Potomac Falls High School
Encyclopedia
Potomac Falls High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, Virginia
unincorporated area in Loudoun County
, Virginia. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools
system and is located on 46400 Algonkian Parkway. Rated in America's Top Public High Schools in 2008 (173rd), Potomac Falls' student body is drawn from the Cascades, Countryside
, Broad Run Farms, and Dulles Town Center
communities.
and Broad Run High School
. It was the first high school built in 21 years, following Park View's opening in 1976. There were about 900 students in grades 9–11 when Potomac Falls opened. There was no senior class since seniors attending Park View and Broad Run who lived in Potomac Falls' attendance area remained at those schools through graduation.
In 2003, students from Potomac Falls and Park View High School were fed into Dominion High School
after the schools became overcrowded while students from Broad Run High School and Park View were sent to Potomac Falls. However, growth has stabilized in Sterling since then, and there are no new high schools being planned in the area for the foreseeable future.
The basic high school design for Potomac Falls has been used for every new high school built in Loudoun County since then. Stone Bridge
opened in 2000 with Potomac Falls' basic design, but with a larger auditorium and some additional classrooms. Heritage
, Dominion
, Briar Woods
, and Freedom also use the same basic template.
In 2005, Potomac Falls High School dropped resource, instead replacing sixth period with a new system called FLEX. In FLEX, the students first go to either period 7, 2, 3, 4 (respectively) from 10:38–11:19 and then they go to either period 1, 8, 5, advisory (respectively) from 11:25 to 12:07. The periods to which the students go depend on what FLEX day it is (the periods will always be the same; if they FLEX to seventh, they will flex to first, and if they FLEX to second, they will FLEX to eighth, etc.). This time is occasionally used for assemblies, club meetings, filling out forms, or last minute school work.
In 2006, Potomac Falls High School decided to make an advisory period. This period began as an add-on of 20 minutes to the last FLEX of the week, but in the 2006–2007 school year, it was changed to a full 45 minute FLEX period occurring at the last FLEX of every other week.
Case Status – The court held that free speech rights of parents were violated where the school removed bricks inscribed with a Latin cross. The court held that symbols were not school-sponsored speech; and that a walkway where the bricks were displayed constituted a designated or limited public forum and that the school engaged in prohibited “viewpoint discrimination.” The bricks were later reinstated.
tests in Virginia.
. Sports teams play in the AA Dulles District
and Region II
. At its opening, the Panthers played in the AAA Concorde District
and the Northern Region
, but the Panthers were at a severe disadvantage as their enrollment was considerably below the AA/AAA cutoff, and most of its member schools included some of the largest schools in the state, including Herndon and Chantilly High School
s. Both schools had enrollments of nearly 2,500 students at the time while Potomac Falls' enrollment in the 1998–1999 school year was at around 1,200. Potomac Falls played in the Concorde District nevertheless partly because Park View and Broad Run
were also in the Northern Region but played in the Liberty District
, and it was assumed that most AA sized high schools in Northern Virginia
, like George C. Marshall High School
, would play up in AAA.
Since Potomac Falls' move to AA in 1999, the athletic teams have enjoyed much success, particularly in their soccer programs. Potomac Falls has won six AA state titles, two girls soccer titles in 2000 and 2004, one in boys soccer in 2006, one in boys golf in 2001, one in boys basketball in 2010, and one in boys tennis in 2002.
The cheerleaders of Potomac Falls received the regional and district title in 2006, and placed 3rd in the state. In 2008, the cheerleaders also took the district title. The Panther Dancers (Potomac Falls Dance Team) won a state title in their jazz routine in November 2006.
The Potomac Falls Boys Cross Country team has consecutively won the Dulles District AA title since the 2001–2002 Season to the present. As of the end of the 2010 season, it has won 10 Dulles District titles in a row.
(VBODA) seven consecutive times since its opening in 1997 (1998–2005), attaining overall "superior" ratings at both the State Marching Band Festival and the District Concert Band Festival each of those years. The marching band is a member of the USSBA circuit where it regularly earns awards and recognition for outstaning performances. The In 2008 the band sponsored a trip to Hawaii and in 2009 the band traveled to New York City. The Band program offers two concert bands, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Band, Flute Choir, and numerous other ensembles based on student interest. Some select musicians from the various music programs will accompany the Musical "Once Upon a Mattress" in the Spring of 2011, reviving the Pit Orchestra program.
In addition to the music performance ensembles, the Potomac Falls Band Program sponsors an award-winning Winter Guard that competes in the Atlantic Indoor Assocaiton circuit.
The Band Program is supported by a non-profit group: The Potomac Falls Band Boosters.
The three ensembles have performances during winter, spring, and a recently created "Solos Night", to showcase solos, duets and quartet performances. The Potomac Falls High School guitar quartet, whose members are chosen from among the students who audition for it, performs for the community.
