Tarpon Springs High School, is a Public High School in Pinellas County, Florida

Pinellas County, Florida

Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...

. The school graduated its first class of seniors in the year 1906.
The school is known most for its Greek Heritage, football, music conservatory, the culinary department, and the veterinary academy. It's mascot is the Sponger, reflecting the town's history of sponge diving. The school has between 1,900 and 2,200 students a year enrolled. The student body is composed of 89% Caucasian, 4% African-American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Mixed-Race, and 0% American Indian. The graduation rate for Tarpon Springs High School is 75%, which is above state and national averages. The school received an "A" grade by the state of Florida in 2010.

History

The first settlers of Tarpon Springs came here because of the beauty and the bountiful natural resources, just after the Civil War. The first homes built were along the Anclote River and Tarpon’s bayous. Samuel Hope bought the first real estate here along the north bank of the Anclote River in the 1860s and was soon followed by the Thompson and Meyers families. In 1876, A. W. Ormand and his daughter Mary from South Carolina built the first cabin near what is now, Spring Bayou. They saw it as the “boiling spring.” The next year, Joshua Boyer, who sailed into the Anclote River and decided to stay, soon married Mary Ormand, the lady who gets the credit for naming Tarpon Springs. In 1887, three major events occurred – The railroad arrived in Tarpon, Tarpon was officially incorporated as a city, and the Anclote Key lighthouse was built. After that, yachts, steamboats, sailboats, fishing vessels and paddleboats piled into Tarpon’s waterways. Merchants, men of all trades, and laborers were lured to Tarpon by inexpensive land and a bright future. Grand hotels, opera, band concerts, famous artists, and millionaires soon made Tarpon Springs a haven for the cosmopolitan. Somewhere, three blocks north of Tarpon Avenue and on the east side of Pinellas Avenue, where the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Community Center and the Theofolis Hall now stand, the first Tarpon Springs School was built. The school consisted of four rooms and was a two-story building. Downstairs were the elementary grades, and upstairs were the upper levels. The first graduating class was the TSHS class of 1906. There were 3 graduates that year. The last year that building was used was 1911. There were between 150 and 250 students in attendance, at the time. This building was moved to another site and a brand new Tarpon Springs Public School was completed on the same site in 1912 at a cost of $11,598. There were seven 23’ X 20’ classrooms, a library, a chemistry lab, and an auditorium, and housed 1st through 12th grades, until 1915, when Tarpon Springs Primary School was built. Then, in 1927, a new school was opened at the intersection of Pine, Ring, and Orange Streets for $118.839. This is where the present City Hall is, now. Finally, in 1962, our present Tarpon Springs High School was completed. Over the years, it has been added to and remodeled, greatly. Today, TSHS is a magnificent, multi-faceted complex that now even includes the old Sunset Hills Elementary School. Between 1,900 and 2,200 students are in attendance, every year. The following information can be found on our Tarpon Springs High School website.

Culinary

The culinary arts academy of Tarpon Springs High school acquired a new facility in which students can learn and hone their culinary skills.

Small Learning Communities

Recently (Fall of 2006), Tarpon Springs High School introduced what is commonly referred to as "small learning communities", known colloquially as "SLCs".These require students to choose a general path of study (such as Science and Technology, or the Arts), and the students are hence grouped with other students in that community once a week, for about an hour. Students do not receive a grade for participation in the program, but are mandated to do so. The concept of small learning communities is to break the school into smaller, more specialized departments for the students, similar to the way a college is compartmentalized by area of study. As of the Fall of 2010 the Small Learning Communities program has fsdfsbeen ceased due to lack of success.

Leadership and Music Conservatory

The Tarpon Springs High School Leadership and Music Conservatory is a nationally recognized pilot program that provides an integrated, seamless curriculum in academics, instrumental music, technology, and leadership skills. The Conservatory program strives for excellence within each of its members and in every aspect of its curriculum.

The program is known across the United States for its premiere programs and musical achievements, a remarkable accomplishment for this Bands of America Class AAA program. The marching band program typically totals about 120 members, including percussion, color guard and musicians.

