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Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Fairfax High School is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia
. The school is owned by the City of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools
, as part of a contractual agreement.
The original school building, opened in 1936, is located on Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29
) in western Fairfax City, and is currently occupied by Paul VI Catholic High School
. Fairfax High School moved to its present site, on the east side of the city, in January 1972. In 2007, FHS underwent a $54 million renovation designed by architectural firm BeeryRio7. Renovations began in March 2005 and added an additional 86500 sq ft (8,036.1 m²). of classroom space. Student size has increased at such a high rate that trailers have been installed.
During the 2010-2011 School Year, Fairfax High School celebrated its 75th Anniversary
is 44.64% white, 24.37% Asian/Pacific Islander, 16.05% Hispanic, 9.13% black, and 5.80% other.
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2009-2010 for FHS was 1,657.
and Northern Region
. The closest high schools to Fairfax are Oakton
(1.9 miles north) and W.T. Woodson
(2.4 miles south). The Northern Region was realigned for the 1994-95 school year, with Fairfax being placed in the Liberty District, and Annandale in the Patriot District. Without district competition, the rivalry with Annandale has lessened, and Fairfax's main rival is now nearby W.T. Woodson
.
In athletics, Fairfax is probably best known for the strong football
teams that it fielded under the guidance of head coach Tom Verbanic. His teams achieved perfect 10-0 regular seasons in 1991, 1998, and 1999. However, the team's greatest success came during the 1994 season. That team achieved a 9-1 record during the regular season, with the only loss being a 17-0 drubbing to rival Annandale
in Week 2. Before losing in the state semifinals, the team captured the school's only Northern Region football title, by way of a closely contested 15-14 win over West Potomac
. Fairfax's final record in 1994 was 11-2, with the only losses being to teams that won state titles in the largest classifications - Patrick Henry-Ashland
(AAA Division 5) and Annandale (AAA Division 6).
Following the 1999 season, Coach Verbanic left Fairfax to start the football program at the newly opened Westfield High School
. Westfield's Director of Student Activities was Francis Dall, Verbanic's college roommate at the University of Virginia
. Prior to his current role, Dall was an extremely successful head football coach in his own right at Lake Braddock Secondary School
, which had the most wins of any high school in the Northern Region in the 1990s.
Following Coach Verbanic's departure, Fairfax has returned to the playoffs twice in 2009 and 2010. It looks like the program is rising again with back to back playoff appearances. To understand how far the program has fallen, one only has to look at the 2007 season, which resulted in a second straight 1-9 record, including being shut out six times and allowing a total of 322 points. By comparison, the 1994 team only allowed 90 points during the regular season, and 153 points including the three playoff games.
Most recently the Rebel Pride brought home the Virginia State Title for Varsity Cheerleading, the school's second Virginia State Title (first being in Swim & Dive). The Fairfax HS Cheer Program is under the direction of Head Coach Wes Vaughan.
Fairfax athletes who have been First Team All-Met selections by the Washington Post, since the 1990-91 school year:
2010-11: Samantha Cormode (Soccer)
2009-10: Joey Kelly (Boys Swimming), Kelli Stockton (Girls Swimming)
2008-09: Sidarth Balaji & Jason Luu (Tennis)
2007-08: Emily Ferguson (Swimming), Coach Matt Salerno (Girls Swimming), Sidarth Balaji (Tennis), Lauren Palmucci (Tennis)
2006-07: Gina Winters (Soccer), Sidarth Balaji (Tennis)
2005-06: Gina Winters (Soccer)
2001-02: Sean Doolan (Gymnastics, Gymnast of the Year), Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)
2000-01: Matt Johnson (Golf), Coach Mike Personick, Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics), Adam Jelinek (Soccer)
1999-2000: Brandon Royster (Football), Matt Johnson (Golf), Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)
1998-99: Brad Thomas (Football), Coach Milt Papke (Golf)
1997-98: Katie Silverthorne (Field Hockey), Justin Potter (Wrestling), John Eastman (Wrestling, Co-Wrestler of the Year), Inhar Chong (Outdoor Track)
1996-97: John Eastman (Wrestling), Melanie Brophy (Softball), Inhar Chong (Outdoor Track)
1995-96: Chuck Freeman (Baseball), Linda Young (Softball)
1993-94: Coach Lisa Burner (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics)
1992-93: Tina Boyce (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics)
1991-92: Britta Connolly (Field Hockey), Amber Moshos (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics), Earl Smith (Indoor & Outdoor Track)
1990-91: Carrie Hartley (Field Hockey), Katie Gultnieks (Tennis), Mara Cunningham (Basketball), Jamie Dykes (Girls Soccer), Brian Buchanan (Baseball), Bill Pulsipher (Baseball, Player of the Year)
of Fairfax High School was a caricature of a Confederate soldier known as "Johnny Reb
" (see picture at left). Due to complaints from students and parents, and at the suggestion of the school’s Minority Achievement Task Force, the principal (Harry Holsinger) removed the Johnny Reb symbol in 1985. Student protests, rallies, and a lawsuit followed, which challenged the principal’s actions as violating the First Amendment
guarantees of free speech. In Crosby v. Holsinger, 852 F.2d 801 (4th Cir. 1988), the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the federal district court decision in favor of the principal. After Johnny Reb was removed, the mascot was a set of crossed swords, and an unusual mascot, that resembled a ball of lint, called the Rebel Rouser. Though the school maintains its nickname of the Rebels, the mascot for Fairfax High is now a lion
.
