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About Abingdon High School PDF Print E-mail
Written by the Cyberspace Pursuit Team   

The members of our TSA chapter attend Abingdon High School, found in historic Abingdon, Virginia. With over 1000 students and a faculty and staff of 97, the mission of Abingdon High School is "to achieve and maintain a level of excellence as a community in order to ensure the success of every student." Established in 1959, Abingdon High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Virginia Department of Education. Its predecessor is William King High School. The school colors are navy blue and white, and the school mascot is the Falcon. The school's motto is "Sapere Aude" or "Dare to think."

Mailing Address: 705 Thompson Drive, Abingdon, Virginia 24210

Principal: Mr. Jeff Noe- j This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Assistant Principal: Mr. Chad Wallace- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone: 1-276-739-3200

Fax: 1-276-628-1897

Academics

Students, in compliance with Virginia High School League eligibility requirement No. 28-4-1, must be currently enrolled in not fewer than five subjects offered for credit and which may be used for graduation and must have passed five subjects, or their equivalent, offered for credit and which may be used for graduation the immediately preceding semester. Certain exceptions apply. Questions should be directed to the principal. Abingdon High School recognizes academic accomplishments of its athletes through the following. A Scholar Athlete Award is given to the team with the highest grade point average during that team's season. Along with this award, a tee-shirt is awarded. The Academic Excellence Certificate, sponsored by the Virginia High School League, is presented at the end of the school year to all students who have earned a 3.0 on a 4-point scale during their sport's season. Also, an All-Academic Team is chosen at the end of the school year comprised of the twelve athletes who have the highest grade point average. The All-Academic Team receives a plaque at the annual All-Sports Banquet.
 
Abingdon High School is a fifteen-time winner of the Central Fidelity/Wachovia Cup in Group AA Academics. This award is given based on Virginia High School League state-level academic competition throughout the year. The activities which garner points toward the Cup are as follows: Scholastic Bowl, debate, forensics, one-act play, creative writing, newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine. Abingdon has won this award fifteen of nineteen years since its inception in 1989.
Abingdon High School receives strong support from its parent/community booster organizations. These include the Parent/Teacher/Student Association (PTSA), Athletic Boosters, Band Boosters, and Choral Boosters. Each group works directly with the school in organizing financial support for the groups they represent as well as volunteer efforts in various activities and school functions. Call the school for more information on becoming a member of one of these groups.
Atheletics
Abingdon High School considers athletics to be a learning experience and a privilege. A beneficial athletic program is one that provides athletes the opportunity to experience personal grown and development, both physically and mentally. Athletic programs should allow athletes to learn to accept personal responsibility for success and failure in addition to recognizing the limitations and strengths of both. Interscholastic athletics are offered to both male and female students in keeping with the regulations set forth by the Virginia High School League. Abingdon High School athletics require special standards and expectations in the area of academics, citizenship, training, rules, and sportsmanship.
 
Abingdon High School is a Group AA school and a member of the Highlands District and Region IV of the Virginia High School League. Other schools in the Highlands District are Lee High School, Marion Senior High School, and Virginia High School.  State Champions in Group AA include girls' volleyball in 1983, girls' cross country in 1988, girls' track and field in 1994, and golf in 2000. State runner-up champions include volleyball, girls' tennis, girls' cross country, and baseball. In addition to many all-state athletes, Abingdon High School has had four winners of the prestigious Gene "Pappy" Thompson Award given by the Bristol Herald Courier since its inception in 1982. Only Abingdon has had a repeat winner of the award. 
 
Sportsmanship - Good sportsmanship is the primary purpose and goal of the Abingdon High School inter-scholastic athletic program. We feel very strongly about good sportsmanship at all times and strive to uphold school pride, ethics, and integrity in all events. Good sportsmanship is a team effort, and that team is comprised of administrators, coaches, players, cheerleaders, students, parents, and all spectators. Our motto is "YOU make the difference; win with class -- compete with pride."
 
Approximately 40% of the students attending Abingdon High School participate one or more of the athletic programs offered. The following programs are offered: Girls' sports include varsity and junior varsity basketball, cross country, varsity and junior varsity volleyball, varsity and junior varsity tennis, varsity and junior varsity track, varsity and junior varsity softball, varsity indoor track, varsity swimming, and varsity soccer. Boys' sports include cross country; varsity and junior varsity golf; varsity and junior varsity football; varsity, junior varsity, and 9th grade basketball; wrestling; varsity and junior varsity baseball; tennis; varsity and junior varsity track and field; varsity indoor track; varsity swimming, and varsity and junior varsity soccer.
Clubs - Academic & Service
 
