South Lakes High School
Encyclopedia
South Lakes High School is the primary high school
for the community of Reston
in Fairfax County
, Virginia
. The school, part of Fairfax County Public Schools
, had 1,860 students in the 2009-2010 school year.
The principal is Bruce Butler. The school also has 16 other administrators, including assistant administrators for each grade.
The school's mascot is the Seahawk. The school colors are royal blue and kelly green. South Lakes' cross-town rival is Herndon High School. The school newspaper is named the Sentinel.
Its main feeder middle school is Langston Hughes Middle School, which is located just next door. Due to redistricting, a small number of students from Rachel Carson Middle School
are set to attend South Lakes from the 2008-2009 school year onwards. Additionally, a small number of students who attended Thoreau Middle School, who previously resided in the James Madison High School
district, are now set to attend South Lakes.
South Lakes High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2009 for South Lakes was 1588 (533 Critical Reading, 536 Math, 519 Reading)
South Lakes was a pioneer in the FCPS Political Science Program. A 1.5 credit class reserved for seniors, Political Science involves a one semester introduction to the discipline followed by a semester-long internship with a local government agency or organization. In the past, notable offices such as those of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
and Sen. John Kerry
have hosted interns. Students that have participated in this program have attended prestigious universities, including several Ivy League
schools, the University of Virginia
, and the College of William and Mary
.
As of the 2011-2012 school year, South Lakes began offering a course in Geo-spatial Information Systems (GIS). James Madison University gives five credits to students who have successfully completed the course. The class is only available to Seniors.
and the sports teams play in the AAA Liberty District
and Northern Region
of the Virginia High School League
. It is best known for their boys basketball team which has been consistently one of the best teams in the Washington area. Former Duke
guard and current Phoenix Suns
forward Grant Hill
also attended South Lakes. Additionally, Alan Webb
, high school and American mile record holder and Olympian attended.
, World Language Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Model United Nations
, and Tri-M Music Honor Society, and clubs for interests in government, academic competitions, performing arts, business, science, computer science, journalism, student leadership and special interests in addition to honor societies for the languages offered.
South Lakes formed a hockey club in 2009, which won the 2009 JV Hockey Tournament at Ashburn. The team was undefeated in the winter 2010-2011 season.
The marching band, the Marching Seahawks, won First Place, Group IIA, at the USSBA, Northern Virginia Regional on Saturday, September 30, 2006. They also earned the distinction of Best Percussion and Best Music in their group. In March 2007 the South Lakes Band traveled to Indianapolis
, Indiana
to participate in the prestigious Bands of America
festival. The band traveled to Orlando, Florida in the spring 2008 and received excellent ratings. At the Oakton Classic on October 11, 2008 they won 2nd place in their class and received caption awards in Brass, Percussion, and color guard. The South Lakes bands performed at Carnegie Hall in 2009 on special invitation.
The orchestra program contains three groups: Concert Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. The Symphonic Orchestra has received superior ratings at festival competition for the past 8 years. Along with the band and chorus, the orchestra travels once a year. The orchestra has competed in Chicago, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and New York. In 2008 the orchestra received top honors in Orlando, Florida where the Symphonic Orchestra was awarded superior ratings in every category and Overall Orchestra Champions. In 2009, the orchestra traveled to New York and received Superior ratings.
The South Lakes chorus program contains five groups: Women's Chorale, Men's Camerata, Bella Voce, Chamber Singers, Show Choir, LACE (Ladies A Capella Ensemble) and SMAC (South Lakes Men's A Capella). Every spring, the choral program goes on a trip with the band and orchestra to attend a competition. The advanced Choruses have won at these competitions every year for the past few years. The 2008 trip was to Orlando, Florida
where all choirs earned first place in their categories, and South Lakes Singers took home Overall Choral Champions. South Lakes also hosts the yearly East Coast A Cappella Summit. This event showcases different A cappella
groups, including Blue Jupiter
and Inpulse. These groups also host seminars and workshops on different areas of performance and vocal styles.
More recently, the school won 5 "Cappies" for their production of "Les Miserables: School Edition", taking home awards for Lead Actress in a Musical (Mary Davis), Lead Actor in a Musical (Sean McCoy), Best Comic Actor in a Musical (Alex Turner), Best Orchestra, and Best Lighting.
The Department has been selected to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for the community of Reston
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The school, part of Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
, had 1,860 students in the 2009-2010 school year.
The principal is Bruce Butler. The school also has 16 other administrators, including assistant administrators for each grade.
The school's mascot is the Seahawk. The school colors are royal blue and kelly green. South Lakes' cross-town rival is Herndon High School. The school newspaper is named the Sentinel.
