George Walton Comprehensive High School
Encyclopedia
George Walton Comprehensive High School, usually referred to simply as "Walton High School," is public high school located in suburban Marietta
, Georgia in the United States. It resides in eastern Cobb County
and is a charter school
in the Cobb County School District
. It is a School of Excellence and one of the top schools academically in Georgia. It is also one of the larger high schools around the East Cobb area. In 2009, there were 2,592 students enrolled at Walton High School, along with 162staff members.
For many years Walton has been among the top high schools in Georgia in SAT scores. In 2006, almost 800 Walton students took over 1,800 Advanced Placement
exams, making it the school with the greatest number of test-takers in Georgia. Walton was also 1 of 6 featured "Outstanding American High Schools" out of 96 total by U.S.News & World Report
in 1999 because of its high parental involvement and overall high level of achievement. Additionally, Walton was ranked 109 in Newsweek's 2008 "America's Top Public High Schools" article for the number of Advanced Placement courses taken by students at the school as well as other critical factors. In 2011, Walton was ranked 67 by Newsweek based on new factors: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%).
Construction of Walton High School began in 1973 and opened in 1975. When it was built, construction was heavily influenced by the open classroom movement
of the 1970s. Various sections of the school have been renovated in the past, and entirely new halls have been added continuously, each time with their own distinct type of architecture and style. Throughout these many years of construction, especially in recent years, mobile classrooms, colloquially called "trailers," were added to accommodate for the classrooms rendered unavailable. A small number are still in use today, primarily for required Health classes and for in school suspension.
Walton has been a Georgia School of Excellence since the program's creation in 1984 and in the same year was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
. Walton became a charter school in 1998. This charter, renewed in 2003 and 2008, has allowed Walton to alter and transcend certain regulations the state school board put into place to further academic and extracurricular success.
were filmed in the Walton auto shop, science rooms, and cafeteria. The basketball gym was painted over with the film's fictional logo, and to replace it part of the film's budget went towards buying a new floor for the entire gym, which is still in use today.
Walton's campus is not especially large for its number of students, and it resides amidst several suburban neighborhoods. The school building today is a conglomeration of many years of separate renovations: the G Hall and renovated B Hall are each only a few years old, lying on opposite ends of the school, while the Technology Wing (T Hall) remains relatively unchanged after many years. A new rotunda
entrance was added at the same time as the B Hall renovation, and the cafeteria was expanded.
Outside of the building, the campus includes football
, baseball, softball
, and soccer fields, as well as tennis courts. The football and baseball fields are often referred to as Raider Valley and Raider Mountain, respectively, due to their elevation below and above the school. Several parking lots provide spaces for teachers and limited spaces for students. Most seniors are able to receive parking spaces, while juniors must participate in a raffle to receive one. Parking is very complicated, and not well thought out. It takes students (especially in E lot) around fifteen minutes to exit the parking lot. The lower parking lot, or E Lot, is sometimes called Pride Field by marching band members due to it being the band's practice space during the fall. Prior to its christening as "Pride Field," the lower lot was known as "The Cage," as it was surrounded by a chain-link fence.
In 2005, the bleachers for the football field were remodeled to be covered with metal, rather than concrete. A timing tower was erected nearby soon after for the track and field team in honor of Case McKee, a student who died while at Walton in 2004.
Almost directly across the street is Dodgen Middle School, which partially feeds into Walton (a little less than half the students are zoned to go to Pope High School
).
Most Walton students take 6 classes a semester, making 7 periods a day, including 1 lunch period usually either 3rd, 4th, or 5th. Some students opt to forgo lunch, or "audit," in place of another academic or elective class. Seniors are allowed the option of "Minimum Day" in which students may only take 5 classes (dropping a lunch period, as well) and leave to go to their occupation outside of school. Also, homeroom, or "advisement," is between 1st and 2nd period instead of before all classes like in most high school schedules.
Students and parents are also given access to grade, attendance, and behavior reports and updates online at the school website. This, along with the already large parent participation in school activities, organizations, and events, provided for even more parental involvement in each student's education.
Dodgen and Dickerson
Middle Schools are Walton's feeder schools.