More recently, there has been the addition of the Artist level guitar class.
, Lincoln-Douglas
, and Student Congress) compete in tournaments across the state.
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
unincorporated area in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Virginia. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia, United States government, and administers public schools in the county...
system and is located on 46400 Algonkian Parkway. Rated in America's Top Public High Schools in 2008 (173rd), Potomac Falls' student body is drawn from the Cascades, Countryside
Countryside, Virginia
Countryside is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 10,072.Countryside is located about northwest of Washington and is bounded by the Potomac River to the north, and by Route 7 to the south...
, Broad Run Farms, and Dulles Town Center
Dulles Town Center
Dulles Town Center is a two-level enclosed shopping mall in Loudoun County, Virginia. The retail center gives its name to the census-designated place within which it is located. It encompasses of GLA and is the largest enclosed shopping center in Loudoun County. The mall caters to the burgeoning...
communities.
History
Potomac Falls High School opened in 1997, drawing its student body from Park View High SchoolPark View High School (Sterling, Virginia)
For schools of a similar name, see Park View School .Park View High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States...
and Broad Run High School
Broad Run High School
Broad Run High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system ....
. It was the first high school built in 21 years, following Park View's opening in 1976. There were about 900 students in grades 9–11 when Potomac Falls opened. There was no senior class since seniors attending Park View and Broad Run who lived in Potomac Falls' attendance area remained at those schools through graduation.
In 2003, students from Potomac Falls and Park View High School were fed into Dominion High School
Dominion High School
Dominion High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. It is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. Dominion High School first opened in 2003, receiving students from Potomac Falls High School and Park View High School...
after the schools became overcrowded while students from Broad Run High School and Park View were sent to Potomac Falls. However, growth has stabilized in Sterling since then, and there are no new high schools being planned in the area for the foreseeable future.
The basic high school design for Potomac Falls has been used for every new high school built in Loudoun County since then. Stone Bridge
Stone Bridge High School
Stone Bridge High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia.The school is part of Loudoun County Public Schools and is located on 43100 Hay Road...
opened in 2000 with Potomac Falls' basic design, but with a larger auditorium and some additional classrooms. Heritage
Heritage High School (Leesburg, Virginia)
Heritage High School is a public secondary school located in Leesburg, Virginia, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. The principal is Margaret Huckaby...
, Dominion
Dominion High School
Dominion High School is a public secondary school in Sterling, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. It is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. Dominion High School first opened in 2003, receiving students from Potomac Falls High School and Park View High School...
, Briar Woods
Briar Woods High School
Briar Woods High School is a public secondary school located in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. The school is located in the Brambleton community and also serves students who live in Broadlands and...
, and Freedom also use the same basic template.
In 2005, Potomac Falls High School dropped resource, instead replacing sixth period with a new system called FLEX. In FLEX, the students first go to either period 7, 2, 3, 4 (respectively) from 10:38–11:19 and then they go to either period 1, 8, 5, advisory (respectively) from 11:25 to 12:07. The periods to which the students go depend on what FLEX day it is (the periods will always be the same; if they FLEX to seventh, they will flex to first, and if they FLEX to second, they will FLEX to eighth, etc.). This time is occasionally used for assemblies, club meetings, filling out forms, or last minute school work.
In 2006, Potomac Falls High School decided to make an advisory period. This period began as an add-on of 20 minutes to the last FLEX of the week, but in the 2006–2007 school year, it was changed to a full 45 minute FLEX period occurring at the last FLEX of every other week.
Lawsuits
Demmon v. Loudoun County Public Schools, 342 F.Supp.2d 474 (E.D. Va. 2004) – As a fundraiser, a parent organization offered parents and community members the opportunity to purchase and order inscriptions for paving bricks to be placed in a sidewalk around the flagpoles at Potomac Falls High School. Purchasers could choose text and/or symbols to be inscribed on the bricks. Some purchasers paid to have their bricks inscribed with a Latin cross. After one parent complained, school officials removed from the walkway every brick containing a cross symbol.Case Status – The court held that free speech rights of parents were violated where the school removed bricks inscribed with a Latin cross. The court held that symbols were not school-sponsored speech; and that a walkway where the bricks were displayed constituted a designated or limited public forum and that the school engaged in prohibited “viewpoint discrimination.” The bricks were later reinstated.
Demographics
In 2006–2007, Potomac Falls' student body was 70% White; 9% Black; 11% Hispanic; 8% Asian; 2% IndianAccreditation
Potomac Falls is a fully accredited high school based on its overall performance on the Standards of LearningStandards 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.
