Oakton High School

History

Oakton High School was founded in 1967 in Vienna, Virginia. The original Oakton High School was located in the facility which is now used by Oakton Elementary School. When it opened, Oakton was the host facility for an IBM 1401 which was Fairfax County's first computer. A computer curriculum, one of the first offered at the high school level, was available to full-time Oakton students and to students from several other county high schools on a part-time basis. This system was retired in the early seventies when Fairfax County installed an IBM 360 mainframe at the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

In 1973, after a tornado struck W. T. Woodson High School, their students attended the remainder of the school year in a split shift at Oakton High School.

The school achieved international notoriety in 2009 when it suspended, and threatened to expel, a student for taking a birth control pill while on school premises. The incident was referenced during the August 3, 2009 episode of The Colbert Report, with the show satirically portraying the student as a "druggie".

Campus

Like most Fairfax County schools, the building is of considerable size, consisting of two stories in order to accommodate its large population of students. The school is divided into separate hallways for individual subjects, with English and History predominantly on the second floor and Math and Science residing on the first.

Demographics

In the 2014-2015 school year, Oakton High School's student body was 55.91% White, 24.63% Asian, 9.30% Hispanic, 4.96% Black, and 5.18% Other.

Standardized testing

Oakton High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2006 for Oakton High School was 1,703 (568 in Critical Reading, 578 in Math, and 557 in Writing).

Feeder schools

Crossfield Elementary School, Fox Mill Elementary School, Mosby Woods Elementary School, Navy Elementary School, Oakton Elementary School, Waples Mill Elementary School, Franklin Middle School,Luther Jackson, and Rachel Carson Middle School are all in the Oakton School Pyramid.

Academics

Oakton offers an Advanced Placement (AP) Diploma Program and a large variety of AP classes. Post-AP courses are available to sufficiently advanced students through academy courses.

The school offers a wide variety of elective courses and allows students to participate in academy courses (courses hosted by other schools at other school sites). Elective courses include psychology, various engineering courses, journalism, video production, accounting, multivariable calculus with linear algebra and six foreign languages. In 2008, Newsweek ranked Oakton High School as the 103rd best high school in the country, based on a ratio of students taking AP (or IB) classes to the number of graduating seniors. In addition, Oakton was ranked 88th on the US News & World Report magazine's list based on an assessment of college readiness in 2007. In 2014, Oakton was given a 9 out of 10 ranking by Greatschools.org, one of the highest in the Fairfax County Public Schools system.

In 2014, Oakton High School was ranked #111 Nationally in the US News and World Report Best High Schools.

Performing arts

Oakton's Performing Arts Department, which includes band, choral, orchestral, and theatre arts departments, regularly earns distinction as one of the premier performing arts programs in the area.

In 2008, the performing arts department won the extremely prestigious Blue Ribbon Award, a result of Superior ratings for all Band, Choral, and Orchestra groups in state festivals.

Band program

The Oakton Band program is in its 30th year and has been under the direction of Dr. Jaime VanValkenburg since 2012. The program consists of a marching band, three concert bands, two jazz bands, a winter color guard, drumline program, and several guitar classes and ensembles.

Oakton has been recognized as a Virginia Honor Band (the highest award for high school band programs) nineteen times, including eleven consecutive years from 1995 to 2005. This award is given to bands that receive superior marks for marching and concert performances of the top band. The marching band has won countless other awards at competitions throughout the country, and in addition, has been featured in parades and professional football games. The concert bands have made many appearances at Fiesta-val competitions, including locales such as Orlando, Toronto, Myrtle Beach, and Chicago.

The Oakton Band program is deep-seated in tradition. Every August, the marching band will spend time in Orkney Springs, Virginia to focus on the drill and music for the year's program and enjoy the scenery of the Shenandoah Valley. Furthermore, Oakton hosts the Oakton Classic, a marching band competition. The Classic has been held annually (usually in October) every year since 1984, with a gap year in 2012.

Dr. Jaime VanValkenburg also teaches two AP music theory classes, available to all Oakton students. Piano Lab is another class offered by the music program.

Choral program

Oakton High School has four regular in-school choruses; Madrigals, Chamber Choir, Select Women's Ensemble, and Concert Choir. The department also includes two eighth period (after school, for credit) specialty groups: Jazz choir and Show choir. The department is under the direction of Tiffany Powell, and has competed in such locations as Atlanta, New York, and Orlando. In the spring of 2010, the department traveled to New York and competed in Festivals of Music: New York. At the event, Madrigals and the combined women's choir, comprising members of both Chamber and Select Women's, were awarded the best mixed and women's choirs awards. Madrigals has also had the opportunity to sing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC along with the Washington Chorus.

