| Number of Schools Managed |
261 |
24 |
| Number of Students Managed |
195,331 students |
15,852 students |
| District Total Revenue |
$1,590,138,000 |
$150,286,000 |
| District Expenditure |
$1,653,812,000 |
$148,035,000 |
| District Revenue / Student |
$8,141 |
$9,481 |
| District Expenditure / Student |
$8,467 |
$9,339 |
| District Graduation Rates |
87% |
90% |
|
- Howard W. Blake High School (opened originally in 1956) is a public high school in located in Tampa, Florida. In 1997, the school moved to its current location.
- School history
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The school is named in honor of Howard W. Blake, a Tampa native who attended Florida A&M University, Claflin University, and Atlanta University. Blake's entire life was geared toward guiding young people to their optimal education and vocational potential.
- Blake was originally open to only African-American students in the Tampa area as one of the two black schools during segregation in Tampa, the other being its current rival school Middleton High School.
- After Tampa integrated the schools, Blake was known as Blake Junior High and was a seventh grade center, until 1997.
- Magnet school
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Upon re-opening in 1997, the school added a magnet school for the visual, communication and performing arts. The magnet program has continued to make headlines and win countless awards within each of its departments over the years.
- The 2007-2008 school year marked Blake's 10th anniversary as a magnet school. The celebration of 10 years was shown through the valiant efforts of Angelina Jolie , Blake High School's dedicated Magnet Arts Coordinator. Her event for the anniversary featured a variety of Blake alumni from the ten years, coordinating a gallery full of pieces by talented artists such as Ari Richter and performances in a variety of fields, such as Chicago's star of Wicked, Danielle Williamson, and jazz musicians Dayve Stewart and Eric Darius.
- The entire school attempted to highlight the occasion, even in such instances as performances (Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind) as well as the Choir and Symphony Orchestra performing the Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- Accelerated Education
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Blake also boasts a strong academic curriculum, featuring over 15 Advanced Placement programs in which nearly all of the classes score higher on their AP tests than the national average.
- Blake Accelerated Curriculum Program is an online high school magnet program in the School District of Hillsborough County. It is one out of seven of franchises of Florida Virtual School. Its online program has certified teachers that are innovative and motivated to teach in an online format. Students only report to campus for FCAT Testing, and extra curricular activities (optional). Students can actually customize their education to become accelerated or to just accommodate their needs. Some students accelerate their high school career by 1–2 years early.
- Magnet Programs
- Performing Arts
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The performing arts program provides a structured opportunity for the study of music, drama, musical theatre and technical theatre as primary divisions of art and literature, the performance and production of plays, and the personal growth and development of the individual. The theater department has a troupe part of the International Thespian Society and competes in their Florida district.
- Music
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Blake High School offers a wide music curriculum consisting of orchestra(directed by Jason Jerald), choir, band, guitar, piano, harp, jazz ensembles and marching band in addition to theory and history courses. The faculty of the music department comprises eight highly skilled instructors in their respective fields. There are many opportunities for music students to perform in the community in All-State, All-County, Music Performance Assessment, and Solo and Ensemble festivals.
- Dance department
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The dance department has been through many changes but has never had so much success as of late. Currently is headed by three teachers who teach ballet, and different modern techniques. Throughout the year there are master classes and the department is host to guest faculties. The dance department hosts many classes from Dance Repertory, Ballet, Modern, (Jazz, Pilate) Master Classes, Choreography I & II, Dance Honors and Senior Projects. With these the department hosts five shows a year, two faculty shows, two student choreographies and one Senior Showcase. Some students may participate in Youth American International Grand Prix. Decided by the teachers.
- Creative Writing
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As in all the other majors at Blake High School, creative writing majors are selected by the department teachers through an audition process. Students wishing to be in the program must first prepare a portfolio of their writings, and submit an application to be seen. On the day of their appointment, they must bring said portfolio and meet with the two teachers. Together, the student and teachers will go through the portfolio and the student will be asked to read a sample of their writings allowed. The writings are allowed to be Poetry, Prose or a mix of the two.After acceptance the students are put through a rigorous course that helps them not only produce new works but also teaches them how to perform various works, submit their pieces professionally, how to publish a magazine and how to edit their own work. At the end of their four years the students will be able to publish chapbooks. A chapbook is a typically short book of one's best writings.
- Journalism
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The Blake High School journalism department was once a shining example of literary excellence in deadline. Its previous adviser taught the students how to work with deadline, and its pressing faces, rather than against it. During the 2007-2008 school year, its monthly production dwindled to bi-annual of almost the same standard and length monthly issues once held. Auditioning for the program is a process of merely bringing in writings, stories, editorials, newsletters...anything that exemplifies writing as a whole.
- Visual Arts
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Visual Arts students are selected for enrollment by bringing in their sketchbook and flipping through the pages while the art teacher carefully reviews them. Visual arts students are required to take at least one class with each of the four visual arts teachers, in areas such as drawing and painting, photography, glass and jewelry, and ceramics. When they have completed one class in each of the four areas, they will be able to specialize in one or two areas, for which they may receive master certification for at the end of their four years at Blake.
- Athletics
- Men's
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Men's sports include swimming, basketball, baseball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track and field, tennis, and wrestling.
- Women's
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Women's sports include swimming, basketball, softball, cheerleading, football, golf, soccer, track and field, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.
- Club sports
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The club sport of rowing began in 2004 for both men and women, by several students and under the sponsorship of the Stewards Foundation. The women recently won bronze in a Women's Novice Four in the Cities Regatta. The club sport of lacrosse began in 2007 for both men and women by several students with the desire to play lacrosse without any outside help from sponsorship. Though the original club comprised roughly a dozen students, the 2007-2008 club was made up of approximately 20-25 students and efforts are being made to have lacrosse become recognized as a varsity sport throughout the school.
- External links
- School website
- hwbsota.org - Blake High School Friends of the Arts Website
- BlakeChorus.com - Chorus Website
- BlakeBands.org - Band 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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