Rock Bridge High School
Rock Bridge High School | |
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"Where learning is for life." | |
Address | |
4303 S. Providence Road Columbia, Missouri 65203 United States | |
Information | |
School type | Public high school |
Established | 1973 |
School district | Columbia Public Schools |
Principal | Dr. Gregory Irwin |
Grades | 9-12 |
Enrollment | 1,906 [1] (2015-16) |
Athletics conference | Independent |
Team name | Bruins |
Rival | David H. Hickman High School |
Newspaper | The ROCK |
Yearbook | Flashback |
Online News | BearingNews |
Website | School website |
Rock Bridge High School is a public high school located in southern Columbia, Missouri. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Columbia Public Schools.
History
Due to the increasing population of Columbia in the 70's, and the crowding of David H. Hickman High School towards the end of the 1960s, the Columbia Board of Education decided to form a new high school. The board bought 42 acres (170,000 m2) of land in Southern Columbia and started the construction of the new high school. The name Rock Bridge was chosen because of the schools proximity to the natural rock bridge of Rock Bridge State Park. Construction started in 1972 on the original portion of the building, consisting of 18 classrooms and one office area in the present-day east wing of the building. Many of these classrooms were connected by motorized folding walls, many of which are still operational and in use. The design of the original portion and its three planned additions, of which two were completed, won a national award in school design. The school was planned to open in 1971, but funding issues pushed back construction of the second phase of the building. As such, this original portion sat unused for a year or two while the second portion was not yet complete.
Construction started on the second portion in early 1972, which added the "Main Commons", another office area, the library, the gymnasium, and a few specialty classrooms underneath that area. In September 1973, with the completion of the second portion, Rock Bridge was considered "complete enough" to open and had a class of 583 students, mostly sophomores and juniors. This high school was the second centrally air conditioned school built in Columbia, MO, after Oakland Junior High School north of town. In 1974, the planetarium was completed with a capacity of nearly 90 people and featuring a state-of-the-art star ball and a full-dome projection system It is now room 303. In 1979, the west wing opened, which was basically a mirror image of the original 1971 building but with a finished basement. The west wing featured about ten general-purpose classrooms, as well as science, art, and band rooms, providing the school with a then-total of about 40 classrooms. A lift (elevator) provides access to the basement area, to keep the facility handicap-accessible. A north wing similar in design to the east and west wings was proposed but never came to fruition, citing slower growth during the 1980s than planned.
Three new science classrooms, as well as a performing arts center, were added in 1992. Enrollment reached 1000 in the 1995-96 school year.
In 2000, a large addition opened between the east and west wings, featuring seven science classrooms, eight English and Social Studies classrooms, seven foreign language classrooms, a new Media Center, and three new computer labs. Thereafter, several areas of the original building were renovated to serve a new purpose. As of 2010-2011, the school had Wi-Fi throughout the media center, commons, and main hallways, with the entire building wired in the summer of 2012.
In January 2013 Rock Bridge opened a new auxiliary gym due to the expected ninth graders to begin attending high school following the secondary redistricting in August. The area under the auxiliary gym featured a new wrestling room, making room for three new math classrooms in the former location. A new weight room was also added.
Structure
Rock Bridge runs on a block scheduling format during the hours of 8:55 AM to 4:05 PM. This format is structured so that students have four 90-minute-long classes each day. However, most of these classes meet every other day for a total of eight classes for the year. Block scheduling was established in the 1994-95 school year.[2]
Academics
The school offers 18 Advanced Placement courses and a multitude of honors classes available to students. However, RBHS does not weight grade point averages.
Athletics
Rock Bridge High offers a variety of sports. Fall sports include Cross Country, Football, Girls Golf, Boys Soccer, Softball, Boys Swimming/Diving, Girls Tennis, and Volleyball. Winter sports include Basketball and Wrestling. Spring sports include Baseball, Boys Golf, Boys Tennis, Girls Swimming/Diving, Girls Soccer, and Track & Field. Year round sports include Cheerleading and Poms. Rock Bridge is a perennial powerhouse in both boys and girls tennis, having won the Girls State Title in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2014, as well as the Boys State Title in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012. At the club level, Rock Bridge fields a Boys Varsity Lacrosse team in the spring.[3]
Journalism
From the time the school opened journalism has been part of the course offerings for the school. There was a newspaper, The Rock as well as a yearbook, Flashback. In 1995 the school created a prerequisite class called Journalistic Writing, and the paper became a monthly publication. Since then Southside Media has grown. In addition to the newspaper and yearbook, the journalism department created a special edition magazine Southpaw in 2005, and in 2011 an exclusively online news source, Bearing News. The current longstanding and award-winning journalism advisor is Robin Stover.
The Rock
The newspaper began on letter-sized sheets that were published through a class. In 1994 The Rock began its run as a monthly publication.
