Albert Einstein High School
| Albert Einstein High School | |
|---|---|
 "The Place to Be" | |
| Location | |
|
Kensington, Maryland US | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1962 |
| School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Principal | James G. Fernandez |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1569 (2008) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red, Columbia blue, and white |
| Mascot | Titans |
| Website | Albert Einstein High School |
Coordinates: 39°02′22″N 77°04′02″W / 39.0395°N 77.0672°W
Albert Einstein High School, named after the German-born physicist Albert Einstein, is a four-year high school located at 11135 Newport Mill Road, near Kensington in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The principal is James G. Fernandez.
It is within the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system, and is the home high school of Newport Mill Middle School and Sligo Middle School which in turn are fed by all or part of the districts of Glen Haven Elementary School, Highland Elementary School, Oakland Terrace Elementary School, Rock View Elementary School, Singer Elementary School, and Woodlin Elementary School.
As a part of the Downcounty Consortium, Einstein offers four "academies," academic programs that concentrate in specific fields. These include the Academy of Finance, Business, and Marketing; the International Baccalaureate Program; the Visual and Performing Arts Academy; and the Renaissance Academy. It is also home to Montgomery County's Visual Art Center.[1]
International Baccalaureate Program
Einstein is home to an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, which is considered one of its academies. This program allows students to take high-level, IB-specific classes in pursuit of a specialized diploma. The program approaches education from a global perspective.[2]
Visual and Performing Arts Academy
The Visual and Performing Arts Academy (VAPA), Einstein's largest academy, is designed as a pre-professional high school experience focused around the areas of theater, visual art, music, and dance. The academy offers coursework for students who are interested in the development of their specific talent. VAPA was created to provide participating students with a strong academic program that will prepare them for entry into an artistic career in the visual and performing arts, while also encouraging them to take AP and Honors classes. Students in VAPA must construct a process portfolio for every VAPA credit taken, and musy take at least four VAPA-specific classes to graduate under this academy. Students must also participate in music concerts, art shows, dance concerts, and theatrical productions. VAPA also includes the school's theater program, STAGE, which has been nominated for numerous Cappie awards over the years.
Drama
Einstein STAGE (Society for Theatre Arts Growth and Encouragement)[3] is the school's theater company. It puts on three major performances every year: the Fall Play (November), the Winter One-Acts (student-directed plays in December), and the Spring Musical (usually in March), along with the occasional Musical Theater Revue in May. Student members of STAGE include not just the acting company, but also the backstage tech crew and pit orchestra. Einstein STAGE has been nominated for more than 10 Cappies during the past decade. During the 2008-2009 school year Einstein won for "Comic Actress in a Musical" for their production of the musical Urinetown. They have just finished their 2016 fall play, The Skin of Our Teeth, and are now starting production on their spring musical, All Shook Up (musical).
Dance
Einstein is also known for its dance program, which covers various styles, such as hip-hop, freestyle, ballet, modern, salsa, tap, and jazz. Einstein holds annual winter (December) and spring (April) dance concerts. Winter dance concerts are usually themed; during the 2011-2012 school year this was "The City of Dreams," referring to New York. The spring dance concerts are not themed, but showcase dance classes and the club-based dance companies, for which students must audition.
The Einstein Pom Squad won the county championship two years in a row, for the 2012 and 2013 school years, and were promoted to Division Two-level competition.
Visual Art Center
Einstein is home to the extremely competitive Visual Art Center (VAC). First established over twenty years ago, the primary goal of this countywide program is to provide an intensive honors-level curriculum in visual art. The program emphasizes two-dimensional processes with a strong foundation in art history. Studies tend to focus on drawing, painting, and printmaking, though students also have the opportunity to study commercial art, computer graphics, and sculptural techniques. The program's ultimate outcome is a portfolio, which can be used for advanced placement, college reviews, and scholarship applications. The goal of the VAC is to help students realize and achieve their full potential as young artists and to prepare them for careers in the visual arts, and to assist them in their pursuit of future college fine art education through portfolio development and scholarship competition. Some students have won national, regional, and local awards, as well as scholarships to some of the country's most prestigious arts schools. Alumni from the Visual Art Center have also gone on to have careers involving illustration and visual communications.
References
- ↑ "Albert Einstein High School." Academies. Albert Einstein High School, Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012.<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/einsteinhs/academies/>.
- ↑ "Albert Einstein High School." International Baccalaureate. Albert Einstein High School, Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/einsteinhs/academies/IB/>.
- ↑ Einstein STAGE