanced placement students scored 3, 4, or 5 on the advanced placement exams. This percentage was higher than the system's percentages.
Those accomplishments were recognized in 1994-95 when, once again, Grady High School was named a Georgia School of Excellence and in 1995-96 for classroom innovation as one of "America's Best Schools" according to the May 1996 issue of Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
.
In the July 1996 issue of Atlanta Magazine, Grady High was honored as the "Best of Atlanta".
As the 1990s came to a close, Grady continued to garner national acclaim. Enjolique Aytch, class of 1999, was featured in the October 19, 1998 issue of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
for her academic accomplishments, and the school was identified by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
(January 18, 1999 issue) as an outstanding high school in the United States.
1999–present
Therefore, it is not surprising that Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1996-97 (Ms. Bryant) and 1997-98 (Mr. Boonyapat) were selected as the Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools.
In addition, Mr. Boonyapat was also chosen as one of the top four teachers in the state.
Mrs. Bolster, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 1998-99, and Mr. McCurdy, Grady's Teacher of the Year in 2001-02, were selected as the High School Teacher of the Year for the school system.
In an effort to address the needs of all students, members of the staff have created a Health Career Academy, an inclusion model of collaborative teaching for students in the Program for Exceptional Children, and a ninth grade transition program.
In the fall of 1999 the Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is a free-market think tank based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The President and Chief Executive Officer is Rogers Wade. Its board of directors currently includes twenty seven men and women from around the state....
ranked Grady as the best high school in Atlanta Public Schools.
The United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
cited Grady High School during the 1999-2000 school year as a "Distinguished Title I High School."
Grady's Mock Trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
team won the state championship at the 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010 competitions, and placed second in the 1999, 2007 and 2008 competitions. In 1999, Grady placed second to Clark Central High School. In 2007 and 2008, Grady placed second t to Jonesboro High School. In all three years, those teams won won the National Championship.
In the spring of 2000, the Grady Foundation used funding from several private sources to complete the first phase of the courtyard project.
This landscaped area provides many opportunities for students, faculty, and friends to enjoy and learn in a natural environment.
The literary magazine, newspaper, yearbook, and Grady News Now continue to win both state and national awards.
In 2002 Grady won the School Change Award from the National Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Beginning in the summer of 2003, Grady began a major renovation: the 8th Street wing was demolished, and a three-story addition which houses the cafeteria, media center, magnet, health academy, business classrooms, and the arts was added; the Charles Allen
Charles L. Allen
Charles Livingstone Allen was an American ordained Methodist minister most notable for his work as a Pastor.Born in Newborn, Georgia, he ministered around the state, including 1948 to 1960 at Grace United Methodist in Atlanta...
building was gutted and renovated to include new science labs and classrooms for the core curriculum.
Magnet program
The Grady Communication Magnet, located on the Henry W. Grady High School campus in Midtown Atlanta, is one of eight magnet programsMagnet 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...
in the Atlanta Public Schools System.
A magnet program develops a special emphasis within a high school setting. In the Grady magnet program, students supplement their college preparatory course of study with elective courses to gain a competitive edge in effective communication skills for a profession in mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
or for any chosen career. During the 2010-11 school year, the Communications program will begin a four year transformation from a magnet program to a small learning community.
Curriculum
First-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalismJournalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, oral communication (policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
or public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
) and computer applications.
Second-year students take the following one-semester electives: journalism and fine arts (music, chorus or art).
Third-year students select an area of emphasis to explore for both semesters of their junior and senior years.
Those areas include:
- Print Journalism (newspaper)
- see Publications below
- Print Journalism (news magazine)
- see Publications below
- Broadcast Journalism (Grady News Now)
- see Publications below
- Desktop Publishing (yearbook)
- see Publications below
- Creative Writing (literary magazine)
- see Publications below
- Oral Communication (drama/debate)
- The drama department organizes several productions each year. Fall semester productions have included nights of one act plays, and other productions such as Alice in Wonderland in 2004 and Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas BingeMrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas BingeMrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge is a musical parody of the Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol. Written by Christopher Durang, the play was initially commissioned by in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when Durang was asked by Artistic Director Tracy Brigden to write a Christmas comedy...
in 2006. - Larger scale productions are performed in the spring semesters, and alternate between plays and musicals. TartuffeTartuffeTartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
was performed in 2006, and musical credits include Ragtime in 2005 and the upcoming production of West Side Story in 2007. - Debate: Debate is broken down into two categories, IE (individual events) and debate events.
