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Walt Whitman High School is a public Secondary Institution serving roughly the western part of Bethesda --an unincorporated suburban area of Washington, DC , in Montgomery County , Maryland . The school, which takes its name after the American Poet , is closed enrollment; students are required to have residency within the school's territorial boundary to attend. HISTORY The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students and had a Geodesic Dome until renovation in 1992. In 1981, a 1,200 seat Auditorium was added to the school. Dr. Jerome Marco was Principal from 1975 until his retirement in 2004. Currently, the Principal is Dr. Alan Goodwin, who was Assistant Principal for several years before becoming principal. Six elementary schools feed Thomas W. Pyle Middle School , which in turn feeds to Walt Whitman. The elementary schools are Wood Acres, Bannockburn, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, Bradley Hills, and Bethesda. In 2005, in wake of Hurricane Katrina , a Whitman student and her two younger sisters started Project Backpack, an organization which donated backpacks filled with toys to displaced children. The project exceeded all expectations and got thousands of backpacks. To honor their deed, President Bush invited them to light the national Christmas tree. THE ''BLACK & WHITE'' The ''Black & White'' is a national, regional and state award-winning . The Black & White has approximately 70 Staff members (print and online positions included) and the Spectator has 19 members. Some staff positions, like Photographer s, Graphic Artists , business and advertising managers, are shared by both papers. Louise Reynolds is now the adviser to the ''Black & White''. PERFORMING ARTS WWHS is known for its successes in the , the Shenandoah University Faculty Quintet and renowned conductor Anthony Maiello. Mr. Allen is the conductor of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Sinfonia and has conducted several honor groups including the 2006 Junior All-State Band. The Choral Music department contains 5 regular ensembles and smaller chamber groups and is directed by Jeff Davidson. The Chamber Choir (formerly Chamber Singers) has been regularly recognized as one of the top groups on the East Coast for many years. Like the Instrumental Music department, the Choral Music department regularly wins straight 1's ("Superior"--highest rating) for Level VI (most advanced) choral arrangements in county, state, and national competitions. Combined, the Choral and Instrumental Music programs regularly place graduating students in top U.S. music schools and conservatories. Whitman Drama is directed by theater professional Christopher Gerken and produces a fall Musical (with a student Pit Orchestra ), a student-directed Talent Show , and a winter Play . The home of the theatre program, the Daryl Shaw Auditorium, holds 1,200 seated audience members. The school is a member of the Critics And Awards Program For High School Students ( Cappies ) National Capital Area and has been nominated for and won several awards at the annual Gala . Last year, Whitman's production of West Side Story was Nominated for Pit Orchestra , Tech Crew , Featured Actor in a Musical and Featured Actress in a Musical. This year Whitman performed Funny Girl in the Fall and will perform a version of Dracula written for Whitman's production. The Talent Show will be in April followed by a Weekend of One-act student produced plays. Whitman's in Visual Arts, scholastic awards, and other recognition. Every other year, Whitman holds a schoolwide Shakespeare Festival for one day in April . It is based in student projects, which encompass Poster s, Food , live Performance s, Video s, Demonstration s, Costume s, and often a Trebuchet . Everything is linked to some aspect of Shakespeare , his Work , or the Renaissance . The Festival is organized and run by students, with the aid of the English department. IT'S ACADEMIC The It's Academic team currently won fifth place at the NAQT championships in Chicago, and finished second place in the local Quizmaster challenge. The team is coached by Jan Danis, the 2007 co coach of the year. ROLE IN POPULAR CULTURE Walt Whitman High School was the subject of the 2006 book, '' The Overachievers ''. The non-fiction book concerns itself with several students who were members of Whitman's class of 2004 and 2005. The author, Alexandra Robbins , is a Whitman alum of the class of 1994. STATISTICS 88% of the Seniors attend 4-year colleges. 6% attend 2-year colleges. More than 75% attend college out-of-state. Some foreign students return to college in their own country. Students come from more than 40 countries. 74% of students are white, 3% are African- American or Black, 7% are Hispanic, 13% are Asian-American, and 3% are Eskimo. ATHLETICS
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