Sylvan Hills High School
Encyclopedia
Sylvan Hills High School is a public secondary school
located in Sherwood, Arkansas
for students in grades nine through twelve. Sylvan Hills is administered by the Pulaski County Special School District
. Since 1962 the school has been accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI).
classes with opportunities for college credit and concurrent credit for college courses along with business and vocational offerings including building trades, cosmetology
, and Cisco Systems
network training which leads to certification. Sylvan Hills also offers EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) classes which are designed to help the school and community using state of the art technology. Sylvan Hills also serves special needs students with a full range of special education courses.
(The Banner) and yearbook
(The Bruin). Sylvan Hills is a member of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association (ASPA), which provides an opportunity to compete in individual and school contests, seminars, and workshops.
The Sylvan Hills Marching Bear Band and Concert Choir are both locally known for their numerous awards and 1st division ratings over the years, as well as the competitive speech team.
); science (Science National Honor Society
(SNHS)); vocal and instrumental music (Tri-M Music Honor Society
); journalism (Quill and Scroll Society
); and Spanish
, in addition to National Honor Society
and National Beta Club
. It also has recently opened a new chapter of the drama-focused International Thespian Society
.
, a project-based, service-learning class that provides students with high-end information technology that creates an educational atmosphere that allows them to gain insight into their own abilities to acquire and use information, solve problems, and gain valuable experience on their way to becoming life-long learners. The EAST Initiative began in 1996 in a single classroom in rural Arkansas and has since grown to over 230 schools in six states.
In 2009, Sylvan Hills is recognized as a EAST Founder's Award Finalist.
state championship, two girl's track and field state championship, two girl's golf state championships, one girl's slow pitch softball state championship, and several national cheerleading
titles. Competition is primarily sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association
.
In March 2011, Archie Goodwin
was selected as the 2010–11 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year
. Goodwin is a 6-foot-5 junior guard averaged 28.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, leading the Bears (25–4) to the Class 5A state final. Goodwin is a two-time All-State selection. He is also a senior at Sylvan Hills in the 2011-2012 school year. In November 2011, an assembly was held in the SHHS gym for Goodwin when he signed papers to commit to become a Kentucky Wildcat.
that brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. In 2003, Sylvan Hills was one of ten schools recognized as an Arkansas Weyerhaeuser Recycling Award Winner for its Be Educated About Recycling (BEAR) program.
A Sylvan Hills student was named Arkansas' top two youth volunteers for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals
(NASSP).
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Sherwood, Arkansas
Sherwood, Arkansas
Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 29,523...
for students in grades nine through twelve. Sylvan Hills is administered by the Pulaski County Special School District
Pulaski County Special School District
Pulaski County Special School District is one of three public school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas; the others are the Little Rock School District and the North Little Rock School District...
. Since 1962 the school has been accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI).
Academics
College preparatory offerings include Advanced PlacementAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
classes with opportunities for college credit and concurrent credit for college courses along with business and vocational offerings including building trades, cosmetology
Cosmetology
Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology....
, and Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
network training which leads to certification. Sylvan Hills also offers EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) classes which are designed to help the school and community using state of the art technology. Sylvan Hills also serves special needs students with a full range of special education courses.
Math and Science
Courses that are available include: Anatomy and Physiology, AP Biology, Pre-AP Biology, Biology, Physical Science, Pre-AP Physical Science, Environmental Science, Physics, and Chemistry, Pre-AP Chemistry, and AP Chemistry. Offering in mathematics include: Algebra I, Pre-AP Algebra I, Geometry, Pre-AP Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-AP Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Pre-AP Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus.Social Sciences and Studies
Students may take courses in American History and European History, both offered as AP classes as well.Language Arts
Courses in English I through IV, Pre-AP English I, AP English III, and oral communication are available along with Spanish and French.Journalism
Sylvan Hills students may take classes in journalism and creative writing and produce an award-winning student newspaperStudent newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
(The Banner) and yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
(The Bruin). Sylvan Hills is a member of the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association (ASPA), which provides an opportunity to compete in individual and school contests, seminars, and workshops.
Fine Arts
Students may participate in various musical and performing arts including: band (e.g., concert band, jazz band), choir (e.g., a cappella, barbershop quartet, beautyshop quartet) and theater (e.g., competitive speech, drama, stagecraft).The Sylvan Hills Marching Bear Band and Concert Choir are both locally known for their numerous awards and 1st division ratings over the years, as well as the competitive speech team.
Honor societies
Honor society organizations include math (Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
); science (Science National Honor Society
Science National Honor Society
Science National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on science for high school students within the United States. The society was established in 2000 in Texas and has expanded to over 277 schools in 33 states....
