Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania
, United States
, is a public high school
serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District
.
With 3,176 students in the 2010-2011 academic year, Parkland is the second largest high school in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
, behind Allentown
's William Allen High School
. The school is located at 2700 North Cedar Crest Boulevard in South Whitehall Township.
, a spacecraft featured in the Star Wars
films.
score of 1603, with 81% taking the test and 65% going to a four-year college.
Parkland is a four-time winner (1988, 1990, 2001 and 2007) of Scholastic Scrimmage
, a televised academic contest during which teams from Pennsylvania high schools compete in rapid recall of factual information. Since the beginning of the competition, only Emmaus High School
has won more Scholastic Scrimmage competitions.
The Parkland School District offers a vast selection of core and elective courses at college-preparatory, gifted, honors, and advanced placement levels. Additionally, the school district maintains a relationship with Lehigh County Technical Institute that allows Parkland students to pursue a more technically-oriented curriculum.
In 2004 and 2006, the school's Scholastic Scrimmage team finished third in Pennsylvania's Academic Competition in Harrisburg
. The team qualified for Pennsylvania's Academic Competition again in 2009, winning the CLIU regional tournament. Parkland also has a strong tradition of excellence in regional debate
leagues, having won many championships, most recently in 2005 and 2006. The school also is competitive in FBLA-PBL
and Science Olympiad
competitions, regularly sending contingents to states. In 2001 and 2002 the school participated in the FIRST
competition and in 2002 won the Virginia
regional and took second in the Philadelphia
regional, allowing them to send the robotics team to Epcot Center for the national championship. In 2005, the robotics team placed fourth nationally and received rookie of the year honors at the MATE Robotics Competition in Houston, TX.
Parkland's Political Science Club offers students the opportunity to participate in various Model United Nations
conferences. Parkland consistently sends winning delegations to the Kutztown, Wyomissing, LVIAC, and Ivy League Model United Nations Conferences. For the last several years, Parkland has been the LVIAC Model UN champion. The political science club also runs several additional events, including a Model Congress during the 2008-2009 school year.
The Parkland Debate team is generally considered the strongest in the LVIAC. Parkland frequently remains undefeated in Debate and has advanced to the LVIAC debate semifinals the last 8 consecutive years. During the 2008-2009 school year, the debate team hosted a Parliamentary debate tournament.
During the 2006-2007 school year, a group of sophomores brought the Odyssey of the Mind
competition to the district. Two teams were formed, both advancing to the State competition, and one advancing to the World Finals at Michigan State University
where it placed 8th in Problem 5. This team also won the prestigious Ranatra Fusca creativity award. At the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Competition, Parkland secured 2nd place in Problem 3 and 1st place in Problem 5. In 2009, Parkland won 1st in Problem 2, 2nd in Problem 4, and 1st in Problem 5. Parkland also advanced to the 2009 World Finals where it placed 7th out of 58 teams. In 2010, Parkland again advanced to the World Finals and placed 7th, making it the only high school in the Lehigh Valley to have sent multiple teams to World Finals in the past five years.
During the 2007-2008 school year, students founded several additional clubs: the Philosophy Forum, the Magic Club, the Young Republican's Club, and the Parkland Pictures Film Club. Furthermore, students started The Trojan Horse, a humor magazine offshoot of the Parkland LitMag Club.
Graduation rate:
2010 - 97%
2009 - 97%
11th grade Reading:
2010 - 84% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level in Reading.
2009 - 82%, State - 65%
11th grade Math:
2010 - 78% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level in Math
2009 - 72%, State - 55%
11th grade Science:
2010 - 56% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 39% of 11th graders are on grade level in Science.
2009 - 58%, State - 40%
.
The school's music program sent five musicians to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference (PMEA)
state music festivals in the 2004-2005 academic year. PMEA organizes competitive auditioned ensembles each year, of which the state groups are the most prestigious. In the 2007-2008 academic year 3 students were selected to states, 6 in 2008-2009, and 5 in 2009-2010. Approximately 500 students are selected for these ensembles each year. In the 2006-2007 academic year, they sent three musicians to the All-State music festivals. In the 2008-2009 academic year, Parkland sent 9 violins, 3 violas, 1 double-bass, and 1 clarinet to participate in District 10 Orchestra; 2 violinists and 1 violist proceeded through Region IV/V Orchestra to participate in PMEA's 2009 All-State Orchestra.
