Greer High School
Greer High School is a public high school in Greer, South Carolina, United States. With about 1200 students, Greer High is a moderate sized school in Greenville County, South Carolina.
| Greer High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
3000 East Gap Creek Road , , 29651 United States | |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Established | 1895 |
| Opened | 1998 (current campus) |
| School district | Greenville County School District |
| Faculty | ~100 |
| Teaching staff | 68.00 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9 – 12 |
| Number of students | 1,201 (2018-19)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17.66[1] |
| Classrooms | > 800 sq ft (74 m2) each |
| School color(s) | Gold, black, white |
| Mascot | Yellow Jackets |
| Nickname | Yellow Jackets |
| Rival | Blue Ridge High |
| Website | www |
Campus
Every classroom is wired for technology for up to eight computers, and has at least one computer. The Media Center has Internet and television production capabilities, capable of broadcasting to each classroom. The auditorium seats 600 people. The gymnasium will seat 2,000 people.
History
When Greer High School was founded in 1895, it had no special name as it was in a one-room log cabin owned by J.L. Green. A gentleman by the name of W. A. Hill (one of Greer's first citizens) gave the school its equipment. When the number of people registered for school outgrew the size of the building, Mr. Hill presented a large room of a cotton gin building on what is now known as Hill Street.
In 1904, the school moved to a three-story brick building across the road from the old Greer Library, also on Hill Street (Greer High School).
In 1922, a school was built and named Davenport High School (after one D. D. Davenport as he contributed most of the $150,000 in production costs). In 1923, the first yearbook, The Bantam, was printed, an eleventh grade was added, and the football team was founded. In 1924, there were four literary societies which focused on studying journalism, writing, and poetry. 1924 saw the printing of Pep, a literary journal (Greer High School).
In 1927, the school’s Alma Mater was chosen. It was written by Elizabeth Jones and submitted in a school wide competition for that purpose. It is still sung by the Greer High School Students today.
In 1935, the school’s motto, the coat of arms, and the first class ring were chosen. The school’s motto is "Parantes pro Civitate" which means preparing for citizenship. The coat of arms contains the State’s palmetto tree, the school’s mascot—the yellow jacket, and a peach (Greer High School).
The Alma Mater
In the state of Carolina,
Near the mountains blue,
Stately stands a noble structure
With a spirit true.
CHORUS:
Lift your voices
Shout your praises
Over hill and dale.
Here's to thee, our Alma Mater.
Hail thee, Greer High, Hail!
Now and when we have departed
From her halls afar,
May her truths and lofty ideals
Be our guiding star.
Set to the song Far Above Cayuga's Waters.
The coat of arms with the school motto
In 1940-41, Greer High established its first band, printed the first edition of the Greer High Times (which was distributed with a subscription rate of fifty cents per year) and the yearbook changed its name to Le Flambeau (The Burning Torch). Davenport remained Greer's high school until 1953. Davenport High became Davenport Junior High and remained so until 1970, when it was obliterated in a fire (Greer High School).
The high school was moved to North Main Street in 1953 when a new building was erected. In 1955-56, an auditorium was added. With the addition of a new library and more air conditioned science classrooms in 1970, the school was improved. In 1974, the first edition of “The Clingstone” was printed. The title was chosen as a tribute to the clingstone peach (Greer High School).
In 1986, a new football stadium was fashioned. In 1987, the entire school was modernized and given air-conditioning. In the years 1985, 1988, and 1996, Greer High School won South Carolina’s EIA Incentive Awards for academics (Greer High School). (EIA stands for Education Improvement Act (EIA Program Report for Fiscal Year 2007-08)).
Greer High School moved to its new location at 3000 Gap Creek Road in summer 1998. Every classroom is greater than 800 square feet (74 m2).
Works cited
- EIA Program Report for Fiscal Year 2007-08. 10/9/2007. 06/29/2009 <http://eoc.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E88035F5-A799-473A-BFD9-752CF1CC126D/12091/TeacheroftheYear.pdf>.
- Greer High School. History of Greer High. 2009. 06/29/2009 <http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/greerhs/about/history.asp>.
Extracurriculars
The Greer High Bands are directed by Jeff Norman.
The Greer High Choirs are directed by Stephen Gunter.
Sports
The Yellow Jackets football team won the AAA State Championship in 1956, 1989, 1994, 2003.[2]
The Yellow Jackets basketball team won the AAA State Championship in 2005 and made it back to the finals again in 2009 but lost a close game to Camden High School led by Daniel Palka who was accountable for an average 32.4 points per game through the 2010 season. Palka now plays for the Chicago White Sox where he finished for 4th in the Rookie of the year voting in MLB in 2018.
The Greer Yellow Jackets girls cross country team won the AAA State Championship in 2002 and 2003.
The Greer High School Marching Band won the AAA State Marching Championship in 2005. And recently placed 2nd at Upperstate, and 3rd in the 2012 AAA Marching Championships. In 2013 they got 3rd at upperstate, and 3rd at State.
Curriculum
Greer High School offers the International Baccalaureate program.
Performance
The school won EIA Incentive Awards for academics from the State of South Carolina in 1985, 1988, and 1996.
In 2007, students completed Advanced Placement exams in 13 test areas. Their standardized test scores in 10th grade English/Language Arts and Math exceeded the state average.[3]
References
- "Greer High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- http://www.yellowjacketsports.net
- Great Schools - Greer High School