Walton has received national press attention for the intensity of the student attitudes; the students often taken an extra class before school ("zero period"), and every year, some take as many as seven APs, often skipping lunch to do so. A 4.28/4 is commonly the GPA cutoff for the top 10% of the class, and a 3.9/4 for the top 25% .
121 full-time and 15 part-time teachers are employed at Walton, as well as 7 full-time and 2 part-time administrators. Including other special resource teachers and support staff, Walton has 174 full-time and 21 part time employees. The student-teacher ratio
is 20:1, above the state average of 14:1.
Possibly Walton's most noticeable change is the Walton Enrichment Block, or WEB, which shortens classes one day a week (usually Wednesday) to provide students several hours to complete missed assignments, receive individual instruction, or simply leave early. WEBs only occur on weeks without any other events such as county-mandated teacher workdays or early releases.
Walton also allows students to take additional classes before and, if the new charter renewal petition passes, after school. Many students today take advantage of 0 Period to take an additional course each day before the normal school day begins. 0 period is also included the "Flex Schedule," in which students may leave after 6th period by taking a 0 period class, thus still giving six classes and a lunch period. The 8th period adopted in the 2008 charter will likely serve similar purposes as 0 period.
The use of online grade, attendance, and discipline reports on the school's website is another long-standing addition. Parents are encouraged to visit the site to keep track of their student's progress and to maintain overall parental involvement in each student's education. Other changes to Walton's policy include using textbooks other than those specified by the county and having local control over funds given by the state.
One other significant change Walton makes, though not specifically regulated by the charter, is known as the Incentive policy. If a student has A averages (90–100%) in any classes, he or she may exempt the final exams at the end of the semester for any two of them. The same is allowed if the student has a passing grade and two or fewer absences in that class. Tardies are also included in determining incentive, with three tardies equating to one absence. The student will also receive an additional 10% on each final taken with the attendance incentive.
The petition adopted in 2008 also proposes a new method of evaluating teachers called the "Collaborative Growth Model," a release from mandated End of Course Test
days that conflict with AP
exams, and recognition of Project Lead the Way courses as being worthy of half a quality point towards a grade point average
.
, a National Honor Society
, and a Habitat for Humanity group. It also has Young Democrats, Young Conservatives, and a Future Physicians Club. Aside from general interest groups, service clubs, and honor societies, students may participate in various sports, fine arts, and academic organizations.
Walton has won the GADA Dodge AAAAA Directors Cup four times since its creation in 1999 for having superior overall athletic performance and 5 consecutive volleyball championships from 1999 to 2002. In recent years, it has won state championships in the boys tennis team Lead by the outgoing team captain Mitch Lyons and girls tennis, boys soccer (2006,2008,2011), and boys baseball. In 2004, the Walton Raider football team went undefeated in their region. The Raiders beat Valdosta High School
in the state quarter-finals to advance to the state semi-finals at the Georgia Dome
, before falling to Parkview High School
. In 2007, the Raiders were again region champions, beating the previous state champion and nationally ranked Roswell High School, and the last undefeated team Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in the state quarter-finals to advance to the state semi-finals before falling to North Gwinnett High School
at the Georgia Dome
. The football team, led by Dylan Tante and Price Garrett, was named "Possibly the Worst Walton Team Ever" if not had it been for the injury of All-State Running back Michael Boydston. The Boys Curling team started in 2007 won its very first state championship in 2008 after just one year of training the boys went on to nationals only to finish in last place. In 2010, the Raider Rugby team won its third straight state high school championship. Raider Rugby is still a club team but is currently working on becoming a school-supported sport.They recently hired new head coach, Jason Payne, the USA U-20 skills coach to help them move to higher levels of rugby.
"Raider Valley", the home field of the Walton Raiders, went through some major renovations during the summer of 2010. The football team raised enough money to build a whole, new stadium. The Raiders put in a new football field, along with a top of the line jumbo tron score board. The renovations took place all summer and the new turf field will be beneficial to all outdoor activities.
in 2005, the second time in its history, and two chamber music groups performed in 2008 as the first high school string ensembles to do so. The orchestra continues to break tradition in ways that progressively enhance the image of a high school orchestra. The addition of electronic instruments to the orchestra and a program in which students are encouraged to attend concerts blending rock and orchestral music – such as the upcoming performance of The Machine
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
.
