Winter Park High School
Encyclopedia
Winter Park High School (often simply abbreviated as WPHS) located in Winter Park
, Florida
is one of seventeen public high schools in Orange County
. Winter Park High School is a magnet school
for the International Baccalaureate program.
Freshman Campus:
program. It was named a 2004-2007 Music Demonstration School by the Florida Department of Education. The Band, Orchestra, and Choral programs consistently receive "Superior" ratings at State Performance Assessments and all three are recognized nationally as top rated public high school performing arts programs.
Robert Dutton
The Winter Park High School Drama department is directed by Robert Dutton. The school is home to International Thespian Honor Society Troupe 850. This honor society works together inside and out of the department for competitions and the community. They are part of District V Thespians and attend the District and State level competitions yearly. The department does a completely student-run night of one acts at the end of every year. In 2007 the department performed M*A*S*H in the spring and It's A Wonderful Life in the fall. In 2008 the department put on the spring show of Pillow Talk and the fall show of Steel Magnolias." The department originally selected the show The Children's Hour
by Lillian Hellman
but the play was forced into cancellation due to issues with the suicide depicted onstage at the end and Steel Magnolias was chosen as its replacement. In 2009 the show Arsenic and Old Lace was performed in the spring and Twelve Angry Jurors was performed in the fall. In 2010 The Importance of Being Earnest was performed as both the District-level one act and expanded as the full stage play for the spring. For the fall of 2010, the show J.B. (the final show under the direction of Christopher Haskett) was presented. Haskett had previously mounted a production during his early years as drama director at WPHS. In 2011, Dutton took over and selected A Midsummer Night's Dream as his first show.
Ann Derflinger headed the drama department from the time the school moved to its Summerfield Rd. location in the early 1970s until her death in 1983. (She had previously taught drama at Glenridge Middle School
.) Christopher Haskett took over as Derflinger's temporary replacement during her illness and was named the permanent head of the drama department after her passing. He directed the department for nearly three decades until his retirement in January 2011.
In May of 2011, Orlando Home and Leisure Magazine named Mr. Dutton as the Best Teacher in Central Florida.
Laurie Bitters
The various ensembles in the orchestra program have a long history of superior ratings at both State and District Music Performance Assessments (MPAs) sponsored by the Florida Orchestra Association. The program consists of four orchestras: Concert Orchestra, which is a ninth grade orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, which is open to all 10-12 grade students, Winter Park Philharmonic (often referred to as "Park Phil"), which is available to 9-12 grade students by audition, and Lyric Strings, which is available to 10-12 grade students by audition. Under the previous direction of Charles Laux, the Winter Park Philharmonic was selected to perform at the 60th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2006. In 2010, the Winter Park Philharmonic was awarded all 'Superior' ratings at District MPA.
Matthew Swope
Associate Director:
Joseph Kemper
The choral department at Winter Park High School comprises six choirs and various ensembles. The non-auditioned choirs are the Freshman Women’s Chorus, the Wildcat Men’s Ensemble, Men's Glee Club (formerly Men's Chorale), and Cantabile. There are four advanced level choirs in the Choral Department: Park Singers, Belle Chanson, Concert Choir, and Women's Chorale. Two additional groups, Naughty Scotty and the Octapella and the ICHSA award winning Take 7 are the acapella groups. The Winter Park Chorus Department has performed at Disney Epcot's Candlelight Processional, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and many community and school events. Its students have participated in the American Choral Director Association's Honor Choir, the Florida All-State SSAA, SATB, and Sight-reading choirs, and Orange County Public Schools honor choirs. The choral department also does Night on Broadway, a fully staged musical performance in memory of a student who died in a car accident in 1998. Previous directors include: Trey Jacobs, Sandy Hinkley, Andrew Minear (now at Dr. Phillips High School
with Hinkley), Trent Patterson, and Sherlee Glomb.
Francis Franqui
Associate Director:
Jeff Willis
The band program services over 200 students and consists of seven performing ensembles: The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Color Guard, Indoor Percussion,"Winter Guard" and the Sound of the Wildcats Marching Band. The Marching Band has had performances across the country including the 2009 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Fiesta Bowl Marching Band Championship and Parade in Phoenix, Arizona; 2005 Autozone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee; the 2002 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Fiesta Bowl Marching Band Championship and Parade in Phoenix, Arizona; and the 2000 Sylvania Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The Band competes in Class 5A in the Florida Marching Band Championships by participating in regional and state events. From 2004-2010, the Band was a State Finalist five times - placing 3rd overall and 1st in the music caption in 2004, 3rd place overall in 2005, 5th place in 2008,and 5th place in 2010. They were the Class 5A State Champions in 2009. In addition, the Sound of the Wildcats holds the distinction of being one of the few high school bands in the country to have an original school fight song, written by former longtime WPHS Band Director Edgar W. "Jack" Williams. The Wind Ensemble performed at the 2002 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana; was the feature ensemble at the "President's Concert" of the Florida Music Educator's Association Conference in Tampa in 2007 and 2010; and performed at the prestigious 60th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to ensemble activities, individual musical achievement is stressed within the membership of the band program. Students also participate in the All-State and All-County bands as well as various Honor Bands throughout the year.