- The drama department organizes several productions each year. Fall semester productions have included nights of one act plays, and other productions such as Alice in Wonderland in 2004 and Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge
- Art
- The art department offers the AP Studio ArtAP Studio ArtAP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:...
class, and has annual exhibitions at the Eyedrum Art GalleryEyedrumEyedrum is a non-profit art space and venue in Atlanta, Georgia focused on contemporary art and experimental music ranging from contemporary chamber music, sound sculpture to drone noise music, and art rock. Up until Jan. 1, 2011, they were located in the Old Fourth Ward district, and had three art...
.
- The art department offers the AP Studio Art
- Music (band, orchestra or chorus, see below)
- The Grady Orchestra is made up of beginning, intermediate and advanced classes. The Advanced Orchestra has consistently been given Superior ratings at GMEA Festivals. The Orchestra was featured in the AJC living section.
- Foreign Language (third and fourth year of French, Spanish or Latin).
Knights of Sound
The Grady High School Knights of Sound Band (made of a marching band, a concert/symphonic band, and a jazz band) was built under the leadership of band director Dr. Dyann Ryans from 2001 to 2008. During this time, the Knights of Sound received numerous awards and accolades, such as superior ratings at GMEA Festivals, traveling to Orlando's Heritage Music Festival and receiving a silver rating, doing numerous parades like the Inman Park Parade and the Clark Atlanta University Parade, performing at a local Battle of The Bands in 2009, fashion shows, and many community events. Three students were selected to be in the All-State Band in 2006. Band members received gold, silver, and bronze medals in the NAACP-ACT SO Competition held annually in March and superior and excellent ratings at District Solo and Ensemble. Many seniors receive band scholarships to the college of their choice while participating in the Knights of Sound Band. In 2007, the Knights of Sound performed with the "Dem Franchize Boys" in 'Talkin Out The Side of Ya Neck Video'. The band is under the current leadership of Brian Cook as of July 2011.Chorus
The Grady Chorus consists of four independent classes (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Chamber choruses). The Advanced and Chamber Choruses form Grady's performance chorus, and have performed at Spivey HallSpivey Hall
Spivey Hall was built in 1991 on the campus of Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, not far from Atlanta, Georgia. Its seating capacity is 392 . It presents jazz and classical music to the metro Atlanta area....
(Clayton State University
Clayton State University
Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia, with 6,785 students. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia....
), Falany Hall (Reinhardt College
Reinhardt College
Reinhardt University is a comprehensive university grounded in the liberal arts located in Waleska, Georgia, United States, with an off-campus center in Alpharetta, Georgia. Select programs are also offered in Cartersville, Marietta, and Epworth, Ga., and...
) and the Recital Hall of Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. They have also performed with the William Baker Festival Singers and have annual fall performances with the Woodstock High School
Woodstock High School (Georgia)
Woodstock High School is a public high school located in Woodstock, Georgia. They currently educate grades 9-12. Its mascot is the Wolverine. It opened in 1996 with only a freshman and sophomore class. As each year progressed, a junior and senior class was filled by the original sophomores...
Varsity Singers. Every year since 2005 many singers have auditioned for and attended the Georgia All-State Chorus, and in 2006 all three members who attended received honorary seals on their certificates.
Additional magnet electives are: beginning photography, advanced photography and advanced computer applications.
The Unmasking (literary magazine)
The Unmasking was founded in 1988 as a yearly publication of student art, literature, and criticism edited by Grady students, published every spring. The magazine was named "Best in Show" by the National Scholastic Press Association twice, in 2005 (Seattle) and 2001 (Boston). The publication is also a member of the Georgia Scholastic Press Association, which in 2006 rated the magazine as superior.The Southerner
The Southerner is a monthly newspaper written by Grady students.Part of the High School National Ad Network, it has been published since 1947.
The Southerner has won numerous awards, such as the Pacemaker Award, and the Quill & Scroll Award, earning the publication wide acclaim.