Find out more about clubs: http://www.fcps.edu/FairfaxHS/clubs/newclub.htm
Fairfax choral students also participate in District Chorus, Virginia Honors Choir and All-State Chorus, as well as a regional competition trip in the spring. Choral groups perform music of many periods and styles and develop musicianship through vocal technique, sight-reading, and music theory. The choir program holds several concerts over the course of the year, the largest, Spring Show is held in early May and a Cabaret
is held in the early winter. In addition to the choral concerts held at FHS, students have performed in the Fairfax musicals, at the Fairfax Festival of Lights, George Mason basketball games, corporate parties, Fairfax Corner, the New York City Festivals of Music, Heritage Festival in Atlanta, Georgia
, the Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
and Festival Disney.
for Winter Guard International
and received 4th place in their preliminary group and 18th in semifinals. Overall, they placed 18th out of 60 groups. Other teams that accompany the Band program are the Fall Guard (competes with the marching band) and the Winterguard (competes separately). The Fairfax High School Band was under the direction of Ms. Meghan Benson, and won second place at a band competition at the Smoky Mountain Music Festival, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
in the spring of 2008. The Marching Band won third place in the local 4 July Parade independence Day celebration, and was awarded $2000 in 2008. At the end of the 2008 Marching Rebel season the band received a 1- Superior rating at the VBODA Championships. The Fairfax High School Band Program received a superior rating at both Marching and Symphonic Band festivals making it eligible to receive the award of Virginia State Honor Band for the first time in the school's 75 year history. The band has repeated the feat every year since. Because of the work of the Marching Band and Symphonic Band along with the work of the orchestral and choral departments, Fairfax was able to earn the title of Blue Ribbon School for the performing arts, which is achieved by Superior ratings at VBODA state marching festival, and a Superior rating for each of the top performing groups at District Festival. At the competition on their spring trip in the year 2009 to Orlando, Florida, the Rebel band placed second in its class by a margin of less than one point and received the Silver Award Overall in Festival Disney.
The 2010 season was also a great success with the show "Nautilus", with the Marching Rebels winning 2nd place in class 3A at the Herndon USSBA regionals (short to Thomas Jefferson by a fraction of a point), 1st place at the Oakton Classic, 1st place at the JMU parade of Champions, and straight 1s from all of the judges at the VBODA state marching festival. The symphonic band received straight 1s the following spring to complete the Virginia Honor Band title.
The band has quickly become one of the best bands in the state and has become widely renowned for its fantastic sound and quick rise to success.
In 2008-2009, The Fairfax High School Orchestra, along with the Chorus and Band Department earned the Blue Ribbon Award, which is awarded to a school in which the highest section of each music department receives Superiors at District Festival.
Fairfax Theatre was honored by the Cappies organization with seven nominations, including Best Musical, for the 2009 performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and was invited to perform the opening number at the Cappies Gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Fairfax has an orchestra pit
that can be covered and uncovered, but it is normally kept in the house floor position due to safety concerns. For the run of The King and I
in 2007, however, the pit was opened. It was then closed again, and the orchestra has played at house level since. The members of the pit orchestra are some of the only musicians in Fairfax County to have ever played a musical in an actual orchestra pit (Hayfield Secondary School also has a working orchestra pit). The pit sinks six feet below the stage.