The theater department puts on several productions each year, including one large musical. In the spring of 2006, the arts department was honored with 5 Freddy Awards
given out by the State Theater in neighboring Easton, Pennsylvania
, including "Best Female Lead" and "Best Overall Production" for its rendition of Disney's Beauty and the Beast
. Nominated for 16 Freddys in 2008, Parkland won the award for Outstanding Scenic Design for their production of Les Misérables
. Each year, the Freddys are awarded to recognize excellence in high school theater in the Lehigh Valley.
Parkland is known for its annual Festival of the Arts that takes place in the spring. Students organize the event that includes live concerts in the Auditorium, festival food and games on the front quad, displays of high school art work, and live demonstrations and exhibits by local artists.
Also offered in the school is an intensive multi-level creative writing program in continuation for fifteen years. The course is offered to students of every grade level and operates as a writing workshop within the school. Students are encouraged to explore both prose and fiction disciplines and to enter in various regional and national competitions.
Parkland has a dedicated art gallery called the Trojan Art Gallery that is led by art teacher Richard Shemonsky and a selected student art gallery director.
in District XI
of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
. Parkland's primary athletic rivalry is with Emmaus High School
in neighboring Emmaus
. Cumulatively among all of its sports, Parkland has secured nine Pennsylvania state championship titles. Parkland holds the record for the most Lehigh Valley Conference championships in six sports: boys cross country running
, football
, girls softball
, girls swimming
, boys tennis
and boys track and field
. The school has won more Lehigh Valley Conference championships in all sports than any other in the conference.
Parkland is particularly well known for several exceptional athletic programs, including its girls and boys' basketball
and girls and boys swimming
teams, both of which won Pennsylvania
state championships in 2006. The school's girls softball
team won the first Pennsylvania state-wide championship ever held (in 1975).
. The season culminated in a 34-12 victory over Woodland Hills High School
at Hersheypark Stadium
. The team ended the year ranked 6th in the nation by USA Today
. Scott compiled 3,853 yards (fourth most nationally in American high school football history) and 53 touchdowns. These were Pennsylvania State records until 2008, when they were broken by Zach Barket of Schuylkill Haven Area High School.
21-0. The game was played on December 15, 2007 at Hersheypark Stadium
.
team participates in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL). Both Parkland's varsity and junior varsity teams have won their league's championships numerous times. On March 12, 2008, Parkland's junior varsity team won its fifth consecutive championship. Parkland won the varsity championship in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
team won the District XI AAA championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 and advanced to the final 8 in the state all four years. In 2007, Parkland claimed both the District XI singles 1st place, 3rd place, and 4th place titles along with the 1st place and 2nd place doubles titles. In 2008, Parkland claimed the District XI singles 1st place and 4th place titles, in addition to the 1st place and 2nd place doubles titles. The 2008 season marked the third consecutive season that Parkland secured the District XI singles, doubles, and team titles.
team has won 6 District XI titles (1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2008) and (1994, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009) District XI Runner-Up. The Trojans finished 3rd at the PIAA Championships in 1996 (losing to eventual champion Hempfield in semifinals), 1997 (losing to eventual state runner-up Central York in semifinals) and 2009 (losing to eventual state runner-up Penn Hills in semifinals).
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a public 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....
serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District
Parkland School District
Parkland School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. It serves North Whitehall, South Whitehall, and Upper Macungie Townships, as well as the Trexler Park neighborhood in West Allentown.-High school:...
.
With 3,176 students in the 2010-2011 academic year, Parkland is the second largest high school in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
, behind Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
's William Allen High School
William Allen High School
William Allen High School is one of two public high schools of the Allentown School District located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
. The school is located at 2700 North Cedar Crest Boulevard in South Whitehall Township.
History
Prior to 1949, Parkland High School was known as South Whitehall High School. On July 1, 1949, North Whitehall and South Whitehall merged to create Parkland Union School District with Upper Macungie joining in 1950. Construction for the old Parkland High School on Orefield Road began in 1953. In 1999, the current Parkland High School on Cedar Crest Boulevard was opened and the old Parkland High School on Orefield Road was renamed Orefield Middle School. When viewed from above, the layout of the current buildings and grounds closely approximates the shape of the Millennium FalconMillennium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon is a spacecraft in the Star Wars universe commanded by smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca...
, a spacecraft featured in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
films.