. Freshman students wishing to participate in extracurricular activities (band, orchestra, sports, etc.) or classes not offered at the Ninth Grade Center can take a bus after their 6th period from the Ninth Grade Center to the main campus. The Ninth Grade Center's schedule is offset eighteen minutes later to accommodate the bus ride. The campus offers a wide array of courses and prepares students for an excellent Winter Park High experience. Currently, what's left of this campus still stands today. Some of the older buildings have been partially demolished in the 2008-09 school year, and new buildings are currently complete.
, and was replaced by Jeff Willis. Moody, on the other hand, resigned just a few months later, as he was involved in a sexting scandal with a student. He was put under an internal investigation and school officials suspended Moody with pay. After his inappropriate text messages were discovered, Moody announced his resignation on Thursday, March 18, 2010. John Dupuis later took over as WPHS band director for the 2010-2011 school year until November 8, 2010, when he resigned. Jeff Willis maintained his title as Associate Director of Bands and was not promoted to full Director. Former associate director Francis Franqui returned on January 28, 2011 as full director, replacing Dupuis..
. Timothy Smith took over as principal in August 2010.
) took over as director of the WPHS drama department.
, written by John Green
, Winter Park High School was attended by the main characters of the story. While Green himself did not attend school there; his brother Hank Green
(see notable alumni) did.
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, 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...
is one of seventeen public high schools in Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
. Winter Park High School is a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
for the International Baccalaureate program.
History
Winter Park High School was constructed at 528 Huntington Avenue in 1923. It was one of the first high schools in Orange County. The school remained in this location until construction began in 1969 at the present location (2100 Summerfield Rd). Renovations at the main campus began in 2004 and are now complete. The original campus remains in use to this day as the Winter Park High School Ninth Grade Center, a campus exclusively used by ninth-grade students. Renovations to this campus began in the 2008-09 school year and have been completed.Athletic teams
- Athletic Training
- BaseballBaseballBaseball 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...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball 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...
- BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
- CheerleadingCheerleadingCheerleading 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...
- CrewSport rowingRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
- Cross Country RunningCross country runningCross 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...
- Flag FootballFlag footballFlag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
- FootballHigh school footballHigh school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
- GolfGolfGolf 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....
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Soccer
- SoftballSoftballSoftball 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...
- Special OlympicsSpecial OlympicsSpecial Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
- SwimmingSwimming (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...
- TennisTennisTennis 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...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack 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...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball 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...
- Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
- Weightlifting
- WrestlingScholastic wrestlingScholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit at Winter Park High School is the largest campus organization, with over 300 members actively participating. The unit has been honored as an Area Seven distinguished unit for all but one of its thirteen years in existence. The unit's competition teams consistently are state finalists.They have also been to nationals April 2009 they are ranked 7th in the nation. And again to go back the following year to navy nationals and finish 6th in the nation. It also has one of the first cadets to earn the Meritorious Achievement award in Winter Park High School and the first sophomore to earn it under Commander Herbert is Alexander Paugh, who received the award on November 9, 2009, for saving a fellow student's life.Clubs 2011-2012
Main Campus:- ACTS Club
- American Sign Language Club
- Asian American Club
- Athletic Training Program
- Art History Club
- Astronomy Club
- Ballroom Dancing Club
- Beta Club
- Cat's Eye Video Production
- Chess Team
- Engineering/Drafting Club
- English Speaking Union
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- French Club
- French Honors Society
- Gay Straight Alliance
- Global Civis
- Horticulture Club
- IB Newspaper
- Interact Club
- Junior Class
- Literacy Club
- Marine Biology Club
- Mathematics Honors
- Model United Nations
- National Honors Society
- One World, One Life Club
- Park Pals
- Psychology Club
- Physics Club
- Quill and Scroll Club
- Quiz Bowl
- SAVE Club
- Science Honors Society
- Senior Class
- Social Studies Honors Society
- Sophomore Class
- Spanish Honors Society
- Student Government Association
- Tri-M Music Honors Society
- Thespian Honors Society
- Young Democrats
- Young Republicans
Freshman Campus:
- Beta Club
- Freshman Student Government Association
- World Languages Club
Performing arts
Winter Park High School has a notable Performing ArtsPerforming arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
program. It was named a 2004-2007 Music Demonstration School by the Florida Department of Education. The Band, Orchestra, and Choral programs consistently receive "Superior" ratings at State Performance Assessments and all three are recognized nationally as top rated public high school performing arts programs.