The FX Players won the State Title at the VHSL One-Act Competition in 2008. They placed second at Districts in 2009.
" team participates in quiz bowl
tournaments throughout Virginia, Maryland, and DC, most notably NBC 4's "It's Academic" game show hosted by Mac McGarry
.
The team competes well in tournaments. In January 2009, Fairfax placed second in the Concorde District
at the VHSL
AAA District Tournament. The team advanced to the regional tournament for the first time in several years. Overall, Fairfax placed third in the Northern Region tying with Langley High School.
for the Rocky Run GT Center and later attend Fairfax High School. Or chose to apply to Thomas Jefferson High School and/or Robinson Secondary School's IB Program
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. The school is owned by the City of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
, as part of a contractual agreement.
The original school building, opened in 1936, is located on Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...
) in western Fairfax City, and is currently occupied by Paul VI Catholic High School
Paul VI Catholic High School
Paul VI Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Fairfax, Virginia.The school is named for Pope Paul VI, and is located in southwest Fairfax...
. Fairfax High School moved to its present site, on the east side of the city, in January 1972. In 2007, FHS underwent a $54 million renovation designed by architectural firm BeeryRio7. Renovations began in March 2005 and added an additional 86500 sq ft (8,036.1 m²). of classroom space. Student size has increased at such a high rate that trailers have been installed.
During the 2010-2011 School Year, Fairfax High School celebrated its 75th Anniversary
Demographics
As of the 2009-10 school year, Fairfax High School's student bodyis 44.64% white, 24.37% Asian/Pacific Islander, 16.05% Hispanic, 9.13% black, and 5.80% other.
Principals
- Harold Weiler 1943-????
- Clarance P. Drayer 1977-1981
- Dr. Joan Curcio 1981-1983
- Harry Holsinger 1983-1988
- Donald Weinheimer 1988-1999
- Lillian Lowery 1999-2002
- Linda L. Thomson 2002-2005
- Scott Brabrand 2005-2009
- David Goldfarb 2009-Present
Known for
The school is especially known for their marching band, cheerleading team, high school academy, AVID program, yearly AP Boot Camp, City of Fairfax-sponsored annual performing arts program in April Spotlight on the Arts, Math Creative Classrooms Program, New Chinese Language Program, Pride Time, Professional Learning Communities, Rewards and Remediation Program and College Success ProgramTest scores
Fairfax High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of LearningStandards of Learning
Standards of Learning ' is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools...
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2009-2010 for FHS was 1,657.
Athletics
Fairfax's nickname is the Rebels, and the athletic teams currently compete in the AAA Liberty DistrictAAA Liberty District
The AAA Liberty District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.The Liberty District...
and Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
. The closest high schools to Fairfax are Oakton
Oakton High School
Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to the town of Vienna, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools....
(1.9 miles north) and W.T. Woodson
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, commonly known as W.T. Woodson High School, is a high school located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the east end of the city of Fairfax, opposite the shopping center on Main Street....
(2.4 miles south). The Northern Region was realigned for the 1994-95 school year, with Fairfax being placed in the Liberty District, and Annandale in the Patriot District. Without district competition, the rivalry with Annandale has lessened, and Fairfax's main rival is now nearby W.T. Woodson
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, commonly known as W.T. Woodson High School, is a high school located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the east end of the city of Fairfax, opposite the shopping center on Main Street....
.
In athletics, Fairfax is probably best known for the strong football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
teams that it fielded under the guidance of head coach Tom Verbanic. His teams achieved perfect 10-0 regular seasons in 1991, 1998, and 1999. However, the team's greatest success came during the 1994 season. That team achieved a 9-1 record during the regular season, with the only loss being a 17-0 drubbing to rival Annandale
Annandale High School
Annandale High School is an International Baccalaureate high school in Annandale, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system....
in Week 2. Before losing in the state semifinals, the team captured the school's only Northern Region football title, by way of a closely contested 15-14 win over West Potomac
West Potomac High School
West Potomac High School is a public high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located on 6500 Quander Road and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools.-History:...
