Henry Foss High School
Encyclopedia
Henry Foss High School is a high school
in Tacoma, Washington
. It opened in 1973. It is a part of the Tacoma Public School District
. The school is named after Henry Foss
, a civic leader and tugboat tycoon in Tacoma
.
http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=&country=US®ion=WA&find_schools=Find.
In the fall of 1987, the school population nearly doubled, with the change of the Tacoma School District going to a 4-year high school program as opposed to the three as was in the past. Foss had experienced major growing pains, adding many trailer buildings throughout the campus, in order to accommodate the additional population.
At the start of the year, each student is assigned a "Team", based on that students strengths, "Team-A", was primarily those students who were in accelerated college prep programs such as the I.B. Program. The average student was assigned to "Team-B". "Team-C" was mainly for those students, that had difficulty learning. "Team-9" was the newest addition to the Team format, to accommodate incoming Freshman class.
In the spring of 2001, the school was selected by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as an Achiever High School in Washington State. The school received a $9 million grant to restructure college preparation efforts, and an additional $100 million in scholarships. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/69594783.html?dids=69594783:69594783&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+13%2C+2001&author=Mary+Butler&pub=The+News+Tribune&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Gates+opens+college+doors+Education+grants%3A+7+South+Sound+high+schools+among+16+in+state+to+share+%24109+million+for+restructuring%2C+scholarships
Among the efforts funded by these grants were a restructuring of the school into smaller "academies". This created some dissension among faculty and students. In April 2004, a group of Foss sophomores threatened to boycott the Washington Assessment of Student Learning
(WASL) tests if the school board did not promise to retain pre-IB honors courses in English and history. The principal and school board did promise to offer these honor classes in the academies, and the boycott was called off. However, against her promise, Principal Sharon Shauss removed the pre-IB classes and replaced them with Honors courses.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/618853231.html?dids=618853231:618853231&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+17%2C+2004&author=MARTHA+MODEEN&pub=The+News+Tribune&edition=&startpage=A.01&desc=Threat+to+boycott+WASL+test+defused+
In March 2006, the faculty voted by a 60-40 margin not to apply for a renewal to the grant program; those opposed argued that the Gates Foundation grant "destroyed good programs" in the school, including the IB Program and the "team teaching" structure. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/1014693311.html?dids=1014693311:1014693311&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+2%2C+2006&author=DEBBY+ABE&pub=The+News+Tribune&desc=Faculty+at+Foss+like+the+old+way+ Shortly after, Tacoma Schools Superintendent Jim Shoemake directed the school's principal to override this decision and apply for a grant extension. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5730557p-5129347c.html.
Before the recession began, Nike Company offer the school district 6.3 million dollar to buy Foss's land, along with the agreement of building a new Foss High School with a stadium at a different location. Tacoma School Board rejected the offer. If Nike bought the land, they would build condos around.
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....
in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. It opened in 1973. It is a part of the Tacoma Public School District
Tacoma Public Schools
Tacoma Public Schools is the main school district for Tacoma, Washington, USA.-District facts:-2004-2005 Budget:-School board:*Kurt Miller, President, Term expires: November, 2009*Connie Rickman, Vice President, Term expires: November, 2009...
. The school is named after Henry Foss
Henry Foss
Henry O. Foss was an elected official, businessman and civic leader in Tacoma, Washington.Henry Foss was one of four children born to Norwegian immigrant parents, Andrew and Thea Foss, first owners and operators of Foss Launch and Tug Company...
, a civic leader and tugboat tycoon in Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
History
In 1982, Foss became the first school in Washington State to introduce the International Baccalaureate Diploma ProgramIB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=&country=US®ion=WA&find_schools=Find.
In the fall of 1987, the school population nearly doubled, with the change of the Tacoma School District going to a 4-year high school program as opposed to the three as was in the past. Foss had experienced major growing pains, adding many trailer buildings throughout the campus, in order to accommodate the additional population.
At the start of the year, each student is assigned a "Team", based on that students strengths, "Team-A", was primarily those students who were in accelerated college prep programs such as the I.B. Program. The average student was assigned to "Team-B". "Team-C" was mainly for those students, that had difficulty learning. "Team-9" was the newest addition to the Team format, to accommodate incoming Freshman class.