History
South Lakes underwent a $48.2 million renovation from winter 2006 through August 2008. The renovation was completed in time for the 2008-2009 school year.Its main feeder middle school is Langston Hughes Middle School, which is located just next door. Due to redistricting, a small number of students from Rachel Carson Middle School
Rachel Carson Middle School
Rachel Carson Middle School is a middle school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Herndon. The school is part of Fairfax County Public Schools. Its principal is August Frattali...
are set to attend South Lakes from the 2008-2009 school year onwards. Additionally, a small number of students who attended Thoreau Middle School, who previously resided in the James Madison High School
James Madison High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
James Madison High School is a high school located in an unincorporated area of Fairfax County, Virginia, adjacent to the town limits of Vienna, and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools. Oakton High School is James Madison High School's main rival, although other rivals include Langley High...
district, are now set to attend South Lakes.
Demographics and test scores
In the 2009 school year, South Lakes High School's student body was 46.25% White, 18.76% Black, 16.97% Hispanic, 11.01% Asian, and 7.01% other. 16.79% were not proficient in English, and 33.09% qualified for the free or reduced lunch program.South Lakes High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning ' is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools...
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2009 for South Lakes was 1588 (533 Critical Reading, 536 Math, 519 Reading)
Pre-renovation
When the school first opened in 1979, South Lakes High School had an "open classroom" design. The school was laid out into four quadrants, one quadrant area for each grade level. Each quadrant, or "sub-school", was labeled by color: green for freshman, blue for sophomores, yellow for juniors, and orange for seniors. When the school was first opened each sub-school was designed to be a classroom within itself. The open space was not divided into individual classrooms or interrupted with walls. The open design was quickly determined to be an ineffective and distracting way for people to learn, especially with different teachers and students learning different materials around them. Individual classrooms were created with temporary dividers which remained until a renovation which took place between 2006 and 2008.Post-renovation
The recent renovation changed several of the building's characteristic features. The four sub-school design was kept, but altered. Like the original design, there are four separate locker commons (one for each grade level), but the ease of access from one to another has been improved. Each classroom is divided by walls, rather than temporary dividers, and have their own door and windows (if located along the perimeter wall of the building). Classrooms have LCD projectors and the math classrooms are equipped with SmartBoards. The four cafeterias were combined into one larger cafeteria located in the center of the building. The media center was also moved and enlarged.Curriculum
The school's curriculum offers special education courses, remedial coursework, standard courses, and college-level advanced courses. Advanced coursework is offered in the form of the International Baccalaureate program. There is also one Advanced Placement class: AP U.S. Government and Politics. South Lakes also has an Army JROTC program.South Lakes was a pioneer in the FCPS Political Science Program. A 1.5 credit class reserved for seniors, Political Science involves a one semester introduction to the discipline followed by a semester-long internship with a local government agency or organization. In the past, notable offices such as those of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and Sen. John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
have hosted interns. Students that have participated in this program have attended prestigious universities, including several Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools, the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, and the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
.
As of the 2011-2012 school year, South Lakes began offering a course in Geo-spatial Information Systems (GIS). James Madison University gives five credits to students who have successfully completed the course. The class is only available to Seniors.
Athletics
South Lakes offers twenty sports at the varsity, JV, and freshman levels. The mascot is a seahawkOsprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
and the sports teams play in the AAA Liberty District
AAA Liberty District
The AAA Liberty District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.The Liberty District...
and Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
. It is best known for their boys basketball team which has been consistently one of the best teams in the Washington area. Former Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
guard and current Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
forward Grant Hill
Grant Hill (basketball)
Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...
also attended South Lakes. Additionally, Alan Webb
Alan Webb (athlete)
Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
, high school and American mile record holder and Olympian attended.
Clubs
South Lakes has more than seventy clubs, including National Honor SocietyNational 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...
, World Language Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
, and Tri-M Music Honor Society, and clubs for interests in government, academic competitions, performing arts, business, science, computer science, journalism, student leadership and special interests in addition to honor societies for the languages offered.
South Lakes formed a hockey club in 2009, which won the 2009 JV Hockey Tournament at Ashburn. The team was undefeated in the winter 2010-2011 season.
Music
South Lakes' music department consists of band, orchestra, and chorus programs. They have also recently added a guitar program which started in 2010.The marching band, the Marching Seahawks, won First Place, Group IIA, at the USSBA, Northern Virginia Regional on Saturday, September 30, 2006. They also earned the distinction of Best Percussion and Best Music in their group. In March 2007 the South Lakes Band traveled to 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...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
to participate in the prestigious 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...
festival. The band traveled to Orlando, Florida in the spring 2008 and received excellent ratings. At the Oakton Classic on October 11, 2008 they won 2nd place in their class and received caption awards in Brass, Percussion, and color guard. The South Lakes bands performed at Carnegie Hall in 2009 on special invitation.
