Frisco High School

Frisco High School
Address
6401 Parkwood Drive
Frisco, Texas, 75035
United States
Coordinates 33°07′54″N 96°49′19″W / 33.13169°N 96.82206°WCoordinates: 33°07′54″N 96°49′19″W / 33.13169°N 96.82206°W
Information
School type Public high school
Motto "THE Original"
Founded 1902
School district Frisco Independent School District
Principal Sylvia Palacios
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 1,796 (2013)
Color(s)           Royal Blue & Gold
Athletics conference UIL Class 5A (Region II District 9)
Mascot Fightin' Raccoons (originally Fightin' 'Coons)[1]
Rival Wakeland High School
Website Frisco High School website

Frisco High School is a public high school located in Frisco, Texas and is a part of the Frisco Independent School District. Frisco High School is the only known high school in the United States to have a raccoon as an official mascot.[2]

History

Frisco High School was founded in 1902. The original building no longer exists, but other previous locations still do: the Frisco ISD Student Opportunity Center (on Maple Street in "Center City" Frisco) was Frisco High School for many years; in fact, the words "Frisco High School" are still etched into the stone above the main entrance. Then, a new high school facility was built just north of this location and used for many years; this school building is now used as a middle school: Staley Middle School. Then, another new building, at Stonebrook Parkway and Parkwood Boulevard, was constructed in the 1990s; designed by architecture firm Corgan, it still serves as Frisco High School today.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Frisco's explosive population growth required the opening of a second high school named Centennial High in east Frisco, at Coit Road and Rolater Road. Frisco ISD's third high school, Wakeland High, opened in 2006 in northwest Frisco on Legacy Drive. This, like the opening of Centennial, also cut a large chunk out of Frisco High's attendance zone. The opening of now rival Wakeland High School, was vital, in that it relieved the infamous overcrowding at Frisco High; ever since Wakeland opened, FHS's total enrollment has always been below the building's capacity of 1800 students. The most recent attendance total for FHS is 1796 students, keeping the campus at its desired 4A Classification. However, the population of Frisco continues to grow; therefore, Richard E. Reedy High School is scheduled to open for the 2015-16 school year, on Stonebrook Parkway just east of Teel Parkway, to relieve predicted congestion at Frisco High. Reedy High School will be the district's eighth high school.

A significant addition and remodel to Frisco High School began during the summer of 2012, to increase the building's capacity to 2100 students and to update the school's facilities to the level of quality enjoyed by the other, newer high schools in the district. The project included the construction of a new auditorium, orchestra room, gymnasium, library, and parking lot, as well as an expansion of the cafeteria into the current auditorium. The previous marching band practice field was paved over to create the new parking lot, which was necessary because the new auditorium displaced a large number of the old parking spaces. The project was expected to be completed in summer of 2013, but was finished later in 2013.

School Organizations

Fine Arts

Frisco High School Band

The Frisco High School Band program consists of three performing ensembles: the Wind Symphony (before 2011, the Wind Ensemble), the Wind Ensemble (before 2011, the Symphonic Band), and the Symphonic Band (before 2011, the Concert Band), as well as the marching band (consisting of all members) during the summer and fall and the Jazz Band during the winter and spring.

The Frisco High School Band has earned numerous awards, including many consecutive sweepstakes awards at the University Interscholastic League's marching, concert, and sight reading competitions. The marching band has participated in the finals of almost every contest it has competed in since the 2009 season.

2013-14

FHS's 2013 marching band show was entitled "Triumphant Joy." The show began with O Come, O Come Emmanuel, followed by Lauds by Nelson and PieJesu by Webber, and concluded with Mozart's Confutatis and Beethoven's Ode to Joy. The band maintained a very professional rehearsal culture during this season, and their efforts saw results: the band was grand champion at Little Elm's "Classic by the Lake" marching competition.

2012-13

2012's show was entitled "Starry Night." Musical selections included Mackey's "Hymn to a Blue Hour," Don McLean's "Vincent," and Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain." The band did well in competition, earning 2nd place at the Centennial Marching Competition.

2011-12

The band reached a milestone with its 2011 marching show, "Shattered Keys," by advancing to the finals of the Area B UIL Marching Contest for the first time in the band's history. The show centered around a trio of piano pieces (Debussy's "Clair de Lune," "Allegro" from Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, and "Toccata Concertata" from Ginastera's Piano Concerto No. 1) and a couple of very talented piano soloists. The music was a complex arrangement which grew progressively darker and more feverish in tone. The marching season included the largest and most impressively equipped drumline in the band's recent history, as well as the largest production value, in terms of props, that the band had ever had.

2010-11

On October 9, 2010, the Frisco High School Marching Band became the Grand Champions of the Little Elm "Classic by the Lake" Marching Competition hosted by Little Elm High School. This was a milestone, being the first competition the band has won in their history. Their show "La Dolce Vita" featured a vocal soloist and instrumental arrangement of "Con te Partiro" by Bocelli, and won four caption awards that night: Outstanding Auxiliary (color guard), Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Music Performance and Outstanding General Effect. The bands that FHS outscored include 3A state champion Argyle HS (2nd Place) and the Colony HS (3rd Place).

Along with its success during marching season, The Frisco High School Band has proved to be a powerhouse in the All-State band audition process, at the Region, Area, and State levels. In the 2010-2011 school year, 22 FHS Band members earned a place in the Region 24 All-Region Bands; four made the 4A/5A freshman band, fifteen made the 4A bands, and three made the 5A bands. Ten of these students advanced to Area, and five of these proceeded to All-State: four in the 4A All-State Symphonic Band and one in the 5A All-State Philharmonic Orchestra.[3] Every year in the FHS Band's recent history has yielded similarly successful results.

Finally, the FHS Band has been recognized on many occasions for its excellence in concert music performance. For example, in May 2010 the Frisco High School Wind Ensemble was a recipient of the "Mark of Excellence" Wind Band Contest's National Award. This award enabled FHS's Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band to travel to New York City to perform a public, ticketed concert at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, home of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, on April 18 of 2011. The program included Eric Whitacre's "Equus" as the finale, and the band received multiple standing ovations.

FDL (Frisco High School Drumline)

The Frisco High School Drumline (the percussion section of the marching band) was the champion of the 2009 Lone Star Classic Drumline Competition, in the "Standstill II Red" division; they also received the "Best Front Ensemble" caption award.[4] This was the beginning of a new standard of quality for the drumline. Since the 2009 victory at Lone Star, they have earned 3rd Place and Best Snareline at Lone Star 2011, and 2nd Place and Best Tenorline at Lone Star 2012, in Division II Silver. They have also earned "Best Percussion" caption awards at the 2010, 2011, and 2013 Little Elm Marching Competition and at the 2010 Centennial Marching Competition.

Frisco High School Theatre

The Frisco High School Theatre is the original theatre department of FISD. They have won numerous theatre UIL awards.

FHS theatre is one of the few schools in the nation that have a chapter in the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. The FHS theatre department also has a chapter in the International Thespian Society run.

The 2010 - 2011 play season was extremely successful for the FHS theatre department, staging plays titled "Woman in Black", and "A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley". "Tartuffe" was performed alongside Wakeland High School's "The Learned Ladies."

Athletics

The Frisco Raccoons compete in these sports [5]

Volleyball, Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Powerlifting, Swimming, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Track, Baseball & Softball

State Titles

Notable alumni

References

External links