Academics
Parkland High School is known for its competitive academic programs. The class of 2007 boasted 15 National Merit Finalists and a mean SATSAT
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...
score of 1603, with 81% taking the test and 65% going to a four-year college.
Parkland is a four-time winner (1988, 1990, 2001 and 2007) of Scholastic Scrimmage
Scholastic Scrimmage
Scholastic Scrimmage is a high school quiz bowl game show airing on WLVT-TV and WPSU-TV , and is hosted by Karen Walton and David Price respectively....
, a televised academic contest during which teams from Pennsylvania high schools compete in rapid recall of factual information. Since the beginning of the competition, only Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
has won more Scholastic Scrimmage competitions.
The Parkland School District offers a vast selection of core and elective courses at college-preparatory, gifted, honors, and advanced placement levels. Additionally, the school district maintains a relationship with Lehigh County Technical Institute that allows Parkland students to pursue a more technically-oriented curriculum.
In 2004 and 2006, the school's Scholastic Scrimmage team finished third in Pennsylvania's Academic Competition in Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. The team qualified for Pennsylvania's Academic Competition again in 2009, winning the CLIU regional tournament. Parkland also has a strong tradition of excellence in regional 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...
leagues, having won many championships, most recently in 2005 and 2006. The school also is competitive in FBLA-PBL
FBLA-PBL
The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL, is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia...
and Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
competitions, regularly sending contingents to states. In 2001 and 2002 the school participated in the FIRST
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
competition and in 2002 won the 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...
regional and took second in the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
regional, allowing them to send the robotics team to Epcot Center for the national championship. In 2005, the robotics team placed fourth nationally and received rookie of the year honors at the MATE Robotics Competition in Houston, TX.
Parkland's Political Science Club offers students the opportunity to participate in various Model United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
conferences. Parkland consistently sends winning delegations to the Kutztown, Wyomissing, LVIAC, and Ivy League Model United Nations Conferences. For the last several years, Parkland has been the LVIAC Model UN champion. The political science club also runs several additional events, including a Model Congress during the 2008-2009 school year.
The Parkland Debate team is generally considered the strongest in the LVIAC. Parkland frequently remains undefeated in Debate and has advanced to the LVIAC debate semifinals the last 8 consecutive years. During the 2008-2009 school year, the debate team hosted a Parliamentary debate tournament.
During the 2006-2007 school year, a group of sophomores brought the Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind, often called OM , is a creative problem-solving competition involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined problem ; and present their solution to the problem at a competition...
competition to the district. Two teams were formed, both advancing to the State competition, and one advancing to the World Finals at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
where it placed 8th in Problem 5. This team also won the prestigious Ranatra Fusca creativity award. At the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Competition, Parkland secured 2nd place in Problem 3 and 1st place in Problem 5. In 2009, Parkland won 1st in Problem 2, 2nd in Problem 4, and 1st in Problem 5. Parkland also advanced to the 2009 World Finals where it placed 7th out of 58 teams. In 2010, Parkland again advanced to the World Finals and placed 7th, making it the only high school in the Lehigh Valley to have sent multiple teams to World Finals in the past five years.
During the 2007-2008 school year, students founded several additional clubs: the Philosophy Forum, the Magic Club, the Young Republican's Club, and the Parkland Pictures Film Club. Furthermore, students started The Trojan Horse, a humor magazine offshoot of the Parkland LitMag Club.
Graduation rate:
2010 - 97%
2009 - 97%
11th grade Reading:
2010 - 84% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level in Reading.
2009 - 82%, State - 65%
11th grade Math:
2010 - 78% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level in Math
2009 - 72%, State - 55%
11th grade Science:
2010 - 56% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 39% of 11th graders are on grade level in Science.
2009 - 58%, State - 40%
Arts
Parkland has many musical groups, including orchestral ensembles, choral groups, and a concert band, jazz band, marching band, indoor colorguard, and indoor drumline. The marching band competes in the Tournament of Bands (TOB) circuit, attending the Atlantic Coast Championships yearly as a Group 3 unit. The Indoor Colorguard and Percussion units both compete in the Tournament Indoor Association (TIA) circuit and attend the Weekend in Wildwood championships annually. The Indoor Percussion unit also competes in the Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society (MAPS) circuit. Both the Indoor Colorguard and Indoor Percussion have won several TIA awards throughout their competitive seasons. Recently, both Indoor Percussion and Indoor Colorguard have been promoted to Open Class. The jazz band competes locally and plays at varsity basketball games. Every four years, the music department organizes a trip to Disney WorldWalt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
.