Drama
Director:Robert Dutton
The Winter Park High School Drama department is directed by Robert Dutton. The school is home to International Thespian Honor Society Troupe 850. This honor society works together inside and out of the department for competitions and the community. They are part of District V Thespians and attend the District and State level competitions yearly. The department does a completely student-run night of one acts at the end of every year. In 2007 the department performed M*A*S*H in the spring and It's A Wonderful Life in the fall. In 2008 the department put on the spring show of Pillow Talk and the fall show of Steel Magnolias." The department originally selected the show The Children's Hour
The Children's Hour
The Children's Hour may refer to:* The Children's Hour , a game box containing three games for children released by Parker Bros in 1961....
by Lillian Hellman
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence "Lily" Hellman was an American playwright, linked throughout her life with many left-wing causes...
but the play was forced into cancellation due to issues with the suicide depicted onstage at the end and Steel Magnolias was chosen as its replacement. In 2009 the show Arsenic and Old Lace was performed in the spring and Twelve Angry Jurors was performed in the fall. In 2010 The Importance of Being Earnest was performed as both the District-level one act and expanded as the full stage play for the spring. For the fall of 2010, the show J.B. (the final show under the direction of Christopher Haskett) was presented. Haskett had previously mounted a production during his early years as drama director at WPHS. In 2011, Dutton took over and selected A Midsummer Night's Dream as his first show.
Ann Derflinger headed the drama department from the time the school moved to its Summerfield Rd. location in the early 1970s until her death in 1983. (She had previously taught drama at Glenridge Middle School
Glenridge Middle School
Glenridge Middle School is a middle school located in the Baldwin Park area in Orlando, Florida and serves students from both Orlando and Winter Park. It is one of the four middle schools in Florida with an International Baccalaureate IB Middle Years Programme, or MYP...
.) Christopher Haskett took over as Derflinger's temporary replacement during her illness and was named the permanent head of the drama department after her passing. He directed the department for nearly three decades until his retirement in January 2011.
In May of 2011, Orlando Home and Leisure Magazine named Mr. Dutton as the Best Teacher in Central Florida.
Orchestra
Director:Laurie Bitters
The various ensembles in the orchestra program have a long history of superior ratings at both State and District Music Performance Assessments (MPAs) sponsored by the Florida Orchestra Association. The program consists of four orchestras: Concert Orchestra, which is a ninth grade orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, which is open to all 10-12 grade students, Winter Park Philharmonic (often referred to as "Park Phil"), which is available to 9-12 grade students by audition, and Lyric Strings, which is available to 10-12 grade students by audition. Under the previous direction of Charles Laux, the Winter Park Philharmonic was selected to perform at the 60th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2006. In 2010, the Winter Park Philharmonic was awarded all 'Superior' ratings at District MPA.
Chorus
Director:Matthew Swope
Associate Director:
Joseph Kemper
The choral department at Winter Park High School comprises six choirs and various ensembles. The non-auditioned choirs are the Freshman Women’s Chorus, the Wildcat Men’s Ensemble, Men's Glee Club (formerly Men's Chorale), and Cantabile. There are four advanced level choirs in the Choral Department: Park Singers, Belle Chanson, Concert Choir, and Women's Chorale. Two additional groups, Naughty Scotty and the Octapella and the ICHSA award winning Take 7 are the acapella groups. The Winter Park Chorus Department has performed at Disney Epcot's Candlelight Processional, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and many community and school events. Its students have participated in the American Choral Director Association's Honor Choir, the Florida All-State SSAA, SATB, and Sight-reading choirs, and Orange County Public Schools honor choirs. The choral department also does Night on Broadway, a fully staged musical performance in memory of a student who died in a car accident in 1998. Previous directors include: Trey Jacobs, Sandy Hinkley, Andrew Minear (now at Dr. Phillips High School
Dr. Phillips High School
Dr. Phillips High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida, United States.The area of Dr. Phillips, Florida is named after Dr. Philip Phillips, a physician who later became a Central Florida citrus magnate. He was responsible for several key innovations in the processing and packaging of...
with Hinkley), Trent Patterson, and Sherlee Glomb.
