Mission
The goal of the Southern High School (SHS) committee is to encourage a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with the faculty, administration, and students of SHS, which occupies the northeast corner of the Federal Hill South community boundaries. This committee aims to work with SHS to beautify the appearance of the school, its grounds, and neighboring thoroughfares. This committee also seeks to maintain healthy communications with the SHS administration, and foster a safe environment for both residents and students.
Activities
The SHS Committee meets as necessary to discuss topics of interest relating to the school. Please check this site for upcoming events!
FHSNA has representation on SHS' School Improvement Team (SIT) which meets monthly. The SIT team is comprised of faculty, administration, students, parents, and neighbors. Its objective is to create goals to enhance academic success and promote responsible behavior within the community.
Latest News
Digital Harbor High School Renovations... Windows, building structure & new curriculum
Six members of the community met with Principal Mike Pitroff on January 8 to discuss the developments going on in the one public school that falls directly within Federal Hill South’s borders. We’ve developed a good relationship with the school administration and with Gaudreau Architects, responsible for the renovation of the school as it transitions into Maryland’s first technology high school over the next-three-and-a-half years.
Principal Pitroff, who was the Director of Technology and Libraries for the Baltimore City Public School System for 32 years before taking on the role of Principal, reports that there are currently 304 students in the first freshman class of the new technology high school, and there are another 635 sophomores, juniors and seniors in the old Southern High School. Each year, a new incoming class will come into the technology program until the old Southern High School is completely phased out in 2005. Currently, the Digital Harbor students attend school from 8:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m., and the Southern students attend from 8:45 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.. The Digital Harbor students, who must apply to get accepted to the school, wear khaki pants or skirts, and white or blue collared shirts as uniforms, while the Southern students are not currently required to wear uniforms. Principal Pitroff indicates the transition is going well, and the only aspect of school life that the two schools share is the athletic program. Other than the normal everyday difficulties of any city high school, the transition is going well, and the community has seen significant improvements in truancy issues during the past year. If you ever do have truancy or other concerns, you may call the two school police officers at 410-396-1500 or 410-396-1501.
The community members also received a tour of the renovations, and differences are AMAZING! Whiting-Turner is contracting the $32 million renovations, and there will be another $14 million invested in other furniture, computers and administrative items. The classrooms are state-of-the-art, and there will be a Cyber Cafe, and a community computer center with a Kinko’s Copies-like concept which will be available for use by the community by the end of 2004. The community will also be able to use the new pool, fitness area, the gym and many other facilities in the new school.
Probably the most important transition from the Federal Hill South perspective, however, will be the dark windows and the prison-like aura that the massive building currently displays. Once inside, the touring members discovered that not only can you not see IN the windows, but the students cannot see OUT of them, either. Part of Gaudreau Architect’s design calls for brightening up the outside of the school by adding significantly more windows on all sides of the building, and by replacing current windows with brighter, reflective windows that will fit into the overall Digital Harbor design. And finally, there will be additional paneling installed on the outside of the building to cover up much of the brick, and to fully update the visible appearance from Key Highway.
Questions may be directed to Kirsten Sandberg at president@federalhillsouth.org or Committee Chair Kirk Culbertson at shs@federalhillsouth.org.
Join the Southern High School Committee
To join this committee please contact the SHS Committee Chair at shs@federalhillsouth.org.