Miami Beach Senior High School

History

20th century

Miami Beach High School opened in 1926. It was originally located at 1424 Drexel Avenue, in the heart of the South Beach district. It is the second-oldest high school in Miami-Dade County behind Miami Senior High School, which was founded in 1903. It was designed by August Geiger.

Carl Fisher provided the funds for the purchase of the land. For the first nine years of the school, it was named after Carl's mother, Ida M. Fisher. (Mrs. Fisher's middle initial was not "M", and the use of that letter was due to a typographer's error. Carl did not care and was so pleased that the school had been named for his mother that he stated the incorrect letter did not make a difference to him.)

The school's first principal was C. C. Carson. The first class motto was: "Let us be known for our deeds." At that time, the school's nickname was the Typhoons, but this name was changed after its 1960 move to its new location at 2231 Prairie Avenue, about a block north of the South Beach district.

Under a forced desegregation order from the Florida Supreme Court, Miami Beach High underwent desegregation efforts.

Prior to the opening of North Miami Beach High School and Dr. Michael Krop High School, students from North Miami Beach were assigned to Miami Beach High School and Miami Norland High School.

The original building at 14th and Drexel Avenue is now part of the Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center compound. The school is being renovated and new buildings added to replace the demolished ones.

In the late 1990s, Beach High adopted ID numbers for every student in the school along with school ID cards following an incident in 1995 with a gang member on campus who was not a student at the school. Soon after, every other school in Miami-Dade followed suit.

A new building that opened in 1999 was plagued with defects in the construction. Students were not permitted to use the lockers, and rain caused damage to school equipment.

21st century

Miami Beach Senior High School did not make AYP in 2006. Under the No Child Left Behind program, a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels of improvement determined by the state of Florida in terms of student performance and other accountability measures.

Since the 2006–2007 school year, the school has gone with a block schedule consisting of an A-Day (Odd - 1, 3, 5, 7) and B-Day (Even - 2, 4, 6, 8) on alternating school days. It consists of three classes before lunch under Secondary School Reform.

The 2007–2008 school year began with a new principal, Dr. Rosann Sidener, who improved the school's overall grade from a "D" to a "B" in her first year. This school year also saw the move from the old Beach High to the new Beach High in January 2008 with a new library and two new wings (2 and 3).

2008–2009 was the first year in which Miami Beach Sr. High students wore uniforms. In a two-to-one vote by some students' parents and guardians, the vote was ratified. Students now wear red or white shirts with the school logo or no logo, along with any shorts or jeans below the knees. The parents and faculty also voted to retain the Hi-Tide name and colors over going back to the Typhoons (former name).

Beginning with the 2009–2010 school year, Miami Beach Senior High is recognized as a magnet school, becoming the tenth magnet high school in Miami-Dade. Beach High was selected by the school district to apply for the MSAP grant, which is reserved for schools with high minority populations like Beach High, whose student body is 70% of Hispanic origin, compared to the state average of 25%. The district agreed to sponsor Miami Beach High because there are no other magnet schools in the area, and because of the expected increase of school size to nearly 3,000 students as a result of new construction. Beach High will now be able to receive students beyond its attendance boundaries along with those who live within them.

In early 2012, Principal Sidener was named the 2012 Principal of the Year by the Florida Association of School Administrators.

In May 2012, the school held its prom next to an XXXotica Porn Convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The two events were held side-by-side, separated by a wall. The prom was held at the convention center to avoid students' drinking at hotels. It was the subject of national jokes, especially on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! late-night show.

Attendance zone

Areas of Miami Beach served by the school include Biscayne Point and Normandy Island. Additionally the school serves Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek, North Bay Village, and Surfside.

Campus

Building 1

Building 1 includes the main office, counselors' offices (second floor), and the foreign language wing (second floor).

Buildings 2 and 3

Building 2 is made up of three floors and includes the library (first floor), 12 student restrooms (all floors), and a variety of different classrooms. Connected by an outdoor catwalk, Building 3 includes the Academy of Entrepreneurship (second floor), Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (first floor), and Academy of Information Technology (first and second floors) classrooms. Building 3 also includes the auditorium, as well as drama, chorus, band, guitar, and MIDI lab rooms.