The school's music program sent five musicians to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference (PMEA)
MENC: The National Association for Music Education
MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States...
state music festivals in the 2004-2005 academic year. PMEA organizes competitive auditioned ensembles each year, of which the state groups are the most prestigious. In the 2007-2008 academic year 3 students were selected to states, 6 in 2008-2009, and 5 in 2009-2010. Approximately 500 students are selected for these ensembles each year. In the 2006-2007 academic year, they sent three musicians to the All-State music festivals. In the 2008-2009 academic year, Parkland sent 9 violins, 3 violas, 1 double-bass, and 1 clarinet to participate in District 10 Orchestra; 2 violinists and 1 violist proceeded through Region IV/V Orchestra to participate in PMEA's 2009 All-State Orchestra.
The theater department puts on several productions each year, including one large musical. In the spring of 2006, the arts department was honored with 5 Freddy Awards
The Freddy Awards
The Freddy Awards, also known as the Freddys, are an annual recognition of outstanding high school musical theatre in the Lehigh Valley area, including the Northampton County and Lehigh County in Pennsylvania, and Warren County in New Jersey...
given out by the State Theater in neighboring Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, including "Best Female Lead" and "Best Overall Production" for its rendition of Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
. Nominated for 16 Freddys in 2008, Parkland won the award for Outstanding Scenic Design for their production of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
. Each year, the Freddys are awarded to recognize excellence in high school theater in the Lehigh Valley.
Parkland is known for its annual Festival of the Arts that takes place in the spring. Students organize the event that includes live concerts in the Auditorium, festival food and games on the front quad, displays of high school art work, and live demonstrations and exhibits by local artists.
Also offered in the school is an intensive multi-level creative writing program in continuation for fifteen years. The course is offered to students of every grade level and operates as a writing workshop within the school. Students are encouraged to explore both prose and fiction disciplines and to enter in various regional and national competitions.
Parkland has a dedicated art gallery called the Trojan Art Gallery that is led by art teacher Richard Shemonsky and a selected student art gallery director.
Athletics
Parkland competes in the Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in District XI
PIAA District 11
District 11 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is an interscholastic athletic association in Northeastern Pennsylvania. District 11 is one of the PIAA's 12 athletic conferences and comprises mostly high schools within the Lehigh Valley and a few surrounding counties. Member...
of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
. Parkland's primary athletic rivalry is with Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
in neighboring Emmaus
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
. Cumulatively among all of its sports, Parkland has secured nine Pennsylvania state championship titles. Parkland holds the record for the most Lehigh Valley Conference championships in six sports: boys cross country running
Cross country running
Cross 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...
, football
American football
American 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...
, girls softball
Softball
Softball 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...
, girls swimming
Swimming (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...
, boys tennis
Tennis
Tennis 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...
and boys track and field
Track and field
Track 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...
. The school has won more Lehigh Valley Conference championships in all sports than any other in the conference.
Parkland is particularly well known for several exceptional athletic programs, including its girls and boys' basketball
Basketball
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...
and girls and boys swimming
Swimming (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...
teams, both of which won Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state championships in 2006. The school's girls softball
Softball
Softball 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...
team won the first Pennsylvania state-wide championship ever held (in 1975).
Basketball
In the 2003-2004 season, the boys basketball team advanced all the way to the state finals before bowing out to Penn Hills High School by a score of 57-48. In the 2004-2005 season, the girls basketball team captured the PIAA state championship title.Cross country
The Parkland boys and girls cross country teams have consistently been atop their division. In 2004-2005, both the girls' cross country team took second place in the Pennsylvania state finals.Wrestling
The Parkland Wrestling team has been a dominant force recently during the 2010 and 2011, losing only nine matches to no team ranked above 5th in their respective states (Pennsylvania and New Jersey). The 2010 season ended with a loss in the Team State Championship to Central Dauphin, a team that had won numerous consecutive championships. During the 2011 season they had five state medalists, two 8th placements, one 7th placer, a 2nd placer, and one champion in Michael Ottinger. Ottinger beat the number one ranked wrestler in Pennsylvania and further went on to defeat the number one wrestler in the nation. Current coaches include head coach Ryan Nunamaker, an ex-Nazareth state champion, and assistants Jon Trenge, Derek Jenkins, and Pete Grodziak, all former Parkland wrestlers.2002 team
In 2002, the Parkland football team won the Pennsylvania AAAA State Championship, led by All-American Austin ScottAustin Scott (American football)
Austin Timothy Scott is an American football running back who currently plays for the NEPA Miners semi-pro team in Northeast PA...
