Catalina Foothills High School
Encyclopedia
Catalina Foothills High School is a public high school, located in the suburban community of Catalina Foothills
, just north of Tucson, Arizona
, USA. Catalina Foothills is the only high school in the Catalina Foothills School District, located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
. Founded in 1992, Foothills now serves approximately 1,890 students in grades nine through twelve. The school mascot is the peregrine falcon
, and the school colors are blue
and silver
. Based on the percentage of students passing or exceeding the AIMS, Catalina Foothills is one of the best high schools in the state. In 2006, Catalina Foothills had the state's second highest percentage of students exceeding math, the third highest percentage of students exceeding reading standards, and the ninth highest percentage of student exceeding writing standards.
and the rest primarily in Amphitheater Public Schools
. The establishment of Catalina Foothills was postponed several decades due to the ability of district students to attend high school in neighboring school districts.
As the population grew in the Catalina Foothills
area, a large core of Catalina Foothills students attended Amphitheater High School
in North Tucson, as the closer Canyon del Oro High School
in Oro Valley
was virtually closed to out-of-district students. The need for a high school in the Catalina Foothills School District became apparent, as the Amphi district was nearing an era of overcrowding not relieved until 2001.
Construction began in 1991 on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) site centrally located in the district. The Catalina Foothills School Board had acquired the site in the late 1970s. The school opened to the ninth grade in 1992 when classes met at a district middle school. In 1993 campus was opened to ninth and tenth graders, and the first graduating class of Foothills High walked in late spring 1996.
The Catalina Foothills School District was also involved in a 1993 Supreme Court decision entitled Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
. In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the district must pay for an interpreter for a deaf child wishing to attend a private Catholic school. The vote was a 5-4 decision.
Located in one of the Tucson area's most affluent communities, Foothills students are regarded as a highly economically privileged population. Parents of Foothills students often locate to the community specifically so their children can attend the school.
The chess team is a national power, having won a total of seven national team championships; it is coached by FIDE International Master (-elect) Robby Adamson, who is an attorney in Tucson, Arizona. Catalina Foothills has won the High School National Championship three times (2008, 2007, 2005) and in 2006 placed second overall.
Below is a list of the team's accomplishments:
2008 National High School Champion;
2007 National High School Champion;
2005 National High School Champion;
2004 National K-9 Champion;
2006 National 12th Grade Champs;
2006 National 11th Grade Champs;
2005 National 11th Grade Champs;
State AIA Team Champion 2005-2010, finishing with a record total of 19 out of a possible 20 points in 2007 and 17 out of 20 points in 2008, and 18.5/20 in 2009).
The Catalina Foothills Academic Decathlon team usually finishes near the top in the Region, with the greatest competition from University High School
and Canyon del Oro High School
(which has won the last five region titles).. The Science Olympiad Team has done increasingly well in the past few years, winning the state championship in 2006 and 2008 and finishing a close second place in 2007.
With their most recent state championship, they have now won the state championships from 2008–2011, and will have represented Arizona at the Science Olympiad National Tournament for four years in a row.
They set a record at the 2011 state competition when their two teams, blue and silver, swept the floor, taking 1st and 2nd place, respectively. Out of the thirty some members from both blue and silver, 15 will be selected to represent Arizona in May for the 2011 National Tournament in Wisconsin.
. The following titles are referenced from the AIA website.
Additionally, its boys lacrosse team won the 2010 Arizona Youth Lacrosse League state championship. Lacrosse is not sanctioned by the AIA.
In 2006, the band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In the summer of 2008, the band was invited to participate in the pre-Olympic Festivals in Beijing, China, where they performed several times on the Great Wall, in the Forbidden City and other monuments. In the 2009-2010 school year, they participated in the Fiesta Bowl parade and competition, placing 4th out of 7 competing bands in the country. Upcoming trips include California, and possibly Washington D.C. and Australia.
Outside of marching season, the bands split into several groups and perform as separate ensembles during concert season. The band splits into Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band, while the Drumline and Colorguard continue into a winter auxiliary show. The drumline splits into each of the three bands, according to skill level and schedule. Several groups not affiliated with the marching band are Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir and Steel Drums.