. Fairfax's final record in 1994 was 11-2, with the only losses being to teams that won state titles in the largest classifications - Patrick Henry-Ashland
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
(AAA Division 5) and Annandale (AAA Division 6).
Following the 1999 season, Coach Verbanic left Fairfax to start the football program at the newly opened Westfield High School
Westfield High School
There are several schools named Westfield High School* Westfield High School * Westfield High School * Casey-Westfield High School * Westfield High School...
. Westfield's Director of Student Activities was Francis Dall, Verbanic's college roommate at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Prior to his current role, Dall was an extremely successful head football coach in his own right at Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School is a combined junior-high and high school in Burke, Virginia, United States, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools . It is one of four secondary schools in Fairfax County; the other three are Hayfield, Robinson, and South County.Opened in 1973, Lake Braddock...
, which had the most wins of any high school in the Northern Region in the 1990s.
Following Coach Verbanic's departure, Fairfax has returned to the playoffs twice in 2009 and 2010. It looks like the program is rising again with back to back playoff appearances. To understand how far the program has fallen, one only has to look at the 2007 season, which resulted in a second straight 1-9 record, including being shut out six times and allowing a total of 322 points. By comparison, the 1994 team only allowed 90 points during the regular season, and 153 points including the three playoff games.
Most recently the Rebel Pride brought home the Virginia State Title for Varsity Cheerleading, the school's second Virginia State Title (first being in Swim & Dive). The Fairfax HS Cheer Program is under the direction of Head Coach Wes Vaughan.
Fairfax athletes who have been First Team All-Met selections by the Washington Post, since the 1990-91 school year:
2010-11: Samantha Cormode (Soccer)
2009-10: Joey Kelly (Boys Swimming), Kelli Stockton (Girls Swimming)
2008-09: Sidarth Balaji & Jason Luu (Tennis)
2007-08: Emily Ferguson (Swimming), Coach Matt Salerno (Girls Swimming), Sidarth Balaji (Tennis), Lauren Palmucci (Tennis)
2006-07: Gina Winters (Soccer), Sidarth Balaji (Tennis)
2005-06: Gina Winters (Soccer)
2001-02: Sean Doolan (Gymnastics, Gymnast of the Year), Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)
2000-01: Matt Johnson (Golf), Coach Mike Personick, Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics), Adam Jelinek (Soccer)
1999-2000: Brandon Royster (Football), Matt Johnson (Golf), Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)
1998-99: Brad Thomas (Football), Coach Milt Papke (Golf)
1997-98: Katie Silverthorne (Field Hockey), Justin Potter (Wrestling), John Eastman (Wrestling, Co-Wrestler of the Year), Inhar Chong (Outdoor Track)
1996-97: John Eastman (Wrestling), Melanie Brophy (Softball), Inhar Chong (Outdoor Track)
1995-96: Chuck Freeman (Baseball), Linda Young (Softball)
1993-94: Coach Lisa Burner (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics)
1992-93: Tina Boyce (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics)
1991-92: Britta Connolly (Field Hockey), Amber Moshos (Field Hockey), Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics), Earl Smith (Indoor & Outdoor Track)
1990-91: Carrie Hartley (Field Hockey), Katie Gultnieks (Tennis), Mara Cunningham (Basketball), Jamie Dykes (Girls Soccer), Brian Buchanan (Baseball), Bill Pulsipher (Baseball, Player of the Year)
Johnny Reb Controversy
The previous mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of Fairfax High School was a caricature of a Confederate soldier known as "Johnny Reb
Johnny Rebel
Johnny Reb or Johnny Rebel is the national personification of the Southern states of the United States. The latter part of his name is derived from Rebellion. Patriots used Johnny Reb and his Union counterpart Billy Yank to symbolize the lost souls in the American Civil War of the 1860s.Johnny Reb...
" (see picture at left). Due to complaints from students and parents, and at the suggestion of the school’s Minority Achievement Task Force, the principal (Harry Holsinger) removed the Johnny Reb symbol in 1985. Student protests, rallies, and a lawsuit followed, which challenged the principal’s actions as violating the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
guarantees of free speech. In Crosby v. Holsinger, 852 F.2d 801 (4th Cir. 1988), the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the federal district court decision in favor of the principal. After Johnny Reb was removed, the mascot was a set of crossed swords, and an unusual mascot, that resembled a ball of lint, called the Rebel Rouser. Though the school maintains its nickname of the Rebels, the mascot for Fairfax High is now a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
.
