Jamestown High School is a public secondary school at 3751 John Tyler Highway in

James City County, Virginia James City County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adj ...

, just outside

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...

. The school opened in 1997, becoming the second of three high schools in the county. It is part of

Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (locally known also as ''WJCC'' or ''WJC'') is a combined public school division which serves the independent city of Williamsburg and James City County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hamp ...

. As of 2013 it had 1,211 students.

History

Jamestown High School opened in 1997, with the first student body consisting of Lafayette High School students and various local middle school graduates. Its name derives from the nearby

Jamestown Settlement Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, created in 1957 as Jamestown Festival Park for the 350th anniversary celebration. Today it includes a recreation of the original James Fort (c. 1607 to 1614 ...

. In 2007 Jamestown High School was replaced as the newest school within the district by

Warhill High School Warhill High School is a public high school operated by the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCC). Serving the joint school division of the independent city of Williamsburg and James City County, Virginia, the school is located at ...

, which was built to relieve overcrowding. Some students from Jamestown, Lafayette High School and local middle schools made up the first student body there.

Curriculum

The curriculum is based on standards set by the

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Board of Education. Jamestown participates in the AVID program to facilitate preparation for college. Jamestown offers 19 Advanced Placement classes. These include Biology, Calculus AB & BC, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, German, Human Geography, Latin, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics 1 & 2, Psychology, Spanish, Studio Art, US Government, and US History. Students can also take additional AP classes online via Virtual Virginia. Graduation requirements at Jamestown include three credits of mathematics and

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

; four credits of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

; four credits of

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

; and one credit of a foreign language (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, French,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

or American Sign Language). Finally, students must complete one technology credit and one fine arts credit. In addition to the basic diploma, an advanced diploma option is available. Requirements for the advanced diploma include additional foreign language credits. Jamestown offers enrollment at The New Horizons Governor's School for Science and Technology. The Governor's School is a two-year, half-day program for 11th and 12th graders. Admission to the program is highly competitive. Students select either the engineering strand, the biological science strand, or the scientific programming strand.

Culture

In 1999, the school received various bomb threats after the Columbine High School shootings. This has not occurred in recent years. In 2007 a student was apprehended with a small handgun, apparently in an attempt to scare another student into returning a PSP that was stolen from him. Some incidents related to drug and alcohol usage have resulted in disciplinary action, especially during prom and homecoming weeks. A program called "Every 30 Minutes", which simulates a car accident that occurs after drinking alcohol, attempts to deter students from drinking.

Campus

The first floor contains classrooms for fine arts, technology (split into engineering, graphics and Cooperative Business Education), math and science. The

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

classrooms are also on this level. The second floor has the library (or media center) and classrooms for math, social studies, English and foreign languages (along with English as a Second Language (ESL)). West of the main building, five trailers that acted as 10 classrooms and could hold around a total of 250 students were brought in to relieve overcrowding. In spite of the reduction in enrollment due to the construction of

, two of the trailers have become a permanent part of the campus. The school is surrounded by wooded and swamp areas.

Enrollment

A new high school opened this year. Students were redistricted.

Teacher statistics

*Full-time- 74 (2012-2013) *Student/Teacher Ratio= 16:4

Demographics

As of the 2012-2013 school year, Jamestown High School's student body is 74% (898)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

; 11.5% (139)

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

; 7% (90)

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

; 3% (31)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

; and 1% (3) Native American.

Athletics

The school's mascot is an eagle and its sports teams currently play in the

AA Bay Rivers District The Bay Rivers District is an athletic district of the Virginia High School League which includes schools in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The district was formed in 1990 with the consolidation of schools from the York River District and Pe ...

in Region I. Jamestown has won 23 state titles, which include six AA girls' tennis Dynasty state titles from 2000–2002, 2004–2006; five boys' swimming state titles in 2001 and 2006–2008 and 2016; seven AA girls' swimming titles from 2000 to 2002 as well as 2013 to 2017; four AA boys' soccer titles in 2001, 2008, 2012, and 2015; one AA girls' soccer title in 1999; six AA golf titles in 1999, 2013, and 2014,2015, 2016, and 2018; one girls' field hockey title in 2001; one AA boys' cross country title in 2001; and one AA girls' basketball title in 2006. Jamestown also had their first female football player during the 2000-2001 season.

Theatre

The Jamestown High School Theatre Department formed in September 1997. Traditionally it produces three shows every year. There is a fall one-act, a fall play and a spring musical. Jamestown has competed in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) One-Act competitions at the district, regional, and state level. Its production of ''Degas C'est Moi'' won all three VHSL Championships.

Music

Jamestown has several musical groups, including a symphonic band and wind ensemble, a marching band and mixed, jazz and chamber choirs.

Band

The band has won a superior rating every year after its founding year and has traveled to numerous destinations across the US for competition.

Marching band

The

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

is by far the largest musical group at Jamestown. The instrumentation consists of woodwinds, brass, a drum line and a pit (usually keyboard instruments and axillary instruments). There is also a

color guard In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...

that twirls colorful flags, dance, and use other visuals as the school board does not allow the use of rifles or sabers in performances. The band uses a technique very similar to modern style drum and bugle corps.

Clubs and extracurricular activities

Jamestown has several different clubs and groups. In order for the group to be part of the school, it must first have at least one sponsor and it must have approval by the principal. Here is a list of all of the clubs and organizations, as listed on the school's website: Academic Team,

AFS Intercultural Programs AFS Intercultural Programs (or AFS, originally the American Field Service) is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of volunteers, profession ...

, Art Club,

Color Guard In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...

(part of the

Dance Team A dance squad or dance team, sometimes called a pom squad or song team, is a team of participants that participates in competitive dance. A dance squad can also include: a jazz squad, ballet squad, or any kind of religion dance squad. Dance squads ...

, DECA, Eagle Eye Newspaper, Ecology Club, Envirothon Club, French Club, Freshman Class, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), German Club, It's Academic, Jamestown Robotics Club, Junior Class, Key Club,

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

(at JHS lacrosse is considered a club, not a sport), Latin Club, ''

Ascent Ascent or The Ascent may refer to: Publications * ''Ascent'' (magazine), an independent, not-for-profit magazine * ''Ascent'' (journal), a literary journal based at Concordia College * ''Ascent'' (novel), by Jed Mercurio * '' Times Ascent'', a ...

'', Math League,

Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...

(Model U.N.), National Honor Society (NHS), Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), Peer Mediation, Peer Partners, Science Club, Senior Class, Sophomore Class, Spanish Club,

Spanish National Honor Society Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, Students Academic Recognition (STAR), Student Cooperative Association (SCA), Theatre Programs, Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), and

Yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

Ascent

''Ascent'' is the literature and art magazine at Jamestown. It was originally established as ''Labyrinth''.

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1997 Public high schools in Virginia Schools in James City County, Virginia Education in Williamsburg, Virginia 1997 establishments in Virginia