Shawnee Mission South High School
Encyclopedia
Shawnee Mission South High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Overland Park, Kansas
, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of several public high schools located within Shawnee Mission, KS. Additionally, Shawnee Mission South is a two-time Blue Ribbon School
. The school colors are green and gold and the school mascot is the Raider. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,600 students, resulting in the struggle to maintain the 6A Classification. The school newspaper is called The Patriot.
Shawnee Mission South was founded in 1966 in order to help educate the increasing number of students due to the emerging population of Shawnee Mission, KS. The school's mascot was chosen by the first graduating class of 1967. The Raider was chosen as a mascot because of the popular band Paul Revere and the Raiders.
played a concert with The Buckinghams
at Shawnee Mission South on November 17, 1967. The concert was performed in the gymnasium that currently still stands. The Byrds
appeared in concert in the school's gymnasium in March 1969. In 1983, Shawnee Mission South was named a Blue Ribbon School
, the highest honor an American school can achieve. In 1997, the school was named a Blue Ribbon School for the second time in the school's history. SMS hosted Brewer & Shipley and Danny Cox in the school cafeteria in 1976.
, occurring in 1983 and 1997. Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, the Shawnee Mission School District adopted a new program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), as the district's signature engineering program, offered at Shawnee Mission South High School. The classes for Lead the Way include Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Aerospace Engineering, and Engineering Design and Development. Another program unique to Shawnee Mission South is that of the Center for International Studies. The Center for International Studies (CIS) provides an intensive education in four languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. The program also provides students the opportunity to attend geopolitics classes rather than regular social studies courses. In 2005, South's Science Olympiad
team made district news by winning the state of Kansas
competition and advancing to the national level. As of January 22, 2011, the Shawnee Mission South Academic Decathlon team has won the Kansas State Academic Decathlon Competition and advanced to nationals for eleven years in a row.
. Throughout its history, Shawnee Mission South has won several state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
Maps
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of several public high schools located within Shawnee Mission, KS. Additionally, Shawnee Mission South is a two-time Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
. The school colors are green and gold and the school mascot is the Raider. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,600 students, resulting in the struggle to maintain the 6A Classification. The school newspaper is called The Patriot.
Shawnee Mission South was founded in 1966 in order to help educate the increasing number of students due to the emerging population of Shawnee Mission, KS. The school's mascot was chosen by the first graduating class of 1967. The Raider was chosen as a mascot because of the popular band Paul Revere and the Raiders.
History
Shawnee Mission South High School was established in 1966 in order to help educate the increasing population of Shawnee Mission, KS. The school's mascot was chosen by the first graduating class of 1967. The Raider was chosen as a mascot because of the popular band Paul Revere and the Raiders. Throughout its history, Shawnee Mission South has hosted several prominent concerts. The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
played a concert with The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams are an American Sunshine Pop band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top selling acts of 1967. The band dissolved in 1970 but reformed in 1980 and continue to tour throughout the United States....
at Shawnee Mission South on November 17, 1967. The concert was performed in the gymnasium that currently still stands. The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
appeared in concert in the school's gymnasium in March 1969. In 1983, Shawnee Mission South was named a Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
, the highest honor an American school can achieve. In 1997, the school was named a Blue Ribbon School for the second time in the school's history. SMS hosted Brewer & Shipley and Danny Cox in the school cafeteria in 1976.
Academics
Shawnee Mission South High School is a two-time Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
, occurring in 1983 and 1997. Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, the Shawnee Mission School District adopted a new program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), as the district's signature engineering program, offered at Shawnee Mission South High School. The classes for Lead the Way include Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Aerospace Engineering, and Engineering Design and Development. Another program unique to Shawnee Mission South is that of the Center for International Studies. The Center for International Studies (CIS) provides an intensive education in four languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. The program also provides students the opportunity to attend geopolitics classes rather than regular social studies courses. In 2005, South's 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...
team made district news by winning the state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
competition and advancing to the national level. As of January 22, 2011, the Shawnee Mission South Academic Decathlon team has won the Kansas State Academic Decathlon Competition and advanced to nationals for eleven years in a row.