GNN and GAMETIME (broadcast journalism)
The Grady News Now and "GAMETIME" are Grady High School's programs in broadcast journalism, and are also recipients of many awards. GNN won its first Pacemaker in November 2005. It was one of only four schools nationwide to receive the highset award in scholastic journalism. "GAMETIME" is a biweekly show dedicated to the coverage of prevalent sports stories as well as scores and highlights from all scholastic athletic events. It won the GSPA (Georgia Scholastic Press Association) award for the best new breakthrough production. A new show was added in 2007, called "GK Today". This show consists of the morning announcements schoolwide.The Orator (yearbook)
The Orator is Grady High School's yearbook. It is the final product of the electronic publishing design course.Polls, surveys and interviews are used to write columns that find the voice of the student body and preserve it for future generations. The Orator is created for students by students, and the staff consists of 11th and 12th graders.
The yearbook staff is led by teachers Susan Mercer and Paul Nicolson.
This yearbook is published mostly using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Money for the Orator is raised through ad sales, yearbook sales and various other fundraisers.
Nexus (magazine)
Nexus magazine, written by Grady students, is a bimonthly publication.Its success in the 2004 - 2005 school year was at first limited, with only a handful of editions, as that was its first year and it started late. The second year (2005–2006) was met with great success when Nexus gained the Start-Up achievement award from The Georgia Scholastic Press Association. In the 2008-2009 school year Nexus has won "All Southern" from SIPA.
Location
Grady is located on 929 Charles Allen Drive, Atlanta Georgia.It is in between 8th Street and 10th Street, and directly across from Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
. The area where Grady is located includes many stores, shops, restaurants, and a movie theater.
10th and Home, the designated family housing unit of Georgia Tech, is zoned to Grady.
Student body
In the 2006-2007 school year, the school had 1,285 students. http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ga/other/61#toc- 67% were African-American
- 27% were CaucasianCaucasian raceThe term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
- 3% were Other: multiracialMultiracialThe terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, HispanicHispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, AsianAsian peopleAsian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
In 2005, 44% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
Alma mater
The school's alma mater, performed only at graduation and during anniversary celebrations, was composed in the early days of Grady High School, to celebrate a new, coeducational community.- Grady we hail thee,
- And we sing thy praise.
- Faithful to thee,
- On through endless days,
- Thee we will honor,
- True and loyal be.
- All praise and glory,
- Grady to thee.
- Hail to thy greatness,
- And eternal fame.
- All through the ages,
- Glory to thy name.
- Thee we will honor,
- True and loyal be,
- All praise and glory,
- Grady to thee
- All hail to thee.
Fight song
Grady Forever- Grady Forever,
- Hail to thy name so fair.
- March on triumphant,
- Under the colors rare—rah, rah, rah.
- For the Red and Grey
- Thy name shall ring.
- We'll forever hail thy name and sing:
- Grady Forever, marching on to victory!
Current Fight Song
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight Grady Knights Fight.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
We're going to fight Grady Knights fight,
fight Grady Knights fight!
We are here to win this game, our team can't be beat.
Student activities
Students can invest their time out of class in various extracuricular activities:Sports
- Fall sports
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champions)
- Cross-country (Boys: 2005 Regional Champions; 2nd at state. 2003 2nd at state, 2009 APS city champions, 2010 APS city champions, 2011 APS city champions)
- Football – Varsity and Junior Varsity (2005 Regional Champions, State Football Semi-Finals)
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Winter sports
- Basketball – Boys and girls Varsity and JV (2006 Regional Champion Runner-up)
- Cheerleading (2006 Regional Champion)
- Debate – Novice, JV and Varsity (see below, under Forensics
- Riflery – Co-ed
- Spring sports
- Baseball – Varsity and JV
- Golf
- Lacrosse - Varsity (Boys and Girls)
- Soccer (Boys: 2004, 2005 Regional Champions; Girls: First state playoff win ever in 2006, Final Four in 2007.)The Grady soccer teams compete in region 5-AAA, often noted as the hardest region to compete in throughout Georgia.
- Tennis
- Track(Boys, 1999, 200 meter state champion, 2000, Team 3rd State Class AA, 2001, Team 3rd State Class AA, 2002 Team Region Runner-up, 2003, Team 3rd State Class AA, 2005, Team Class AA State Runner-up, 2007, State runner-up and nationally ranked 4x100 relay)
- Ultimate Frisbee
Clubs and extracurriculars
- Public Forum
- Mock Trial - The team won the State Championship in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The team placed 14, 16, 8, 3 and 4 at the National Championship in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. The team has won the Metro Atlanta Regional competition for 12 years in a row. They also won an International Invitational Competition in New York in October 2010.