(SNHS)); vocal and instrumental music (Tri-M Music Honor Society
Tri-M
Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher...
); journalism (Quill and Scroll Society
Quill and Scroll
Quill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in scholastic journalism. According to the Quill and Scroll website, over 14,104 high schools in all 50 U.S. states and 44 countries have established local...
); and Spanish
Spanish National Honor Society
Spanish National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in secondary education and promotes a continuity of interest in Spanish studies. The group, which was established in 1953 in the United States is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of...
, in addition to National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
and National Beta Club
National Beta Club
The National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
. It also has recently opened a new chapter of the drama-focused International Thespian Society
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
.
EAST Initiative
Since 2003, Sylvan Hills has participated in the EAST InitiativeEAST Initiative
The EAST Initiative is an educational non-profit that oversees and trains for a school program, EAST, that operates primarily in the United States. It is unique for offering students and teachers professional technology and software for use in a loosely-structured, self-driven environment...
, a project-based, service-learning class that provides students with high-end information technology that creates an educational atmosphere that allows them to gain insight into their own abilities to acquire and use information, solve problems, and gain valuable experience on their way to becoming life-long learners. The EAST Initiative began in 1996 in a single classroom in rural Arkansas and has since grown to over 230 schools in six states.
In 2009, Sylvan Hills is recognized as a EAST Founder's Award Finalist.
Athletics
Sylvan Hills Bears have a strong tradition in athletics with seven baseball state championships, one footballAmerican 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...
state championship, two girl's track and field state championship, two girl's golf state championships, one girl's slow pitch softball state championship, and several national cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
titles. Competition is primarily sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association
Arkansas Activities Association
The Arkansas Activities Association is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in state of Arkansas. AAA is a member association of the National Federation of State High School Associations...
.
National and state championship seasons
- 2009: Class 5A Cheerleading State Champion
- 2008: Boys Baseball State Champion
- 2006: WCA National Cheerleading Champion (Super Large Varsity Level 5); NCA National Cheerleading Champion (Super Large Varsity)
- 2005: Boys Baseball State Champion; ASC National Cheerleading Champion (Super Large Varsity)
- 2004: Girls Track and Field State Champion
- 2003: Girls Track and Field State Champion; Boys Baseball State Champion
- 2001: Girls Slow Pitch Softball State Champion
- 2000: NCA National Cheerleading Champion (Super Large Varsity)
- 1981: Girls Golf State Champion
- 1980: Class AAAA Football State Champion
- 1979: Girls Golf State Champion
- 1977: Girls Volleyball State Champion
- 1974: Boys Baseball State Champion
- 1968: Boys Golf State Champion
- 1965: Boys Baseball State Champion
In March 2011, Archie Goodwin
Archie Goodwin
Archie Goodwin may refer to:*Archie Goodwin , created by Rex Stout*Archie Goodwin , comic book writer and editor...
was selected as the 2010–11 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Gatorade Player of the Year awards
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to male and female high-school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' football, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country,...
. Goodwin is a 6-foot-5 junior guard averaged 28.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, leading the Bears (25–4) to the Class 5A state final. Goodwin is a two-time All-State selection. He is also a senior at Sylvan Hills in the 2011-2012 school year. In November 2011, an assembly was held in the SHHS gym for Goodwin when he signed papers to commit to become a Kentucky Wildcat.
Awards and recognition
In 2008, Sylvan Hills was recognized with an Arkansas Picturing America Award, which is an initiative by the National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
that brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. In 2003, Sylvan Hills was one of ten schools recognized as an Arkansas Weyerhaeuser Recycling Award Winner for its Be Educated About Recycling (BEAR) program.
A Sylvan Hills student was named Arkansas' top two youth volunteers for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of Secondary School Principals
The is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world...
(NASSP).
Notable alumni
- Kevin McReynoldsKevin McReynoldsWalter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994...
('78), former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and member of National High School Hall of Fame - Michael V. Taylor ('85), U.S. Army Major killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Terry TiffeeTerry TiffeeTerry Ronald Tiffee is an American professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Career:Tiffee graduated from Sylvan Hills High School in and Pratt Community College in...
('97), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and Olympic medalist - Wes BentleyWes BentleyWesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....
('96), film actor; most famous role in American Beauty - Michael Finnell ('92), film actor; was mostly known for O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
and 21 Grams21 Grams21 Grams is a 2003 American drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Danny Huston, and Benicio del Toro.... - Johnny DeppJohnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
('81), film actor, known for many films such as (2003–Present) Pirates of the Caribbean film series and (2011) RangoRangoRango was a Western situation comedy starring comedian Tim Conway which was broadcast in the United States on the ABC television network in 1967....