Chantilly High School

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Chantilly High School
Address
4201 Stringfellow Road
Chantilly, Virginia, 20151
 United States
Information
School type Public, high school
Founded 1972
School district Fairfax County Public Schools
Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza
Principal Teresa Johnson
Asst. Principal John Vdovjak
Kay T. Lynch
Teresa Johnson
Shawn Frank
Michael Burch
Tim O'Reilly
Staff approximately 356
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 2,661  (2010-11[1])
Language English
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Purple and white          
Athletics conference Concorde District
Northern Region
Mascot Chargers
Rival Centreville High School
Westfield High School
Oakton High School
Feeder schools Franklin Middle School
Rocky Run Middle School
Rachel Carson Middle School
Website http://www.fcps.edu/ChantillyHS http://chantillysports.org/

Chantilly High School (CHS) is a high school located in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.[2] It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.

Overview

Chantilly High School is home to four years of study, 9th–12th grade. It is organized into five different "subschools" which each provide administration for a different group of students. Subschools 1–4 are divided by student surnames. Subschool 5 consists of the Chantilly Center, a special-education co-facility which serves students from a wider geographical area than the rest of Chantilly High School. The school uses a block scheduling system.

Chantilly was listed in Newsweek in 2003 as the 72nd[3] best public high school in America. Chantilly has a high percentage of students enrolled in advanced placement (AP) and honors classes. Chantilly is also a member of the largest public school bus system in the nation, recently overcoming New York City and Los Angeles, with currently over 45+ buses servicing the school daily.[citation needed]

Chantilly High School is also home to Chantilly Academy. Chantilly Academy offers classes for students in the FCPS school district, including culinary, engineering, Auto Tech, Cisco Networking, and Cosmetology.[4] A full listing of classes may be found at their web site. The Academy is home to Chantilly Robotics,[5] a FIRST robotics team participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition, composed of students from around FCPS. Chantilly Academy is also home to VA-20012, Chantilly Academy Air Force Junior ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corp). The mission of the program is to build better citizens through the practice of leadership. The program is also proud to have one of the states highest achieving Drill Team and Color Guards.

History

Chantilly High School was built in 1973 as part of the "Superschool" or "open classroom/no wall high school" idea. It was also built as a temporary school, made to last for only five years or so. As such, it was built with modules (similar to the modular additions currently being constructed at other FCPS schools), and the school was built in only three months. Parts of the school were brought to the site on flatbed trucks and placed together with several cranes. As such, many of the rooms fell into disrepair because they were designed to be temporary, and so Chantilly received a renovation in the early 1990s. Initially, Chantilly High school opened in 1973 with students ranging from grades 7 through 10, with four sub schools (Red, Blue, Orange and Yellow), each having color coordinated lockers. The first graduating class was the class of 1976. Grades 7 and 8 were included in Chantilly High's initial student population due to overcrowding in the intermediate schools. Grades 7 and 8 were moved out when the new intermediate school was built.

The original school colors, as determined by a group of students selected to represent the incoming classes, were orange, white and brown, with the athletic teams named the Chantilly Crusaders. These colors and team name were rejected by the student body and prior to the opening day of the new school, a special vote was held to change the colors and team name. Out of the three options provided by the Fairfax County School Board the purple and white Chantilly Chargers were selected by the student body.


Demographics

As of the 2011–12 school year the school's demographic breakdown is:[6]

  • 54% White
  • 24% Asian/Pacific Islander
  • 6% African-American
  • 12% Hispanic
  • 4% Other

Arts & activities

Many of the sports teams have qualified for district, regional, and/or state competitions. Various clubs and honor societies are active throughout the school year. In December 2007, The Odyssey's adviser/teacher, Mary Kay Downes, won the National Yearbook Adviser of the Year award for her work for yearbooks all over the county.[7]

The Chantilly High School Fine Arts department has received many awards over the years. The CHS Mighty Marching Chargers have received many awards, including Grand Champion at the Virginia Showcase of Bands and Grand Champion between 2003 and 2006 at the JMU Parade of Champions. The Mighty Marching Chargers were undefeated in the state of Virginia from 2000–2005. Chantilly's indoor drumline has won eleven Atlantic Indoor Association championships (1997, 1999, 2001 – 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011). The indoor drumline has also won five Winter Guard International regionals (Nashville 2003 and Richmond 2011 in PSA class; Coatesville 2006, Richmond 2007, and Dayton 2008 in PSO), and was the 2011 WGI Percussion Scholastic A class world champion. In December 2011, the Chantilly High School Mighty Marching Chargers represented the Commonwealth of Virginia in the first annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Each March, the school hosts the Chantilly Invitational Jazz Festival, which showcases middle and high school bands from across the region, as well as distinguished guest performers. Chantilly Jazz won the Down Beat Magazine award for Best High School Jazz Band for 1985 that included groups from across the entire United States. Chantilly Jazz placed 2nd in the Down Beat Magazine competition in 1986.

