Southfield-Lathrup High School

Southfield-Lathrup High School
"Home of the Chargers"
Address
19301 West Twelve Mile Road
Southfield, Michigan
United States
Coordinates 42°30′00″N 83°14′06″W / 42.5°N 83.235°W / 42.5; -83.235Coordinates: 42°30′00″N 83°14′06″W / 42.5°N 83.235°W / 42.5; -83.235
Information
Type Public school
Established 1967
Closed 2016
School district Southfield Public Schools
Principal Joseph Spryszak
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1603
Color(s) Red and White
Mascot The Chargers
Yearbook The Synthesis
Website Southfield-Lathrup High School

Southfield-Lathrup High School was a senior high school in Lathrup Village, Michigan, United States. It was the second oldest of three high schools in the Southfield Public Schools district, the oldest being Southfield High School, and the youngest being University High School Academy.[1]

Southfield-Lathrup High School was well known for its extensive and well-supported music program.[2] It is also known locally for its girls basketball team State Title in 2005.[3]

History, milestones, and awards

Southfield-Lathrup High School (SLHS) opened in 1967 to accommodate the growing Southfield and Lathrup Village populations. SLHS opened with the 1967-68 school year and accommodated Sophomores only from Birney Junior High School, one of four junior high schools in Southfield. Adding a class of sophomores in each of the following two school years, 1968–69 and 1969–70, it graduated its first class in 1970. Located in Lathrup Village, the high school was part of the Southfield Public School District.

Southfield-Lathrup High School closed at the end of the 2015-16 school year, and its students will be divided between Southfield High School and University High School Academy, which will move into Lathrup's campus. Berkley High School, Groves High School, Shrine Catholic High School and Oak Park High School are also expected to receive some Southfield-Lathrup students.

Demographics

Southfield-Lathrup was previously one of the most diverse high schools in the State of Michigan. In the 1970s and 1980s, Southfield-Lathrup High School had a minority population of Arab Americans, primarily Assyrian and Jewish students, but like most of suburban Michigan the student base was Christian and Caucasian. In 1973 the high school had one African American enrolled. In the early-to-late 1990s, more middle-class African-Americans began attending Southfield-Lathrup, and it eventually transformed into the predominately African-American High School that it is today.[4] Starting in the 2002–2003 school year, the Southfield Public Schools District stopped observing major Jewish holidays because of a marked decrease in Jewish students and faculty.

Dress code

Beginning with the 2005–2006 school year, a dress code was instituted at the high school level, finalizing the process of bringing all of the Southfield Public Schools district under a dress code policy. All members of the board supported the measure and voted aye, except for Trustee Karen Miller. Ms. Miller voted no because she didn't feel that there was enough input from students in the development of the dress code.

Campus

The campus consists of the main building, a soccer field, a football field, and various parking lots. Students park in the west parking lot. The building is divided into several distinct zones called "houses."

A, B, C, and D Wing

Four two-story wings contain most of the school's class rooms. Oddly, the second floors of these wings are not attached to each other. A and B wings are located toward the front of the school, facing Twelve Mile Road. C and D wings are located toward the rear of the building.

A House contains the Charger Cafe, which sells food items and Southfield-Lathrup-related memorabilia.

B House contains most of the science labs and the Medical and Natural Sciences Academy.

C House contains the Career Center and the majority of the math department.

D House contains the counseling office and the weight training rooms.

G House

G House contains the Arts and Communications Academy, Band Room, Choir Room, Piano Laboratory, Art Studios, Dance Studios, and the auditorium. Southfield-Lathrup's auditorium is equipped with a full sized stage, dressing room, costume room, lighting, and sound equipment. Every year, Lathrup's drama department produces a fall play and a spring musical. The spring musical typically includes Lathrup's dance and music departments.

Extracurricular activities

Graduates "Distinguished Scholars" from the Southfield Public School System

Curriculum

Academy learning

Southfield-Lathrup Senior High School is home to two of four Academies serving the Southfield Public Schools district, specifically the Medical and Natural Sciences Academy and the Arts and Communications Academy. Both academies have separate entry requirements from the mainstream curriculum. Most students apply at the end of their tenth grade year and take classes in their eleventh and twelfth grade years. The other two academies are the Engineering & Manufacturing Sciences Academy and the Global Business & Information Technology Academy, are located at Southfield High School

Medical and Natural Sciences Academy

Courses offered:

Arts and Communications Academy

Courses offered:

The Louise Ward Memorial Scholarship was established in 2001 for Southfield-Lathrup Students for continued studies in vocal music. The Fund was initiated by alumni of the Southfield Lathrup High School Madrigal Singers in grateful memory of Louise Ward who was, at once, their teacher, mentor, role model, and friend.[7]

The Academy also won the 2000 GRAMMY signature award.[8]

Advanced placement options

Southfield-Lathrup High also offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses in several different subjects including:

In recent years, Southfield-Lathrup High School also offered Advanced Placement Physics, Statistics, European History, Spanish, and French. Though these courses aren't offered, students are encouraged to independently study the subject material and take the test.

Summer reading program

All Southfield-Lathrup High students are required to read books from a preselected list over the summer. Honors and AP English students receive more books to read than other students. AP United States History Students are also given summer reading.

Beginning the summer of 2006, all summer reading work was required to be submitted through mydropbox.com, an online plagiarism screening service.

Notable teachers

grader for United States History Advanced Placement exams
The Gilder Lehrman Institute History Teacher of the Year Award.[9]
consultant to the College Board for AP US History
grader for English Literature and Composition Advanced Placement exams[10]
grader for Calculus Advanced Placement exams
grader for Biology Advanced Placement exams

Alumni

In 2002, Kim Watt (class of 1970) created a networking site titled Southfield-Lathrup Senior High School Alumni. Currently, 8,206 alumni have created profiles on that website.

Mark Goldstein (class of 1971) proposed "Chargers" as the school mascot). Goldstein was an honors trumpet player in the orchestra and all of the bands, and was also a member of the first Charger Marching Band.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ University High School Academy – The U: Home of the Soaring Eagles!
  2. ↑ Southfield Lathrup Music Boosters
  3. ↑ Hoops competition gets Southfield-Lathrup girls season-ready | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
  4. ↑ Southfield – Lathrup High School (Lathrup Village, MI) – contact info, student demographics, map, class sizes
  5. ↑ Lathrup's Lovely Ladies – Lathrup's Lovely Ladies Welcome You!
  6. ↑ Band – Marching Chargers
  7. ↑ Southfield Community Foundation
  8. ↑ City of Southfield – Statistics
  9. ↑ The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Student Prizes and Awards
  10. ↑ College of Arts and Sciences – Continuing Education – Advanced Placement Institute – Faculty
  11. ↑ Ira Newble = Good Guy [Archive] – RealCavsFans
  12. ↑ Delta Tau Lambda
  13. ↑ Michael Stone – Official New England Patriots Biography
  14. ↑ http://www.billywhitehouse.com/
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