James S. Rickards High School | |
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Address | |
3013 Jim Lee Road Tallahassee, Florida 32301 United States |
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Coordinates | 30°24′26″N 84°15′46″W / 30.40724°N 84.26269°WCoordinates: 30°24′26″N 84°15′46″W / 30.40724°N 84.26269°W |
Information | |
Type | Public coeducational high school |
Motto | New heights and rising! |
Established | 1960 |
School district | Leon County Schools |
Principal | Douglas Cook |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1249 |
Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
Team name | Raiders |
Website | School website |
James S. Rickards High School is a public high school in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a part of Leon County Schools.
Rickards has hosted an International Baccalaureate program since 1994, creating a culturally diverse mix of students and a varied ethnic focus. The school has many programs that demonstrate cultural diversity and equality, one of which focuses on traditional dance and clothes.
The school's mascot, originally the Rickards Redskins, was changed to the Rickards Raiders in 2000 because of controversy over the racial connotations of the term "redskin". The school colors are blue and gold.
Alumni Village, the designated Florida State University housing unit for FSU students with children, was zoned to Rickards High School prior to its closure.
In 2009, Rickards earned a "D" as its school performance grade, making it the second-lowest ranking high school in the district. This was lower than in 2008 and 2007, when the school had earned "C"s. In 2010, Rickards earned an "A" as its school performance grade for the first time. The celebration was accompanied by a pep rally.
James S. Rickards High School annually puts on a multicultural show called Pangaea. In previous years, the show has grown more and more successful. Taking advantage of the various talents and cultures at the school, Pangaea is a completely student-run event showcasing song, dance, and fashion from around the world. The show is accompanied by an international dinner, put on by the Model United Nations team.
The members of the Rickards Math Team have participated in national mathematics competitions such as the American Mathematics Competition, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad, the Princeton University Math Competition, the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament, and the American Regions Math League. Three members of Rickards' Math Team have served as the captains of the state math teams that competed at ARML, HMMT, and PUMaC. The Math Team has also produced multiple USAMO qualifiers and attendees to the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program. They were the runners-up at the 2010 National Mu Alpha Theta Convention in Washington, D.C.