Patrick Henry High School (Roanoke, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Henry High School is a public high school
located in the Grandin Court
neighborhood of Roanoke
, Virginia
. It is one of the two general enrollment high schools for the Roanoke City Public Schools.http://www.rcps.info/education/components/sectionlist/default.php?sectiondetailid=1305&sc_id=1198410608
's first governor
and American Revolution
leader Patrick Henry
.
The school’s history dates back to 1961 as construction was completed to serve approximately 1,200 students. Penn Hall was completed in 1975, increasing the school’s capacity to 1,600. In 1989, the school division implemented the middle school concept that extended Patrick Henry’s enrollment to 9th graders. In 2006, the school's campus style layout with multiple buildings (or, "halls") was replaced with a newly constructed, conventional school building. The entire project was completed in 2008, but a few finishing touches have yet to be completed, such as paving a small square behind the main building that is intended for use as an outside dining area during lunch periods. (Work began on this project in late November 2009.)
The school is located on Grandin Road SW near the intersection with Brandon Avenue SW in the Raleigh Court neighborhood.
The school offers several honors courses. In 2010 and 2011, Patrick Henry was rated as on of the best high schools in America by Newsweek.
The Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology
also sits on Patrick Henry's campus.
and competes in the AAA Western Valley District
. Patrick Henry won Group AAA state titles in boys basketball in 1988 and 1992, in football in 1973 and in boys tennis in 2004. University of North Carolina and eventual NBA basketball player George Lynch
led the Patriots to a AAA State Championship in 1988, his junior year. Patrick Henry won in the semifinals against Alonzo Mourning
's Indian River High School team. Curtis Staples
led the team again in 1992. Staples went on to play at the University of Virginia
and played pro basketball for eight years. The 1988 and 1992 state championship basketball teams were coached by Woody Deans. The basketball court in the new gymnasium on campus has been named Woody Deans Court in his honor.
In 2004, PH won the VHSL AAA State Tennis Championship, defeating Mills Godwin 5-1 in the final. They were the first PH team to win the state championship in tennis. Brock Newton was state runner up in the VHSL AAA Singles Championship. Newton teamed with longtime friend Tyler Early to win the VHSL AAA Doubles Championship.
On December 10-December 12, 2006, the chess team went to the National Grade Level Championships in Lake Buena Vista
, Florida
and won second place for the 10th grade level. In 2007 the 10th grade chess team repeated their national second place in Houston
, Texas
, and the 11th grade team won the national championship. In 1988 the theatre department won state VSHL championship for the second time. The first was the year before.
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 the Grandin Court
Grandin Court, Roanoke, Virginia
Grandin Court is a Roanoke, Virginia, neighborhood located in southwest Roanoke. It borders the neighborhoods of Raleigh Court on the north and Franklin-Colonial to the south and east. The southwestern border is shared with Roanoke County. As of the 2000 U.S...
neighborhood of Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, 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...
. It is one of the two general enrollment high schools for the Roanoke City Public Schools.http://www.rcps.info/education/components/sectionlist/default.php?sectiondetailid=1305&sc_id=1198410608
History
The school is named for VirginiaVirginia
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...
's first governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
and American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
leader Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
.
The school’s history dates back to 1961 as construction was completed to serve approximately 1,200 students. Penn Hall was completed in 1975, increasing the school’s capacity to 1,600. In 1989, the school division implemented the middle school concept that extended Patrick Henry’s enrollment to 9th graders. In 2006, the school's campus style layout with multiple buildings (or, "halls") was replaced with a newly constructed, conventional school building. The entire project was completed in 2008, but a few finishing touches have yet to be completed, such as paving a small square behind the main building that is intended for use as an outside dining area during lunch periods. (Work began on this project in late November 2009.)
The school is located on Grandin Road SW near the intersection with Brandon Avenue SW in the Raleigh Court neighborhood.