In years past the school has also hosted a series of student written one-act plays as part of the One-Act Play Festival. All being student written, directed, and acted. Since 2008 though this has been abandoned so that the school could participate in the International Thespian Society, a theatre competition up in Phoenix, and the Southern Arizona Acting Festival in Tucson. The FTP Co. consistently places well in the technical theatre events.
Former shows include: Look Homeward Angel, All in the Timing, Cyrano De Bergerac, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Uninvited, Beauty and the Beast, Rimers of Eldritch, Little Shop of Horrors (twice), Into the Woods, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, A Few Good Men, Lend Me a Tenor, Metamorphosis, The Odyssey, The Rivals, The Revenger's Comedies, Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, High School Musical, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Fame, This Humour Out of Breath (written by director Terry Erbe), The Insect Play, The Producers, Brave New World, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, among others. The productions that will take place this 2011-12 theatre season at Catalina Foothills will be: Macbeth (The Fall Play), The Drowsy Chaperone (The Spring Musical) And 4 student directed shows: Medea (Directed by Anasofia Gallegos), Proof (Directed by Brian Erickson), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Directed by Ashley Henderson), and The Good Doctor(Directed by Kellen Avender). The 2011 Summer show was "All Shook Up."
Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census...
, just north of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, USA. Catalina Foothills is the only high school in the Catalina Foothills School District, located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
. Founded in 1992, Foothills now serves approximately 1,890 students in grades nine through twelve. The school mascot is the peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, and the school colors are blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and silver
Silver (color)
Silver is the metallic shade resembling gray, closest to that of polished silver.The visual sensation usually associated with the metal silver is its metallic shine. This cannot be reproduced by a simple solid color, because the shiny effect is due to the material's brightness varying with the...
. Based on the percentage of students passing or exceeding the AIMS, Catalina Foothills is one of the best high schools in the state. In 2006, Catalina Foothills had the state's second highest percentage of students exceeding math, the third highest percentage of students exceeding reading standards, and the ninth highest percentage of student exceeding writing standards.
School history
Prior to the establishment of Catalina Foothills, some district students attended high school in Tucson Unified School DistrictTucson Unified School District
Tucson Unified School District is the largest school district of Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment. As of 2006 TUSD has more than 60,000 students and approximately 3,700 faculty members....
and the rest primarily in Amphitheater Public Schools
Amphitheater Public Schools
Amphitheater Public Schools, also known as Amphi or District 10, is the third largest public school district in Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment, with over 16,000 students...
. The establishment of Catalina Foothills was postponed several decades due to the ability of district students to attend high school in neighboring school districts.
As the population grew in the Catalina Foothills
Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census...
area, a large core of Catalina Foothills students attended Amphitheater High School
Amphitheater High School
Amphitheater High School, also known as Amphi High, is a public high school, located in central Tucson, Arizona, United States. Amphi is the flagship high school of Amphitheater Public Schools of Tucson, and serves grades 9–12. The school mascot is the panther, and the school colors are kelly green...
in North Tucson, as the closer Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School, also known as CDO, is a comprehensive public high school in Oro Valley, Arizona, located north of Tucson at the base of Pusch Ridge. Established as a high school in 1964, CDO is one of three high schools of Amphitheater Public Schools and serves about 1,800 students in...
in Oro Valley
Oro Valley, Arizona
Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson,...
was virtually closed to out-of-district students. The need for a high school in the Catalina Foothills School District became apparent, as the Amphi district was nearing an era of overcrowding not relieved until 2001.
Construction began in 1991 on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) site centrally located in the district. The Catalina Foothills School Board had acquired the site in the late 1970s. The school opened to the ninth grade in 1992 when classes met at a district middle school. In 1993 campus was opened to ninth and tenth graders, and the first graduating class of Foothills High walked in late spring 1996.
The Catalina Foothills School District was also involved in a 1993 Supreme Court decision entitled Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District, was a case before the United States Supreme Court.-Background:A deaf child and his parents sued an Arizona school district because the district refused to provide a sign language interpreter for the child after he transferred from a public school to a...
. In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the district must pay for an interpreter for a deaf child wishing to attend a private Catholic school. The vote was a 5-4 decision.
