Queen's Grant High School is a

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

Matthews, North Carolina Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte. The population was 29,435 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. The campus is on 32 acres, formerly Idlewild Country Club. It is an extension of Queen's Grant Community School, an NHA charter that offers grades K-8.

History

Queen's Grant was formed in 2006, and opened in 2007 with ninth and tenth grades. The school rented space until 2009, when it first assembled modular units to accommodate over 400 students. In 2010, Queen's Grant appointed Principal Michael Smith, who was recruited by former

Mint Hill, North Carolina Mint Hill is a suburban town in southeastern Mecklenburg and northwestern Union counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a major suburb on the outskirts of Charlotte and near the Cabarrus County line. The population was 26,450 at ...

Mayor Ted Biggers. Smith retired and was replaced by Josh Swartzlander in 2019.

Academics

At Queen's Grant, the academic day begins at 7:50 a.m. and ends at 2:40 p.m.. A standard schedule consists of six class periods called "blocks". Each block lasts exactly one hour. Non-AP classes at Queen's Grant do not follow the same curriculum as

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (abbreviated CMS) is a local education agency headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the public school system for Mecklenburg County. With over 147,000 students enrolled, it is the second-largest school ...

, however, material is often similar in order to meet North Carolina's education standards. Each student must have a minimum of 22 credits in order to graduate.

Dual enrollment In the United States, dual enrollment (DE), also called concurrent enrollment, programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college or university cour ...

is offered by Queen's Grant through

Central Piedmont Community College Central Piedmont Community College (Central Piedmont) is a Public college, public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second-largest community college ...

. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to participate in dual enrollment. All students, regardless of grade, are allowed to take North Carolina Virtual Public School classes on-site.

Student life

Transportation

Students provide their own transportation to and from Queen's Grant. If students bring their own vehicles, parking on campus is free. Most trips and extracurricular activities also involve individual transportation.

Learning

The school day lasts just under seven hours for most students. Queen's Grant utilizes multiple online platforms for work and grade management, including

Schoology Schoology is a learning management system for schools and businesses, targeted mainly at schools. Company History Schoology was designed by Jeremy Friedman, Ryan Hwang, and Tim Trinidad in 2007 while studying at Washington University in St. Lo ...

and PowerSchool. Students are provided with

Google Workspace Google Workspace (formerly G Suite, formerly Google Apps) is a collection of cloud computing, Productivity software, productivity and Collaborative software, collaboration tools, software and products developed and marketed by Google. It con ...

accounts.

Lunch

Queen's Grant offers catered lunch Monday through Friday. Regularly sold are Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and Harris Teeter sub sandwiches, accompanied by

chips ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

and

drinks A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothi ...

. Students have the option of eating at the school's outdoor dining area or inside classrooms. The school is not a member of the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

Clubs

Queen's Grant has clubs in Student Council, Debate, Spanish Honor Society, International Thespian Society, Beta, Art, YCI, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Latin, Junior Classical League, Drama, Jazz Band, Medical Careers, and National Honor Society.

Athletics

Queen's Grant is a member of the

North Carolina High School Athletic Association The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across ...

, with sports teams in: Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Wrestling, Cross Country, Track, Cheerleading, and Lacrosse. The school has soccer, softball, and baseball fields. It also features a half-mile cross country trail and a small volleyball area. All other athletic practices, games, and events are held off-site at various local facilities.

Building campaign

In 2019, Queen's Grant announced plans to construct a building to be used as a student performance center and gymnasium. The school hopes to raise $5 million for the project. During Summer 2022, Principal Josh Swartzlander announced plans via email to "embark on the construction of our new GYMPAC" in the fall.

School fundraising

Queen's Grant utilizes a variety of fundraising methods. The school's student government also organizes events which generate revenue. * Spirit wear is sold via the school's

Square In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...

site. Students can wear purchased items at any time throughout the year. Proceeds go towards technology improvements, campus maintenance, and more. * Engraved bricks are sold, and will be added to the school's performing arts center/gymnasium upon the building's completion. Proceeds go directly towards the construction of the building. * Jeans Days are held every Wednesday and Friday, with most proceeds benefiting school clubs. The cost is $1 to participate. Year-long jeans passes are also available for $100. * The sale of Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches during school lunch often raises additional funds; these proceeds go towards Student Council events.

Rules

Dress Code

Queen's Grant does not currently have

school uniforms A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries and are generally widespread in Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Brit ...

. However, there is a dress code that, when compared to a public school, is relatively strict and quite particular. Prohibited Apparel: * Casual head coverings (e.g.

hats A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

, hoods,

masks A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...

) * Any shirt, regardless of being short-sleeve or long-sleeve, that lacks a

collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

* Any shorts that are above fist-length * Athletic shorts (e.g.

gym shorts Gym shorts are an article of clothing typically worn by people when exercising. They are typically made out of fabrics that allow for maximum comfort and ease, such as nylon. Brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Gymshark, Adidas, and Reebok all ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

shorts) *

Jeans Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by ...

* Casual pants (e.g.

sweatpants Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, they are called joggers. In Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa ...

, pajama pants) * "Tight" pants (e.g.

yoga pants Yoga pants are high- denier hosiery reaching from ankle to waist, originally designed for yoga as exercise and first sold in 1998 by Lululemon, a company founded for that purpose. They were initially made of a mix of nylon and Lycra; more spec ...

leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting High-rise (fashion), high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg ...

) *

Skirts A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fit ...

* "Open" shoes (e.g.

flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal-like shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around ...

sandals Sandals are an open type of shoe, consisting of a Sole (shoe), sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear ...

, slides,

Crocs Crocs, Inc. is an American footwear company based in Broomfield, Colorado. It manufactures and markets the Crocs brand of foam footwear. Crocs, Inc. terms these "clogs," but they do not contain wood like traditional clogs. History 2002–20 ...

) * Any apparel with profane messaging Exceptions: * Students are able to wear most of the prohibited apparel during spirit weeks. * Students who participate in athletics for Queen's Grant are able to wear most of the athletic apparel provided for the team during the academic day. * Students are able to wear jeans on certain days if they pay a $1 fee for that specific day. They are also able to pay $100 for an all-year "jeans pass". * Students are able to wear non-collared shirts that have the Queen's Grant logo or a college logo.

Notable alumni

* Patrick Tapé: basketball forward, has played for

Columbia Lions men's basketball The Columbia Lions basketball team is the basketball team that represents Columbia University in New York City. The school's team currently competes in the Ivy League. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament w ...

Duke Blue Devils men's basketball The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represents Duke University in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team is fourth all-time in wins of any NCAA men's basketball program, and is curr ...

San Francisco Dons men's basketball The San Francisco Dons men's basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, where they have won sixteen regular season championships and one ...

Caledonia Gladiators The Caledonia Gladiators are a Scottish professional basketball club based in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire and are the only Scotland-based team in Super League Basketball, the top tier of domestic basketball in the United Kingdom. Founde ...

BC Nokia BC Nokia is a professional basketball club based in Nokia, Finland. The team currently plays in the top level Korisliiga. History In the 2014–15 season, Nokia won the Finnish First Division and was promoted to the Korisliiga. The team finished i ...

, and

BC Kalev BC Kalev, also known as BC Kalev/Cramo for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Tallinn, Estonia. The team plays in the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML), the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the FIBA Europe Cup. Thei ...

https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/205530/patrick-tape

References

External links

* {{authority control Private schools in North Carolina 2007 establishments in North Carolina Educational institutions established in 2007 Private high schools in North Carolina Schools in Charlotte, North Carolina