Academics
Patrick Henry High School is a comprehensive high school which includes grades 9-12 with a student enrollment of 2, 234 students.The school offers several honors courses. In 2010 and 2011, Patrick Henry was rated as on of the best high schools in America by Newsweek.
The Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology
Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology
The Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology is located in the Grandin Court neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia on the campus of Patrick Henry High School, and was established in 1985 as a result of the cooperative effort of seven regional school districts to improve education in...
also sits on Patrick Henry's campus.
Athletics and extracurriculars
Patrick Henry High School is a member of the Virginia High School LeagueVirginia 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,...
and competes in the AAA Western Valley District
AAA Western Valley District
The AAA Western Valley District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools in Central & Southwest Virginia. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.The...
. Patrick Henry won Group AAA state titles in boys basketball in 1988 and 1992, in football in 1973 and in boys tennis in 2004. University of North Carolina and eventual NBA basketball player George Lynch
George Lynch (basketball)
George DeWitt Lynch III is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He holds the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill basketball record for most career steals....
led the Patriots to a AAA State Championship in 1988, his junior year. Patrick Henry won in the semifinals against Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
's Indian River High School team. Curtis Staples
Curtis Staples
Curtis Staples is a former American basketball player who played from 1994 to 1998 for the University of Virginia. He was a sophomore starter on the State Championship Patrick Henry Patriots team in 1992. He is best known for holding the all-time NCAA record for career three-point field goals, at 413...
led the team again in 1992. Staples went on to play at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and played pro basketball for eight years. The 1988 and 1992 state championship basketball teams were coached by Woody Deans. The basketball court in the new gymnasium on campus has been named Woody Deans Court in his honor.
In 2004, PH won the VHSL AAA State Tennis Championship, defeating Mills Godwin 5-1 in the final. They were the first PH team to win the state championship in tennis. Brock Newton was state runner up in the VHSL AAA Singles Championship. Newton teamed with longtime friend Tyler Early to win the VHSL AAA Doubles Championship.
On December 10-December 12, 2006, the chess team went to the National Grade Level Championships in Lake Buena Vista
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and won second place for the 10th grade level. In 2007 the 10th grade chess team repeated their national second place in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the 11th grade team won the national championship. In 1988 the theatre department won state VSHL championship for the second time. The first was the year before.
Notable alumni
- George LynchGeorge Lynch (basketball)George DeWitt Lynch III is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He holds the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill basketball record for most career steals....
– retired NBA player. - Curtis StaplesCurtis StaplesCurtis Staples is a former American basketball player who played from 1994 to 1998 for the University of Virginia. He was a sophomore starter on the State Championship Patrick Henry Patriots team in 1992. He is best known for holding the all-time NCAA record for career three-point field goals, at 413...
– former NCAA record-holder for career three-point field goals. - John S. Edwards - Virginia State Senator
- Tony AtlasTony AtlasAnthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
- bodybuilder and professional wrestler - Tanquil Lisa CollinsTai CollinsTanquil Lisa 'Tai' Collins is a model, actress, screenwriter, and former Miss Virginia USA whose television credits include writing for and acting on Baywatch....
- actress, writer, Miss Virginia 1983 - Wayne LaPierreWayne LaPierreWayne LaPierre , is an American author and Second Amendment advocate. He is best known for his position as the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.-Background:...
- CEO of National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection... - Trey Ellett - actor, lead in RentRent (musical)Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
on Broadway for three years. - Long Dong SilverLong Dong SilverLong Dong Silver is the pseudonym of retired porn star Daniel Arthur Mead. He appeared in several pornographic movies in the UK and US during the late 1970s and early 1980s, famed for the apparent size of his penis...
- actor - Billy Morrissett - Author of the critically acclaimed children's book "Is Christmas Really Too Big to Fail?"
- Shannon Taylor - retired NFL player
- Chris Combs - retired NFL player
- Jamie Price - NCAA national champion in 100 meter hurdles