Palm Harbor University High School

Palm Harbor University High School
Address
1900 Omaha St. Palm Harbor, Florida United States
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Life is good at PHUHS
Established	1996
School district	Pinellas County
Superintendent	Michael A. Grego
Principal	Dr. Christen T. Gonzalez ( 8 Years - As of the 2016-2017 school year)
Enrollment	2,531 (2016-17)[1]
Color(s)	████ Maroon ████ Navy
Mascot	Hurricane
Nickname	PHUHS
Rival	East Lake High School
Website	Palm Harbor University High School Website

Palm Harbor University High School, also known as PHUHS, is a Pinellas County public high school in Palm Harbor, Florida for grades 9-12. The school's mascot is the Hurricane and the school's colors are navy and maroon. The campus was built in 1996 and was originally to be known as the University High School at Palm Harbor. The word University emphasized the intended cooperation with the University of South Florida, but this did not materialize. In the 2014-2015 school year, the school added a biomedical focus to the existing CWMP program. Students at PHUHS belong to either the traditional program, which is called the University Program, or one of two magnet programs:

• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Center for Wellness and Medical Professions (CWMP) ^[2]

Academics and Stats

In the past several years, PHUHS has ranked very highly, with over 80% of the graduating class qualifying for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and students consistently performing in the top 1% of scores for the statewide FCAT standardized test. The school has the highest graduation rate of all high schools in Pinellas County. Palm Harbor University High also received a 10 out of 10 and an A grade from greatschools.net,^[3] was named in the 2004 USA TODAY Academic All-Star Honorable Mention, and won 35 athletic championships at the local, regional and state level.^[4] The high school was mentioned in the Newsweek listing of the best High Schools in the U.S. and was awarded a Silver Medal ranking in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools. Its International Baccalaureate program ^[5] has led over 700 students to the IB diploma, and has maintained the second highest percentage of diplomas in North America within the 60 (or more) students per graduating class category. PHUHS is a recipient of Florida's Five Star Award for outstanding community involvement, and boasts a total of 47 National Merit finalists.

Mu Alpha Theta Logo

Mu Alpha Theta

Palm Harbor High School boasts a prestigious Mathematical Honor Society, or Mu Alpha Theta. The Honor Society attracts more than 200 members each year, making it the largest of any other Mu Alpha Theta Chapter in the Tampa Bay Area. Bolstered by Palm Harbor's Rigorous High Level Math International Baccalaureate Program, Mu Alpha Theta members compete both at the national and state level in divisions ranging from Geometry to Calculus, and winning many awards and recognition throughout.^[6]

Palm Harbor's Mu Alpha Theta club, sponsored by Becky Bride, focuses on developing interest in mathematics and providing an atmosphere that encourages students across the school to pursue paths in engineering, computer science, math education, and other mathematical careers. The club sets a standard of voluntary excellence, where one receives what one gives in self study, and vice versa.

The Florida Association of Mu Alpha Theta has also awarded Mr. David Macfarlane the distinguished title of "The Interschool Man", as the Palm Harbor Mu Alpha Theta Chapter won the formidable Interschool Test Competition for more than seven years in a row.

Aerial satellite imagery of Palm Harbor University High School, taken during school hours.

Athletics

Palm Harbor competes in baseball (boys), basketball, cheerleading, cross country, flag football (girls), American football, golf, soccer, softball (girls), swimming, tennis, track, volleyball (girls) and wrestling.^[7]

Rivalries

In recent years, PHUHS' football rivalry with East Lake High School has become the premier rivalry in Pinellas County high school football^[8]. Though the rivalry was relatively one-sided for decades, the Canes' 14-10, last-second victory over East Lake in 2015 and a hard-fought 38-35 loss to the Eagles in 2016 cemented the annual game as the top showdown in the county.

Clubs and Programs

The medical program allows students to get an overview of the medical field and learn about the human body and diseases along the way.^[9] By junior year, each student is enrolled into Allied Health where students study and shadow three different medical professions throughout the year^[10]. By senior year, each student chooses to enroll into a certification class of either: a Nursing Assistant Class, an Electrocardiogram (EKG)/Telemetry Aide Class, an Emergency Medical Respsonders Class, or an Entry Level Biotechnology certification.^[10] Students also become CPR certified their sophomore year and get re-certified their senior years. See PHUHS's website for a complete list of clubs.

The International Baccalaureate program has graduated thousands of students, many who have gone on to prestigious universities. The program gives students an advanced course load with a schedule similar to that of a 4-year university. Students take Advanced Placement classes their junior year instead of senior year to allow time to prepare for exams for the IB diploma.

The Center of Academics for Business Administration and Management (or C.A.B.A.M.) is a career/college preparatory program which provides students with the opportunity to learn practical business skills and earn industry certifications. The program offers a sequence of courses that provides rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers Business. The program provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employment skills, technical skills, occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of the Business, Management, and Administration career cluster. In Short: CABAM will give you a head start on college & careers in high skill, high wage, and high demand areas.^[11]

One of the school's many clubs is H.O.S.A. (Health Occupation Students of America).^[12]

Another of the school's largest clubs is Mu Alpha Theta, a national math honor society. Its members have competed in competitions and have placed highly among other top-ranked programs. See above category for more information.

The PHUHS robotics team was initiated in 2008 and placed 2nd in world competition.

PHUHS has a very active chapter of FBLA and has had dozens of students place in district and state competitions, and routinely sends students to the FBLA National Convention.

Palm Harbor University High School's Aftermath yearbook staff has produced consistently superior yearbooks throughout the school's history, earning awards from the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

Palm Harbor's newspaper, The EYE, has received the Florida Scholastic Press Association's All-American Award, and the National Scholastic Press Association's Gold Medal, placing the publication in the top 10% of all high school newspapers in the country.

In the 2007-2008 school year, a debate team was started, which competed nationally in 2009.

In 2010, a chapter of Key Club was founded by a student.

In 2012, a chapter of the Science National Honor Society was founded.

External links

• Palm Harbor University High School Website
• Palm Harbor University High School IB Program
• Palm Harbor University High School Mu Alpha Theta
• Palm Harbor University High School Athletics

References

Coordinates: 28°05′11″N 82°45′50″W / 28.086374°N 82.763921°W / 28.086374; -82.763921