Chantilly is also noted for having an excellent choral music program, housing the award winning show choir, Touch of Class. With seven choirs total, the Chantilly Choral program features both award winning show choirs and concert ensembles. In 2006, the show choir won 2nd place at a national show choir competition in San Antonio, TX. Touch of Class and the Chantilly Jazz Band join together every Memorial Day weekend for their hit show "Jazz and Pizzazz," a widely recognized performance. Touch of Class was also featured on Fox News in November 2010, when it was named America's Favorite Show Choir in a National Contest hosted by Parade Magazine. Touch of Class was created by Glenn Cockrell, and remained under his direction until his retirement from the school in June of 2012. The choirs are currently under the direction of Juliana Woodill and Evan Ayers.

The string orchestras, under the direction of Aaron Mynes, have also made some notable accomplishments, placing among some of the top orchestras in North America, as well as earning high scores and superior ratings at orchestra assessments. The orchestras regularly contribute musicians to district, regional, and state orchestras. In 2010, the top orchestra was asked to perform at the Virginia Music Educator's Association conference in Norfolk. All three orchestras regularly take part in competitions along the east coast.

On April 12, 2011, the Chantilly High School orchestras and choirs were invited to perform at the closing of the 10th Annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards in the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Academic awards

Chantilly is also renowned for its achievement in inter-scholastic competitions. In 2006, Chantilly won the VHSL AAA division's Wachovia Cup in academics, beating out rivals Westfield High School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The cup has competitions in 8 different areas, including Newspaper, Newsmagazine, Yearbook, Scholastic Bowl, Debate, Forensics, Literary Magazine, and Theater. This will have been the 8th time Chantilly has won the Wachovia Cup in 12 years. The Chantilly Speech and Debate team has competed on the national level, having finalists at Princeton, Harvard and UC Berkeley tournaments, as well as VHSL State winners and qualifiers for Nationals.

Music and theater

In 2006 the theater department took second place in the One-Act Play Regionals, winning a number of first and second place awards in the VHSL competition, including best duo, monologue, and readers theater. In 2007, the theater sports team won first place. In 2011, Chantilly took first place in the VHSL One-Act competition.

Over the years, the department has won Cappies for Best actor/actress, best set, best lighting, and best cameo actor/actress. They have been the only National Capital Area high school to have been nominated for Costumes for a play and have had numerous student critics been published in The Washington Post over the years. In 2007, Chantilly was nominated for 12 Cappies awards, including featured actress, featured actor, critics team, graduating critic, costumes, hair and makeup, and more. They went on to win Comic Actor in a play, Best Set and Best Play for The Man Who Came to Dinner.

In 2011, the theater department took first place in the VHSL State One-Act Play competition for the second time in school history. Also in 2011, Chantilly's One Act Play AP Theatre, written and directed by Ed Monk, won the AAA Virginia State Championship with a perfect score.

In 2011, Chantilly's Indoor Drumline won the world championship in WGI's PSA group.

Sports

Chantilly High School stadium sports use Charger Stadium. The 8,500-seat football and soccer stadium underwent a major renovation, with conversion to AstroTurf.

The varsity golf team has been successful. Great players including Ji Soo Park, Victor Monte, and Jack Dargle played on the 2009 fall varsity golf team. Jack Dargle, along with some other great young players, are poised capture the 2010 state championship title. They were Concorde District Champions in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Northern Region Champions in 2005 and 2007, and finished 4th, 6th and 2nd in the state tournament in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Recently, the Chantilly HS football team won the VHSL Division 6 AAA Northern Region Finals against rival Westfield High School only two years after having a winless regular season. The Chargers fell short of the championship with a 42–20 loss to Osbourn High School. Chantilly was also the 1996 VHSL AAA State Football Champions led by future NFL player, Bhawoh Jue.

In 2007, Chantilly won the Varsity Cheerleading Concord District Championship, the Northern Region Championship, and the AAA Virginia State Championship. Chantilly currently holds the highest score ever received in the State Championship, with a 281.