Band
Director:Francis Franqui
Associate Director:
Jeff Willis
The band program services over 200 students and consists of seven performing ensembles: The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Color Guard, Indoor Percussion,"Winter Guard" and the Sound of the Wildcats Marching Band. The Marching Band has had performances across the country including the 2009 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Fiesta Bowl Marching Band Championship and Parade in Phoenix, Arizona; 2005 Autozone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee; the 2002 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Fiesta Bowl Marching Band Championship and Parade in Phoenix, Arizona; and the 2000 Sylvania Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The Band competes in Class 5A in the Florida Marching Band Championships by participating in regional and state events. From 2004-2010, the Band was a State Finalist five times - placing 3rd overall and 1st in the music caption in 2004, 3rd place overall in 2005, 5th place in 2008,and 5th place in 2010. They were the Class 5A State Champions in 2009. In addition, the Sound of the Wildcats holds the distinction of being one of the few high school bands in the country to have an original school fight song, written by former longtime WPHS Band Director Edgar W. "Jack" Williams. The Wind Ensemble performed at the 2002 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana; was the feature ensemble at the "President's Concert" of the Florida Music Educator's Association Conference in Tampa in 2007 and 2010; and performed at the prestigious 60th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to ensemble activities, individual musical achievement is stressed within the membership of the band program. Students also participate in the All-State and All-County bands as well as various Honor Bands throughout the year.
Ninth Grade Center (The Original WPHS)
Built in 1923 in Mediterranean Revival style at a cost of $137,000, the Winter Park High School Ninth Grade Center originally measured only 10 acres (40,468.6 m²). Over time, the school's population began to grow, and before long, it became overcrowded. In 1969, a second campus was constructed less than three miles (5 km) away, and the Ninth Grade Center became a secondary campus, used only for ninth grade students. Now the freshman campus, with about 1,020 students, is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Freshman students wishing to participate in extracurricular activities (band, orchestra, sports, etc.) or classes not offered at the Ninth Grade Center can take a bus after their 6th period from the Ninth Grade Center to the main campus. The Ninth Grade Center's schedule is offset eighteen minutes later to accommodate the bus ride. The campus offers a wide array of courses and prepares students for an excellent Winter Park High experience. Currently, what's left of this campus still stands today. Some of the older buildings have been partially demolished in the 2008-09 school year, and new buildings are currently complete.
Notable alumni
- Hank GreenHank GreenWilliam Henry "Hank" Green II is a professional vlogger and entrepreneur. He is the founder of VidCon and EcoGeek.org and the co-founder of DFTBA Records. He is also a singer/songwriter and has released three studio albums...
- Singer songwriter - Torrey DeVittoTorrey DeVittoTorrey Joel DeVitto is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her roles as Zoe in the 2006 horror film I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Karen Kerr in the short lived television series Beautiful People, Carrie in The CW series One Tree Hill, and most recently...
- Actress - Arielle KebbelArielle KebbelArielle Caroline Kebbel is an American model and actress. Arielle is perhaps best known for her roles in films such as American Pie Presents: Band Camp, John Tucker Must Die, Vampires Suck, and Aquamarine, as well as TV series including The Vampire Diaries, Gilmore Girls, and Life Unexpected, on...
- Actress - Beth LittlefordBeth LittlefordElizabeth Anna Halcyon "Beth" Littleford is an American actress, comedienne, and television personality. She is perhaps best known for being one of the original correspondents on the popular Comedy Central satirical news series The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000; she is also known as Tripp's mother...
- comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality - Whitney Laney - birth name:Whitney Melton radio personalityRadio personalityA radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
on WXXLWXXLWXXL, also known as XL1067, is a contemporary hit radio station licensed to Tavares, Florida, United States, and is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its studio is located at Clear Channel Orlando's headquarters in Maitland. WXXL primarily serves the Greater Orlando metropolitan area...
. Class of 2002 - Bret MunseyBret MunseyBret Munsey is currently the Head Coach for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. Previously he was the head coach for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League , and later the Director of Player Personnel for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.-College...
- Arena Football League coach - Paul McGowanPaul McGowan (American football)Paul J. McGowan is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 237th overall in the 1988 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-College career:...
- Florida State Seminoles footballFlorida State Seminoles footballThe Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
- 1987 Butkus Award Winner - Jo Ann PflugJo Ann PflugJo Ann Pflug is a former American motion picture and television actress, who retired in the 1990s.Pflug's first major role was as U.S. Army nurse Lt. Maria "Dish" Schneider in 1970's MASH. Other notable roles include the voice of Invisible Girl in the 1967 animated version of Fantastic Four, Lt...