- Awards
- 1986-87: National Scholastic Press Association: First Class, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: First Place
- 1988: The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: First Place
- 1994: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Superior for Class F
- 1995: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All Missouri for Class E
- 1995-69 National Scholastic Press Association: First Class
- 1996-97: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All Missouri Over-All Newspaper, Newspaper Pacemaker: Finalist Award, National Newspaper Pacemaker Award, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Over-All Newspaper
- 1997-98: National Scholastic Press Association: First Class with three Marks of Distinction, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Over-All Newspaper
- 1998-99: Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist Award, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Over-All Newspaper
- 1999-2000 National Scholastic Press Association: All American, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Over-all Newspaper
- 2000-01: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Over-all Newspaper, National Scholastic Press Association: All American
- 2001-02: National Scholastic Press Association: All American, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award
- 2002-03: National Scholastic Press Association: All American
- 2003-04: National Scholastic Press Association: All American, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Over-all Newspaper All-Missouri Award, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award, National Scholastic Press Association: All American
- 2004-05: Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist Award, National Scholastic Press Association: All-Missouri
- 2005-06: National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Over-all Newspaper Critique All-Missouri Award, Best of Show Award (Newspaper): 9th Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Superior Award Editorial, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award"
- 2006-07: National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certification, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award
- 2007-08: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All Missouri Award, National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Silver Crown Edition, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Bronze Medalist Certificate, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: Superior Award, National Press Association: Second Class, Best of Show Award: 3rd Place, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certificate
- 2008-09: National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Certification of Merit, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: The Gold Crown Award, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certificate, National Scholastic Press Association: First Class with One Mark of Distinction
- 2009-10: National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Crown Award, National Scholastic Press Association: All-American Hall of Fame, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certificate, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award, National Scholastic Press Association: Second Place, National Scholastic Press Association: Second Class, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certificate, National Scholastic Press Association: Best of Show Award, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri Award
- 2010-11: National Scholastic Press Association: All-American
- 2011-12: 2011 National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 2nd Place, National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 8th Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association:Superior, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 5th Place, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist
- 2012-13: National Scholastic Press Association: All American, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 2nd Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri
- 2013-14: Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 4th Place, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 5th Place, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Crown
- 2014-15: Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Silver Medalist, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 4th Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, National Scholastic Press Association: First Class with One Mark of Distinction"
- 2016: Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 7th Place, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Broadsheet 17 or More Pages from NSPA): 2nd Place
Flashback
The school’s inaugural yearbook covered activities, academics, sports, and student portraits. Under the guidance of its first editor, David Kintner, the fourteen person staff produced a 144-page book. Now the Flashback staff regularly covers the people from Rock Bridge High School in a spring delivery book that tops 350 pages.
- Awards
- 2000: The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist Certificate
- 2009: The Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Silver Medalist Certificate
- 2010-11: Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Walsworth Superior Performance Award, National Scholastic Press Association: All-American, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri
- 2011-2012: Walsworth Superior Performance Award, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Silver Crown, Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist
- 2013-14: Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri
- 2015-16 Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Walsworth Gallery of Excellence, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri
Southpaw
In 2005 the staff decided to add a special edition component to the journalism program because the monthly papers were running thirty-six pages, and the staff worried students weren't reading The Rock at one setting. It was published on news print for the first few years, and in 2009 it assumed a magazine form. Mustafa Mohammad was the first editor of Southpaw.
- Awards
- 2005: Best of Show Award(Newspaper Special Edition): 6th Place
- 2007: Best of Show Award(Newspaper Special Edition): 5th Place
- 2011: Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 7th Place
- 2012: Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 5th Place, Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 1st Place
- 2013: Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 5th Place
- 2014: Best of Show Award, spring(Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 10th Place
- 2015: Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, Best of Show Award, fall (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 8th Place
- 2016: Best of Show Award, spring (Newspaper Special Edition from NSPA): 5th Place
Bearing News
In 2011 the editors of The Rock decided to move the school’s publications onto the web. Avantika Khatri, Shivangi Singh, and Jack Schoelz created this online news site with the purpose of producing content daily created by staff members from The Rock and Flashback.
- Awards
- 2012: Best of Show Award, spring (Website Large School from NSPA): 9th Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker
- 2013: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker
- 2014: Best of Show Award, fall (Website Small School from NSPA): 7th place, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker
- 2015: Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, Best of Show Award, fall (Website Large School from NSPA): 4th Place, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Medalist, National Scholastic Press Association:First Class with One Mark of Distinction
- 2016: Best of Show Award, spring (Website Large School from NSPA): 1st Place, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association: All-Missouri, National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Finalist, Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Crown
Notable former students
- Carter Arey, Team USA athlete
- Rob Benedict, actor
- Carl Edwards, NASCAR driver
- Tom Hart, SEC Network announcer
- Trey Millard, Kansas City Chiefs fullback
- Brian Wesbury, economist
- Timothy M. Wolfe, former President of the University of Missouri System; quarterbacked 1975 Rock Bridge 3A state championship football team
- Elizabeth Paige Laurie, Walmart heir
- Walter L. Johnson, historian
- Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Correspondent, Entertainment Tonight