In 2008, Chantilly won the Varsity Boy's Lacrosse Concord District Championship, the Northern Region Championship, and the AAA Virginia State Championship.

In 2009, Chantilly won the Varsity Boy's Lacrosse Concord District Championship, the Northern Region Championship, and were the Runners up for the AAA Virginia State Championship.

In 2009, Chantilly Varsity Girls Soccer won the Concord District Championship, the Northern Region Championship, and the AAA Virginia State Championship.

In 2011, Chantilly won the Varsity Boy's Lacrosse Concord District Championship, the Northern Region Championship, and were the Runners up for the AAA Virginia State Championship.

In 2012, Chantilly Varsity Boy's Lacrosse were the Runners up for AAA Virginia State Championship.

In 2012, Chantilly Boys Cross Country captures its first ever Concorde District Championship, The Northern Region Championship, and the AAA Virginia State Championship. Team captain Sean McGorty was the individual district, regional and state champion, and finished as the national runner up in the Footlocker National Championships.

In 2013, Chantilly won the Varsity Boy's Lacrosse Concord District Championship, and the AAA Virginia State Championship.

Test scores

Chantilly High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2006 for Chantilly was 1628 (535 in Critical Reading, 565 in Math, and 528 in Writing). Won District, Regional, and State Championship in softball in 1990 and 1991. As of 2011,Chantilly High School students exceeded state average SOL scores for all major exam categories. [8]

Controversies

Learning Seminar

Prior to the 2006–2007 school year, Chantilly High School implemented what is now known as "Learning Seminar" (LS). According to Principal James Kacur its primary purpose is to provide extra time for remediation and enrichment of students. The outlined plan established 2 rotating periods on "A" days that would be used for teachers to allow students to make up work, do activities that normally wouldn't fit in class time, and allow students to go to other classes in case they needed extra remediation. It has also been used to fit in assemblies and pep rallies that would normally take time out of the normal day. The plan, however, has been criticized by students and faculty alike for its vagueness, most notably what teachers can and can not do during "LS". As of the 2008–2009 school year, Principal James Kacur has identified the problems with LS and is looking to resolve them with a new system for the 2009–2010 school year.[9]

Teacher scandals

In March of 2006, Thomas Newlun, 53, a special education teacher allegedly gave a small amount of marijuana to a 17-year-old student about during a break between classes. Newlun was charged with distribution of marijuana to a minor, drug distribution on school property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.[10]

On January 11, 2008, Spanish teacher Matthew McGuire was arrested on charges of using his computer to solicit sex with a minor. McGuire also coached track at Chantilly. Arlington County police said they arrested McGuire on Wednesday at his Alexandria home after investigating his online activities for several months. According to Alexandria court records, a detective posing as a 13-year-old girl named Jessica had several conversations with McGuire between March and December 2007.[11]

Alumni

References

  1. ↑ "School Report Card" (PDF). Virginia Department of Education. Retrieved 2009-09-06. 
  2. ↑ "Chantilly CDP, Virginia." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 30, 2009.
  3. ↑ MSN.com Newsweek: 2003 List: The Top High Schools
  4. ↑ FCPS.edu Chantilly Academy – Courses
  5. ↑ Chantilly Robotics
  6. ↑ Demographics, Chantilly High School (Actual) Profile, 2011–12; accessed 20 February 2012
  7. ↑ Yearbooks.biz
  8. ↑ http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/va/444
  9. ↑ FCPS.edu
  10. ↑ Washingtonpost.com
  11. ↑ Washingtonpost.com
  12. ↑ Adam Toobin (December 22, 2008). "#36, Balder, Rob, Filk Performer Balder Wins Pegasus Award". CentreView.  Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  13. ↑ Paul Frommelt (August 3, 2006). "#35, Bhawoh Jue, Chantilly Football, 1997". Arlington Connection.  Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Kang, Cecilia. "Riding the Seoul Train". The Washington Post. 
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ Jackman, Tom (October 9, 2010). "In reversal, judge adds Bank of America to fraud case". The Washington Post. 
  20. ↑ http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime-and-punishment/teachers-principals-caught-fraud-case
  21. ↑ "Genius from Class '96". Retrieved 2011-02-20. 

External links

Coordinates: 38°52′49″N 77°24′23″W / 38.880300°N 77.406500°W / 38.880300; -77.406500

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