Student clubs at Abingdon High School are divided into two categories: Service and Academic. These are in addition to the Student Council Association, the National Honor Society, and the National Art Honor Society. Students may be a member of one service club and one subject club in addition to being a member of the Student Council Association, the National Honor Society, and the National Art Honor Society. Students may serve as an officer in one club with the exception of the SCA and NHS. Officers must be in good standing and should have no grades below a "C". The Abingdon High School clubs include:
  • Blue Crew - is an support club for pep and spirit.  The club is active in various events to support athletic groups and foster student pride and school enthusiasm.
  • The Civinette Club is a service club for the girls of the junior and senior classes. The purpose of the club is to promote good citizenship and encourage leadership.
  • The Consumer Product Club expands on the 10th English SOL which requires that students read and interpret printed consumer materials. Members should be willing to volunteer at the Food Bank and participate in the publishing of a cook book to raise consumer awareness of specific products.
  • The Contemporary Band Club was founded on the premise that there are students at Abingdon High School with creative musical energy who lack an appropriate channel to express it. The club offers these students the opportunity to perform contemporary live music in front of their peers, thus providing an a channel whereby they can build their self-esteem. The service this club provides is live entertainment for the student body in musical genres they can appreciate.
  • The Distributive Education Club (DECA) is the local chapter of the Distributive Education Clubs of America and is composed of all students enrolled in the marketing classes at Abingdon High School.
  • The Drama Club is open to any student with a special interest in dramatics. Students are given an opportunity for self-expression, interpretation, and recognition. The club annually participates in the One-Act Play Festival.
  • The Environmental Awareness Club activities include participation in community-service activities such as lake clean-up day, the adopt-a-highway project, etc. Programs will focus on game warden and wildlife management information, outdoor safety, environmental hazards, and fire safety.
  • The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. is a club whose mission is to present to athletes and coaches the challenge and opportunity to demonstrate a pride in Christian living and to promote good sportsmanship.
  • The foreign language clubs (French Club, Latin Club, and Spanish Club) are open to students enrolled in these foreign language classes and promote the cultural and social aspects of the language. French, Spanish, and Latin Clubs are not open to Level I students.
  • The 4-H Club serves to provide the opportunity for students to develop in leadership, character, and citizenship; to help them have a more satisfying life by rendering community service; participation in wholesome recreation; and provide learning experiences in a wide variety of subjects. The club is open to all students.
  • The Future Business Leaders of America is a subject-centered club for students taking business subjects. To qualify for this club a student must be taking a business class.
  • The FFA (Future Farmers of America) is a curriculum-based organization whose members are students enrolled in agricultural education classes. Its purpose is to develop competency, responsibility, leadership, and citizenship.
  • The Interact Club is a social club, sponsored by Rotary International, whose purpose is to provide opportunities for young men to work together in a world fellowship, dedicated to service and international understanding.
  • The Key Club is for all students who join. The club is a social and service club and is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club through the school.
  • The National Art Honor Society was established in 1978 by the National Art Education Association for the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art.
  • The National Honor Society: Second-semester juniors and seniors who qualify in scholarship and show exemplary characteristics of leadership, service, and character are eligible to be considered for membership, provided they have been a student at Abingdon High School for at least one semester. A National Honor Society member must maintain the standards of this organization in order to retain his/her membership. Once he/she is dismissed, he/she is never again eligible for membership.
  • The Poetry/Literary Club is organized so that students may share original poetry, submit original pieces to Wings, invite area poets to meetings, sponsor school-wide poetry contests, raise awareness of local authors' literary contributions, and publish a scrapbook of members' original compositions.
  • S.P.O.T. Club - S.P.O.T. stands for Student-Pet Outreach Team and is a new club at Abingdon High School.  The purpose of S.P.O.T. is to raise awareness of the predicament of lost, abused or abandoned domestic pets and to work to support animal shelters in our area.
  • The Student Council Association is composed of the entire student body with the betterment of the school as its goal. The SCA is organized to promote better understanding and cooperation between the faculty and students. The quality of the SCA's program and its ability to carry it out depends entirely upon the individual students.
  • The Technology Student Association- This is the first year for the AHSTSA chapter. Members participate in chapter, regional, and state meetings and competitions throughout the year, which focus on the development of leadership and technological skills. There is a wide range of activities one can compete in, according to the individual's certain strengths and weaknesses.
  • Vocational Industrial Club of America (VICA) and Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA) are sponsored by the vocational schools to provide students with leadership opportunities, skill contests, and social events.
Technological Advances

Abingdon High School has in recent years installed several technological and educational amenities in the everyday work spaces of teachers and students, to increase and aid in the success of the student learning process. Evident throughout the entire school, such advancements include:

Technology/Computer Classes

Abingdon High offers multiple technology and computer information classes, in order to teach the bright, young minds of tomorrow the information and concepts of the fast moving technologies entering our world. Abingdon High has multiple resource centers throughout the school to allow students to work on class projects or individual research.

Judy Honaker, the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for Washington county, has also created a website dedicated to aiding teachers and students in the technological learning process.

In-Class & Wireless Features

All classrooms at Abingdon High are equipped with state-of-the-art teaching resources. These include high-memory computers with high speed internet access throughout the school. This wireless internet is highly secured and only accessible by school personnel. Teachers also have a SmartBoard© which is used with the computer to enhance the capabilities of the student’s resources.

Student and Faculty Email and Internet Access

Abingdon high school has a system in which nearly all teachers maintain a student accessible website, containg updates and useful information pertaining to the particular class. All students are given a free Washington County email address upon enrollment, and after he/she signs a document of appropriate computer and internet use, and agreeing to those terms of agreement. This ensures safe and appropriate internet and computer use, while allowing students and teachers tools to communicate and complete class projects. Certain website have been created addressing this issue, including a website for "safely" integrating technology into the classroom, and a list of teacher class webpages for student and faculty access.

Attendance and Grades

AHS is able to keep up with all the confusion of grades and attendance by switching from handwritten grade books to online programming. This program controls many aspects of the school, alerting when a student has skipped class, printing out transcripts and progress reports on demand, and automatically emailing parents with updates on their son or daughter’s advancements in their individual classes.

Library

The AHS library is fully converted to the Technological Advancements of today. It offers lightning quick searches on all topics and genres of printed material that can be found in the library. The AHS library contains an entire lab of high-speed, student-friendly desktop computers. Also, the library’s career center gives students in-depth research and consultation concerning their future education and careers. The library is accessible to teachers and students throughout the entire day and is occasionally used as student testing and research areas for exams, standardized  tests, and class projects.

Lunch

AHS has updated their lunch system to be more user friendly to the students and cafeteria personell. All payments are now electronically made through prepaid accounts. The student, upon activating such an account, is given a pin number to use when purchasing their lunch. If he or she does not have an account or if they do not have enough money on hand, the system is able to accept credit card, cash, or check payments.