Extracurricular activities
The Raiders compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A school (despite the drop in enrollment), the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
. Throughout its history, Shawnee Mission South has won several state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
State championships
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | 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... |
2 | 1973, 1975 |
| Soccer, Boys | 2 | 1986, 1987 | |
| 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... |
2 | 1974, 1993 | |
| Cross Country, Boys 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... |
6 | 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1978, 2011 | |
| Cross Country, Girls 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... |
2 | 1978, 1988 | |
| Winter | Swimming and Diving, Boys 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... |
5 | 1972, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989 |
| Swimming and Diving, Girls 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... |
1 | 1976 | |
| Gymnastics, Boys Gymnastics Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body... |
3 | 1975, 1976, 1977 | |
| Basketball, Boys 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... |
1 | 1990 | |
| Indoor Track, Boys | 3 | 1975, 1976, 1978 | |
| Basketball, Girls 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... |
1 | 1995 | |
| Spring | Golf, Boys Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
4 | 1968, 1969, 1973, 1999 |
| Track & Field, Boys | 6 | 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 2008 | |
| Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
4 | 1975, 1979, 1981, 1985 | |
| Tennis, Boys 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... |
2 | 1986, 2000 | |
| Tennis, Girls 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... |
3 | 1972, 1974, 1996 | |
| Total | 47 | ||
Notable alumni
- Stephen DolginoffStephen DolginoffStephen Dolginoff is an award-winning, New York City based playwright-composer. His most notable work is Thrill Me, the musical version of the true story of Leopold and Loeb, which opened Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in 2005. Subsequently it was published by Dramatists Play Service...
, writer/composer of Thrill MeThrill MeThrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Stephen Dolginoff. It is based on the true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, the so-called "thrill killers" who murdered a young boy in 1924 in order to commit "the perfect crime." The story is told in... - Tom KaneTom KaneTom Kane is a prominent American voice actor with over 25 years of experience. He is most widely known for his animation work...
, voice actor of Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars: The Clone Wars (film)Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a 2008 CGI animated science fiction/action film that takes place within the Star Wars saga, leading into the TV series of the same name. The film is set in the same time period as the 2003 Clone Wars television series...
, YodaYodaYoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
, and The Wild ThornberrysThe Wild ThornberrysThe Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was rerun in the USA on Nickelodeon and occasionally The N until 2009 and Nicktoons until 2007... - Steve LittleSteve Little (American football)Steven Richard Little was an American football kicker and punter in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is the third-highest drafted kicker in NFL history, with first highest pick being Charlie Gogolak of Princeton University and second being Russell Erxleben...
, football, All-American at Arkansas and first-round draft choice of the St Louis Cardinals, 1978 - Rodney PeeteRodney PeeteRodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
, former USCUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and NFL quarterback; sports television broadcasterPresenterA presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show... - Rob RiggleRob RiggleRobert Allen "Rob" Riggle, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and United States Marine Corps officer. He is best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006–2008, as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004–2005, and for his comedic roles in films such...
, actor/comedian on The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
and Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
See also
- Shawnee Mission East High SchoolShawnee Mission East High SchoolShawnee Mission East High School is a public secondary school in Prairie Village, Kansas, USA for grades 9–12. It is one of five schools operated by Unified School District 512....
- Shawnee Mission North High SchoolShawnee Mission North High SchoolShawnee Mission North High School is a public secondary school in Overland Park, Kansas, USA for grades 9–12. It is one of five schools operated by Unified School District 512.The school colors are Red, Black and White and the school mascot is the Indian...
- Shawnee Mission Northwest High SchoolShawnee Mission Northwest High SchoolShawnee Mission Northwest High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The current principal is Dr. Bill Harrington. Shawnee Mission Northwest is one of many schools located within Shawnee, Kansas and surrounding...
- Shawnee Mission West High SchoolShawnee Mission West High SchoolShawnee Mission West High School is a fully accredited public high school located in Overland Park, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. Shawnee Mission West is one of several public high schools located within Shawnee Mission, KS. The official school colors are black and gold and the...
External links
- Official school website
- Kansas State Department Of Education, KSDE
- Kansas State High School Activities Association, KSHSAA
Maps