Heritage High School (Leesburg, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Heritage High School is a public secondary school located in Leesburg, Virginia
, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools
. The principal is Margaret Huckaby. Its naming broke the previous tradition of naming high schools with two words prior to "High School" (Loudoun County High School
, Broad Run High School
, etc.)
Heritage is located in the southern border of Leesburg, adjacent to J. Lupton Simpson Middle School and Evergreen Mill Elementary School. It does not serve the southern Leesburg community however, due to the very densely populated eastern section of Leesburg, which Heritage currently serves, including the Exeter, Mayfair Commons, Sycamore Hill, Potomac Station
, Tavistock Farms, Red Rock, Spring Lakes neighborhood and River Creek
communities.
and the rest from Loudoun County High School
. It was originally expected that Simpson's 8th graders would feed into Heritage, but instead, boundary lines were drawn to have Harper Park Middle School feed into Heritage. The lines were drawn and are still drawn to the point where students who live in communities adjacent to Heritage do not go there for high school and instead go to Loudoun County High.
Like other new high schools that opened in Loudoun County before it, such as Stone Bridge and Potomac Falls
, Heritage opened without a senior class, and juniors were allowed to choose which school they wanted to graduate from. Most Heritage students came from the Stone Bridge attendance area, and many rising juniors (Class of 2004) at Stone Bridge chose to stay there rather than go to Heritage. This was somewhat understandable because Leesburg students at Stone Bridge in the class of 2004 attended Simpson Middle School for 6th and 7th grade (1997–1999); went to a brand new Harper Park Middle School for 8th grade (1999–2000); went to a brand new Stone Bridge for their first two years of high school (2000–2002); and then were expected to go to another new school for their last two years. Constant boundary adjustments may have contributed to the large number of rising juniors who wished to remain at Stone Bridge. Consequently, the junior class at Heritage was only about 110 members, rather than about 250 if all juniors were required to go to the new school.
Of the 312 students in the graduating class of 2006, 112 received the governor's seal on an Advanced Studies diploma, one of the highest academic honors offered by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like other Loudoun County high schools, Heritage participates in the Advanced Placement program and offers numerous AP courses.
tests in Virginia.
and Northwest Region of the Virginia High School League
. The Pride opened as a member of the Dulles District
and Region II
. The school is well known for its boys basketball team which consistently has made it to Region II playoffs, its 2006 team was the first undefeated team in the history of the Dulles District. The Pride boys basketball team has won 3 consecutive Dulles District Championships 2006,2007,& 2008.
Heritage teams did surprisingly well in the 2005-2006 year, in particular with the Pride's boys varsity soccer team making it to the AA semifinals before falling 2-1 to AA Dulles District champion Potomac Falls
. Both the girls and boys Track teams won their respective AA Dulles District Titles. The football team also had its first winning season in the 2005-2006 school year, with a 7-3 record, sharing the Dulles District title with Park View High School
, but unable to make the playoffs because Park View had more power points in the Virginia High School League’s rating system.
The Heritage boy's lacrosse team did exceptionally well in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, finishing 15-3 and 14-3 respectfully. They were tournament champions in 2007 and regular season champions in 2008. The class of 2008 has had the strongest class in school history and graduated with the most wins in school history. The class of 2008 also had 3 members go on to play collegiately at the NCAA level.
in Australia
. The performance took place on July 6, 2008 at 2:30 pm in the Opera House's Concert Hall, directed by Dr. Matthew George.
In addition, the band also played their own personal concert at the Opera House consisting of the songs "Into the Storm" by Robert W. Smith, "Of Dark Lords and Ancient Kings" by Roland Barrett, and an arrangement of Danse Bacchanale
written by Camille Saint-Saëns
and arranged by Jay Bocook.
Heritage Singers: An auditioned choir composed of male and female students (grades 10 - 12) with an advanced knowledge of music. The group performs advanced literature in a variety of styles from various periods of music history. This group is the core of the choral program, performing frequently throughout the year.
TWELVE: An auditioned SATB group of juniors and seniors who sing advanced literature for small ensembles. The primary emphasis is singing jazz styles, but the group also sings holiday music for various events in the community. All members of the group must be in Heritage Singers as well as TWELVE, so that performance can be the priority of this class. In addition to training these students to hear the difficult jazz chords and be able to sing them, they work to develop a quality persona on stage.
Women’s Chorale: An auditioned choir composed of female students (grades 9 - 12) with an advanced knowledge of music. The group performs advanced literature composed and arranged for female voices.
Treble Choir: A non-auditioned choir composed of female singers (grades 9 - 12). The group performs literature composed and arranged for the female voice and appropriate for their skill level.
Men’s Choir: A non-auditioned choir composed of male singers (grades 9 - 12). The group performs literature composed and arranged for the male voices and appropriate for their skill level.