- Model U.N. - numerous individual awards at the Georgia State University competition
- Arab League
- Robotics Team - the "Grady Gearbox Gangstaz"
- FIRST Robotics Competition - Finalists at the Peachtree Regional, winners of the Peachtree Regional Rookie All-Star Award, division semifinalist at the International Championships
- VEX - 2005 International Championship 1st place
- BEST Robotics Competition - 2006 Regional 2nd place; awards for most elegant design, best shirt design, most photogenic robot, and Founders Award for best conceptual design
- MATE ROV Challenge
- Fashion Club, with an annual fashion show
- JROTC, Citywide JROTC Drill Team Competition: 1st Place – Color Guard Team; 2nd Place – Standard Drill Team, 1st Place Veterans Day Parade, Henry W Grady Jrotc
- Gamer Club
- Gospel Choir
- History Club
- Improvisation Club
- Interact Club
- Jetpack Club
- Les Gourmandes
- Library Club
- Philosophy Club
- Poetry Club
- Organic Gardening Club
- Quiz Bowl
- Future Teachers of America (FTA)
- FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Fiber Arts Club
- Earth Club
- Drama Club
- Biology Club
- Beta Club
- Andover-Dartmouth Math Team
- Achievement Club
- Academic Decathlon
- Art Club
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
- Students for Voter Registration
- Sam Barksdale Club
- Latin Club
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Modern Literature Club
Feeder patterns
The following elementary schools feed into Grady: Centennial Place, Mary Lin,http://www.marylinelementary.com/, Morningside and Springdale Park.The middle school that feeds into Grady is Samuel M. Inman middle school. All of the schools listed prep their students.
Grady in popular culture
Several music videos have been shot on Grady's campus, including videos by popular artists Dem Franchize BoyzDem Franchize Boyz
Dem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group comprises four members: Parlae , Pimpin' , Jizzal Man , and Buddie .-History:...
, Freak Nasty
Freak Nasty
Eric Timmons, better known by his stage name Freak Nasty is a hip-hop music recording artist....
, and Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
. Grady is also the birthplace of several recording artists and popular local groups—such as national rap act Supreeme
Supreeme
Supreeme were an American rap group. Members include Shaka "Tom Cruz" Girvan aka Dope Pope, Negashi Armada, and Sam "King Self" Terrell. Girvan produces all of the music, and all three members contribute lyrical content and stylistic elements. They are best known for their release Supremacy but...
and The Grape Tree Music Collective. Several movies have also been shot on Grady's campus, including "Remember the Titans."
Notable alumni
- Elliott Levitas, Class of 1948 former U.S. Congressman
- Liane Levetan, Class of 1953 former CEO, DeKalb County
- Stuart Eizenstat, Class of 1960 policy adviser, Carter and Clinton presidential administrations
- Hilton Fuller, Class of 1961 judge, DeKalb County Superior Court
- Harris Hines, Class of 1961 justice, Ga. Supreme Court
- Jerry Baxter, Class of 1967 judge, Fulton County Superior Court
- Richard Lenny, Class of 1970 CEO, Hershey Corporation
- Yolanda KingYolanda KingYolanda Denise King was the first-born child of Coretta Scott King and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Class of 1972 daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. - Debra Bernes, Class of 1973 judge, Georgia Court of Appeals
- Eric RobertsEric RobertsEric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
, Class of 1974 actor - Earthwind MorelandEarthwind MorelandEarthwind C. Moreland is a former National Football League cornerback for the New England Patriots and Arena Football League cornerback/wide receiver for the Las Vegas Gladiators...
, Class of 1995 professional football player - SupreemeSupreemeSupreeme were an American rap group. Members include Shaka "Tom Cruz" Girvan aka Dope Pope, Negashi Armada, and Sam "King Self" Terrell. Girvan produces all of the music, and all three members contribute lyrical content and stylistic elements. They are best known for their release Supremacy but...
, former hip-hop group, including members include Shaka "Tom Cruz" Girvan aka Dope Pope, Negashi Armada, and Sam "King Self" Terrell - The OMG Girlz, rising pop/hip hop group, including members include Bajha "Beauty" Rodriguez, Zonnique "Star" Pullinsm, and Breaunna "Babydoll" ?