Curriculum
Fairfax High School currently follows the Virginia Department of Education curriculum. The school also hosts Fairfax Academy: School for the Arts, which includes classes such as graphic design and photography. The Academy also features Korean and Chinese. The school has a strong AVID Program, a Reward and Remediation Program, and Honors programs in all areas.Clubs
- Student Government
- FBLA
- DECA
- Crew
- Dance
- Debate
- Gay/Straight Alliance
- Hip Hop
- Interact
- Improv
- It's Academic
- Key Club
- Math Team
- Model U.N
- Peer Mediation
- Rebel Roar (School Newspaper)
- SADD
- Science Olympiad
- Honor Societies (National, Art, English, etc.)
- Young Republicans
Find out more about clubs: http://www.fcps.edu/FairfaxHS/clubs/newclub.htm
Chorus
The Fairfax High School Choral Department is currently under the direction of Luke Frels and consists of five ensembles divided by skill level, as well as by the requirement of audition. A beginning group, Women's Concert Choir which is available to freshman women only. Intermediate groups, Men's Ensemble and Select Women's Choir which are made available to men in grades 9-12 and women in grades 10-12. Finally, the two auditioned advanced choral groups, Bel Canto , a group of select women in grades 10-12 and Voce, a selective mixed ensemble for students in 10-12th grades. The choral department also has two extracurricular groups the Show Choir, Fairfax Fame, and Rebel Treble, an auditioned student-led mixed a Cappella ensemble. Approximately 110 students participate in the Fairfax choirs.Fairfax choral students also participate in District Chorus, Virginia Honors Choir and All-State Chorus, as well as a regional competition trip in the spring. Choral groups perform music of many periods and styles and develop musicianship through vocal technique, sight-reading, and music theory. The choir program holds several concerts over the course of the year, the largest, Spring Show is held in early May and a Cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
is held in the early winter. In addition to the choral concerts held at FHS, students have performed in the Fairfax musicals, at the Fairfax Festival of Lights, George Mason basketball games, corporate parties, Fairfax Corner, the New York City Festivals of Music, Heritage Festival in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, the Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
and Festival Disney.
Band
Fairfax has a strong band program, including a marching band which has won numerous championships. Included in the Rebel Band is the Fairfax High School Drumline, which placed third in the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) championships in North Carolina in 2006, third in 2010, and second in 2011. In 2009, they performed in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
for Winter Guard International
Winter Guard International
Spawning from the organization Drum Corps International , Winter Guard International was founded in 1977. WGI is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional and national competitions for color guard and indoor percussion ensembles. Contests are held in the U.S...
and received 4th place in their preliminary group and 18th in semifinals. Overall, they placed 18th out of 60 groups. Other teams that accompany the Band program are the Fall Guard (competes with the marching band) and the Winterguard (competes separately). The Fairfax High School Band was under the direction of Ms. Meghan Benson, and won second place at a band competition at the Smoky Mountain Music Festival, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
in the spring of 2008. The Marching Band won third place in the local 4 July Parade independence Day celebration, and was awarded $2000 in 2008. At the end of the 2008 Marching Rebel season the band received a 1- Superior rating at the VBODA Championships. The Fairfax High School Band Program received a superior rating at both Marching and Symphonic Band festivals making it eligible to receive the award of Virginia State Honor Band for the first time in the school's 75 year history. The band has repeated the feat every year since. Because of the work of the Marching Band and Symphonic Band along with the work of the orchestral and choral departments, Fairfax was able to earn the title of Blue Ribbon School for the performing arts, which is achieved by Superior ratings at VBODA state marching festival, and a Superior rating for each of the top performing groups at District Festival. At the competition on their spring trip in the year 2009 to Orlando, Florida, the Rebel band placed second in its class by a margin of less than one point and received the Silver Award Overall in Festival Disney.
