Jamestown High School opened in 1997, with the first student body consisting of Lafayette High School students and various local middle school graduates. Its name derives from the nearby Jamestown Settlement. In 2007 Jamestown High School was replaced as the newest school within the district by Warhill High School, which was built to relieve overcrowding. Some students from Jamestown, Lafayette High School and local middle schools made up the first student body there.
Curriculum
The curriculum is based on standards set by the Virginia Board of Education. Jamestown participates in the AVID program to facilitate preparation for college. Jamestown offers 19 Advanced Placement classes. These include Biology, Calculus AB & BC, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, German, Human Geography, Latin, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics 1 & 2, Psychology, Spanish, Studio Art, US Government, and US History. Students can also take additional AP classes online via Virtual Virginia.
Graduation requirements at Jamestown include three credits of mathematics and science; four credits of English; four credits of history; and one credit of a foreign language (Spanish, German, French, Latin or American Sign Language). Finally, students must complete one technology credit and one fine arts credit.
Electives offered include studio art, painting, choir, band, art foundations, material studies, supernatural studies, ceramics, photography, theater, as well as various languages.
In addition to the basic diploma, an advanced diploma option is available. Requirements for the advanced diploma include additional foreign language credits.
Jamestown offers enrollment at The New Horizons Governor's School for Science and Technology. The Governor's School is a two-year, half-day program for 11th and 12th graders. Admission to the program is highly competitive. Students select either the engineering strand, the biological science strand, or the scientific programming strand.
Culture
Negative
During 1998, Jamestown High was mentioned in an interview with Osama bin Laden by ABC. He cited the school as an example of American imperialism. It is unknown whether he was actually meaning to refer to the specific school, or just used his knowledge of the history of America in an attempt to come with a fake high school name to discuss the flaws of America.
In 1999, the school received various bomb threats after the Columbine High School shootings. This has not occurred in recent years. In 2007 a student was apprehended with a small handgun, apparently in an attempt to scare another student into returning a PSP that was stolen from him.
Some incidents related to drug and alcohol usage have resulted in disciplinary action, especially during prom and homecoming weeks. A major incident that happened had a senior post a picture to Snapchat informing she was going to sell medications. The student was searched at school and was found to have Xanax. Furthermore, her car was found to have even more pills and a small amount of marijuana. More than 500 pills that were not prescribed were found in the possession of the teen, and it was found that they were taken from her grandparents’ place.[2] In terms of alcohol, a program called "Every 30 Minutes", which simulates a car accident that occurs after drinking alcohol, attempts to deter students from drinking.
There have also been incidents on the school buses. A couple were accused of physically and verbally abusing a special needs student on the bus. The student was starting to become disruptive on the bus while strapped into a harness seat. Police believe the couple pinned him to his seat, spit on him, slapped him, and forced his arms over his head to restrict breathing. Both the husband and wife were charged with assault and battery, and the husband was also charged with felony abduction.[3]
Positive
In 2022, sophomores in an AP World Geography class went on a 104-mile journey to raise money for an organization that gives food to people in need. The class usually requires students to complete a project to raise money locally or on a larger scale. This would be the first time students had done something this big. They would bike from Williamsburg to Richmond and back again on an eleven-hour journey to raise money. They projected to only raise enough money for four goats. However, they raised a total of $1,450 and were able to buy twenty-one goats.[4]
Campus
The first floor contains classrooms for fine arts, technology (split into engineering, graphics and Cooperative Business Education), math and science. The special education classrooms are also on this level. The second floor has the library (or media center) and classrooms for math, social studies, English and foreign languages (along with English as a Second Language (ESL)).
West of the main building, five trailers that acted as 10 classrooms and could hold around a total of 250 students were brought in to relieve overcrowding. In spite of the reduction in enrollment due to the construction of Warhill High School, two of the trailers have become a permanent part of the campus. The school is surrounded by wooded and swamp areas.
Enrollment
School Year
Number of Students
1997–1998
820
1998–1999
1,101
1999–2000
1,169
2000–2001
1,162
2001–2002
1,256
2002–2003
1,256
2003–2004
1,331
2004–2005
1,451
2005–2006
1,524
2006–2007
1,590*
2007–2008
1,342
2008–2009
1,261
2009–2010
1,232
2010–2011
1,217
2011–2012
1,186
2012–2013
1,211
2013–2014
2014–2015
[*] A new high school opened this year. Students were redistricted.
As of the 2012-2013 school year, Jamestown High School's student body is 74% (898) White; 11.5% (139) Black; 7% (90) Hispanic; 3% (31) Asian; and 1% (3) Native American.
Athletics
The school's mascot is an eagle and its sports teams currently play in Class 4 Region A of the Bay Rivers District of the Virginia High School League. Jamestown has won 23 state titles, which include six AA girls' tennis Dynasty state titles from 2000–2002, 2004–2006; five boys' swimming state titles in 2001 and 2006–2008 and 2016; seven AA girls' swimming titles from 2000 to 2002 as well as 2013 to 2017; five AA boys' soccer titles in 2001, 2008, 2012, 2015, and 2023; one AA girls' soccer title in 1999; six AA golf titles in 1999, 2013, and 2014,2015, 2016, and 2018; one girls' field hockey title in 2001; one AA boys' cross country title in 2001; one boys' tennis title in 2010; and one AA girls' basketball title in 2006, as well as one in 2021. Jamestown also had their first female football player during the 2000-2001 season.
Theatre
The Jamestown High School Theatre Department formed in September 1997. Traditionally it produces three shows every year. There is a fall one-act, a fall play and a spring musical. Jamestown has competed in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) One-Act competitions at the district, regional, and state level. Its production of Degas C'est Moi won all three VHSL Championships.
Music
Jamestown has several musical groups, including a symphonic band and wind ensemble, a marching band and mixed, jazz and chamber choirs.
Band
The band has won a superior rating every year after its founding year and has traveled to numerous destinations across the US for competition.[citation needed]
Marching band
The marching band is by far the largest musical group at Jamestown. The instrumentation consists of woodwinds, brass, a drum line and a pit (usually keyboard instruments and axillary instruments). There is also a color guard that twirls colorful flags, dance, and use other visuals as the school board does not allow the use of rifles or sabers in performances. The band uses a technique very similar to modern style drum and bugle corps.
Clubs and extracurricular activities
Jamestown has several different clubs and groups. In order for the group to be part of the school, it must first have at least one sponsor and it must have approval by the principal.
Ascent is the literature and art magazine at Jamestown. It was originally established as Labyrinth.
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References
↑ "Jamestown High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
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