Located in one of the Tucson area's most affluent communities, Foothills students are regarded as a highly economically privileged population. Parents of Foothills students often locate to the community specifically so their children can attend the school.
Activities
Catalina Foothills is accredited by the North Central Association.The chess team is a national power, having won a total of seven national team championships; it is coached by FIDE International Master (-elect) Robby Adamson, who is an attorney in Tucson, Arizona. Catalina Foothills has won the High School National Championship three times (2008, 2007, 2005) and in 2006 placed second overall.
Below is a list of the team's accomplishments:
2008 National High School Champion;
2007 National High School Champion;
2005 National High School Champion;
2004 National K-9 Champion;
2006 National 12th Grade Champs;
2006 National 11th Grade Champs;
2005 National 11th Grade Champs;
State AIA Team Champion 2005-2010, finishing with a record total of 19 out of a possible 20 points in 2007 and 17 out of 20 points in 2008, and 18.5/20 in 2009).
The Catalina Foothills Academic Decathlon team usually finishes near the top in the Region, with the greatest competition from University High School
University High School (Tucson)
University High School is an accelerated public high school located in Tucson, Arizona, originally known as Special Projects High School , University High School is in the Tucson Unified School District...
and Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School, also known as CDO, is a comprehensive public high school in Oro Valley, Arizona, located north of Tucson at the base of Pusch Ridge. Established as a high school in 1964, CDO is one of three high schools of Amphitheater Public Schools and serves about 1,800 students in...
(which has won the last five region titles).. The Science Olympiad Team has done increasingly well in the past few years, winning the state championship in 2006 and 2008 and finishing a close second place in 2007.
- The Lincoln-Douglas debate team won 4A States more than five years in a row before their defeat in 2007. In addition, their Public Forum debate teams, as well as Policy debate teams, were the 2010 and 2011 state champions.
Science Olympiad
The Catalina Foothills Science Olympiad team won the state championship in 2006 and placed a close second in 2007.With their most recent state championship, they have now won the state championships from 2008–2011, and will have represented Arizona at the Science Olympiad National Tournament for four years in a row.
They set a record at the 2011 state competition when their two teams, blue and silver, swept the floor, taking 1st and 2nd place, respectively. Out of the thirty some members from both blue and silver, 15 will be selected to represent Arizona in May for the 2011 National Tournament in Wisconsin.
Athletics
Catalina Foothills participates in the 4A Conference, Sonoran Region of the Arizona Interscholastic AssociationArizona Interscholastic Association
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the major high school sports association in the state of Arizona. It comprises most of the state's public district high schools, various charter and private schools, plus one high school in California San Pasqual High School in Winterhaven, California,...
. The following titles are referenced from the AIA website.
- The girls' cross country team won the 2005 Arizona state championship race, as well as individual champion honors.
- The boys' Cross country team won the 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010 Arizona state championship races.
- The girls' Soccer team won the 2006 Arizona state championship 4-0 over Pinnacle High SchoolPinnacle High SchoolPinnacle High School, commonly abbreviated as PHS, is a public high school located in the north valley of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. PHS opened in 2000, and is a part of the Paradise Valley Unified School District . The school’s athletic teams and/or clubs are known as the Pinnacle...
, which makes 3 state titles in the past 4 years. - The boys' soccer team won the 2006 Arizona State Championships 2-0 over Sabino High SchoolSabino High SchoolSabino High School is located in Tucson, Arizona. It is located on the city's northeast side. Its current principal is Valerie Payne.- History :The school was established in 1972 in response to the boom of Tucson's east side in the 1960s and 1970s...
. - The boys' tennis team won the 2009 Arizona State Championships 5-0 over Millennium High School, which is their 5th consecutive win.
- The boys' tennis team won the 2011 Arizona State Championships, their 7th consecutive win.
- The girls' tennis team won the 2007 Arizona State Championships, which is their 8th consecutive win.
- The girls' swim team won the 4A state swimming and diving championships for eight consecutive years, were runners-up in 2008, and won again in 2009 and 2010.
- The boys' swim team has won the 4A state swimming and diving championships for eleven consecutive years.