Marching Rebels
In its 2009 season, the Marching Rebels won all of the competitions they competed in and got awards for quality music and general effect. They performed the show called Heroes, Gods and Mythical Creatures and performed at the Herndon USSBA Regionals, the Oakton Classic, and the James Madison University Parade of Champions. The Rebels placed first in Class 3A in the Herndon Showcase of Bands without proper uniforms which were destroyed in a flood due to a heating malfunction, also received first at the Oakton Classic. At the final major competition, the band placed 1st in Class 3A with a score of 84.75. At the VBODA state marching festival the rebels received a superior rating and got straight 1s from all of the judges. The symphonic band received straight 1s the following spring to complete the Virginia Honor Band title.The 2010 season was also a great success with the show "Nautilus", with the Marching Rebels winning 2nd place in class 3A at the Herndon USSBA regionals (short to Thomas Jefferson by a fraction of a point), 1st place at the Oakton Classic, 1st place at the JMU parade of Champions, and straight 1s from all of the judges at the VBODA state marching festival. The symphonic band received straight 1s the following spring to complete the Virginia Honor Band title.
The band has quickly become one of the best bands in the state and has become widely renowned for its fantastic sound and quick rise to success.
Orchestra
The Fairfax High School Orchestra Department is currently directed by Cynthia Crumb. The Orchestra consists of three different levels; Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. Starting the 2010-2011 school year, Fairfax HS has added another orchestra group. The Beginning Orchestra focuses on basic elements of music education and teaches the student fundamentals to prepare them and educate them on music. Intermediate are 2 different orchestras designed to test and challenge the musicians at a higher level (VBODA pieces grade 4 and 5). And the Advanced Orchestra (playing grade 6 pieces) is the highest level in the Orchestra Department. There are approximately 100 students in the Orchestra program for the enrollment of the 2009-2010 school year. The Orchestra annually participates in District Festival in which the orchestra plays a series of pieces and is graded on them. Often times it is believed that the experience is a competition between schools, but it is highly encouraged that the competition be amongst and within the students. The Orchestra also attends a Spring trip annually to various places in America. Some examples include Atlanta, Orlando, New York, and Gatlinburg. The past school year of 2009-2010, the Fairfax High School Orchestra went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the annual Spring Trip. The Orchestra is also known for their pit appearances in school plays such as Beauty & the Beast and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.In 2008-2009, The Fairfax High School Orchestra, along with the Chorus and Band Department earned the Blue Ribbon Award, which is awarded to a school in which the highest section of each music department receives Superiors at District Festival.
Theatre
The FX Players is the Drama Club at Fairfax High School. They are dedicated toward the promotion of theatre in every aspect. The current director and sponsor is Wendy Knight.Fairfax Theatre was honored by the Cappies organization with seven nominations, including Best Musical, for the 2009 performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and was invited to perform the opening number at the Cappies Gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Fairfax has an orchestra pit
Orchestra pit
An orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...
that can be covered and uncovered, but it is normally kept in the house floor position due to safety concerns. For the run of The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
in 2007, however, the pit was opened. It was then closed again, and the orchestra has played at house level since. The members of the pit orchestra are some of the only musicians in Fairfax County to have ever played a musical in an actual orchestra pit (Hayfield Secondary School also has a working orchestra pit). The pit sinks six feet below the stage.
The FX Players won the State Title at the VHSL One-Act Competition in 2008. They placed second at Districts in 2009.
It's Academic
The "It's AcademicIt's Academic
It's Academic is a televised academic quiz competition for high school students, currently airing on two NBC affiliates in Washington, D.C. and Central Virginia and one CBS affiliate Baltimore, Maryland . The show has been on the air since October 7, 1961, making it the longest...
" team participates in quiz bowl
Quizbowl
Quiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
tournaments throughout Virginia, Maryland, and DC, most notably NBC 4's "It's Academic" game show hosted by Mac McGarry
Mac McGarry
Maurice J. "Mac" McGarry is a retired game show host of the television quiz show It's Academic, which airs in Washington, D.C. on the local NBC-owned WRC-TV...
.
The team competes well in tournaments. In January 2009, Fairfax placed second in the Concorde District
AAA Concorde District
The AAA Concorde District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes public schools exclusively from Fairfax County. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports....
at the VHSL
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
AAA District Tournament. The team advanced to the regional tournament for the first time in several years. Overall, Fairfax placed third in the Northern Region tying with Langley High School.