The band is under the direction of Mike Back, an accomplished musician in Drum Corps International
for the Spirit of Atlanta
's drumline. Jeff Pollock is also an accomplished musician and is the assistant band director. The band at Walton participates in marching competitions as well as the annual District LGPE. In 1998, the Walton Marching Raider Band performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
. The Walton Winter Guard won 1st place at Winter Guard International Championships in 2001. Last year, the Walton Indoor Percussion was created and placed 1st at the 2008 SAPA Regional in Macon, GA. This year, the Walton Winter Guard and the Walton Indoor Drumline combined, with their show entitled "Balance," and competed in the WGI World Championships. The marching band performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2003. The band marched in the Rose Bowl again on January 1, 2010. In 2005, it performed in front of the USS Missouri
in Hawaii and placed 3rd in the Bands of America
Regional Competition in Atlanta. In 2006 the band placed 21st at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Competition in Indianapolis
. In 2008 and 2009, the band placed 6th in the Bands of America Super Regionals in Atlanta. Band Website As of 2010 the Walton Band has also received the Sudler Shield Award.
Walton's http://www.waltonchorus.com/chorus is composed of four choirs that have performed in the cathedrals of St. Bartholomew and St. Patrick
in New York City and the Notre Dame Cathedral
in Paris, France. In Spring 2002, a select choir performed in Carnegie Hall. They have been featured on a local FOX
station and have performed in many events around the city. The men's ensemble performed at the georgia music educators association meeting in 2007 and the top chorus will be performing at the meeting in 2010. Walton's nationally acclaimed tour choir will be performing in St. Peter's Basilica in the spring of 2010.
competition.
The Science Bowl team won the state championship in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2011 and also in 2005 placed third in the national competition.
The Math Team has won the state championship 9 times including the three most recent tournaments. Additionally, the team has won numerous tournaments and awards in the past few years. Many of the members are also members of the Georgia ARML team. The Walton MathFest, a math tournament and conference for high school students is hosted by the team in the spring.
Walton Mock Trial has won their regional competition for four years consecutively in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, with many individual students winning awards at both the regional competition and the state competition. The program continues to grow more competitive each year.
Other academic extracurriculars include Debate Team and the Raider Script (magazine).
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, Georgia in the United States. It resides in eastern Cobb County
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
and is a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
in the Cobb County School District
Cobb County School District
The Cobb County School District is the county government agency which operates public schools in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The school district includes all of Cobb County except for the Marietta City Schools. It is the second-largest school system in Georgia and among the largest in...
. It is a School of Excellence and one of the top schools academically in Georgia. It is also one of the larger high schools around the East Cobb area. In 2009, there were 2,592 students enrolled at Walton High School, along with 162staff members.
For many years Walton has been among the top high schools in Georgia in SAT scores. In 2006, almost 800 Walton students took over 1,800 Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
exams, making it the school with the greatest number of test-takers in Georgia. Walton was also 1 of 6 featured "Outstanding American High Schools" out of 96 total by U.S.News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
in 1999 because of its high parental involvement and overall high level of achievement. Additionally, Walton was ranked 109 in Newsweek's 2008 "America's Top Public High Schools" article for the number of Advanced Placement courses taken by students at the school as well as other critical factors. In 2011, Walton was ranked 67 by Newsweek based on new factors: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%).
History
Open classroom
An open classroom is a student-centered classroom design format popular in the United States in the 1970s. In its most extreme form, entire schools were built without interior walls, which made teaching loud and disruptive in worst case scenarios - for most schools this has not been as big a...
of the 1970s. Various sections of the school have been renovated in the past, and entirely new halls have been added continuously, each time with their own distinct type of architecture and style. Throughout these many years of construction, especially in recent years, mobile classrooms, colloquially called "trailers," were added to accommodate for the classrooms rendered unavailable. A small number are still in use today, primarily for required Health classes and for in school suspension.