- The boys' volleyball team won the 2006, 2007, and 2008 championships, the first team in Arizona boys volleyball history to ever win three consecutive championships.
- The girls' Track and field team won the 2005 Arizona state championship
- The boys' track and field team won the 2002 Arizona state championship
Additionally, its boys lacrosse team won the 2010 Arizona Youth Lacrosse League state championship. Lacrosse is not sanctioned by the AIA.
Foothills Falcon Marching Band
The Foothills Falcon Marching Band is the largest in the state, consisting of around 250 students annually. Previous marching shows include West Side Story, The Blues Brothers, Dancer in the Dark, Africa, The Music of James Bond, Echoes of Camelot, The Who, La Fiesta Mexicana, When Worlds Collide (music from Danny Elfman), Adventure Calling, and A Kaleidoscope of Dreams. Their 2011 show is entitled "Synethesia: The Color of Sound".In 2006, the band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In the summer of 2008, the band was invited to participate in the pre-Olympic Festivals in Beijing, China, where they performed several times on the Great Wall, in the Forbidden City and other monuments. In the 2009-2010 school year, they participated in the Fiesta Bowl parade and competition, placing 4th out of 7 competing bands in the country. Upcoming trips include California, and possibly Washington D.C. and Australia.
Outside of marching season, the bands split into several groups and perform as separate ensembles during concert season. The band splits into Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band, while the Drumline and Colorguard continue into a winter auxiliary show. The drumline splits into each of the three bands, according to skill level and schedule. Several groups not affiliated with the marching band are Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir and Steel Drums.
Falcon Theatre Production Company
Catalina Foothills also has a fairly extensive and well known theatre program. They perform five or six shows a year involving two all school shows that are auditioned for (one of those being a musical), two (or three or four) Advanced Theatre Arts shows which are student directed and created, and a summer musical open to all ages. These shows are performed in the Little theatre which seats 213 people (without overflow seating). All of the classes on the Arts side are taught by Terry Erbe, while the Productions side is taught by Norm "Kung-Fu Grip" Testa and Clint Bryson.In years past the school has also hosted a series of student written one-act plays as part of the One-Act Play Festival. All being student written, directed, and acted. Since 2008 though this has been abandoned so that the school could participate in the International Thespian Society, a theatre competition up in Phoenix, and the Southern Arizona Acting Festival in Tucson. The FTP Co. consistently places well in the technical theatre events.
Former shows include: Look Homeward Angel, All in the Timing, Cyrano De Bergerac, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Uninvited, Beauty and the Beast, Rimers of Eldritch, Little Shop of Horrors (twice), Into the Woods, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, A Few Good Men, Lend Me a Tenor, Metamorphosis, The Odyssey, The Rivals, The Revenger's Comedies, Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, High School Musical, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Fame, This Humour Out of Breath (written by director Terry Erbe), The Insect Play, The Producers, Brave New World, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, among others. The productions that will take place this 2011-12 theatre season at Catalina Foothills will be: Macbeth (The Fall Play), The Drowsy Chaperone (The Spring Musical) And 4 student directed shows: Medea (Directed by Anasofia Gallegos), Proof (Directed by Brian Erickson), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Directed by Ashley Henderson), and The Good Doctor(Directed by Kellen Avender). The 2011 Summer show was "All Shook Up."
Choir
There are four choirs at the high school: Falconaires, a mixed entry level choir; Women's Choir, an audition women's choir; Concert Chorale, an audition choir with mixed voices; and Change of Pace, an audition, mixed jazz choir. Women's Choir and Concert Chorale have both received scores of superior at the Regional Choir Festival. Concert Chorale, Change of Pace, and Women's Choir seniors went during Rodeo Break in 2008 on a tour, ending up in San Francisco. In January 2008, Concert Chorale, Change of Pace, and Women's Choir seniors went to New York to sing the Mozart Requiem at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Christopher Jackson. Concert Chorale is to sing the Schubert Mass in G in 2010, under the direction of Count von Count.Notable Alumni
- Professional IndyCar driver Sean Boyan attended the school from 2001-2005. He went on to attend the University of Arizona prior to becoming one of the most promising stars in racing today. Boyan is expected to compete full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2012.