Mountain Brook High School

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Mountain Brook High School (MBHS) is a three-year public high school within the city of Mountain Brook, Alabama, a residential area of Birmingham, with approximately 20,600 residents. It is the lone high school in the Mountain Brook School System and is situated on 25 acres of land.

Mountain Brook High School serves grades 10-12 and enrolled 992 students during the 2004-2005 school year. The MBHS administration is comprised of principal Dicky Barlow along with assistant principals Ben Hudson and Patrick Kellogg. Barlow joined the Mountain Brook High School staff in 1996 after vacating his previous position in Georgia’s Gwinnett School System. Before joining the MBHS team, assistant principal Ben Hudson served as assistant principal of Tarrant High School. Similarly, assistant principal Patrick Kellogg served as assistant principal of Pelham High School before arriving at MBHS.

Mountain Brook High School colors are green and gold and the athletic teams are called the "Spartans". Along with its many academic clubs, the school had sororities until the early 2000s. The school also had fraternities until the early-to-mid 1990s. Both groups were disbanded for misbehavior.

Contents 1 Active school groups and clubs 2 Accomplishments 3 Famous graduates 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Active school groups and clubs

• American Field Service (AFS) - This organization is intended to promote world peace through understanding other cultures. The Mountain Brook High School AFS chapter sponsors international students throughout the year, as well as sponsoring MBHS students to other countries.
• Ambassadors - This is a coed service club designed primarily to assist new students and their families in becoming familiar with and involved in school activities.
• Art Club - Any student studying art who enjoys activities with others with the same interest is encouraged to join this art related group.
• The Cage - The Cage is comprised of a multitude of students from the Junior and Senior class who show an extreme support of their Spartans!
• Connection - This is a coed service club whose purpose is to promote drug awareness and to provide peer support for all students who choose not to drink, smoke, or take drugs. Members are required to sign a pledge to not use alcohol or other drugs.
• Debate Club - This club is for any students enrolled or previously enrolled in debate.
• French Club - This club's sole purpose is to acquaint students learning the French language with French culture.
• Latin Club - This club's sole purpose is to acquaint students learning Latin with classical culture.
• Natural Helpers - This club is for students who want to help their peers and develope their listening skills.
• Spartan Pride - This club is for any member of the student body who wishes to show their school pride.
• Outdoors Club - Members of this organization determine opportunities for hikes, excursions and/or trips in order to explore surrounding areas, preserves, and points of interest in Alabama.
• Thespians - The objective of this club is to stimulate interest in the dramatic arts
• Spanish Club - This club's sole purpose is to acquaint students learning Spanish with Spanish culture.
• Stand-up Club - An independent, student-run organization that seeks to actively challenge complacency towards underage drinking. This club is dedicated to promoting a community free from underage drinking regardless of any social pressure.
• Stock Market Club - This club meets to study and discuss information and trends in the world’s stock markets.
• Students for Environmental Action - This club is for students concerned about the environment. Activities include letter-writing, volunteering, poster campaigns, and fund-raising by selling environmentalist t-shirts, etc.
• Thespians - This club is for students interested in the dramatic arts. *Debate Team - The debate team is a class, but includes competition with other debate teams.
• Pi Delta Phi - The National French Honor Society.
• National Honor Society
• National Latin Honor Society
• Mu Alpha Theta - National Math Honor Society
• National Spanish Honor Society
• Circle of Friends
• Community Service - Students who complete 80 hours of community service or more within a year will be awarded the Community Service Excellence Award.
• FBLA - Future Business Leaders of America.
• First Priority - First Priority is a Christian, non-denominational organization created for students and led by students.
• Interact Club - A service club.
• Key Club - Co-ed service organization.
• SGA - Student Government Association.
• Band - The band includes a marching band and jazz band program.
• Choral Music - Ensemble and Choir include talented vocalists who perform in competitions as well as for the student population.
• Olympian Pageant - A talent based competition to support the Olympian yearbook staff. It is unique among local high school pageants for its emphasis on a talent rather than beauty.
• Stage Crew - Stage Crew is an organization for students interested in providing behind the scenes support for the many theater productions at the high school Performing Arts center.
• Theatre Arts - The high school performs two major productions a year as well as smaller productions throughout the school year.
• Broadcasting Journalism - Broadcasting produces the morning news, aids in the filming of school events, and teaches students how to work behind the scenes.
• MUSE - MUSE is a literary and arts magazine produced solely by students. It is not financially supported by the school, therefore the staff is expected to raise money through bake sales, Soiree, t-shirt sales, and other creative fundraisers.
• Olympian - The Olympian staff produces the school's yearbook and holds the Miss Olympian Pageant as a fundraiser.
• The Sword and Shield - The Sword and Shield is the student run newspaper.
• Brookstock-Brookstock is a concert fundraiser held in the fall semester of the school year. Traditionally held in the parking lot, the sale of tickets, concessions, and t-shirts serves as a fundraiser for one of the service organizations on campus. The performers are high school bands, not necessarily from MBHS.
• Ruby Tuesday's-Ruby Tuesday's is a similar concert fundraiser for the other service organization on campus. Held in the Performing Arts center, it raises funds through the sale of tickets and t-shirts and features student bands.
• Relay for Life - One of the biggest Relay for Life fundraising events in the state, Mountain Brook hosts Relay for Life every year on the football field, with movies in the gym for younger participants and tents for older team members to spend the night in on the field. Students in the high school form their own teams and compete with the community's many teams to see who can raise the most money. The event usually also features musical entertainment, moonwalks, and other entertainments.
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - a semi-secret society in the wake of MBHS's fraternity system. "The League", as it is often referred to, strives to maintain conduct based on goodwill and an acute sense of propriety. The group is rumored to initiate only 12 new members from each senior class. Their activities remain widely unknown, as the only official statement they issue to the public is "Friend of the School".

[edit] Accomplishments

• United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon School; 1983-84, 1992-93.
• United States Department of Education Secondary Schools Recognition Program.
• Selected by Redbook magazine as one of 155 schools honored for "overall excellence"
• Recognized by Newsweek magazine as one of the nation's top 100 high schools.
• Honored by The College Board for academic excellence and outstanding support and participation in Advanced Placement Program.
• Mountain Brook has graduated three Rhodes Scholars.
• Mountain Brook has won more Alabama state athletic championships (104) than any other school in the state.
• In October 2006, Mountain Brook High School's drama department, under the direction of Pat Yates, combined with Fairfield High Preparatory School to present Christopher Sergel's dramatization of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The joint production received local and eventually national attention, and was featured on NBC's Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Even Harper Lee herself took notice, as the normally private author agreed to meet with the cast.^[1]

[edit] Famous graduates

• Nate Bland, baseball player (Seattle Mariners)
• Courteney Cox, actress (Friends)
• Natalee Holloway, missing person.
• Alan Hunter, MTV Veejay
• David Jaffe, video game designer (God of War)
• Karen Saull, businesswoman and politician
• Jared Weinstein, special assistant to President George W. Bush
• R. Patton Borland, owner of ArtWear Design
• Tom Yielding, personal assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney

[edit] External links

• Mountain Brook H.S. official site
• Infobox information

[edit] References