Newport High School (Bellevue, Washington)

Newport High School
Address
4333 Factoria Boulevard SE
Bellevue, Washington 98006
United States
Coordinates 47°34′05″N 122°10′19″W / 47.56806°N 122.17194°W / 47.56806; -122.17194Coordinates: 47°34′05″N 122°10′19″W / 47.56806°N 122.17194°W / 47.56806; -122.17194
Information
Type Public, Coeducational
Established 1964
Status Open
School district Bellevue School District
Principal Dion Yahoudy
Faculty 1099
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 1,712 (June 2011)
Campus Suburban
Campus size 12.71 acres (51,436 m²)
Color(s) Scarlet and Gold          
Mascot Knight
Nickname Knights
Rival Bellevue High School (Bellevue, Washington), Skyline, Issaquah
Newspaper Knightlife
Communities served Newport Hills, Newcastle, Factoria, Eastgate, Newport Shores
Feeder schools Tyee Middle School, Tillicum Middle School
Website Official Website

Newport High School (NHS) is a public secondary school in Bellevue, Washington. It serves students in grades 9–12 in the southern part of the Bellevue School District, including the neighborhoods of Eastgate, Factoria, Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Somerset, The Summit, and Sunset. As of the 2014-2015 school year, the principal is Dion Yahoudy. The mascot is the Knight, and the school colors are scarlet and gold.[1]

History

Newport High School was built in 1963 and opened in the fall of 1964 to accommodate Bellevue's growing population.[2] Prior to construction, students in the Eastgate, Somerset and Newport Hills neighborhoods went to Sammamish High School and Bellevue High School. The first graduating class was of 1966.

From 2005 to 2008, the school went through a major construction project. A new three story building replaced the original classrooms, library, and offices. The original buildings remained in use during construction of the new building. The project included extensive remodeling of the gyms and locker rooms. In early 2007, students and teachers moved into the new building. The old buildings were demolished to replace a baseball field and a softball field displaced by the new building.[3] The project cost $54 million.[3]

Demographics

In the 2014-2015 school year, the total student enrollment was 1,743. The demographics are 2% African American, 5% Hispanic, 8% Multi-Ethnic, 45% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 39% White. 32% of students speak a first language other than English. 4% of students receive ELL service, and 13% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.[4]

Achievements

Due to its extensive Advanced Placement course offering, Newport High School has consistently been ranked in the Top 100 List of Best High Schools by Newsweek Magazine as measured by the number of AP tests taken divided by the number of seniors in the school, ranking 37th as of 2006, 31st as of 2008, 34th in 2009[5] and most recently 118 in 2014.[6] Newport was also selected as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Education.[7] In 2005 Newport High School's World History program was recognized as exemplary in the College Board's Report To The Nation based on its top-ranking pass rate on the national AP World History exam.[8]

Technology

During the 2004–2005 school year, the Bellevue School District made a push to buy Smart Boards for all classrooms, accompanied by Dell projectors which are mounted into the ceiling.[9]

Some of the technology related courses include the NHS Cisco academy, including CCNP classes, and Advanced Placement Computer Science.[1]

One technical class is the advanced video production program. The production studio has a professional level green room, studio cameras, Apple computers for editing, and a fully equipped audio room.

Students

Newport High School hosts a variety of clubs, including language/culture clubs in Spanish and Chinese, as well as a branch of the National Honor Society, Gay-Straight Alliance, Debate, Junior Statesmen of America, DECA, Key Club, a community-service organization called ACE, a robotics club known as NRG[10](Newport Robotics Group),[11] a math club, a snowboarding club called Snow Riders, a sports debating club called Sports Debate Club, a Jewish club, break dancing club, a speech and debate club and Forensics team, and anime club.[12]

Multiple classes are designed to teach students to perform at their personal best, including ASPEN, AVID, leadership and link-crew. Link-crew is a semester-long class for Juniors and Seniors, where everyone is assigned a group of freshmen, and these students help the freshmen adjust to high school life.[12] Leadership is either semester- or year-long, and in this class students (Sophomore standing or above) learn various leadership techniques which they put to use in projects such as Adopt-a-Family, which raises money for local needy families during the holiday season. ASPEN, which stands for AIDS, Student Peer Educators at Newport, is Newport's advanced health class, in which students learn extensively about HIV/AIDS, and then teach other students about STDs, HIV/AIDS, and safe sex practices. In 2009, they raised over $44,000 for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, making them the second biggest contributors only behind Microsoft, and in 2010 they raised over $51,000 easily the largest amount of any team in the walk.[13] AVID (advancement via individual determination) is designed for students who are taking courses the students feel are challenging. This class teaches study skills, and students practice college entrance examinations and essays. Newport students take part in many 'Spirit' activities, especially during Homecoming Week. The Knights pride themselves on wearing as much Scarlet and Gold clothing as possible during Red & Gold days, and usually on Fridays, or the end of a school week, if there is no school on Friday.

Music

The NHS band playing at Safeco Field on the Seattle Mariners' opening day, April 3, 2007.

