Monticello High School (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Monticello High School (MHS) is a suburban public high school located in Albemarle County
, Virginia
, United States
outside Charlottesville
. Opened in 1998, it is one of three traditional comprehensive high schools in the Albemarle County Public Schools
System. The school is named after Monticello
, the nearby estate of President Thomas Jefferson
With an enrollment of 1,168 students in grades 9 through 12, Monticello receives students from Walton and Burley Middle Schools, which cover the southern and eastern portions of the county. The school colors are black and gold, and the mascot is a mustang
. The school's fight song uses the tune of The Victors
.
Effective in the 2010-11 school year, together with Albemarle County's other comprehensive high schools, MHS will operate on a Four-by-Four Hybrid schedule, with most one-credit courses offered every day for an 85-minute block during one semester. AP courses and some electives will meet yearlong on alternating days. The bell schedule is posted online: http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=91078
. MHS has a reputation as Albemarle County's "green school," as it was built to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, with skylights, a natural biofilter in the parking lot, and an on-campus artificial wetland.
Monticello High School is fully accredited by the Virginia State Board of Education
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school offers over 19 Advanced Placement courses, including: English 11 and 12, European History, US History, US Government, Biology II, French V, Spanish V, German V, Psychology, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Physics II, Chemistry II, Environmental Science, and Studio Art.
MHS uses Albemarle County's standard grading scale, according to which: A=90-100, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60 and F =59 and below. A weighed average is used to determine class rank, although no valedictorian
or salutatorian
is named at graduation.
Since it opened in 1998, Monticello has been a member of the Jefferson District
, which includes seven other area high schools in Region II
of the Virginia High School League
's AA classification (A-AAA scale). In football, the school has shifted between Divisions 3 and 4 of Class AA. For the 2009-2011 two season cycle, MHS competes in Division 3.
Athletics Director Fitzgerald Barnes has been at MHS since the school opened, as has head football coach Brud Bicknell. The Mustangs won at least 8 games each football season from 2002-2008. In 2003, Monticello advanced to the Division 3 state championship and lost to Gretna High School. The Mustangs returned to the Division 3 State Championship in 2007 and defeated Richlands High School 36-22, clinching the first state championship for any Charlottesville-area high school football team. In the following 2008 season, Coach Bicknell's team claimed back-to-back Region II
Championships, but the season ended abruptly after a controversial 4th Quarter penalty in a Division 3 state semifinal game at James Monroe High School
.
On-campus facilities include a multi-purpose stadium
with track, softball and baseball fields, a cross country running trail, multiple practice fields, two gymnasiums and weight rooms. The school's boys and girls tennis teams use the courts at adjacent Piedmont Virginia Community College
. As of August 2009, Mustang Stadium features an All Turf Playing Field. Construction began in June 2009 after several years of planning and fundraising.http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/album/default.php?sectiondetailid=80628
Since 2002, Mustang Stadium has also served as the venue for the Jefferson Classic, a high school marching band contest held the first Saturday in October and sponsored by the Monticello Bands and Music Boosters.http://mhsmb.avenue.org
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outside Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. Opened in 1998, it is one of three traditional comprehensive high schools in the Albemarle County Public Schools
Albemarle County Public Schools
Albemarle County Public Schools is a school district serving Albemarle County, Virginia. Its headquarters are in the City of Charlottesville.-Schools:High schools:* Zoned:**Albemarle High School**Monticello High School...
System. The school is named after Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
, the nearby estate of President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
With an enrollment of 1,168 students in grades 9 through 12, Monticello receives students from Walton and Burley Middle Schools, which cover the southern and eastern portions of the county. The school colors are black and gold, and the mascot is a mustang
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
. The school's fight song uses the tune of The Victors
The Victors
"The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan . It was composed by UM student Louis Elbel in 1898 following the last-minute football victory over the University of Chicago that clinched a league championship...
.
Effective in the 2010-11 school year, together with Albemarle County's other comprehensive high schools, MHS will operate on a Four-by-Four Hybrid schedule, with most one-credit courses offered every day for an 85-minute block during one semester. AP courses and some electives will meet yearlong on alternating days. The bell schedule is posted online: http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=91078
Administration
Dr. Catherine Worley became Monticello High School's fourth principal on July 1, 2009.Past principals
- Irving C. Jones (Aug. 1998 - Oct. 2002)
- Sherrard "Steele" Howen (Oct. 2002 - June 2003)
- John W. "Billy" Haun (July 2003 - June 2009)
- Catherine Worley (July 2009 - present)
Current administration
- Ben Williams, Assistant Principal
- Hank Atkins, Assistant Principal
- Kimberly Crandall, Interim Assistant Principal
Accolades and academics
In the spring of 2006, biology teacher Jeremy Dove was recognized with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingPresidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1983, this program authorizes the President...
