North Stafford High School

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North Stafford High School
Address
839 Garrisonville Rd
Stafford, Virginia, 22554
USA
Information
School district Stafford County Public Schools
Superintendent Dr. David E. Sawyer
Principal Mr. Thomas Nichols
Vice principal Mr. Mark Strickler
Mr. Anthony E. Copeland
Ms. Ann Bueche
Ms. Margaret Lowry
Enrollment

1,608 (Fall 2006)

Type Public High School
Grades 9-12
Language English
Athletics conference Virginia High School League
AAA Northwest Region
AAA Commonwealth District
Rival Stafford Senior High School
Colonial Forge High School
Mascot Wolverines
School Colour(s)                Navy Blue, Columbia Blue and Orange
Established 1981
Homepage

North Stafford High School is a public high school in northern Stafford County, Virginia. It is one of five public high schools in the Stafford County Public School District and instructs students in grades 9 through 12.

Contents

[edit] History

Completed in 1981, North Stafford High School was the second high school to be built in Stafford County. Robert White served as the school's principal from 1981 until 1997 before becoming assistant superintendent. Numerous changes occurred in the school during the next five years under the guidance of principals Henry Johnson and James Stemple including changing the school's colors to the current colors of navy blue, Columbia blue, and orange.[1]

The school underwent major renovations in 2003 including the construction of an additional wing on the school for foreign language and to account for overcrowding. The renovation also included adding a new art studio and weight room. In the 2004-2005 school year, James Stemple left to be principal at the newly constructed Mountain View High School and was replaced by current principal Thomas Nichols.

[edit] Location and Demographics

North Stafford High School campus
North Stafford High School campus

North Stafford is located on State Route 610, or Garrisonville Road, approximately 3 miles from I-95 and U.S. Route 1. The school's attendance zone covers mostly the housing developments along Route 610 between Shelton Shop Road and I-95. Due to the influx of population in Stafford County in recent years, the school's attendance zones and enrollment have fluctuated greatly. Currently, North Stafford's student population is 69% White, 22% Black, 5% Hispanic, and 3% Asian/Pacific Islander.[2]





[edit] Academics and Extracurricular Activities

North Stafford prides itself in achieving academic excellence every year. The school has received Full Accreditation since 2002 and has met AYP in all but one of those years.[3][4][5] Students at North Stafford are offered a variety of choices of study, including the option of Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Enrollment (DE) courses, business and management classes, and an extensive career and technical education department.

The North Stafford Marching Band is a 18 time Virginia honor band, the only band in Stafford County to receive that accomplishment and one of only six schools in the state have the same or higher accomplishments. Under the direction of Mr. Joe Tornello and Mr. John Easley, the North Stafford Marching Band has received Superior ratings at every performance for the past four years since 2003. In the 2006 season the Big Blue Marching Band was undefeated in its AA class and won overall Grand Champion at the Millbrook High School Invitational competition. The Jazz band has been revived under the fourth year director Mr. Joe Tornello whose strict discipline and classy attitude has taken the band program back to its flawless status.

[edit] Athletics

North Stafford currently competes varsity teams in 16 different sports as a member of the AAA Commonwealth District and Northwest Region of the Virginia High School League. The school also fields an Ice Hockey team as a club sport, and the national award-winning Wolverine Thunder Step Team.

The Wolverine Thunder Step Team was selected as one of the four finalists in the "National Step Battle" sponsored by Sony Pictures and Stomp the Yard. Receiving over 50% of the vote, North Stafford's Wolverine Thunder won the competition, along with a trip for the team to New York City.[6]

In their inaugural seasons, the Field Hockey team finished as district champions with a record of 9-3 and the Varsity Football team finished with a record of 6-4.[1] North Stafford has achieved 8 VHSL state championships.[7] The girls gymnastics team won four straight state titles from 1987-1991 and the field hockey team won a state title in 1988. Since the VHSL state cheerleading competition began in 1997, North Stafford has won 3 state titles (1999, 2001, 2004), placed second twice, third once, and fifth in 2006.[7] The school's hockey team, which plays in the NVSHL, has also won 2 championships in its 4 years of existence.

District and Regional Championships
District and Regional Championships

[edit] Football

North Stafford's football program began to receive recognition as a program competitive outside of the Commonwealth District starting with the fall 1999 season. Under the leadership of senior quarterback Chris Ashinhurst, the team advanced to the regional championship game for the first time in school history while rewriting much of the state football record book. Before the start of the 2004 season, 3 players had already committed to Division I-A colleges. The 2004 team finished the regular season undefeated and captured the Commonwealth District and Northwest Region championships. The team's success brought about unprecedented community support as the team continued into the state playoffs. On December 11, 2004, North Stafford played Meadowbrook High School at the University of Richmond stadium for the AAA Division 5 Championship. Despite leading 14-0 in the first half, North Stafford lost 27-35 and took home the runner-up title. The football program is currently under a new coaching staff change.

