- Port Charlotte High School (PCHS) is a four-year, comprehensive, public high school located in Port Charlotte, Florida, US. The school opened in 1982, its mascot is the pirate, and the school motto is "Yes, I am a Pirate." It is operated by Charlotte County Public Schools. With 2,082 students enrolled in grades Grades 9 through 12, Port Charlotte High School has more students than any other public school in Charlotte County. Enrollment was traditionally based on students' geographic locations, but is now by choice under the more recently created open enrollment program. The school has grown much, and it survived Hurricane Charley. The school has high academic standards, and is known for its performance in extracurricular activities. The school's main feeders are Murdock Middle School, Port Charlotte Middle School, and Punta Gorda Middle School. The school's top athletic rivals are Charlotte High School and Lemon Bay High School. The property value of the school is $15,797,719 USD. PCHS has educated two NFL players and one major league baseball player who also performed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- History
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PCHS has experienced growth through its twenty-five years of existence. The campus structure has grown with the population.
- In 2004, Hurricane Charley brought devastation to the Port Charlotte region. Although Port Charlotte High School suffered only minor damage from the hurricane, other regional high schools suffered significant damage. In the aftermath, Port Charlotte High School shared its facility with the students of Charlotte High School, with Port Charlotte High School students attending morning class and Charlotte High School students attending in the evening.
- Academics
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thumb|right|Page out of a student planner. Pirate P-R-I-D-E is "Preparation, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence."
- Port Charlotte High School currently has 15 English teachers, 17 math teachers, 8 intensive reading teachers, 14 science teachers, 15 social studies teachers, 8 foreign language teachers, 14 vocational teachers, 5 exceptional student education (for students with disabilities) teachers, and 1 ESOL teacher. There are six periods in a school day. The school has a student/teacher ratio of 21.2. The curriculum is based on the Sunshine State Standards.
- These grades are based on FCAT testing.
- Extracurricular activities
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Port Charlotte High School has many clubs and groups, including Academic Team Challenge (A-Team), Beta Club, Book Club, Creative Writing Club, Dance Team, DECA, Environmental Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), French Club, Games Club, Interact Club, Key Club, Mock Trial Team, Model United Nations ( MUN), Mu Alpha Theta, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp (NJROTC), Pirate Crew, Pride of Port Charlotte Marching Band, Recruitment & Educational Assistance for Careers In Health (REACH), Red Cross Club, Scholars Club, Silver Cord, Spanish Club, Student Government Association, Thespian Society, Tri-M Music Society, Water Polo, and Yearbook Team. Key Club, an organization for high school students, is operated by the Kiwanis Club.
- The school also offers athletic programs in football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, cheerleading, wrestling, soccer, volleyball, bowling, swimming, lacrosse, and weightlifting.
- Model United Nations
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The school's Model United Nations (MUN) Academic Team has been frequently recognized for its performance at prestigious conferences at both the national and international level. The team has won honors at several, noteworthy conferences such as those held at Harvard University, Yale University, The University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Brown University, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The team became known as world champions at the Harvard MUN Conference during the 2008-2009 school year, receiving other numerous notable awards as well.
- Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
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The Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) is a program allowing high school students to participate in the academic and physical training aspect of naval service, while also providing leadership opportunities to those involved in the program. It does not require a commitment to military service following high school graduation. Port Charlotte's NJROTC program was established in the early 1990s; since then, it has grown significantly. The company of cadets are overseen and instructed by two retired United States Navy personnel, who are in turn overseen by the United States Navy itself through the form of Area Managers. Port Charlotte's unit is a member of NJROTC Area Seven, and is known for service to its community.
- The Pirate NJROTC unit has received many awards over the years, including, but not limited to the "Distinguished Unit Award," which it has been awarded over seven consecutive academic years - 2001-2007. The unit is a part of Area 7, which consists of units in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
- The unit has four "teams" within its infrastructure that allow participating cadets to receive extracurricular training and experience of their choice: an armed and unarmed Drill Team, Color Guard, academic team, and a physical training ("PT") team. Previously, the unit also had a rifle team. The teams compete against other Area Seven units at colleges, universities, military installations, and other high schools. The teams also compete with other units across the United States.
- Pride of Port Charlotte Bands
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As of 2008, Port Charlotte High School's "Pride of Port Charlotte" Bands have consistently ranked among the top bands in the state of Florida for several years. The Pride of Port Charlotte Marching Band has participated at many famous events, such as the Fiesta Bowl, Macy's Day Parade, the New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade, the New Years Day Parade in London, England, and the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Texas among many others. The Pride Concert and Jazz Bands also consistently receive superior ratings from the Florida Bandmasters Association.
- Students
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Students at Port Charlotte High School generally range from 13 through 19 years of age. 71% of the students are Caucasian, 14% are African American, 9 % are hispanic and 6% are multiracial or other.
- Notable alumni
- John Hall (class of 1991) was a place-kicker in the NFL. He played for the New York Jets (1997-2002), then was transferred to the Washington Redskins who he played for until 2006 when he was released; he then retired.
- Tony Hargrove (class of 2001) Currently a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. He has also played for the Buffalo Bills and the St. Louis Rams.
- Matthew LaPorta is a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians who attended PCHS his freshman year, but later transferred to rival Charlotte High School. He was also one of 24 players selected to represent the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- Campus
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Image:Port Charlotte High School edit.jpg|
- External links
- Charlotte County Public Schools' official website
- Florida Department of Education official website
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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