Walton has been a Georgia School of Excellence since the program's creation in 1984 and in the same year was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
. Walton became a charter school in 1998. This charter, renewed in 2003 and 2008, has allowed Walton to alter and transcend certain regulations the state school board put into place to further academic and extracurricular success.
Dumb & Dumberer
Portions of the 2003 movie Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met LloydDumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd is a 2003 comedy film and prequel to 1994's hit comedy Dumb and Dumber, and stars Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson, Rachel Nichols, Bob Saget, Luis Guzmán, Eugene Levy and Mimi Rogers...
were filmed in the Walton auto shop, science rooms, and cafeteria. The basketball gym was painted over with the film's fictional logo, and to replace it part of the film's budget went towards buying a new floor for the entire gym, which is still in use today.
Campus
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
entrance was added at the same time as the B Hall renovation, and the cafeteria was expanded.
Outside of the building, the campus includes football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, baseball, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and soccer fields, as well as tennis courts. The football and baseball fields are often referred to as Raider Valley and Raider Mountain, respectively, due to their elevation below and above the school. Several parking lots provide spaces for teachers and limited spaces for students. Most seniors are able to receive parking spaces, while juniors must participate in a raffle to receive one. Parking is very complicated, and not well thought out. It takes students (especially in E lot) around fifteen minutes to exit the parking lot. The lower parking lot, or E Lot, is sometimes called Pride Field by marching band members due to it being the band's practice space during the fall. Prior to its christening as "Pride Field," the lower lot was known as "The Cage," as it was surrounded by a chain-link fence.
In 2005, the bleachers for the football field were remodeled to be covered with metal, rather than concrete. A timing tower was erected nearby soon after for the track and field team in honor of Case McKee, a student who died while at Walton in 2004.
Almost directly across the street is Dodgen Middle School, which partially feeds into Walton (a little less than half the students are zoned to go to Pope High School
Pope High School
Alan C. Pope High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in East Cobb, Georgia, within unincorporated Cobb County. The school was founded in 1987 and serves approximately 1,888 students in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the greyhound, and the school colors are Carolina blue,...
).
Student life
Walton High School contains about 2,800 students in grades 9–12, making it the 4th-largest school in Cobb County. The class of 2012 has 680 students in its class. The class of 2006 contained 572 students, 95% of whom enrolled in a 4-year college or university. The ethnic composition of the school is approximately 79% white, 15% Asian, 4% black, and 2% Hispanic. The average income in the area is over $140,000. These figures are at least partially due to the many families that move to the district primarily for the educational opportunity.Most Walton students take 6 classes a semester, making 7 periods a day, including 1 lunch period usually either 3rd, 4th, or 5th. Some students opt to forgo lunch, or "audit," in place of another academic or elective class. Seniors are allowed the option of "Minimum Day" in which students may only take 5 classes (dropping a lunch period, as well) and leave to go to their occupation outside of school. Also, homeroom, or "advisement," is between 1st and 2nd period instead of before all classes like in most high school schedules.
Students and parents are also given access to grade, attendance, and behavior reports and updates online at the school website. This, along with the already large parent participation in school activities, organizations, and events, provided for even more parental involvement in each student's education.
Dodgen and Dickerson
Dickerson Middle School
Dickerson Middle School is a Blue Ribbon middle school in Marietta, Georgia, United States, as part of the Cobb County School District. Its feeder schools are Mt. Bethel, Sope Creek, Timber Ridge, and East Side Elementary Schools...
Middle Schools are Walton's feeder schools.
Walton has received national press attention for the intensity of the student attitudes; the students often taken an extra class before school ("zero period"), and every year, some take as many as seven APs, often skipping lunch to do so. A 4.28/4 is commonly the GPA cutoff for the top 10% of the class, and a 3.9/4 for the top 25% .
Faculty
Student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
is 20:1, above the state average of 14:1.
