Gar-Field Senior High School
Encyclopedia
Gar-Field Senior High School is a Senior High School
in Woodbridge
in unincorporated Prince William County
, Virginia
, USA, with students in grades 9 through 12.
Gar-Field, established in 1951, originally was located at 15941 Cardinal Drive until the current school opened in 1972 at 14000 Smoketown Road.
For the past several years, it has been one of the largest high schools in Virginia
, with enrollment having peaked at over 3,000. Gar-Field graduates between 500 and 700 students every June, and since 2002 all graduations have taken place at the Patriot Center
at nearby George Mason University
in order to accommodate the large crowds. The high school's motto is "The School of Champions."
The name Gar-Field is derived from two prominent local families, the Garbers and the Manderfields, who donated the land for the original school just off of U.S. Highway #1. The comic strip "Ber-Mander", which appears on the back page of the school newspaper, utilizes the unused portions of these names. Ber-Mander was created by artist Chris Sprouse
(a 1984 graduate of Gar-Field) in the early 1980s, and featured a "hippie
" title character.
In the 1950s, Gar-Field was segregated, as were Virginia's other schools. However, in 1960, African-American students were enrolled without incident or acrimony.
Gar-Field is one of two high schools in Prince William County that offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and the IB Middle Years Program (http://www.IBatGF.com). It also has the only accredited day care system of any high school in the state, with a program that allows student-parents to finish their education while learning about how to take care of their children. Gar-Field H. S. is of similar design as nearby Woodbridge High School, which was also built in the mid-1970s.
In May 2007, Newsweek Magazine ranked Gar-Field 564th in the nation on its annual list of "Best High Schools in America."
In June 2007, former principal Roger Dallek announced his retirement after over 20 years at Gar-Field. He was succeeded by Dr. Brenda L. Aiken in the 2007-2008 school year. Dr. Aiken is a former resident of New York
state and served for over 20 years with the Fairfax County school system. Dr. Brenda L. Aiken died of cancer at 53 years old on Saturday May 16, 2009. Former principal Roger Dallek returned to fill the position for the remainder of the 2008-2009 school year. Upon the start of the 2009-2010 school year, William Bixby took the position of principal and is currently holding that position.
During the Robotics season of 2009-2010, the Varsity Team 33, Maverick, placed 12th in Robot Skills at the 2009-2010 VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, TX. They also placed within the top half of their division.
This past 2010-2011 season, the Gar-Field Robotics team was represented in the Prince William County Zero Robotics Team, SuperNOVA. This team consisting of students from Osbourn Park, Gar-Field, and Battlefield HS placed in the Top 5 (Semi-Finalist Standings) and ended up in 3rd place in the nation (Finals). Varsity FTC Team 33, Maverick was a member of the the VA FIRST FTC State Championship alliance and attended the 2011 VEX World Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center in FL.
The team is also responsible for reaching out to the community and to provide mentorship to the surrounding middle schools in need of help and support, such as Beville Middle School and Woodbridge Middle School. The team also actively volunteers by running Qualifiers and the annual Roboticon for the middle school students. G-F Robotics members have also appeared in various functions in the community, such as the Annual Community Covenant in Manassas and National Young Readers' Day.
average: 971 (verbal - 489, math - 482)
ACT average: 20.8 composite
PSAT average: 138
IB Diploma Pass Rate: 86% (exceeds Va., US, and World average)
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
in unincorporated Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA, with students in grades 9 through 12.
Gar-Field, established in 1951, originally was located at 15941 Cardinal Drive until the current school opened in 1972 at 14000 Smoketown Road.
For the past several years, it has been one of the largest high schools in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, with enrollment having peaked at over 3,000. Gar-Field graduates between 500 and 700 students every June, and since 2002 all graduations have taken place at the Patriot Center
Patriot Center
The Patriot Center is a 10,000-seat arena in Fairfax, Virginia. It is located on the campus of George Mason University , and has attracted 9.6 million people to over 2,958 events. In 2010, the Patriot Center was ranked No. 7 nationwide and No...
at nearby George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
in order to accommodate the large crowds. The high school's motto is "The School of Champions."
The name Gar-Field is derived from two prominent local families, the Garbers and the Manderfields, who donated the land for the original school just off of U.S. Highway #1. The comic strip "Ber-Mander", which appears on the back page of the school newspaper, utilizes the unused portions of these names. Ber-Mander was created by artist Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse
Chris Sprouse is an American comic book artist.-Biography:Chris Sprouse was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the age of 3 he moved with his family to New Delhi, India where he first discovered comics as he was unable to play outside due to the dangerous amount of snakes in the house yard...
(a 1984 graduate of Gar-Field) in the early 1980s, and featured a "hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
" title character.
In the 1950s, Gar-Field was segregated, as were Virginia's other schools. However, in 1960, African-American students were enrolled without incident or acrimony.
Gar-Field is one of two high schools in Prince William County that offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and the IB Middle Years Program (http://www.IBatGF.com). It also has the only accredited day care system of any high school in the state, with a program that allows student-parents to finish their education while learning about how to take care of their children. Gar-Field H. S. is of similar design as nearby Woodbridge High School, which was also built in the mid-1970s.
In May 2007, Newsweek Magazine ranked Gar-Field 564th in the nation on its annual list of "Best High Schools in America."
