The town of Mount Pleasant is known for it's excellent public schools, some of the best in the Charleston School District and in the State. Mount Pleasant's rapid population growth over the past few years had created overcrowding in many of the town's schools, to include it's high school. To address the overcrowding at Wando High School a "state of the art" High School was built and opened in the Fall of 2004. From the newspaper article below and comments from educators in the state, the town of Mount Pleasant, S.C. has one of the premier High Schools in the state of South Carolina.
Principal Lucy Beckham of Wando High School A Finalist For NASSP National High School Principal Of The Year Discusses On UTube How She Makes A Large School Feel Small.
Lucy Buckham was named the 2010 National High School Principal Of The Year by the National Association Of Secondary School Principals On September 28, 2009.
May 2008
The Wando High School band is one of the best, and two recent honors validate its reputation for excellence.
The East Cooper ensemble is one of two that will receive the Sudler Flag of Honor, an international award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation that recognizes bands demonstrating outstanding quality over several years.
The award is comparable to an Olympic gold medal in the world of high school bands, and only select groups are invited to apply for the honor, which requires bands to submit seven years worth of programs and music.
The Wando High band also earned a prestigious invitation in
December to play at the Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra clinic for musicians and music educators. It's the largest conference of its kind, and band programs of the highest caliber are invited to perform. More than 80 bands submitted audition tapes, and the Wando High group was one of six chosen to perform.
November 3, 2008
News Flash
Wando High School won it's 4th consecutive 5A State Marching Band Championship on Saturday night in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The Wando Marching Band composed of 238 members recently came in second in the Bands of America Regional competition in Olando, Florida.
Story last updated at 9:53 a.m. Saturday, April 24, 2004
New Wando gets 'wows' during tour
Student council views high school
BY ALLISON L. BRUCE Of The Post and Courier Staff "Wow!" It was the first word members of Wando High School's student council uttered as they entered each room and hallway on their first tour of the new high school on Friday.
YALONDA M. JAMES/STAFF Principal Lucy Beckham (right) heard a lot of "wows" Friday as she led students on a tour of the new Wando High. With her are student council members Maria Papadopoulos, 15, (from left) Steven Epstein, 18, Elizabeth Gibbs, 16, and Joe Semsar, student body president.
Principal Lucy Beckham, who has spent countless hours at the new school during its construction, led students down the corridor from the administration wing into the long hallway that bisects the school -- she called it "Main Street." Students "oohed" over the glass-domed rotunda that marks the intersection of that hallway with the hall connecting the visitor entrance and bus entrance to the school. "Anything I said about it did not do justice to it," Beckham said. Students said the entrances into the health sciences room or media center were like a hotel or mall, and the stairways and hallways were much, much wider than the 8-foot-wide hallways at the current Wando. "It doesn't look like a school at all," said Joe Semsar, a junior and student body president. The students laughed when asked if they would miss going to class in the 48 trailers at their old school. "I would be so jealous if I was a senior," said Elizabeth Gibbs, a sophomore. "Trust me, I am," said senior Steven Epstein.As he walked into one of the classrooms, Epstein noted the wide windows looking out onto the athletic fields. "Teachers are going to love to teach here," he said. He compared the room to one in the current Wando with a little window in the corner that was so grimy, the teacher couldn't even see out of it. The 433,121-square-foot building was overwhelming for the students at times. "I can't imagine being a freshman," said sophomore Maria Papadopoulos after noting the sheer size of the school. Freshmen will be housed in their own wing for most of their classes. The section, set off by purple-painted walls, stands on one side of "Main Street." Most of the school's classrooms are upstairs. Downstairs, the main hallway leads to a gym that seats more than 2,500, a performing arts auditorium, a media center, cafeteria and other offices, such as guidance and resource officers. The vocational programs, including pre-engineering, health sciences and culinary arts, are also on the first floor. Comparisons to the existing building popped up throughout the tour. The current Wando has a converted hallway as the health clinic; the new school has a clinic complete with a waiting room and individual rooms for sick students. The current Wando has a converted auto shop painted black for students to practice performances, while the new performing arts center seats about 1,000 people. Even the bathrooms are exciting -- large and plentiful when compared to the current Wando. "I know I'm really looking forward to next year," said Christopher Singleton, a sophomore. Allison Bruce covers education. Contact her at abruce@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
The Wando Girls Tennis Team set a South Carolina record for consecutive match wins defeating Berkeley High School on October 13, 2009 for it's 90th consecutive victory. Spartanburg High School held the old record, winning 89 straight from 1980-1987. On Nov. 7, 2009, the Wando girls tennis team won the South Carolina State Championship by winning it's 99th consecutive match dating back to 2005.
The Wando High School Marching Band won the 2009 5A South Carolina State Championship on November 7, 2009. They had recently competed at Super Regionals in Atlanta where they won their division and finished 4th overall. This has been the 5th straight year that they won the State Championship.
New Education Department program showcases outstanding performance on ACT and SAT exams
Seventy-nine highs schools from across South Carolina have been recognized for their efforts on either the ACT or SAT college entrance exams, the Department of Education announced today.
In their first year, the ACT/SATPerformance Improvement Awards (ASPI) were created to showcase schools that showed high performance on the ACT or SAT and those that have had rapid or continuous improvement in their scores. The recipients represent 42 of South Carolina’s 85 school districts and will receive banners and certificates of achievement for their efforts.
Education Department releases 2009 federal school accountability report
The South Carolina Department of Education today released 2009 data in compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Sited on 110 acres, this impressive 433,121 square foot building boasts some amazing statistics. The grounds include a 4,800 square foot field house complete with a 1,598 square foot press box. Student parking spaces total 1,179, with 33 visitor spaces, 368 staff spaces and room for 20 buses. Inside the school, there is a 906 square foot performing arts center; the gym has over 2,560 square feet; and the specialized food court has 780 square feet. 2,780 tons of steel, 12,000 tons of concrete, over 800,000 bricks and concrete blocks and a total of 76 individual HVAC units were used in construction. The new Wando High School has two multi-purpose fields along with separate files for band practice, soccer, football, baseball and softball. There are also six tennis courts, a track area, and a shot putt and javelin area.
Having attended an excellent private high school when growing up in Philadelphia, Pa. (The William Penn Charter School),I knew the importance of a good primary and secondary school education when I relocated to the Charleston area in 1988. Both my daughters went through the Mt. Pleasant public school system, graduated from Wando High School and were quite successful in college.I feel that Wando High School offers an excellent option for those considering a public school education for their children in the Charleston area.
The New Wando High School In Mt. Pleasant SC As Seen By A Satelite Photo
Wando High School In Relation To Mt. Peasant Subdivisions
Wando High School One of Only Four South Carolina High Schools Recognized As A "Silver" Award Winner By U.S. News and World Report In Their List Of America's Best High Schools In 2007. More Than 18,500 High Schools Were Analyzed With 100 Schools Receiving a "Gold" Rating And 405 Schools A "Silver" Rating.The Charleston Academic Magnet School Received A "Gold" Rating.