Buildings 4 and 5

Formerly the 9 Building, Building 4 includes the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism classroom, three science classrooms, and two student restrooms. Located across from Building 4 and formerly the 4 Building, Building 5 was remodeled as part of the ongoing construction of the new Miami Beach Senior High. Building 5 houses the NJROTC and Academy of Information Technology in its two floors. It has various classrooms and computer labs, including a remodeled weight training room.

Buildings 6 and 7

Building 6 is a brand new wing that includes the physical ed classrooms, the SCSI room, and the gymnasium. Building 6 consists of two floors and also includes the Varsity and Junior Varsity locker rooms. Building 7 includes the Scholars' Academy wing. It has various classrooms throughout the two floors. Buildings 6 and 7 are located next to the cafeteria, which has six serving bays and a holding capacity of 1,100 people.

Football and soccer field

The football field is located behind Buildings 4 and 5 beside the back parking lot. It is currently not in use.

On May 28, 2010, it was announced that the Miami Dolphins and the National Football League had contributed towards the renovation of the field. A former alumnus, majority owner Stephen M. Ross, donated half of a $164,000 grant to the school. The field was expected to be renewed by that September, and named after Ross. His $82,000 grant matched an equal donation by the Dolphins, NFL Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

The team plays its games at Flamingo Park's Memorial Field. It is expected to continue to play there, but could move to playing games at the school in the future.

Athletics

Miami Beach High School has a gymnasium which is used for basketball, volleyball and wrestling. The baseball and soccer field is in Flamingo Park, located about a mile away from the school. The current athletic director is Edgar Botto. Miami Beach High offers these athletics:

Fall schedule

Boys' and girls' cross country

Junior varsity football

Varsity football

Boys' and girls' bowling

Boys' and girls' golf

Boys' and girls' swimming & diving

Girls' junior varsity volleyball

Girls' varsity volleyball

Winter schedule

Boys' varsity basketball

Boys' junior varsity basketball

Girls' junior varsity basketball

Girls' varsity basketball

Boys' varsity soccer

Girls' junior varsity soccer

Girls' varsity soccer

Boys' varsity wrestling

Spring schedule

Boys' varsity baseball

Girls' junior varsity softball

Girls' varsity softball

Boys' varsity tennis

Girls' varsity tennis

Boys' varsity track

Girls' varsity track

Boys' varsity water polo

Girls' varsity water polo

Year-round

Boys' and girls' cheerleading team

Athletic achievements

The school's sports history and achievements include:

In the 1930s, the volleyball team won its first state championship. This was followed by district championships in 1990, 1998, 2002 and 2011.

In 1946 and 1962, the basketball team won the state championship.

In 1955, the football team was Gold Coast Champs.

In 1965, Coach Chuck Fieldson was the Miami Herald's Coach of the Year.

In the 1970s, the school won their first baseball championship, as well as two state runner-up finishes, all under future College Baseball Hall of Famer Skip Bertman. They also won the 2018 district championship.

In 1974, the football team reached the state title game but lost to Leon High School, in Tallahassee.

In 1995, the football team became district champions for the first time after 10 years in 1986.

In 1985, 1986, 1989, 1996, and 2000, the school's wrestling team were district champions.

in 1988 the school's boys water polo team won its first of three state championships.

In 1990, 1993, 2011 and 2013, girls' cross country won district championships.

In boys' soccer, Miami Beach Senior High has won the district titles in 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2018, and 2023. GMAC Champions 1999 and 2023.

Regional Champions in 1991, 1994, and 2018. They were state runner-up in 1994 and 2018.