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county...
. The principal is Margaret Huckaby. Its naming broke the previous tradition of naming high schools with two words prior to "High School" (Loudoun County High School
Loudoun County High School
Loudoun County High School is a public secondary school in Leesburg, Virginia. It is located on 415 Dry Mill Road SW in the Town of Leesburg and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. It currently serves students who live in western and southern Leesburg, Middleburg, and Lucketts.-History:The...
, Broad Run High School
Broad Run High School
Broad Run High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system ....
, etc.)
Heritage is located in the southern border of Leesburg, adjacent to J. Lupton Simpson Middle School and Evergreen Mill Elementary School. It does not serve the southern Leesburg community however, due to the very densely populated eastern section of Leesburg, which Heritage currently serves, including the Exeter, Mayfair Commons, Sycamore Hill, Potomac Station
Potomac Station
Potomac Station is a housing subdivision located in Leesburg, Virginia which opened to residents in 1997. It is located north of State Route 7, east of the Leesburg Bypass and west of Lansdowne...
, Tavistock Farms, Red Rock, Spring Lakes neighborhood and River Creek
River Creek, Virginia
River Creek is a planned community in Loudoun County, Virginia, located 30 miles west of Washington, D.C. and north of Leesburg at the confluence of the Potomac River and Goose Creek. It is recognized as the first gated country club community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area...
communities.
History
Heritage opened in 2002 for the eastern Leesburg community, feeding most of its students from Stone Bridge High SchoolStone Bridge High School
Stone Bridge High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia.The school is part of Loudoun County Public Schools and is located on 43100 Hay Road...
and the rest from Loudoun County High School
Loudoun County High School
Loudoun County High School is a public secondary school in Leesburg, Virginia. It is located on 415 Dry Mill Road SW in the Town of Leesburg and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. It currently serves students who live in western and southern Leesburg, Middleburg, and Lucketts.-History:The...
. It was originally expected that Simpson's 8th graders would feed into Heritage, but instead, boundary lines were drawn to have Harper Park Middle School feed into Heritage. The lines were drawn and are still drawn to the point where students who live in communities adjacent to Heritage do not go there for high school and instead go to Loudoun County High.
Like other new high schools that opened in Loudoun County before it, such as Stone Bridge and Potomac Falls
Potomac Falls High School
Potomac Falls High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, Virginia unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system and is located on 46400 Algonkian Parkway...
, Heritage opened without a senior class, and juniors were allowed to choose which school they wanted to graduate from. Most Heritage students came from the Stone Bridge attendance area, and many rising juniors (Class of 2004) at Stone Bridge chose to stay there rather than go to Heritage. This was somewhat understandable because Leesburg students at Stone Bridge in the class of 2004 attended Simpson Middle School for 6th and 7th grade (1997–1999); went to a brand new Harper Park Middle School for 8th grade (1999–2000); went to a brand new Stone Bridge for their first two years of high school (2000–2002); and then were expected to go to another new school for their last two years. Constant boundary adjustments may have contributed to the large number of rising juniors who wished to remain at Stone Bridge. Consequently, the junior class at Heritage was only about 110 members, rather than about 250 if all juniors were required to go to the new school.
Of the 312 students in the graduating class of 2006, 112 received the governor's seal on an Advanced Studies diploma, one of the highest academic honors offered by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like other Loudoun County high schools, Heritage participates in the Advanced Placement program and offers numerous AP courses.
Accreditation
Heritage 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.
SAT Scores
The average SAT score in 2006 for Heritage was a 1,532 (518 in Math; 515 in Critical Reading; 499 in Writing).| School Year | Mathematics | Critical Reading | Writing | Total |
| 2003–2004 | 485 | 490 | n/a | 975 |
| 2004–2005 | 527 | 523 | n/a | 1,050 |
| 2005–2006 | 518 | 515 | 499 | 1,532 (1,033 M & CR) |
Enrollment History
| School Year | Number of Students |
| 2002–2003 | 747 |
| 2003–2004 | 1,095 |
| 2004–2005 | 1,340 |
| 2005–2006 | 1,500 |
| 2006–2007 | 1,617 |
Athletics
The mascot is the Pride, in the shape of a Lion. Heritage's sports teams currently play in the AAA Cedar Run DistrictAAA Cedar Run District
The AAA Cedar Run District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools stretching from Manassas to Ashburn. 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 Cedar...
and Northwest Region of the Virginia High School League
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,...
. The Pride opened as a member of the Dulles District
AA Dulles District
The AA Dulles District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia, with all of its full time members from Loudoun County...
and Region II
AA Region II
Region II is one of the four AA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AA Dulles District, the AA Evergreen District, the AA Jefferson District and the AA Northwestern District....