The 2005 show was "Pathways". The Pathways show focused on how you should live your life in your own pathway. There are many pathways including greed, courage and innovation and all of these are created in the show. The 2006 show was "Every Passion Has Its Destiny" which was performed on a running track placed on the field. The message of the show was that you may start out on your own but in the end teamwork is what really makes life great. The program features an award winning Color/Winter Guard and Jazz Ensemble. The primary focus areas of the program are academic achievement, leadership development, technology, and the performing arts. The 2007 show was titled En Garde. The 2008 show "Art at the Speed of Life" which placed #7 in the country at BOA Grand Nationals. The 2009 show, entitled the Trilogy (based on the Bourne series of novels/movies) placed first at the Bands of America Super Regional in Atlanta, Georgia. In the leadership and music conservatory you don't just learn how to march, play and dance at the same time; you also learn the meaning of life and going out and showing what you can do and expressing yourself in a musical mannor. You don't take life for granted, you enjoy it while you can. We get taught life long experiences and we learn how to lead not follow. The 2010 Show titled "Paranormal" took home first place at BOA regional championships, and fourth place overall in the United States at BOA grand national finals in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Clubs

The school currently has more than 20 clubs, including
Academic Team, Art Club, Crime Watch, DCT, Debate/Model UN, Drama Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FFA, French Club, Future Educators of America, Greek Club, Health Occupations Students Of America, Interact, Japanese Club, Key Club, Latin Club, Maroon Mob, Multicultural Club, National Honor Society, Peer Connectors, Physics Club, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, French National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), Science National Honor Society, Wild Side and Yearbook.
Greek Honor Society

Band

Tarpon High is especially proud of its band program, which is a part of the Leadership and Music Conservatory at the school. Band awards include:

- 2006 Bands of America Grand Nationals
RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
5 time - AA National Champions
Most Outstanding Music (Class AA)
Most Outstanding Visual (Class AA)
Most Outstanding General Effect (Class AA)
Grand National Finalist 8 Consecutive appearances

- 2006 Bands Of America
Atlanta Regional
Olympic Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
Grand Champions
AA Division - 1st Place
Most Outstanding Music (Class AA)
Most Outstanding Visual (Finals &Class AA)
Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

- 2006 Bands Of America
Florida Regional
Tropicana Dome, St. Petersburg
Grand Champions
AA Division - 1st Place
Most Outstanding Music (Finals & Class AA)
Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AA)
Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

- 2006 Seminole Sound Spectacular
Grand Champions
1st Place Gold Division
Best Color Guard Auxiliary
Best Drum Major
Best Woodwinds
Best Brass

- 2006 Florida Bandmasters District Marching Band Festival
Straight Superiors 13 Consecutive Years
2007 FBA District Jazz Festival
Jazz Ensemble I Straight Superiors
Jazz Ensemble II Straight Superiors

- 2007 FBA Solo and Ensemble Festival
100+ Superior Medals
Winter Guard Straight Superiors

- 2007 WGI West Palm Beach Regional
Winter Guard Scholastic World Class Finalist
Concert Percussion Ensemble 1st Place

- 2007 FBA District Concert Festival
Wind Ensemble I Straight Superiors
13 Consecutive years

- 2007 FBA District Concert Festival
Wind Ensemble II Superior Rating
Only 2nd Ensemble to receive Superior rating in the entire district

- 2007 WGI Tampa Regional
Winter Guard Scholastic World Class Finalist

- 2007 North Texas State University Jazz Festival
Dallas, Texas
Only Jazz Ensemble from Florida invited to perform

- 2007 John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center
National Band and Orchestra Festival, Washington DC
Gold Rating
(One of 5 Scholastic Wind Ensembles selected nationally to perform at the Kennedy Center)

-2010 BOA Regional Champions
-2010 Fourth place, Grand National Championships.

- Additional Achievements:
One of 7 high school symphonic bands in the nation to perform at The National Band Festival in Carnegie Hall, New York City in 2005 and 2001.
One of 6 symphonic bands in the nation to perform at The 2003 San Francisco International Wind Festival San Francisco, California.
One of 14 symphonic bands selected to perform at The 2001 National Concert Band Festival Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Marching Band is the Bands of America Grand Nationals Marching Band Division AA National Champion for 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 at the RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Jazz Ensemble is the 2002 and 2005 Lakeside Jazz Festival Grand Champions and has achieved 12 years of consecutive straight Superior ratings at The Florida Bandmasters Association district and state Jazz Festival.
The Winter Guard/Dance Ensemble are the Winter Guard International World Championship Finalists for 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. The Winter Guard is the only scholastic World Class Winter Guard in the history of Pinellas County to make the Finals at the World Championship in Dayton, Ohio.