Honor societies

English Honor Society - open to juniors and seniors who have consistently maintained a high average in English for a minimum of three years

Italian Honor Society - open to juniors and seniors who have consistently maintained a high average in their years spent studying the language

Hispanic Honor Society - open to juniors and seniors who have consistently maintained a high average in Spanish for a minimum of three years

Mu Alpha Theta - math honor society

NRHS Honor Society is part of a national organization. Membership is based on scholarship, community service, leadership, and character. To qualify, students must show a minimum of 20 verifiable hours of community service, and display strong leadership qualities. Students meeting these requirements are interviewed and selected by members of the Faculty Council.

Phi Beta Chi - science honor society, open to juniors and seniors who have consistently achieved 90s in science for a minimum of three years

Quill and Scroll - writing honor society

Academies

Academy of Hospitality and Tourism: Launched in 1987, this prepares students for post-secondary education and careers through a theme-based, contextualized curriculum approach. It provides students with the requisite knowledge and skills for a successful career in one of the world's largest service industries, through a curriculum that provides an in-depth look at all aspects of tourism and hospitality, including coursework in business, geography, hospitality, and economics. The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism operates as a small learning community and is located in more than 110 high schools nationwide, including Miami Beach Senior High. It is the largest academy of the school, with nearly 200 students. Students go on annual familiarization trips to places such as Denver, Alaska, Orlando, and San Francisco.

Academy of Information Technology: For students in the 9th through 12th grades, this academy provides student internships, job shadowing opportunities, industry certifications in networking (A+ and C.I.W.), Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash and Photoshop, and in Microsoft's M.O.S. AOIT students also network with NAF (The National Academy Foundation) and community leaders who help guide the program and advocate on its behalf. This academy teaches the students about computer technology in general.

Academy of Visual and Performing Arts: This offers program strands in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, acting, music performance, music education, and music composition/sound engineering.

Academy of Digital Media: This offers program strands in film and television production, journalism and creative writing.

Academy of Marine and Environmental Science: This is offered to students interested in fields involving the environment or marine life.

Academy of Entrepreneurship: This is for students in grades 10–12 who wish to enhance their high school career with real-world experience in business and entrepreneurship. AOSBE introduces high school students to the global workplace and to many career opportunities available in accounting, business administration, finance, and entrepreneurship.

Academics

The State's Accountability program grades a school by a complex formula that looks at both current scores and annual improvement on the Reading, Math, Writing and Science FCATs.

Films and productions shot at Beach High

An episode of MTV's MADE, a self-improvement reality television series, was shot at Miami Beach Senior High in early 2010, chronicling the Miami Beach Cheer Team. It is the third episode of the 11th season of the series. It premiered August 20, 2010, to mixed reviews.

In 1985, the opening scene of the movie Band of the Hand (directed by Paul Michael Glaser) was filmed at MBSH. An explosion scene was filmed by blowing out the wall to a classroom in the 100 wing.

Student demographics

The ethnic composition of the student body is:

65% Hispanic

23% Non-Hispanic White

10% African American

2% Asian

N/A multiracial

N/A American Indian

The gender composition of the student body is:

51% male

49% female

By the 1950s the majority of Miami Beach High's student body had become Jewish. At that time many non-Jewish parents began sending their children to other schools. In previous decades wealthy Christian students were the majority.

School renovations

The school is undergoing major renovations after 47 years at its second and current location on Prairie Avenue. The school demolished three old buildings (100–300 wings) while remodeling the zero wing (now Building 7) for the Scholars' Academy. Taking their place were two new buildings (Buildings 2 and 3), which opened in early 2008 along with a remodeled CAP office, new auditorium, a new dining facility and outdoor dining area with food court style service, a new gymnasium, black box theater, media center, science and computer labs. The first phase, which includes the already completed bus lane and parking lots, parent drop-off lane, auditorium, and new classrooms, was completed in late 2007.

The completed construction and remodeling of the school was finished a few weeks before school started. This includes a fourth facility (Building 6) which houses a new gym and cafeteria and opened in time for the start of the 2009–10 school year over the former area of the 100–400 wings. The new air-conditioned gym is twice the size of the old gym, which was demolished during the summer break of 2009 in time for the first day of school. A courtyard replaced the old gym's location. The new gym has an aerobics room, dance studio, and new locker rooms.