Feeder Patterns
Daniels Run Elementary School, Willow Springs Elementary School, Eagle View Elementary, Providence Elementary School, and Fairfax Villa Elementary School all feed into Lanier Middle School, which feeds into Fairfax High School. Additionally, some students from the listed elementary schools attend Willow Springs Elementary school and Mosby Woods Elementary school for the Gifted & Talented Center (often referred to as the GT center). All students continuing with the GT program through middle school who would normally attend Lanier-feeding schools attend Rocky Run Middle SchoolRocky Run Middle School
Rocky Run Middle School is a public middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia. As of September 2007, the school accommodates 814 students. Being a GT magnet school, it is fed by many elementary schools, including Brookfield, Bull Run, Greenbriar East, Greenbriar West, Poplar Tree, Willow...
for the Rocky Run GT Center and later attend Fairfax High School. Or chose to apply to Thomas Jefferson High School and/or Robinson Secondary School's IB Program
Notable alumni
- Sam ChampionSam ChampionSamuel James Champion is the weather anchor of ABC's Good Morning America and weather editor of ABC News.-Early life and education:...
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weather man. - Jeremy JeffressJeremy JeffressJeremy Ross Jeffress is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball.-Milwaukee Brewers:...
- Baseball prospect. - Craig MelloCraig MelloCraig Cameron Mello is a Portuguese-American biologist and Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, along with Andrew Z. Fire, for the discovery of RNA interference...
- Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. - Chap PetersenChap PetersenJohn Chapman "Chap" Petersen is an American politician. A Democrat, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates 2002–06 and was elected to the Virginia State Senate in November 2007. He the state's 34th district, made up of the city of Fairfax and part of Fairfax County.-Early...
- Virginia State Senator, 34th district. - Nathaniel F. Young - Mayor of Fairfax City 1972- 1974
- Bill PulsipherBill PulsipherWilliam Thomas Pulsipher is a professional baseball pitcher. Pulsipher, a left-handed pitcher, has played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals over six seasons from to . He currently plays for the Somerset...
- The 1991 Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year in baseball. Drafted by the New York Mets in the second round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. Went on to pitch for 4 additional teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. - S.R. Sidarth - Center of the Macaca Controversy
- Owen SchmittOwen Schmitt-Seattle Seahawks:Schmitt was drafted in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was the second Mountaineer selected in the draft, behind Steve Slaton in the third round to the Houston Texans. Schmitt signed a four-year $1.87 million contract that included a $158,000...
- A fullback in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and former West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
fullback who was on the cover of Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
with Pat White and Steve SlatonSteve SlatonSteve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
in 2006. - Fred TalbotFred Talbot (baseball)Frederick Lealand Talbot , is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1963-1970 for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Seattle Pilots, Chicago White Sox, and the Oakland Athletics....
- 1960s Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. - Pierre J. ThuotPierre J. ThuotPierre Joseph Thuot is a retired U.S. Navy captain and a NASA astronaut from 1985 to 1995.- Personal :Born on May 19, 1955, in Groton, Connecticut, Thuot considers Fairfax, Virginia, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, to be his hometowns. He is married to the former Cheryl Ann Mattingly of...
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut. - Laura M. ElliottL.M. ElliottL. M. Elliott is the award-winning author of young adult novels, including Under a War-Torn Sky , Flying South , Annie Between the States , Give Me Liberty , and A Troubled Peace , the sequel to Under a War-Torn Sky.The author, who lives in Virginia, appears frequently at middle schools and high...
- Author of Under a War-Torn SkyUnder a War-Torn SkyUnder a War-Torn Sky is a young adult war novel about a young man flying a B-24 in World War II. When his plane is shot down and he is trapped behind enemy lines, he is helped by kind French citizens to escape and get back to his home. Written by American author L.M. Elliott, the novel was first... - Christina HendricksChristina HendricksChristina Rene Hendricks is an actress known for her role as Joan Holloway in the AMC cable television series Mad Men, and as Saffron in Fox's short-lived series Firefly. Hendricks was named "the sexiest woman in the world" in 2010 in a poll of female readers taken by Esquire magazine.-Personal...
- Actress who plays the character of Joan Holloway on the hit show "Mad Men". - Kelly Lloyd - Actress
- Emily Berriz - Curling Professional