[edit] Basketball

The school's basketball teams have also had great success in recent years. In the 2003-2004 season, senior Tierra Bumbrey set a new school scoring record with a total of 1,260 points and the team advanced to the Northwest Region championship. However, that record was broken again the very next year by senior Chris Darnell. During the second half of the 2004-2005 season, the boy's basketball team tied the school record for consecutive wins and advanced to the Northwest Region playoffs. In his career at North Stafford, Darnell set the school record of 1,464 points, 243 blocks, and 776 rebounds.>Darnell Sets Record. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.</ref>

[edit] Soccer

The North Stafford Boy's Soccer team reached the state semi-finals in 2006. "Sixty more seconds. That's all North Stafford needed to hold Thomas Dale's potent offense scoreless. Sixty more ticks off the clock. That's all that stood between North Stafford and the Group AAA boy soccer championship game. Sixty seconds--that's the time it took for the Wolverines to swing from elation to devastation." The 2007 team was coached by Iric "Boomer" Bressler, former North Stafford standout defender Andrew Mitchell, and former Brooke Point standout stiker/midfielder Tim Tryon. North Stafford won the Commonwealth District championship over rival Stafford High School while going undefeated in the district. The team finished their 2007 season ranked fifth in the Metro Area by The Washington Post.[8]

[edit] Track

The Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Spring Track teams have demonstrated varying degrees of success. The Men's team overall is more competitive within the VHSL than is the Women's team in all three sports. In the 2005 Cross Country season, the Men's team won the Commonwealth District Championship[9] and Northwest Regional Meet[10] over county rival Colonial Forge. They went on to place a disappointing 6th in the AAA division of the VHSL Cross Country Championships, showing little improvement during the season as a team.[11]

[edit] Records

Virginia AAA State Championships [7]
Year Sport
1988 Field Hockey
1988 Girls Gymnastics
1989 Girls Gymnastics
1990 Girls Gymnastics
1991 Girls Gymnastics
1999 Cheerleading
2001 Cheerleading
2004 Cheerleading
Virginia AAA State Runner-up [7]
Year Sport
1989 Field Hockey
1999 Wrestling
2002 Cheerleading
2003 Cheerleading
2004 Football
North Stafford State Football Records [7]
Name Category Stat Year Rank
Chris Ashinhurst Completions (SS) 259 1999 1
Chris Ashinhurst Passing Yds (SS) 3,306 1999 1*
Chris Ashinhurst Completions (C) 404 1999 5*
Nate Ilaoa Yds Receiving (SS) 1,299 1999 2*
Nate Ilaoa Receptions (SS) 82 1999 3*
Jared Fowler Completions (SS) 185 2001 5*
Josh Baldwin Receptions (SS) 83 2001 3(tie)*
C=Career SS=Single Season * - since broken


[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Stafford County Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes June 4, 2004. County of Stafford. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
  2. ^ North Stafford School Profile. GreatSchools.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.
  3. ^ School Overall Subject Accreditation Passing Percentages 2002-2003. Stafford County Public Schools. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
  4. ^ 2003-2004 Virginia School Accreditation. Virginia Department of Education. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
  5. ^ North Stafford High School Profile. Virginia Department of Education. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.
  6. ^ Stomp the Yard Sweepstakes. Sony Pictures. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
  7. ^ a b c d e VHSL Record Book 2006-2007. Virginia High School League. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  8. ^ Boys Soccer Top 10. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.
  9. ^ Commonwealth District Meet: Boys Results. MileStat.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  10. ^ Northwest Region Meet: Boys Results. MileStat.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  11. ^ VHSL State Cross Country Meet. MileStat.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.


Stafford County Public Schools
High Schools
StaffordNorth StaffordBrooke PointColonial ForgeMountain View
Middle Schools

Edward E. Drew • T. Benton Gayle • Stafford • Andrew G. Wright • H.H. Poole • Rodney Thompson • Dixon-Smith

Elementary Schools

Anne E. Moncure • Stafford • Grafton Village • Falmouth • Hartwood • Garrisonville • Widewater • Rockhill • Park Ridge • Ferry Farm • Hampton Oaks • Winding Creek • Rocky Run • Kate Waller Barrett • Conway • Margaret Brent • Anthony Burns