FAIRFAX HIGH SCHOOL (FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA)

'Fairfax High School' is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is owned by the city of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools as part of a contractual agreement.
The original school building is located on Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) in Fairfax, and is currently occupied by Paul VI Catholic High School. The current building that is Fairfax High School opened in January of 1972. It is currently undergoing a $54 million renovation designed by architectural firm BeeryRio that will be finished by November 2007. Renovations began in March 2005 and will add an additional 86,500 sq. ft. of classroom space.

Contents

Demographics

Test Scores

Athletics

Johnny Reb Controversy

Band

Theatre

Feeder patterns

Notable Alumni

External links

Demographics

Fairfax High School's student body (as of the 2005-2006 school year) is 48.90% white, 9.71% black, 12.50% Hispanic, 25.35% Asian, and 3.54% other.

Test Scores

Fairfax High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2006 for Fairfax High School was 1,620 (530 in Critical Reading, 560 in Math, and 530 in Writing).

Athletics

Fairfax's nickname is the Rebels, and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Concorde District and Northern Region. While the closest high schools to Fairfax are Oakton (1.9 miles north) and W.T. Woodson (2.4 miles south) many graduates consider Fairfax's biggest rival to be Annandale High School. This can be attributed to fierce competitions in many sports when both were members of the now defunct Potamac District. The Northern Region was realigned for the 1994-95 school year, with Fairfax being placed in the Liberty District, and Annandale in the Patriot District. The rivalry has since lessened, as the schools do not compete any more on an annual basis in all sports, due to being in different districts. Fairfax's main rival is now Woodson High School.
In athletics, Fairfax is probably best known for the strong football teams that it fielded under the guidance of head coach Tom Verbanic. His teams achieved perfect 10-0 regular seasons in 1991, 1998 and 1999. However, the team's greatest success came during the 1994 season. That team achieved a 9-1 record during the regular season, with the only loss being a 17-0 drubbing to rival Annandale in Week 2. Before losing in the state semifinals, the team captured the school's only Northern Region football title, by way of a closely contested 15-14 win over West Potomac High School. Fairfax's final record in 1994 was 11-2, with the only losses being to teams that won state titles in the largest classifications - Patrick Henry-Roanoke (AAA Division 5) and Annandale (AAA Division 6).
Unfortunately, following the 1999 season, Coach Verbanic left Fairfax to start the football program at the newly opened Westfield High School. Westfield's Director of Student Activities was none other than Francis Dall, Verbanic's college roommate while both were at the University of Virginia. Prior to his current role, Dall was an extremely successful head football coach in his own right at Lake Braddock Secondary School, which had the most wins of any high school in the Northern Region in the 1990s. Following Coach Verbanic's departure, Fairfax has not returned to the playoffs. To understand how far the program has fallen, one only has to look at the 2007 season, which resulted in a second straight 1-9 record, including being shut out six times and allowing a total of 322 points. By comparison, the 1994 team only allowed 90 points during the regualar season, and 153 if the three playoff games are included.
Fairfax athletes who have been First Team All-Met selections by the Washington Post, since 1991:
'2007:' Sidarth Balaji (Tennis), Gina Winters (Soccer)

'2002:' Sean Doolan (Gymnastics, Gymnast of the Year), Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)

'2001:' Adam Jelinek (Soccer), Coach Mike Personick, Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)

'2000:' Matt Johnson (Golf), Sean Doolan & Ray Hacker (Gymnastics)

'1999:' Brandon Royster (Football), Matt Johnson (Golf)

'1998:' Brad Thomas (Football), Justin Potter (Wrestling), John Eastman (Wrestling, Co-Wrestler of the Year), Coach Milt Papke (Golf)

'1997:' Melanie Brophy (Softball), Inhar Chong (Outdoor Track)

'1996:' Chuck Freeman (Baseball), Linda Young (Softball)

'1994:' Heather Schnelzer, Gymnastics

'1993:' Heather Schnelzer, Gymnastics

'1992:' Heather Schnelzer (Gymnastics), Earl Smith (Indoor & Outdoor Track)

'1991:' Brian Buchanan (Baseball), Bill Pulsipher (Baseball, Player of the Year), Katie Gultnieks (Tennis)

Johnny Reb Controversy

The previous mascot of Fairfax High School was a caricature of a Confederate soldier known as "Johnny Reb." Due to complaints from black students and parents, and at the suggestion of the school’s Minority Achievement Task Free, the principal (H. Holsinger) removed the "Johnny Reb" symbol in 1988. Student protests, rallies, and a lawsuit followed, which challenged the principal’s actions as violating the First Amendment guarantees of free speech. In Crosby v. Holsinger, 852 F.2d 801 (4th Cir. 1988), the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the federal district court decision in favor of the principal. Though the school maintains its nickname of the Rebels, the mascot for Fairfax High is a lion.

Band

Fairfax has a strong band program, including a marching band which has won numerous championships. Included in the Rebel Band is the Fairfax High School Drumline, which placed third in the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) championships in North Carolina in 2006. Other teams that accompany the Band program would be the Fall Guard (competes with the marching band) and the Winterguard (competes separately). While not yet well known, this up-and-coming sport has a very dedicated team at Fairfax and represents the high school well, consistently placing as one of the strongest winterguard programs in the AIA circuit (Maryland, Virginia, & North Carolina).

Theatre

The F/X Players are the theatre troupe for Fairfax High School. They are dedicated toward the promotion of theatre in every aspect. The current director and sponsor is Wendy Knight.
Fairfax has an orchestra pit that can be covered and uncovered, but it is normally kept in the house floor position due to safety concerns. In a recent performance of "The King and I," however, the pit was opened again. The members of the pit orchestra are some of the only musicians in Fairfax County to have ever played a musical in an actual orchestra pit (Hayfield Secondary School also has a working orchestra pit). The pit sinks six feet below the stage.

Feeder patterns

Daniels Run Elementary School, Willow Springs Elementary School, Providence Elementary School, and Fairfax Villa Elementary School all feed into Lanier Middle School which feeds into Fairfax High School. Additionally, some students from the listed elementary schools attend Willow Springs Elementary school for the Gifted & Talented Center (often referred to as the GT center). All students continuing with the GT program through middle school who would normally attend Lanier-feeding schools attend Rocky Run Middle School for the Rocky Run GT Center and later attend Fairfax High School.

Notable Alumni

★ Craig Mello- recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine

★ Jeremy Jeffress- baseball prospect

★ Owen Schmitt- West Virginia fullback who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated with Pat White and Steve Slaton in 2006

★ Bill Pulsipher- 1991 Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year in baseball. Drafted by the New York Mets in the second round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. Went on to pitch for 4 additional teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

★ Brandon Royster- A 1999 Parade All-American who played football as a wide receiver and ran track at Stanford University.

★ Mitch Sutterfield - 1972 FHS graduate. FHS English Teacher, Wrestling Coach since 1978 taking over from Randy Johnson, also works with the football program.

External links

★ Fairfax High School Official Web Site

★ Fairfax High Sports

★ Fairfax Academy - For Communications and the Arts

★ Fairfax High School Profile

★ Fairfax High School Drama Department

★ Fairfax High School Choral Department