- Actress. Class of 1958 - Davey JohnsonDavey JohnsonDavid Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
- MLB player and manager - John HartJohn Hart (baseball)John Henry Hart is an American Major League Baseball executive. In addition, he is the former general manager of the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers; now he currently serves as senior adviser, baseball operations, for the Rangers...
- Minor League manager and Major League executive - Jack BillinghamJack BillinghamJohn Eugene Billingham is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox...
- 1970s, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers - Stan PietkiewiczStan PietkiewiczStanley Thomas Pietkiewicz is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'5" 200 lb shooting guard and played collegiately at Auburn University...
- 1978-81 NBA San Diego Clippers and Dallas Mavericks - Billy GardellBilly GardellBilly Gardell is an American actor and comedian. Gardell has been visible within the comedy world industry since 1989. He currently portrays Mike Biggs on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Early life:...
- Class of 1987, Comedian and television personality (star of CBS-TV's "Mike and Molly") - Austin RiversAustin RiversAustin Rivers is an American college basketball player for Duke University. Rivers led Winter Park High School to back-to-back Florida 6A state championships in 2010 and 2011. He also played in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit for the USA National Team, and in addition, Rivers also participated in the...
- #2 2011 ESPNUESPNUESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
high school player in the country, committed to Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. - Michael "Dax" McCarty - MLSMLS- Organizations :* Major League Soccer, the highest level professional soccer league in the United States and Canada* Michigan Lutheran Seminary, a preparatory high-school in Saginaw, Michigan- Commerce :...
D.C. United - attended Winter Park from 2001-2003. - Amanda BearseAmanda BearseAmanda Bearse is an American actress, director and comedienne best known for her role as wacky neighbor Marcy D'Arcy on Married.....
- Actress
New band directors
Both Joel Moody and Francis Franqui left as WPHS band directors in 2010. Franqui left to become the lead band director at Lake Howell High SchoolLake Howell High School
Lake Howell High School is a comprehensive four-year high school located in Central Florida, USA. Home of the Silver Hawks, it has been designated a "B" High School by the Florida Department of Education in 2009. It was previously an "A+" high school in 2008...
, and was replaced by Jeff Willis. Moody, on the other hand, resigned just a few months later, as he was involved in a sexting scandal with a student. He was put under an internal investigation and school officials suspended Moody with pay. After his inappropriate text messages were discovered, Moody announced his resignation on Thursday, March 18, 2010. John Dupuis later took over as WPHS band director for the 2010-2011 school year until November 8, 2010, when he resigned. Jeff Willis maintained his title as Associate Director of Bands and was not promoted to full Director. Former associate director Francis Franqui returned on January 28, 2011 as full director, replacing Dupuis..
A new principal for the 2010-2011 school year
On July 8, 2010, it was announced via phone call to students that William Gordon has officially stepped down as the WPHS principal to pursue a higher position with Orange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
. Timothy Smith took over as principal in August 2010.
Christopher Haskett's retirement and new drama teacher
On January 24, 2011, Robert Dutton (a former English teacher at Glenridge Middle SchoolGlenridge Middle School
Glenridge Middle School is a middle school located in the Baldwin Park area in Orlando, Florida and serves students from both Orlando and Winter Park. It is one of the four middle schools in Florida with an International Baccalaureate IB Middle Years Programme, or MYP...
) took over as director of the WPHS drama department.
Paper Towns reference
In the novel Paper TownsPaper Towns
Paper Towns is the third young adult novel by John Green, published in October 2008 by Dutton Books. It debuted at number 5 on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books and was awarded the 2009 Edgar Award for best Young Adult novel....
, written by John Green
John Green
John Willison Green is a retired Canadian journalist and a leading researcher into the Bigfoot phenomenon. He is a graduate of both the University of British Columbia and Columbia University and has a database of more than 3000 sighting and track reports, leading some to affectionately refer to...
, Winter Park High School was attended by the main characters of the story. While Green himself did not attend school there; his brother Hank Green
Hank Green
William Henry "Hank" Green II is a professional vlogger and entrepreneur. He is the founder of VidCon and EcoGeek.org and the co-founder of DFTBA Records. He is also a singer/songwriter and has released three studio albums...
(see notable alumni) did.
External links
- Winter Park High School official website
- Winter Park High School IB Program
- FCAT scores for Winter Park High School by Grade
- Demographic breakdown of Winter Park High School
- Official WPHS Chorus Website
- Official WPHS Band Website
- Official WPHS Orchestra Website
- - Official WPHS Cross Country Website
- - Official Class of 1961 Website
- - Playboy Magazine's #1 Party School 2006