Charter
Walton gained charter status in 1998, which was renewed in 2003 and 2008. Walton's administration has made several changes to the school's policy and schedule, among other areas, through this. One of the changes is the Walton Governance Council, which replaces the original local council in matters pertaining to the maintenance of the charter and its renewal every 5 years. This larger and more diverse council was also a change given by the charter itself to better represent its stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others).Possibly Walton's most noticeable change is the Walton Enrichment Block, or WEB, which shortens classes one day a week (usually Wednesday) to provide students several hours to complete missed assignments, receive individual instruction, or simply leave early. WEBs only occur on weeks without any other events such as county-mandated teacher workdays or early releases.
Walton also allows students to take additional classes before and, if the new charter renewal petition passes, after school. Many students today take advantage of 0 Period to take an additional course each day before the normal school day begins. 0 period is also included the "Flex Schedule," in which students may leave after 6th period by taking a 0 period class, thus still giving six classes and a lunch period. The 8th period adopted in the 2008 charter will likely serve similar purposes as 0 period.
The use of online grade, attendance, and discipline reports on the school's website is another long-standing addition. Parents are encouraged to visit the site to keep track of their student's progress and to maintain overall parental involvement in each student's education. Other changes to Walton's policy include using textbooks other than those specified by the county and having local control over funds given by the state.
One other significant change Walton makes, though not specifically regulated by the charter, is known as the Incentive policy. If a student has A averages (90–100%) in any classes, he or she may exempt the final exams at the end of the semester for any two of them. The same is allowed if the student has a passing grade and two or fewer absences in that class. Tardies are also included in determining incentive, with three tardies equating to one absence. The student will also receive an additional 10% on each final taken with the attendance incentive.
The petition adopted in 2008 also proposes a new method of evaluating teachers called the "Collaborative Growth Model," a release from mandated End of Course Test
End of Course Test
The End of Course Test is an academic assessment conducted in many states by the State Board of Education. Georgia, for example, tests from the ninth to twelfth grades, and North Carolina tests for any of the four core class subjects .North Carolina schools administer an EOCT in English I, Algebra...
days that conflict with AP
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
exams, and recognition of Project Lead the Way courses as being worthy of half a quality point towards a grade point average
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
.
Extracurricular activities
For students in the school, many clubs, groups, and societies exist for a variety of interests. Walton has, for example, a Beta ClubNational Beta Club
The National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
, a National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, and a Habitat for Humanity group. It also has Young Democrats, Young Conservatives, and a Future Physicians Club. Aside from general interest groups, service clubs, and honor societies, students may participate in various sports, fine arts, and academic organizations.
Athletics
Valdosta High School
Valdosta High School is a public high school located in Valdosta, Georgia, United States. The school colors are gold and black. The school mascot is the "Wildcat".-School:Valdosta High School serves grades 9-12 in the Valdosta City School District...
in the state quarter-finals to advance to the state semi-finals at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
, before falling to Parkview High School
Parkview High School (Georgia)
Parkview High School, the "Home of the Panthers," is located in Lilburn, Georgia in Gwinnett County. The current principal is Mr. David T. Smith.-History:During the early 1970s, Gwinnett County, Georgia led the country in growth...
. In 2007, the Raiders were again region champions, beating the previous state champion and nationally ranked Roswell High School, and the last undefeated team Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in the state quarter-finals to advance to the state semi-finals before falling to North Gwinnett High School
North Gwinnett High School
North Gwinnett High School is a public high school in Suwanee, Georgia. The school is part of the school district Gwinnett County Public Schools. The Superintendent of the district is J. Alvin Wilbanks and the Principal is Ed Shaddix.-History:...
at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
. The football team, led by Dylan Tante and Price Garrett, was named "Possibly the Worst Walton Team Ever" if not had it been for the injury of All-State Running back Michael Boydston. The Boys Curling team started in 2007 won its very first state championship in 2008 after just one year of training the boys went on to nationals only to finish in last place. In 2010, the Raider Rugby team won its third straight state high school championship. Raider Rugby is still a club team but is currently working on becoming a school-supported sport.They recently hired new head coach, Jason Payne, the USA U-20 skills coach to help them move to higher levels of rugby.