In the spring of 2001, the school was selected by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as an Achiever High School in Washington State. The school received a $9 million grant to restructure college preparation efforts, and an additional $100 million in scholarships. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/69594783.html?dids=69594783:69594783&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+13%2C+2001&author=Mary+Butler&pub=The+News+Tribune&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Gates+opens+college+doors+Education+grants%3A+7+South+Sound+high+schools+among+16+in+state+to+share+%24109+million+for+restructuring%2C+scholarships
Among the efforts funded by these grants were a restructuring of the school into smaller "academies". This created some dissension among faculty and students. In April 2004, a group of Foss sophomores threatened to boycott the Washington Assessment of Student Learning
Washington Assessment of Student Learning
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning was a standardized educational assessment system given as the primary assessment in the state of Washington from spring 1997 to summer 2009. The WASL was also used as a high school graduation examination beginning in the spring of 2006 and ending in 2009...
(WASL) tests if the school board did not promise to retain pre-IB honors courses in English and history. The principal and school board did promise to offer these honor classes in the academies, and the boycott was called off. However, against her promise, Principal Sharon Shauss removed the pre-IB classes and replaced them with Honors courses.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/618853231.html?dids=618853231:618853231&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+17%2C+2004&author=MARTHA+MODEEN&pub=The+News+Tribune&edition=&startpage=A.01&desc=Threat+to+boycott+WASL+test+defused+
In March 2006, the faculty voted by a 60-40 margin not to apply for a renewal to the grant program; those opposed argued that the Gates Foundation grant "destroyed good programs" in the school, including the IB Program and the "team teaching" structure. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/TRIBnet/access/1014693311.html?dids=1014693311:1014693311&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+2%2C+2006&author=DEBBY+ABE&pub=The+News+Tribune&desc=Faculty+at+Foss+like+the+old+way+ Shortly after, Tacoma Schools Superintendent Jim Shoemake directed the school's principal to override this decision and apply for a grant extension. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5730557p-5129347c.html.
Before the recession began, Nike Company offer the school district 6.3 million dollar to buy Foss's land, along with the agreement of building a new Foss High School with a stadium at a different location. Tacoma School Board rejected the offer. If Nike bought the land, they would build condos around.
Mission statement
"The mission of Henry Foss High School is to develop dynamic learning opportunities through a caring and safe environment."Swift Classroom Sites
All teachers at Foss High School now have the ability to post assignments, projects, grades, and other important necessities online. These websites use the SWIFT program. http://classrooms.tacoma.k12.wa.us/foss/index.phpStatistics
- Student Population - 1,240
- 2008 Senior Class - 260
- Males - 50%
- Females - 50%
- African-Americans - 31.1%
- Caucasians - 36.3%
- Native Americans - 2.2%
- Hispanic - 8.6%
- Asian - 21.4%
- Faculty - 110
- Administrators - 4
- School Conference - West Central, District 3, Narrows League, Bridge Division
- School Mascot - Falcons
- School Colors - Green/Gold
Notable alumni
- Brent GouletBrent GouletBrent Goulet is a retired American soccer forward and later coached SV Elversberg from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States before moving to England and Germany, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. national team. He was the 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and was a...
, professional soccer player - Jeff Taylor, author of 50 Hikes In and Around Tuscany
- Jason Tanz, author of Other People's Property; A Shadow History of Hip-Hop in White America
- Lia Bardeen, Contestant on Top ChefTop ChefTop Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
Season 3 - George Williams, 2x olympic team alternate in greco roman wrestling
- Jesse Jones, KING 5 Reporter
- Todd Milles, Sports Writer, Tacoma News Tribune
- Robyn Lattaker-Johnson, BET Vice President of Program Development
- Eduardo M. Penalver, Rhodes Scholar and Professor of Law, Cornell University
- Thu Ament, Former Principal of Henry Foss High School
- Peter Gortner, Director NATO Information Operations, NATO School
- Jo KoyJo KoyJo Koy is an American stand-up comic. He is currently touring the college circuit as a featured comedian and performs in clubs across the country. He is often a panelist on E!'s late night show Chelsea Lately.- Early life :Koy is of Filipino and Caucasian heritage...
, Stand-up Comic, often a panelist on E!E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
's late night show Chelsea LatelyChelsea LatelyChelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
.