. MHS has a reputation as Albemarle County's "green school," as it was built to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, with skylights, a natural biofilter in the parking lot, and an on-campus artificial wetland.
Monticello High School is fully accredited by the Virginia State Board of Education
Virginia State Board of Education
The Virginia State Board of Education is an independent board established by the state of Virginia in the United States which helps set state elementary and secondary educational policy, advocates within state government for elementary and secondary education, administers some state educational...
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school offers over 19 Advanced Placement courses, including: English 11 and 12, European History, US History, US Government, Biology II, French V, Spanish V, German V, Psychology, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Physics II, Chemistry II, Environmental Science, and Studio Art.
MHS uses Albemarle County's standard grading scale, according to which: A=90-100, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60 and F =59 and below. A weighed average is used to determine class rank, although no valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
or salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
is named at graduation.
School newspaper
Since Monticello High School opened in 1998, the students have published a monthly newspaper, the hoofprint.http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/newspaperid/3356/Default.aspxAthletics
Monticello High School offers 20 interscholastic sports. Below you will find a list with current head coaches.| Sport | Head Coach |
|---|---|
| Football | Brud Bicknell |
| Field Hockey | Katie Owens |
| Volleyball | John Mitchem |
| Golf | Pam Bradley |
| Cross Country | Doug Bloor |
| Cheerleading | Veronica Price-Thomas |
| Boys Basketball | Kareem Martin |
| Girls Basketball | Mike Mountjoy |
| Wrestling | Tom Sutliff |
| Swimming | T.D. Payne |
| Indoor Track | Steve Ivory |
| Baseball | Neil Schaffner |
| Softball | Beth Humphrey |
| Girls Lacrosse | Karen Hackett |
| Boys Lacrosse | Don Healy |
| Boys Soccer | Adam Southall |
| Girls Soccer | Jessie Wright |
| Girls Tennis | Lea Doise |
| Boys Tennis | Andrew Thornton |
| Outdoor Track | Steve Ivory |
Since it opened in 1998, Monticello has been a member of the Jefferson District
AA Jefferson District
The AA Jefferson District is a district in the Region II of the Virginia High School League. There are eight member schools. The District is named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, and as might be guessed, member schools are clustered around Charlottesville...
, which includes seven other area high schools in Region II
AA Region II
Region II is one of the four AA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AA Dulles District, the AA Evergreen District, the AA Jefferson District and the AA Northwestern District....
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
's AA classification (A-AAA scale). In football, the school has shifted between Divisions 3 and 4 of Class AA. For the 2009-2011 two season cycle, MHS competes in Division 3.
Athletics Director Fitzgerald Barnes has been at MHS since the school opened, as has head football coach Brud Bicknell. The Mustangs won at least 8 games each football season from 2002-2008. In 2003, Monticello advanced to the Division 3 state championship and lost to Gretna High School. The Mustangs returned to the Division 3 State Championship in 2007 and defeated Richlands High School 36-22, clinching the first state championship for any Charlottesville-area high school football team. In the following 2008 season, Coach Bicknell's team claimed back-to-back Region II
AA Region II
Region II is one of the four AA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AA Dulles District, the AA Evergreen District, the AA Jefferson District and the AA Northwestern District....
Championships, but the season ended abruptly after a controversial 4th Quarter penalty in a Division 3 state semifinal game at James Monroe High School
James Monroe High School (Virginia)
James Monroe High School is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is a four-year public high school in the Fredericksburg City Schools system. The school is named after James Monroe. The current school building opened to students in September 2006...
.
On-campus facilities include a multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
with track, softball and baseball fields, a cross country running trail, multiple practice fields, two gymnasiums and weight rooms. The school's boys and girls tennis teams use the courts at adjacent Piedmont Virginia Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
' is an open access community college offering two-year associate's degrees, one-year certificates, continuing education and workforce training. The campus is located in Albemarle County, Virginia, south of Charlottesville...
. As of August 2009, Mustang Stadium features an All Turf Playing Field. Construction began in June 2009 after several years of planning and fundraising.http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/album/default.php?sectiondetailid=80628
Since 2002, Mustang Stadium has also served as the venue for the Jefferson Classic, a high school marching band contest held the first Saturday in October and sponsored by the Monticello Bands and Music Boosters.http://mhsmb.avenue.org
Notable alumni
- Lauren Brie Harding - Contestant in Cycle Eleven of America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
. (ANTM)
External links
- http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/Monticello - Official School Website
- http://www.avenue.org/mhsmb - MHS Music Boosters
- http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/index.asp - National Association of Secondary School Principals