SAT scores
The average SAT score in 2006 for Potomac Falls was a 1,555 (532 in Math; 517 in Critical Reading; 506 in Writing).| School Year | Mathematics | Critical Reading | Writing | Total |
| 2000–2001 | 515 | 516 | n/a | 1,031 |
| 2001–2002 | 526 | 531 | n/a | 1,057 |
| 2002–2003 | 531 | 528 | n/a | 1,059 |
| 2003–2004 | 533 | 534 | n/a | 1,067 |
| 2004–2005 | 542 | 534 | n/a | 1,076 |
| 2005–2006 | 532 | 517 | 506 | 1,555 (1,049 M & CR) |
Enrollment history
| School Year | Number of Students |
| 1997–1998 | 858 |
| 1998–1999 | 1,216 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,380 |
| 2000–2001 | 1,506 |
| 2001–2002 | 1,579 |
| 2002–2003 | 1,641 |
| 2003–2004 | 1,414 |
| 2004–2005 | 1,405 |
| 2005–2006 | 1,455 |
| 2006–2007 | 1,488 |
| 2007–2008 | 1,503 |
Athletics
The Potomac Falls' mascot is the PantherBlack panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
. Sports teams play in the AA Dulles District
AA Dulles District
The AA Dulles District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia, with all of its full time members from Loudoun County...
and Region II
AA Region II
Region II is one of the four AA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AA Dulles District, the AA Evergreen District, the AA Jefferson District and the AA Northwestern District....
. At its opening, the Panthers played in the AAA Concorde District
AAA Concorde District
The AAA Concorde District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes public schools exclusively from Fairfax County. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports....
and the 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...
, but the Panthers were at a severe disadvantage as their enrollment was considerably below the AA/AAA cutoff, and most of its member schools included some of the largest schools in the state, including Herndon and Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School is a high school located in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.-Overview:...
s. Both schools had enrollments of nearly 2,500 students at the time while Potomac Falls' enrollment in the 1998–1999 school year was at around 1,200. Potomac Falls played in the Concorde District nevertheless partly because Park View and Broad Run
Broad Run High School
Broad Run High School is a public secondary school in Ashburn, an unincorporated area in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, and is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools system ....
were also in the Northern Region but played in the 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 it was assumed that most AA sized high schools in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
, like George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools . Newsweek ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.-Name:...
, would play up in AAA.
Since Potomac Falls' move to AA in 1999, the athletic teams have enjoyed much success, particularly in their soccer programs. Potomac Falls has won six AA state titles, two girls soccer titles in 2000 and 2004, one in boys soccer in 2006, one in boys golf in 2001, one in boys basketball in 2010, and one in boys tennis in 2002.
The cheerleaders of Potomac Falls received the regional and district title in 2006, and placed 3rd in the state. In 2008, the cheerleaders also took the district title. The Panther Dancers (Potomac Falls Dance Team) won a state title in their jazz routine in November 2006.
The Potomac Falls Boys Cross Country team has consecutively won the Dulles District AA title since the 2001–2002 Season to the present. As of the end of the 2010 season, it has won 10 Dulles District titles in a row.
Band
The Potomac Falls band has earned the title of Virginia Honor Band by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors AssociationVirginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association
The Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association is an organization of high school, middle school, and elementary school band and orchestra directors within the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose mission is to help promote opportunities of music education to K-12 students...
(VBODA) seven consecutive times since its opening in 1997 (1998–2005), attaining overall "superior" ratings at both the State Marching Band Festival and the District Concert Band Festival each of those years. The marching band is a member of the USSBA circuit where it regularly earns awards and recognition for outstaning performances. The In 2008 the band sponsored a trip to Hawaii and in 2009 the band traveled to New York City. The Band program offers two concert bands, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Band, Flute Choir, and numerous other ensembles based on student interest. Some select musicians from the various music programs will accompany the Musical "Once Upon a Mattress" in the Spring of 2011, reviving the Pit Orchestra program.
In addition to the music performance ensembles, the Potomac Falls Band Program sponsors an award-winning Winter Guard that competes in the Atlantic Indoor Assocaiton circuit.
The Band Program is supported by a non-profit group: The Potomac Falls Band Boosters.
Guitar
Potomac Falls's current guitar program offers classes fo Beginners, Intermediates and Advance guitar students. In 2006 and 2007 the Advance Ensemble had trips to New York City to receive master classes from prominent members of the music community. A trip to Chicago is planned for 2009.The three ensembles have performances during winter, spring, and a recently created "Solos Night", to showcase solos, duets and quartet performances. The Potomac Falls High School guitar quartet, whose members are chosen from among the students who audition for it, performs for the community.
More recently, there has been the addition of the Artist level guitar class.
Debate
Potomac Falls has an active Debate Team. The three divisions (PolicyPolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
, Lincoln-Douglas
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
, and Student Congress) compete in tournaments across the state.