"Raider Valley", the home field of the Walton Raiders, went through some major renovations during the summer of 2010. The football team raised enough money to build a whole, new stadium. The Raiders put in a new football field, along with a top of the line jumbo tron score board. The renovations took place all summer and the new turf field will be beneficial to all outdoor activities.
| Football Region 6-AAAAA 2008–2010 | |
| Subregion A | Subregion B |
| Campbell | Alpharetta Alpharetta High School Alpharetta High School is a public high school located in Alpharetta, Georgia, and is part of the Fulton County School System. Atlanta Magazine named Alpharetta High School one of the metro Atlanta area's best all-around high schools.-Alpharetta Cluster:... |
| Lassiter Lassiter High School Lassiter High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia, United States.- History :Lassiter High School was established in 1981. It was awarded the Georgia Public School of Excellence in 1992, 1999, 2008, and 2010. Lassiter's principal was Chris Shaw in 2008 and... |
Centennial |
| Pope Pope High School Alan C. Pope High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in East Cobb, Georgia, within unincorporated Cobb County. The school was founded in 1987 and serves approximately 1,888 students in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the greyhound, and the school colors are Carolina blue,... |
Kell Kell High School Carlton J. Kell High School is a public high school in the Cobb County School District in Georgia. The school is located in Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. The school was founded in 2002 and serves 1,818 students in the Cobb County area. It is also an Advanced Placement Certified... |
| Walton | Milton |
| Wheeler Joseph Wheeler High School Wheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is near the city of Marietta, about northwest of downtown Atlanta. Wheeler has been in operation since 1965... |
Roswell |
| Football Region 5-AAAAA 2011 |
| Cherokee Cherokee High School (Georgia) Cherokee High School is one of eight public high schools of the Cherokee County School District located in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. It is located in Canton, GA. Established in 1956, it was the first high school in Cherokee County, Georgia... |
| Etowah |
| Lassiter Lassiter High School Lassiter High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia, United States.- History :Lassiter High School was established in 1981. It was awarded the Georgia Public School of Excellence in 1992, 1999, 2008, and 2010. Lassiter's principal was Chris Shaw in 2008 and... |
| Marietta Marietta High School (Georgia) Marietta High School is a public high school in the Marietta City Schools system in Marietta, Georgia. The school colors are royal blue, silver, and white and its mascot is the Blue Devil. Marietta High School's main rival schools are Harrison High School and McEachern High School.Of the 21,786... |
| Walton |
| Wheeler Joseph Wheeler High School Wheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is near the city of Marietta, about northwest of downtown Atlanta. Wheeler has been in operation since 1965... |
| Woodstock Woodstock High School (Georgia) Woodstock High School is a public high school located in Woodstock, Georgia. They currently educate grades 9-12. Its mascot is the Wolverine. It opened in 1996 with only a freshman and sophomore class. As each year progressed, a junior and senior class was filled by the original sophomores... |
| Football Region Championships | |
| Year | Record |
| 1986 | 11–3 (Region 5-AAAA) |
| 1999 | 9–2 (Region 6-AAAA) |
| 2003 | 11–1 (Region 5-AAAAA) |
| 2004 | 12–2 (Region 6-AAAAA) |
| 2007 | 12–2 (Region 6-AAAAA) |
| 2008 | 9–2 (Region 6-AAAAA) |
Music
Walton's band and orchestra are composed of over 400 students. Both consistently receive superior ratings at District Large Group Performance Evaluations (LGPE). In 2002, the orchestra performed in New Orleans at the National School Board Association Convention. The orchestra completed a 10-day concert tour of Austria in 2004 and another tour of Prague, Vienna, and Berlin in 2007. The Walton Philharmonia performed at the Midwest ClinicThe Midwest Clinic
The Midwest Clinic is the world's largest instrumental music education conference, annually drawing approximately 15,000 attendees to Chicago from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. It is held every December in downtown Chicago...
in 2005, the second time in its history, and two chamber music groups performed in 2008 as the first high school string ensembles to do so. The orchestra continues to break tradition in ways that progressively enhance the image of a high school orchestra. The addition of electronic instruments to the orchestra and a program in which students are encouraged to attend concerts blending rock and orchestral music – such as the upcoming performance of The Machine
The Machine (Pink Floyd tribute band)
The Machine is one of the oldest U.S. Pink Floyd tribute bands. Formed in 1988 by Tahrah Cohen and Joe Pascarell, the band has performed many shows around the world...
