Shades Valley High School

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Shades Valley High School
Shades Valley Mountie logo.jpg
Established 1949
School type Public secondary
District Jefferson County Schools
Grades 9–12
Principal Mary Beth Blankenship
Enrollment 1182 (2006-2007)
Colors maroon & black
Mascot Mounties
Location 6100 Old Leeds Rd
Irondale
Website shadesvalleyhigh.jefcoed.com

Shades Valley High School is a a four-year public high school located at 6100 Old Leeds Road in Irondale. Part of the Jefferson County School System, it was first established in 1949 near Homewood and Mountain Brook. It moved to its present location in the fall of 1996.

History

Main article: Shades Valley High School (1949)
Shades Valley High School in 1950

The city of Homewood petitioned the county school board to construct a new high school as a replacement for the aging Shades Cahaba High School to serve Birmingham's fast-growing Over the Mountain suburbs. In 1947 Homewood and Mountain Brook residents approved a five-mill property tax to support development of a new school, which opened in the Fall of 1949 with some parts of the building still incomplete. The building was dedicated on May 25, 1950 and had an initial enrollment of 870 students, which more than doubled by 1956 before Mountain Brook formed its own school system.

In 1994, the Jefferson County School Board voted to acquire land for a new site for Shades Valley High School. The new, 42-acre site was located in Irondale, almost eight miles from the school's original location. A groundbreaking ceremony was held October 18, 1994 at the new site and the new school building opened to students on August 14, 1996. It contains 78 classrooms, three science laboratories, a teaching kitchen, nine computer labs, two gymnasiums, a weight room, a large state-of-the-art auditorium, and band and choral suites. The original building was later demolished for construction of the Colonial Bank Building.

The Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School is located on the same campus. Dabbs Technical Academy is located several miles away on a different campus. The school's academies include business, theater, and technical. Because of the draw from the county, SVHS/JCIB serves a diverse student body population. SVHS/JCIB serves ninth grade through twelfth grade and had an enrollment of 1182 students in the 2006-2007 school year. The administration consists of a principal and five assistant principals, one who primarily serves at JCIB.

Principals

Athletics

Shades Valley High School's colors are maroon and black, and the athletic teams are called the "Mounties". Sports include football, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys tennis and golf, wrestling, swimming, boys and girls cross country, volleyball, track, girls and boys soccer, baseball and softball. The baseball team played for the state 4A championship in 1980, finishing runner-up to Davidson High of Mobile. The boy's basketball team has won numerous Jefferson County, region, and area championships, as well as playing in the state final four in 1954, 1962, 1971, 1980, and 1984. Boy's basketball finished runner-up in the state in 1971 to A. H. Parker High School of Birmingham. The girl's basketball team has also won numerous Jefferson County, region, and area championships and played in the state final four in 1997. The boy's soccer team won state championships in 2001, 2004, and 2006, and finished runner-up in 2000. The football team has won over 500 games all-time, which is the second most all-time wins for any team in Jefferson County. Football has also accumulated a total of 13 region and area championships, three undefeated regular seasons, and finished runner-up in the state in 1987 and 1994. The boys track team won the state championship in 1966. Also, the boys golf team won the state championship in 1957.

The Mounties' field house was designed by Adams Design Associations.

Traditions

Alma Mater

Shades Valley High School's Alma Mater, is sung to the tune of Joseph Haydn's refrain from his String Quarter in C major, Opus 76,3, which is also used as the national anthem of Germany.

Dear Shades Valley, we do love thee,
Give thee honor, trust, and praise.
And for thee our spirits heighten,
While our loyalty we raise.

Onward Valley, to more glory,
We are with thee all the way.
Please bestow thy richest blessing,
Over us throughout our days.

Fight song

The Mounties' fight song is derivative of "I'm a Tar Hell Born" written in 1897 by William Starr Myers for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

I'm Mountie born, born,
Mountie bred, bred.
And when I die
I'm Mountie dead.
So it's rah rah Shades Valley, Valley!
Rah rah Shades Valley, Valley!
Rah rah Shades Valley, red and black!

The red and black will wave on high.
We'll win this game tonight or die!
So it's rah rah Shades Valley, Valley!
Rah rah Shades Valley, Valley!
Rah rah Shades Valley, red and black!

Notable alumni

References

  • Hulen, Tara and John Davis. (March 25, 1994). "Shades Valley, Clay To Get New Schools." The Birmingham News
  • "Jeffco Turns First Dirt For Shades Valley High." (October 19, 1994). The Birmingham News
  • Faulk, Kent. (August 7, 1996). "New Shades Valley High $19 Million School Opens At Mid-Month." The Birmingham News, page 1-A .
  • Summe, Sheryl Spradling. (2001). Homewood: The Life of a City. Homewood, AL: Friends of the Homewood Public Library.
  • "Shades Valley High School" (April 12, 2010) Wikipedia - accessed April 12, 2010.

External links

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