The Newport jazz program is successful, following a trip to New York City by the Newport Jazz Ensemble I. The trip was due in part to the band's acceptance into the prestigious Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival and Competition in 2006 and 2009.[14] The Jazz Ensemble participates in many festivals including Clark College Jazz Festival, Bellevue College Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and is now a 3-time participant in the Swing Central Jazz Festival in Savannah, Georgia, placing second in 2011.[15] Other activities include the KPLU School of Jazz Recording Project and performing at the Paramount Theatre.[15]

The Marching Band is the main event at home football games, and they ALWAYS participate in the annual Victoria Day Parade in Victoria, British Columbia. The marching band participates regularly in competitions, dominating their open division and obtaining numerous awards for music, drum line, color guard, outstanding flute section, and drum majors. newportband.org[15]

The Newport Orchestra program has also had a great deal of success, consistently placing at the Northwest Orchestra Festival in Gresham, OR.[16] The program features a select chamber orchestra for top orchestral instrumentalists.

The Newport Choir performs occasionally at assemblies when the band is unavailable.

Math Club

Newport's math club has been very successful, claiming top prizes at numerous state contests such as Math is Cool Championships, Math is Cool Masters, and the Northwest Math Championship. Recently, Newport's math team also placed third and second in the state at the 2009 and 2012 Washington State Mu Alpha Theta contest.[17] Newport Math Club hosts the Knights of Pi Math Tournament for students in grades 5–8.[18][19]

Forensics

Newport High has had a Debate team since January 10, 1966. The team is affiliated with the National Forensic League (NFL), the national honor society for competitive speech and debate. As far back as the middle- to late-1970s, the team had remarkable success at both local and regional debate competitions. In 1976, Newport won the prestigious Whitman College Invitational,[20] and in 1988, two of the team's policy debate teams broke into the quarterfinal rounds of the California High School Forensics Tournament hosted by the University of California at Berkeley. Newport Debate qualified to attend the National Championships 18 times since its founding. In 1976, Lynne Joyner won the Individual National Championship in Dramatic Interpretation. Six Newport students have reached the finals at Nationals, and 27 have attended the tournament.

In 2009, the team hired a new coach and aggressively expanded its event offerings to include Individual Event speeches, Public Forum, Oxford- and Congressional-style Debate. By the Spring of 2010, Newport was officially recognized by the NFL as a charter chapter after finishing the season ranked 7th nationally among affiliate NFL chapters. Charter status gives the club voting membership in the national organization, and allows the team to bring more students to the National Qualifier in 2011 and beyond.

In 2011 the team captured all of the available 4A slots out of District II to the WIAA Speech and Debate Championships (most of any team in the Emerald City Speech League[21]). Since 2010, Newport has notched 16 alternates and one qualifier the National tournament, and placed two students in the State Finals.[22]

Weekend programs

The Northwest Chinese School (simplified Chinese: 西北中文学校; traditional Chinese: 西北中文; pinyin: Xīběi Zhōngwén Xuéxiào), which teaches Chinese, mathematics, and other classes to students aged 4–18, is held at Newport High. It is the largest weekend Chinese school in the United States.[23]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 Newport : High Schools : Schools : Bellevue School District
  2. ↑ Piro, Mary Ellen (February 2008). "Bellevue Schools Timeline: 1883–Present" (PDF). Eastside Heritage Center. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Newport High School Construction Project Retrieved: 24 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "Newport Profile|Bellevue School District". bsd405.org. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  5. ↑ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
  6. ↑ "Newport High School in BELLEVUE, WA | Best High Schools | US News". USNews. Retrieved 10/3/14. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. ↑ Newport Senior High School - Bellevue, Washington/WA - Public School Profile
  8. ↑ "Advanced Placement Report to the Nation 2005" (pdf). College Board. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  9. ↑ "School Improvement Plan: Newport High School, Bellevue School District, 2007-08" (pdf). bsd405.org. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  10. ↑ NRG Newport Robotics Group
  11. ↑ Seattle Times Newport Robotics Video
  12. 1 2 Newport High School Knight Activities Retrieved: 24 June 2009.
  13. ↑ Newport High School ASPEN Retrieved: 24 June 2009.
  14. ↑ "A&E briefs: Four jazz bands will compete in N.Y". The Seattle Times. 3 March 2006.
  15. 1 2 3 Newport Band Retrieved: 24 June 2009.
  16. ↑ Friends of Newport Orchestra
  17. ↑ Washington State Mu Alpha Theta contest results
  18. ↑ Newport's math tournament is a fundraiser, too
  19. ↑ Newport High School Math Club to host mathematics competition
  20. ↑ Whitman Sweepstakes History of Results Retrieved: 8 Oct 2011
  21. ↑ State Qualifiers Chart Retrieved: 12 July 2011
  22. ↑ NFL Online Reporting Database Retrieved: 12 July 2011
  23. ↑ Wing, Jennifer. "Saturday language schools growing in popularity" (Archive). KPLU. May 10, 2013. Retrieved on March 8, 2015.
  24. ↑ http://espn.go.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/8931543/jeremy-taiwo-sets-world-record-high-jump-segment-heptathlon

External links

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