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...
.
The band is under the direction of Mike Back, an accomplished musician in Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
for the Spirit of Atlanta
Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps
Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps is a DCI World Class Drum and Bugle corps, currently based out of Atlanta, Georgia.-1970s:...
's drumline. Jeff Pollock is also an accomplished musician and is the assistant band director. The band at Walton participates in marching competitions as well as the annual District LGPE. In 1998, the Walton Marching Raider Band performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
. The Walton Winter Guard won 1st place at Winter Guard International Championships in 2001. Last year, the Walton Indoor Percussion was created and placed 1st at the 2008 SAPA Regional in Macon, GA. This year, the Walton Winter Guard and the Walton Indoor Drumline combined, with their show entitled "Balance," and competed in the WGI World Championships. The marching band performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2003. The band marched in the Rose Bowl again on January 1, 2010. In 2005, it performed in front of the USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
in Hawaii and placed 3rd in the Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Regional Competition in Atlanta. In 2006 the band placed 21st at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Competition in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. In 2008 and 2009, the band placed 6th in the Bands of America Super Regionals in Atlanta. Band Website As of 2010 the Walton Band has also received the Sudler Shield Award.
Walton's http://www.waltonchorus.com/chorus is composed of four choirs that have performed in the cathedrals of St. Bartholomew and St. Patrick
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
in New York City and the Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
in Paris, France. In Spring 2002, a select choir performed in Carnegie Hall. They have been featured on a local FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
station and have performed in many events around the city. The men's ensemble performed at the georgia music educators association meeting in 2007 and the top chorus will be performing at the meeting in 2010. Walton's nationally acclaimed tour choir will be performing in St. Peter's Basilica in the spring of 2010.
Academic
The Walton Academic Bowl team has won the GATA varsity state championship from 2004 to 2006. It has won numerous prestigious awards and its members were National Champions in 1995. The team also consistently wins the annual High QHigh Q
High Q is the name of various local television quiz shows broadcast throughout the United States. While the formats vary, all featured two or three teams representing high schools from the station's coverage area, which would compete against each other by answering questions over subjects taught in...
competition.
The Science Bowl team won the state championship in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2011 and also in 2005 placed third in the national competition.
The Math Team has won the state championship 9 times including the three most recent tournaments. Additionally, the team has won numerous tournaments and awards in the past few years. Many of the members are also members of the Georgia ARML team. The Walton MathFest, a math tournament and conference for high school students is hosted by the team in the spring.
Walton Mock Trial has won their regional competition for four years consecutively in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, with many individual students winning awards at both the regional competition and the state competition. The program continues to grow more competitive each year.
Other academic extracurriculars include Debate Team and the Raider Script (magazine).
Notable alumni
- Brian Briskman (1990), won an Emmy award for his work as an executive producer for "What If..." an All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital web series.
- David Dozoretz (1989), founder of Persistence of Vision and the first digital artist in ILM to work on the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
prequels, as the head of previsualizationPrevisualizationPrevisualization is a function to visualise complex scenes in movie before filming. It is also a concept in still photography...
. - Billy HoffmanBilly HoffmanBilly Hoffman, also known as Acidus, is an American hacker, born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 15, 1980.-Biography:His father is a sales consultant and his mother is a historian and a former high school social studies teacher. Hoffman created StripeSnoop, an application which analyzes data on...
(1999), also known as Acidus, notable computer hacker. - Aaron Kelly, once a wide receiver for the Clemson TigersClemson TigersThe Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
is now a wide receiver in the NFL. - Thomas "Baby Balls" Morton (2001), one of the stars of The Vice Guide to Everything on MTV.
- Chris and Rich RobinsonRich RobinsonRich Robinson is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 while the two were in high school...
are musician and founding member of the rock and roll band The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
. They formed the band in 1984 (which was originally called Mr. Crowes Garden) while the two attended Walton High School.