Southside High School (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
Southside High School is one of two public high schools in Fort Smith, Arkansas
, the other being Northside High School
.
The school was opened in 1963 and has had over 15,000 graduates. Since 1966, the school has been accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Southside was ranked 625th in Newsweek's Top 1,300 High Schools in the U.S. in 2008. In 2008, Southside was the recipient of "Best Practice School" by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. For the 2007-2008 school year, Southside received the Siemen's Award for Advanced Placement exam scores. Southside was in Newsweek's Top 1,000 High Schools in America for the 2009-2010 school year.
Correction, the first graduating class actually had 282 students. in 1963/1964 the tenth grade was the highest class,in 1964/65 the eleventh grade was the highest class and the class of 1965/1966 became the first graduating senior
class.
The school flies three flags for "Excellence in Education" presented by previous presidents Ronald Reagan
, George H. W. Bush
, and Bill Clinton
at ceremonies held in Washington, D.C.
Southside High School is dedicated to providing quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students that will help them in realizing their academic potential, become productive citizens, and prepare for their futures.
And hold your honor high.
Never will we fail you;
Your glory cannot die.
Your colors we'll remember,
The white, the red, the blue!
Your memories live forever.
Our youthful hearts are true.
Like a torch in the night,
With a beam strong and bright
We will stand til we die
To proclaim you're the best
SOUTHSIDE HIGH!
who is a Confederate
soldier. The mascot has generated controversy along with the school's fight song, Dixie
, due to the iconic association of the confederation with slavery. In mid-2000, Principal Wayne Haver banned the display of the Confederate flag at school and school events; many students had taken it to be the school flag due to Johnny Reb being a Confederate soldier. Talks of replacing Johnny Reb with a mustang
have circulated, but as of 2010 this has not yet happened and Principal Wayne Haver has stated he plans to keep the mascot as long as he is principal. A wooden statue (carved in the 1970s by a group of students) of the mascot currently stands in the main hallway just past the front doors.
In the early 1960s when Fort Smith High School was separated into two schools, what formed was one of the premier rivalries in the state of Arkansas. Because the town is divided down the middle by Rogers Avenue and the fact that Southside sits on one side of Rogers and Northside on the other, the game has become known as the "Battle of Rogers Avenue". This game has become a huge event locally in the city of Fort Smith
and the surrounding area (usually drawing around 10,000 people to the event), even elevating to the level of shutting down some local schools and businesses on the day of the game. To date, Southside has gone on a huge winning streak, winning every Battle of Rogers Avenue plaque since 2006, including 2010's game at Southside 56-29. The game was filmed by NFL Network as part of their American Great Rivalries Program and will be aired on national television in January 2011.
Bentonville Tigers
Rogers Mounties
Harber Wildcats
Fayetteville Purple Dogs
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, the other being Northside High School
Northside High School (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
Northside High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas . Within the state, the school is commonly known as Fort Smith Northside.-History:On November 19, 1928, Fort Smith High School moved into a new building on 23rd and B Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas...
.
The school was opened in 1963 and has had over 15,000 graduates. Since 1966, the school has been accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Southside was ranked 625th in Newsweek's Top 1,300 High Schools in the U.S. in 2008. In 2008, Southside was the recipient of "Best Practice School" by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. For the 2007-2008 school year, Southside received the Siemen's Award for Advanced Placement exam scores. Southside was in Newsweek's Top 1,000 High Schools in America for the 2009-2010 school year.
Principals and Administration
- Victor Stewart, 1963–1983
- Wayne Haver, 1983–present
- Travis Biggs, Assistant Principal
- Samantha Hall, Assistant Principal
- Steve Arnold, Assistant Principal
Building Construction
The building originally consisted of 44 classrooms in total and was continually expanded beginning in 1968:- 1968: 9-room wing
- 1973: 12-room wing
- 1977: 600-seat auditorium
- 1978: All-weather track
- 1981: Physical education facility
- 1988: New stadium
- 1988: 10-room wing for business and financial classes and a cafeteria addition
- 1997: Athletic complex (weight room, dressing room, training area, and office space)
- 1999: 12-classroom addition for scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
classes. - 2000: Fine arts complex (band, orchestral, choral, drama, speech, and counseling facilities)
- 2008: Indoor athletic training facility
- 2008: A new bathroom addition underneath the stadium bleachers
- 2008: The remodeling of 2 of the bathrooms (1 male, 1 female)
- 2009: Re-constructed parking lots
- 2009: Landscaping including a Columbia blue sculpture
- 2011: Installation of artificial turf football field and overhaul of HVAC systems
Graduating Statistics
The first graduating class was the Class of 1966 with 24 graduates. In the Class of 2004 there were 417 graduates. The Class of 1978 was the largest graduating class with 503 graduates. Southside had its 10,000th graduate in the Class of 1991 and its 15,000th graduate in the Class of 2003.Correction, the first graduating class actually had 282 students. in 1963/1964 the tenth grade was the highest class,in 1964/65 the eleventh grade was the highest class and the class of 1965/1966 became the first graduating senior
class.
