South Miami Senior High School
South Miami Senior High School is a high school located at 6856 SW 53rd Street in Glenvar Heights, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, in the United States; located about a mile and a half west of the University of Miami. Its principal is Mr. Hebert Penton The School for the Arts is a Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Magnet Program within South Miami Senior High. When applying, students select from the following specialized strands: Multimedia Broadcasting, Graphic Design & Illustration, Fine Art, Photography, Band, or Orchestra. South Miami Senior’s Magnet School for the Arts students  pursue an intensive magnet experience, studying for over seven hours per week in their areas of focus. Students have opportunities to attain college credits, an international Cambridge diploma, industry certifications, participate in exhibitions and performances, and benefit from internships with partnering organizations, empowering them to fulfill the school’s mission: Preparing students to succeed in tomorrow’s global community. South Miami's athletic rivals are Coral Gables High School and Southwest Miami High School. History. South Miami Senior opened its doors to students on November 10, 1971. It was built to relieve the overcrowding at Southwest Miami High, Coral Park  Senior High and Coral Gables High School. The student body selected the Cobra as its mascot. The school's first principal, Warren Burchell, was originally from Ohio and chose the school colors, orange and brown, for the team colors of the NFL Cleveland Browns. Since opening, South Miami has had five principals: Dr. Warren G. Burchell, Judy Weiner, Thomas L. Shaw, Eugene Butler, Craig Speziale, Gilberto Bonce, Dr. Cadian Collman-Perez, and Hebert Penton. Dr. Burchell's term was the longest, at 22 years. Demographics. The school is 84% Hispanic, 8% Black, 7% White non-Hispanic, and 1% Asian. South