The orchestra program contains three groups: Concert Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. The Symphonic Orchestra has received superior ratings at festival competition for the past 8 years. Along with the band and chorus, the orchestra travels once a year. The orchestra has competed in Chicago, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and New York. In 2008 the orchestra received top honors in Orlando, Florida where the Symphonic Orchestra was awarded superior ratings in every category and Overall Orchestra Champions. In 2009, the orchestra traveled to New York and received Superior ratings.
The South Lakes chorus program contains five groups: Women's Chorale, Men's Camerata, Bella Voce, Chamber Singers, Show Choir, LACE (Ladies A Capella Ensemble) and SMAC (South Lakes Men's A Capella). Every spring, the choral program goes on a trip with the band and orchestra to attend a competition. The advanced Choruses have won at these competitions every year for the past few years. The 2008 trip was to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
where all choirs earned first place in their categories, and South Lakes Singers took home Overall Choral Champions. South Lakes also hosts the yearly East Coast A Cappella Summit. This event showcases different A cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
groups, including Blue Jupiter
Blue Jupiter
Blue Jupiter is an a cappella pop-funk singing group.Formed in Late 2001, Blue Jupiter is known for their delivery given in their live shows. Blue Jupiter sings covers and renditions of songs. Most of their songs are a cappella, but sometimes acoustic instruments have small and light...
and Inpulse. These groups also host seminars and workshops on different areas of performance and vocal styles.
Theatre
The South Lakes High School Theatre Arts Department has been honored with many awards, including multiple nominations and wins in the Cappies (Critics and Awards) Program. Perhaps most notably, the Theatre Arts Department performed its student production of "Phantom" at the 2000 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland as part of an international program showcasing American high school talent.More recently, the school won 5 "Cappies" for their production of "Les Miserables: School Edition", taking home awards for Lead Actress in a Musical (Mary Davis), Lead Actor in a Musical (Sean McCoy), Best Comic Actor in a Musical (Alex Turner), Best Orchestra, and Best Lighting.
The Department has been selected to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Notable alumni
- AvailAvailAvail is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brian Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's Tim Barry...
band members went to South Lakes and the band was formed while they were still attending. - Big Pooh, MC from underground Hip Hop group Little Brother, graduated in 1998.
- Benny BlancoBenny BlancoBenjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
, rapper, songwriter and producer - Grant HillGrant Hill (basketball)Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...
, NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketball player - Michael HerschMichael HerschMichael Nathaniel Hersch is an American composer and pianist.-Biography:Initial inspiration and musical educationBorn in Washington, D.C., and raised in Reston, Virginia, Hersch was introduced to classical music at the age of 18 by his younger brother Jamie, who showed him a videotape of Georg...
, composer - Michael JacksonMichael Jackson (basketball)Michael Derek Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the New York Knicks in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA Draft...
, basketball player, played for the 1984 Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
National Championship team, Olympic team, played professionally for the Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... - Aron KaderAron KaderAron Kader is a comedian of Palestinian and American heritage. He is one of four members of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. He has performed in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival, started by fellow tour member Dean Obeidallah. Comedians from the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour such as Ahmed Ahmed...
, comedian - Eddie RoyalEddie RoyalWilliam Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
of the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
played football at South Lakes High School for one season. - Spookey RubenSpookey RubenSpookey Ruben is a Toronto-based musician, composer and video director. Due to his father's work as a space engineer Spookey grew up in Germany, Holland, and Washington, D.C. He spent his teenage years playing in array of hardcore and speed metal bands...
, pop musician - Andrew Siciliano, broadcaster for Fox Sports RadioFox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
, Fox Sports NetFox Sports NetThe Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
television, DirecTV Red Zone Channel, Arena Football - Eddie TimanusEddie TimanusEddie Timanus is a Jeopardy! champion and USA Today sportswriter who grew up in Reston, Virginia, then graduated from Wake Forest University. He met his wife through a Yahoo! Groups discussion group on game shows; the couple now has a son...
, sportswriter for USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
and Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
champion - Alan WebbAlan Webb (athlete)Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
, Olympic runner, U.S. high school mile record holder (3:53.43), and American mile record holder. - Christy Winters-Scott, University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
women's basketball Hall of Famer, assistant coach for Maryland, George Mason and Georgetown, and broadcaster for the Washington MysticsWashington MysticsThe Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, and NCAA Women's Basketball. She is now the head girls basketball coach at South Lakes.