In June 2007, former principal Roger Dallek announced his retirement after over 20 years at Gar-Field. He was succeeded by Dr. Brenda L. Aiken in the 2007-2008 school year. Dr. Aiken is a former resident of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state and served for over 20 years with the Fairfax County school system. Dr. Brenda L. Aiken died of cancer at 53 years old on Saturday May 16, 2009. Former principal Roger Dallek returned to fill the position for the remainder of the 2008-2009 school year. Upon the start of the 2009-2010 school year, William Bixby took the position of principal and is currently holding that position.
Robotics Team
Gar-field High School's esteemed Robotics team started in 2006, and that same year the team won the Virginia FTC Championship and represented G-F at the World Championships in Atlanta. The following season G-F placed second in the VA Championship, and in the 2008-2009 season the Varsity team, Team 33, Leviathan, went to Dallas, TX for the VEX World Championship. They placed within the top 50 out of about 250 teams from all over the world. The G-F Robotics team has built a stellar reputation in a very short time in the robotics community.During the Robotics season of 2009-2010, the Varsity Team 33, Maverick, placed 12th in Robot Skills at the 2009-2010 VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, TX. They also placed within the top half of their division.
This past 2010-2011 season, the Gar-Field Robotics team was represented in the Prince William County Zero Robotics Team, SuperNOVA. This team consisting of students from Osbourn Park, Gar-Field, and Battlefield HS placed in the Top 5 (Semi-Finalist Standings) and ended up in 3rd place in the nation (Finals). Varsity FTC Team 33, Maverick was a member of the the VA FIRST FTC State Championship alliance and attended the 2011 VEX World Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center in FL.
The team is also responsible for reaching out to the community and to provide mentorship to the surrounding middle schools in need of help and support, such as Beville Middle School and Woodbridge Middle School. The team also actively volunteers by running Qualifiers and the annual Roboticon for the middle school students. G-F Robotics members have also appeared in various functions in the community, such as the Annual Community Covenant in Manassas and National Young Readers' Day.
- 2008-2009 Season:
- ○ Excellence Award (VEX)
- 2009-2010 Season:
- ○ Community Award (FTC)
- ○ Spirit Award (VEX)
- ○ Tournament Champions (VEX)
- 2010-2011 Season:
- ○ Community Award (VEX)
- ○ Finalist Alliance (FTC)
- ○ Inspire Award (FTC)
- ○ Winning Alliance (FTC)
- ○ Think Award (FTC)
- ○ Tournament Champions (VEX)
- ○ Sportsmanship Award (VEX)
- ○ Commendation from the Prince William Board of County Supervisors for Robotics\
- The Official Gar-Field Robotics website
Demographics
In 2007-2008, Gar-Field's student body was 31.8% Black, 23.3% White, 33.4% Hispanic, 8.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 2.8% Other, and 0.4% N/ATest Scores
SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
average: 971 (verbal - 489, math - 482)
ACT average: 20.8 composite
PSAT average: 138
IB Diploma Pass Rate: 86% (exceeds Va., US, and World average)
Notable alumni
- Jeff Baker (Colorado Rockies/Chicago Cubs Professional MLB player)
- Benita Fitzgerald ('84 gold medal Olympian)
- John Goding (Choreographer)
- Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
(Country Western Singer) - Bob Malloy (Texas Rangers/Montreal Expos Professional MLB player 87' and 90')
- Jeff NixonJeff NixonJeffry Allen Nixon is a former professional American football player for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Born in Germany, Nixon spent his high school days in Virginia, attending Gar-Field Senior High School...
(Professional Football Player) - Baljinder Sekhon, II (Award-winning, Classical Composer)
- Clint SintimClint Sintim-New York Giants:Sintim was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the New York Giants on April 25, 2009. On July 30, the Giants announced that they had signed Sintim to the roster. Eventually, he is expected to replace the Danny Clark/Bryan Kehl linebacker position. Sintim made his...
(NFL Linebacker New York Giants) - Chris SprouseChris SprouseChris Sprouse is an American comic book artist.-Biography:Chris Sprouse was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the age of 3 he moved with his family to New Delhi, India where he first discovered comics as he was unable to play outside due to the dangerous amount of snakes in the house yard...
(Comic book artist) - Sheena Tosta (née Johnson) (Olympic Hurdler; won silver in '08, did not medal in '04)
- Susan WalviusSusan WalviusSusan Walvius is the former head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of South Carolina. Her best success came in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, where she went 25-7 and 23-8 respectively. In those two seasons, the Gamecocks went 19-9 in SEC play. The 2002 team made it to the Elite...
(women's college basketball coach) - Othell WilsonOthell WilsonCoatlen Othell Wilson is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'0" 190 lb point guard and played collegiately at the University of Virginia from 1980 to 1984. He attended Woodbridge High School and Gar-Field Senior High School, both in Virginia...
(American basketball player) - Andrew YorkAndrew YorkAndrew York is an American classical guitarist and composer.York was born in 1958 in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Guitar Performance in 1980 at James Madison University and completed his Master of Music degree at University of...
(Grammy Winning Recording Artist)
External links
- Official Gar-Field High School website
- Gar-Field IB Program Website
- Prince William County Public SchoolsPrince William County Public SchoolsPrince William County Public Schools is a Virginia school division with its headquarters in the Kelly Leadership Center in unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia, United States...