Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Encyclopedia
Mt. Edgecumbe High School (abbreviated MEHS) is a State of Alaska
-run public boarding
high school
located in Sitka
, Alaska
in the United States
.
The school is named for Mount Edgecumbe
which is located on Kruzof Island
, a dormant volcano
visible from Mt. Edgecumbe High School's campus, which was, in turn, named for George, Earl of Edgecumbe, by British Captain James Cook
.
In the summer, the school hosts camps such as the Sitka Fine Arts Camp
.
in Sitka in 1947 on the then-recently deserted Sitka World War II
installation. It was originally administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
and, along with Native Alaskan boarding schools
in others parts of the state, helped educate today's leaders from rural areas. In fact, there are several MEHS graduates in the current Alaska Legislature
. In the 1980s, the school was closed for a year before being transferred to the State of Alaska which has administered the institution since.
Mt. Edgecumbe expanded from 370 students to 420 students in 2004 and projects a long-term (2007 onward) enrollment of 450. The school usually has 140 openings, but usually an excess of 300 students apply every year. As of 2005, over 100 Alaskan communities are represented at MEHS.
. Ninety percent of its students attend universities and college after graduation. All students are required to learn a language (usually Chinese
or Japanese
, but sometimes Spanish), familiarize themselves with an array of technologies, and participate in the academic environment (for example, class is held on Saturday once a month). Mt. Edgecumbe staff also are in charge of a "Extended Families" scheme made up of MEHS students from the school. The staff member takes their students to their homes for dinners to help build personal connections with students and help better the environment at the school.
Ninety percent of Mt. Edgecumbe's student body is Alaska Native, and a majority of the student body comes from the Bush. The school makes some efforts to promote the cultural identity of Alaska Natives and there are several student-lead Alaska Native dance groups.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School has a popular science program: students compete at a national level in science projects which have included mapping genetics of Alaska flora and fauna.
IBM offers internships for outstanding graduating students.
teams. Mt. Edgecumbe, as classified as a 3A school, has made repeated runs to state championships with its basketball teams. Besides basketball, its competitive drama
, debate
and forensic team has been successful at the state level winning a state championship in drama in 2004, and the school has produced many quality wrestling
and volleyball
teams as well. In recent years, the Lady Braves volleyball team has been very successful. Since 2005 they have finished as the Class 3A State Runner-up 3 times! Historically, Edgecumbe was known for its running; in the 60s and early 70s Mt. Edgecumbe won 11 consecutive regional championships in cross-country. Their last regional championship was in 2008.
Mt. Edgecumbe's traditional rivals include its cross-town 3A rival Sitka High School
(their matchups are known as the "Battle of the Bridge" — alluding to MEHS and SHS being on different islands) and other 3A rival, Petersburg High School
in Petersburg
, Alaska
.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
-run public boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
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 Sitka
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, originally called New Archangel under Russian Rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean , in the U.S...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The school is named for Mount Edgecumbe
Mount Edgecumbe (Alaska)
Mount Edgecumbe is the current name of a dormant volcano located at the southern end of Kruzof Island, Alaska, of which it is the highest point. In the Tlingit language it is called L’ux. Mt...
which is located on Kruzof Island
Kruzof Island
Kruzof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska at . It is about west of Sitka, and is part of the City and Borough of Sitka. It was named in 1805 by Captain U.T. Lisianski as Crooze Island, after a Russian Admiral...
, a dormant volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
visible from Mt. Edgecumbe High School's campus, which was, in turn, named for George, Earl of Edgecumbe, by British Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
.
In the summer, the school hosts camps such as the Sitka Fine Arts Camp
Sitka Fine Arts Camp
Sitka Fine Arts Camp is a nationally recognized fine arts summer camp located in Sitka, Alaska.-History:Founded in 1973, Sitka Fine Arts Camp is a multi-disciplinary arts camp featuring the dramatic arts, music, literary arts, visual arts , and dance...
.
History
Mt. Edgecumbe High School was instituted on Japonski IslandJaponski Island
Japonski Island, or Yak'w Kashaneixí, is a small island in the city of Sitka in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska, United States...
in Sitka in 1947 on the then-recently deserted Sitka World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
installation. It was originally administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
and, along with Native Alaskan boarding schools
Native American boarding schools
An Indian boarding school refers to one of many schools that were established in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to educate Native American children and youths according to Euro-American standards...
in others parts of the state, helped educate today's leaders from rural areas. In fact, there are several MEHS graduates in the current Alaska Legislature
Alaska Legislature
The Alaska Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution, consisting of the lower Alaska House of Representatives, with 40 members, and the upper house Alaska Senate, with 20 members...
. In the 1980s, the school was closed for a year before being transferred to the State of Alaska which has administered the institution since.
Mt. Edgecumbe expanded from 370 students to 420 students in 2004 and projects a long-term (2007 onward) enrollment of 450. The school usually has 140 openings, but usually an excess of 300 students apply every year. As of 2005, over 100 Alaskan communities are represented at MEHS.
Educational model
Mt. Edgecumbe's is known for developing educationally-disadvantaged students from the BushBush Alaska
The Bush is a term Alaskans use to describe portions of their state that are not connected to the North America road network. A majority of Alaska's native populations live in the Bush, where they make their living in similar fashion to their ancestors....
. Ninety percent of its students attend universities and college after graduation. All students are required to learn a language (usually Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
or Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, but sometimes Spanish), familiarize themselves with an array of technologies, and participate in the academic environment (for example, class is held on Saturday once a month). Mt. Edgecumbe staff also are in charge of a "Extended Families" scheme made up of MEHS students from the school. The staff member takes their students to their homes for dinners to help build personal connections with students and help better the environment at the school.
Ninety percent of Mt. Edgecumbe's student body is Alaska Native, and a majority of the student body comes from the Bush. The school makes some efforts to promote the cultural identity of Alaska Natives and there are several student-lead Alaska Native dance groups.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School has a popular science program: students compete at a national level in science projects which have included mapping genetics of Alaska flora and fauna.
IBM offers internships for outstanding graduating students.
Extracurriculars
Mt. Edgecumbe's sports teams are known as the Braves and the Lady Braves and the school is especially recognized for both its boys and girls basketballBasketball
Basketball 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...
teams. Mt. Edgecumbe, as classified as a 3A school, has made repeated runs to state championships with its basketball teams. Besides basketball, its competitive 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...
, debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
and forensic team has been successful at the state level winning a state championship in drama in 2004, and the school has produced many quality wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball 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...
teams as well. In recent years, the Lady Braves volleyball team has been very successful. Since 2005 they have finished as the Class 3A State Runner-up 3 times! Historically, Edgecumbe was known for its running; in the 60s and early 70s Mt. Edgecumbe won 11 consecutive regional championships in cross-country. Their last regional championship was in 2008.
Mt. Edgecumbe's traditional rivals include its cross-town 3A rival Sitka High School
Sitka High School
Sitka High School is the principal high school for the Southeast Alaskan community of Sitka and the Sitka School District.The school's student body is primarily composed of Caucasians, Alaskan Natives, and Asian-Pacific Islanders....
(their matchups are known as the "Battle of the Bridge" — alluding to MEHS and SHS being on different islands) and other 3A rival, Petersburg High School
Petersburg High School (Alaska)
Petersburg High School is the public high school for the Southeast Alaskan community of Petersburg and the Petersburg City School District...
in Petersburg
Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,824 full time residents.- History :...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.