. The season culminated in a 34-12 victory over Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School
Woodland Hills High School is a secondary school teaching students in the grades for the Woodland Hills School District located in Churchill, Pennsylvania. It is the result of a 1981 court-ordered desegregation merger. Before the merger the building was the location of the Churchill Area High...
at Hersheypark Stadium
Hersheypark Stadium
Hersheypark Stadium is a stadium, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on the grounds of Hersheypark. The General Manager is Frank O'Connell.It is used as a sporting facility, concert venue and location for various other large functions . In addition, it hosted the 2004 Presidential Race Campaign stop...
. The team ended the year ranked 6th in the nation by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. Scott compiled 3,853 yards (fourth most nationally in American high school football history) and 53 touchdowns. These were Pennsylvania State records until 2008, when they were broken by Zach Barket of Schuylkill Haven Area High School.
2007 team
In 2007, the Parkland football team finished the season 15-1, and concluded the regular season undefeated for the second year in a row. They lost the PIAA AAAA championship to Pittsburgh Central CatholicCentral Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools....
21-0. The game was played on December 15, 2007 at Hersheypark Stadium
Hersheypark Stadium
Hersheypark Stadium is a stadium, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on the grounds of Hersheypark. The General Manager is Frank O'Connell.It is used as a sporting facility, concert venue and location for various other large functions . In addition, it hosted the 2004 Presidential Race Campaign stop...
.
Ice hockey
Parkland's ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team participates in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL). Both Parkland's varsity and junior varsity teams have won their league's championships numerous times. On March 12, 2008, Parkland's junior varsity team won its fifth consecutive championship. Parkland won the varsity championship in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Swimming
The girls swim team were PIAA class 3A state champions in 2001, 2003, and 2006 and have been ranked in the top 10 nationally. The boys have won district championships several times over the past 15 years. In 2004-2005, both the boys' and girls' swim teams took second place in the Pennsylvania state finals. The team is currently coached by Rob Robitaille, a huge Penn State football fan.Tennis
The Parkland boys tennisTennis
Tennis 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...
team won the District XI AAA championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 and advanced to the final 8 in the state all four years. In 2007, Parkland claimed both the District XI singles 1st place, 3rd place, and 4th place titles along with the 1st place and 2nd place doubles titles. In 2008, Parkland claimed the District XI singles 1st place and 4th place titles, in addition to the 1st place and 2nd place doubles titles. The 2008 season marked the third consecutive season that Parkland secured the District XI singles, doubles, and team titles.
Volleyball
The Parkland boys volleyballVolleyball
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...
team has won 6 District XI titles (1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2008) and (1994, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009) District XI Runner-Up. The Trojans finished 3rd at the PIAA Championships in 1996 (losing to eventual champion Hempfield in semifinals), 1997 (losing to eventual state runner-up Central York in semifinals) and 2009 (losing to eventual state runner-up Penn Hills in semifinals).
Staff
The school is supported by eight administrators one transitional coordinator, two supervisors, 16 department chairs, 10 counselors, two psychologists, three nurses, 188 teaching professionals, and 113 support staff.Notable alumni
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- Daylin LeachDaylin LeachDaylin Leach is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 17th senatorial district since 2009. He was previously a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 149th district from 2003 to 2009.-Biography:Leach graduated from Parkland High...
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. - Austin ScottAustin Scott (American football)Austin Timothy Scott is an American football running back who currently plays for the NEPA Miners semi-pro team in Northeast PA...
, professional football player, New Yorker Lions - Donald SnyderDonald SnyderDonald William Snyder is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.Snyder graduated from Parkland High School in 1969. He earned an associate's degree from Lehigh County Community College in 1971 and a B.B.A. from Penn State University in 1973. In 1976, he earned an...
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External links
- Parkland High School Official Home Page.
- Parkland High School athletics schedule and scores at HighSchoolSports.net.
- Parkland High School Page at Lehigh Valley Conference Official Web Site.
- Parkland's Odyssey of the Mind page.
- Parkland Model Congress Official Home Page.
- Parkland High School Trojan Art Gallery.