Albemarle High School
Albemarle High School is an Albemarle County public high school. Albemarle is part of the Northern Feeder Pattern. Albemarle students attended Burley Middle School, Jack Jouett Middle School, or Sutherland Middle School. As of 2017 Albemarle has 1,992 students enrolled and employs almost 150 teachers and 70 staff members.[1] Enrollment at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school was 1,951.
History
Albemarle High School opened in September 1953 to almost 850 students.[2] The school was initially segregated, being whites-only, until 1963 when members of the "Albemarle 26" first entered the building in an effort at integration.
Adjacent to Greer Elementary School and Jouett Middle School, the school has undergone multiple renovations and expansions since 1950. During the 1972-1973 school year, the courtyard was renovated, adding a raised, grassy area fondly known as the Senior Circle.[3]
In 2009 Albemarle added a new Math, Engineering & Science Academy directed towards students with an interest in engineering or design.[1]
Math, Engineering & Science Academy
Albemarle High School Math, Engineering & Science Academy, or MESA, is a 4-year program designed to prepare students for college-level math, science, or engineering coursework. Students entering the 9th grade in Albemarle County schools must have completed Algebra I and Geometry and fill out a 3-page application to be considered. [5] The application consists of two short essay questions, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. MESA accepts no more than 55 ninth graders each year. [6]
MESA's mission is to "educate a cross-section of students with a variety of interests and strengths, to infuse traditional school curricula with real world problem-solving, collaboration and inquiry-based learning, and to prepare the engineers, researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs of the 21st century." [7] Created to address a declining interest in engineering, the MESA Academy was a $14 million dollar project that constructed a state-of-the-art classroom space for students located in Albemarle High School. Students enrolled in MESA are taken through a curriculum which blends math and science together. [8]
Fine Arts Pathway
In 2014, Albemarle implemented a "Fine Arts Pathway" that allows students to organize their electives to focus on a particular area of the arts throughout their high school career. Students can choose from art, ceramics, photography, band, orchestra, chorus, creative writing and theatre. Each strand, or area of focus, is composed of five traditional classroom courses, a community learning experience, an internship, and a capstone project[9].
Ambient Air Monitoring Station
In 2008 the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality installed an ambient air monitoring station at AHS. The system is designed to measure particles in the air smaller than 2.5 micrometers, ozone levels, and collect meteorological data in the area.[10]
Principals
The current principal of Albemarle High School is Damean Barfield who will assume the position at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. [11] He replaced Jesse Turner, who left in the summmer of 2019 to become principal at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville. [12]
The following is a list of people who have served as principal[1]
| Term | Principal |
|---|---|
| 2024 - present | Damean Barfield [13] |
| 2019 - 2024 | Darah Bonham |
| 2017 - 2019 | Jesse Turner |
| 2009 - 2017 | Jay Thomas |
| 2004 - 2009 | Matthew Haas |
| 1995 - 2004 | Lawrence Lawwill |
| 1984 - 1995 | William Raines |
| 1954 - 1984 | Benjamin Franklin Hurt |
| 1953 - 1954 | Lynn Moore |
Location
Albemarle High School is located at 2775 Hydraulic Road.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Web. Albemarle High School Profile, Albemarle County Public Schools, retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ↑ Web. 1954 Peer - Yearbook from Albemarle High School, April 8, 2011, retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ↑ Web. 1973 Albemarle High School Yearbook, retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ↑ http://www.panoramio.com/photo/15995707
- ↑ Web. MESA Questions & Answers, Albemarle County Public Schools, retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ↑ Web. MESA Applications and Forms, Albemarle County Public Schools, retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Math, Engineering & Science Academy, Albemarle County Public Schools, retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Albemarle high ready to roll out MESA program, Sharon C. Fitzgerald, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, August 24, 2009, retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Albemarle High School to offer artistic focus, Tim Shea, Charlottesville Tomorrow, Charlottesville, VA, April 17, 2014, retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ↑ Web. Ambient Air Monitoring Station, Albemarle County Public Schools, retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Albemarle High School welcome students on first day of school, Chelsea King, News Article, CBS19, August 22, 2019, retrieved August 24, 2019.
- ↑ Web. Albemarle HS principal headed to city for Buford Middle School job, Katherine Knott, News Article, Daily Progress, May 21, 2019, retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ↑ Web. New Principal Named for Albemarle High School, Jaclyn Pieramarini, News Article, Charlottesville, Virginia, July 19, 2024, retrieved July 24, 2024.