. The school is well known for its boys basketball team which consistently has made it to Region II playoffs, its 2006 team was the first undefeated team in the history of the Dulles District. The Pride boys basketball team has won 3 consecutive Dulles District Championships 2006,2007,& 2008.
Heritage teams did surprisingly well in the 2005-2006 year, in particular with the Pride's boys varsity soccer team making it to the AA semifinals before falling 2-1 to AA Dulles District champion Potomac Falls
Potomac Falls High School
Potomac Falls High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, Virginia unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system and is located on 46400 Algonkian Parkway...
. Both the girls and boys Track teams won their respective AA Dulles District Titles. The football team also had its first winning season in the 2005-2006 school year, with a 7-3 record, sharing the Dulles District title with Park View High School
Park View High School (Sterling, Virginia)
For schools of a similar name, see Park View School .Park View High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States...
, but unable to make the playoffs because Park View had more power points in the Virginia High School League’s rating system.
The Heritage boy's lacrosse team did exceptionally well in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, finishing 15-3 and 14-3 respectfully. They were tournament champions in 2007 and regular season champions in 2008. The class of 2008 has had the strongest class in school history and graduated with the most wins in school history. The class of 2008 also had 3 members go on to play collegiately at the NCAA level.
Arts
Heritage has very successful Band, Choral, and Drama programs which perform at district and regional festivals.Band
The Heritage Symphonic Band During the summer of 2008 was invited by well-known composer Frank Ticheli to perform in the 200-instrumentalist world premier of his new piece "Angels in the Architecture" at the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The performance took place on July 6, 2008 at 2:30 pm in the Opera House's Concert Hall, directed by Dr. Matthew George.
In addition, the band also played their own personal concert at the Opera House consisting of the songs "Into the Storm" by Robert W. Smith, "Of Dark Lords and Ancient Kings" by Roland Barrett, and an arrangement of Danse Bacchanale
Samson and Delilah (opera)
Samson and Delilah , Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire...
written by Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
and arranged by Jay Bocook.
Choir
Heritage's Choir programs consist of:Heritage Singers: An auditioned choir composed of male and female students (grades 10 - 12) with an advanced knowledge of music. The group performs advanced literature in a variety of styles from various periods of music history. This group is the core of the choral program, performing frequently throughout the year.
TWELVE: An auditioned SATB group of juniors and seniors who sing advanced literature for small ensembles. The primary emphasis is singing jazz styles, but the group also sings holiday music for various events in the community. All members of the group must be in Heritage Singers as well as TWELVE, so that performance can be the priority of this class. In addition to training these students to hear the difficult jazz chords and be able to sing them, they work to develop a quality persona on stage.
Women’s Chorale: An auditioned choir composed of female students (grades 9 - 12) with an advanced knowledge of music. The group performs advanced literature composed and arranged for female voices.
Treble Choir: A non-auditioned choir composed of female singers (grades 9 - 12). The group performs literature composed and arranged for the female voice and appropriate for their skill level.
Men’s Choir: A non-auditioned choir composed of male singers (grades 9 - 12). The group performs literature composed and arranged for the male voices and appropriate for their skill level.
Drama
Heritage's Drama Program presents four or more productions a year including, A Fall Play, A One Act Show, A Children's Show, and The Spring Musical. They compete in The NCA Cappies division. Recent shows include:- AntigoneAntigoneIn Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
[2003] - Kiss Me, KateKiss Me, KateKiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
[2004] - The CrucibleThe CrucibleThe Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
[2004] - PippinPippinPippin, Peppin, and Pepin are variants of a single Frankish given name. It was the name of several important figures in the Carolingian family that ruled the Frankish Empire in what is now France and the western parts of Germany in the Middle Ages:* Pepin of Landen, nicknamed the Elder, sometimes...
[2005] - An Ideal HusbandAn Ideal HusbandAn Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour...
[2005] - The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
[2006]
- The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
[2006] - Anything GoesAnything GoesAnything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
[2007]
- CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
[2007] - MulanMulanMulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...
[2008]
- The Good DoctorThe Good DoctorThe Good Doctor is a comedy with music written by Neil Simon.The Good Doctor is set in Russia during the 19th century and written in the style of Chekhovian comedy. It is composed of a series of scenes in which the only connecting thread is the character of the Writer originally played by...
[2008] - Midsummer Night's Dream [2008]
- My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
[2009] - And Then There Were NoneAnd Then There Were NoneAnd Then There Were None is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939 under the title Ten Little Niggers which was changed by Dodd, Mead and Company in January 1940 because of the presence of a racial...
[2009] - You Can't Take It With YouYou Can't Take It with YouYou Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances...
[2010] - The Yellow Boat [2010]
- Oklahoma!Oklahoma!Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
[2010]