School of Excellence
- In 1982-83, Southside received its first "School of Excellence" recognition.
- In 1986-87, the first year any previously selected school was eligible to be renominated, Southside was one of only four schools nationally to be selected to repeat as a "School of Excellence."
- Southside was recognized as a "School of Excellence" in May 2000, for the third time.
- Siemen's AP Award 2008
- National Science Bowl Regional Winner 2007-2008
- 2010 7A State Quiz Bowl Champions
The school flies three flags for "Excellence in Education" presented by previous presidents Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
at ceremonies held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Advanced Placement Courses Offered
- English Language; English Literature; Calculus AB; Calculus BC;
- Spanish Language; US Govt./Politics; American History; World History;
- German Language; Chemistry; European History; Physics B;
- French Language; Biology; Psychology; Environmental Science
- Latin (Vergil); Music Theory; Statistics; Computer Science
Mission statement
It is the mission of Southside High School to provide an educational program that enables our students to learn, achieve, succeed and become proficient in reading, writing and math.Southside High School is dedicated to providing quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students that will help them in realizing their academic potential, become productive citizens, and prepare for their futures.
Alma mater
Southside High, we hail youAnd hold your honor high.
Never will we fail you;
Your glory cannot die.
Your colors we'll remember,
The white, the red, the blue!
Your memories live forever.
Our youthful hearts are true.
Like a torch in the night,
With a beam strong and bright
We will stand til we die
To proclaim you're the best
SOUTHSIDE HIGH!
Mascot
Their mascot is the Rebels, more specifically Johnny RebJohnny Rebel
Johnny Reb or Johnny Rebel is the national personification of the Southern states of the United States. The latter part of his name is derived from Rebellion. Patriots used Johnny Reb and his Union counterpart Billy Yank to symbolize the lost souls in the American Civil War of the 1860s.Johnny Reb...
who is a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldier. The mascot has generated controversy along with the school's fight song, Dixie
Dixie (song)
Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
, due to the iconic association of the confederation with slavery. In mid-2000, Principal Wayne Haver banned the display of the Confederate flag at school and school events; many students had taken it to be the school flag due to Johnny Reb being a Confederate soldier. Talks of replacing Johnny Reb with 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...
have circulated, but as of 2010 this has not yet happened and Principal Wayne Haver has stated he plans to keep the mascot as long as he is principal. A wooden statue (carved in the 1970s by a group of students) of the mascot currently stands in the main hallway just past the front doors.
Rebel Football
The Rebels have won seven state championships in Arkansas' highest classification; all since 1983. Four of those titles came under longtime Southside head coach Barry Lunney Sr., who left the school after the 2004 season for conference rival Bentonville. Jeff Williams has since taken over the program and led the Rebels to their last title in his second year in 2006. In 2008 and in 2009, Southside made a surprising run to the championship game, but fell short to Bentonville in 2008 and Springdale Har-Ber in 2009.Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
and the surrounding area (usually drawing around 10,000 people to the event), even elevating to the level of shutting down some local schools and businesses on the day of the game. To date, Southside has gone on a huge winning streak, winning every Battle of Rogers Avenue plaque since 2006, including 2010's game at Southside 56-29. The game was filmed by NFL Network as part of their American Great Rivalries Program and will be aired on national television in January 2011.
Southside Rivalries
Northside GrizzliesNorthside High School (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
Northside High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas . Within the state, the school is commonly known as Fort Smith Northside.-History:On November 19, 1928, Fort Smith High School moved into a new building on 23rd and B Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas...
Bentonville Tigers
Bentonville High School
Bentonville High School is a public high school in Bentonville, Arkansas for grades nine through twelve. The student population is approximately 3455 in 2010-2011. The current principal of the high school is Kim Garrett...
Rogers Mounties
Harber Wildcats
Fayetteville Purple Dogs
Confederate Volleyball
- 5A State Champions 1999
- 5A State Champions 2003
- 5A State Champions 2004
- 7A State Champions 2006
- 7A State Champions 2009
Rebel Track
- State Champs 2009 [1st Track State title in Southside history]
- 2010 5A-6A-7A State Indoor Track Runner-Ups
- 2010 7A Boys State Track Champions
- 2011 7A Boys State Track Champions