Drama program

Oakton High School's drama program typically puts on a few plays in the fall or winter, and a spring musical. The department is under the direction of Vanessa Gelinas, Robert "Skip" Bromley having retired in 2008. In recent years, the drama program has put on Arsenic and Old Lace, The Wizard of Oz, and other plays and musicals. The 2007-2008 season included The Importance of Being Earnest, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Into the Woods. The 2008-2009 season included The Foreigner, the lead played by Chris North, and The Odd Couple (female version). The spring 2009 musical was Little Women. Performances usually take place in the Robert "Skip" Bromley Auditorium, dedicated 2008. Oakton Drama is to, for the 2009-2010 season, produce A Tisket, A Tasket, Four Dames and a Casket (a play written by Haley Herrinton, a student attending Oakton), and Rehearsal for Murder. Most recently, former student Henry Ragan starred in Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein, for which he was nominated a Cappies award.

Orchestra program

The Oakton High School strings program consists of three orchestras: the Chamber Orchestra, the Symphonic Orchestra, and the Concert Orchestra. As of the 2009-2010 school year, all three orchestras are under the direction of Dr. Debra K. Myers, who has taught for many years in other Fairfax County public schools. In the previous three school years, all three orchestras were led by Dr. Cheri Collins, an accomplished violinist and conductor. The orchestras typically give around four concerts a year, consisting of performances by the Chamber Orchestra and the combined Symphonic and Concert Orchestras. The program has participated in many festivals around the world, in locations such as Hawaii, Italy, Orlando, and Chicago. In 2007, the newest orchestra, Concert, was introduced. This class meets every day during 7th period, and allows students to learn how to play a stringed instrument in a more learner-friendly environment. The other two orchestras meet on alternating days due to Oakton's block scheduling.

Due to a complication in the grading of certain pieces the Chamber Orchestra was preparing in 2007, both orchestras went to district festival for Comments Only. In 2008, however, both the Chamber and the combined Symphonic and Concert Orchestras received a rating of Superior.

In 2008, the combined Symphonic and Concert Orchestras performed at the Washington D.C. Heritage Festival, where they received a gold rating. In addition, they were invited to perform in 2009's Boston Festival of Gold, which they did not accept.

The Chamber Orchestra participated in the Orchestra America National Festival in Indianapolis, part of the Music for All National Festival, in 2008. The orchestra applied and was accepted in 2007, and prepared an approximately 45-minute concert consisting of three pieces. On March 1, 2008, the Chamber Orchestra performed its selections at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Later that year, the Chamber Orchestra was accepted to perform at the American String Teachers Association National Conference, which took place in March 2009 in Atlanta. The group placed 4th, which was the highest ranking of a non-magnet, non-music school.

Publications

Oakton's award-winning publications provide many opportunities for students to express themselves. Its Publications Department produces a newspaper, The Outlook, a yearbook called Paragon, and a literary magazine, Opus. In October 2006, both The Outlook and Paragon received Trophy-Class honors at the Virginia High School League, with a rating of Superior. In April 2008, Paragon received a Pacemaker award, one of the highest honors in high school journalism, as well as 8th in best of show. Outlook placed 6th in best of show. The school used to have a radio club, Fat Cat Radio, and a daily television show, Cougar News.

Athletics

Oakton is a member of the AAA Concorde District and the Northern Region of the Virginia High School League. Its cross country, football, baseball, lacrosse, and men's swimming teams have all claimed recent Virginia state titles. In addition, Oakton fields a number of highly-competitive teams for club sports, such as crew and ice hockey. The Oakton Ice Hockey Club plays in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League (NVSHL).

2005-2006

During the 2005-2006 school year, Oakton Baseball were runners-up. Oakton claimed three state titles: boys cross country, football, and girls lacrosse. The boys lacrosse team, with its loss to Robinson Secondary School ended its three-year streak as state champions.

2006-2007

The baseball team won regionals. Oakton's golf team placed 3rd in the district, and 1st in the region. The boys cross country team placed 1st in the district and region, and 2nd in the state. The field hockey team placed 1st in the district. The football team made the playoffs, but lost in the first round to Chantilly High School, who would end up being the state runner-up. The men's swim and dive team finished second at each districts, regionals, and states. The girls basketball team was the district champion and region runner-up, identical results to last year. The boys track and field team won districts, as well as the girls lacrosse team, who went on to win regionals and states as well.

2007-2008

Danny Kim won the boy's state golf tournament as an individual, and Amanda Steinhagen won the girl's state championship, with Lauren Greenlief coming in second. The boys cross country team captured the district title and were second in the region. The girls cross country team also secured the district title, were 4th in the region, and came back to take 2nd in the state meet. The men's swim team placed 2nd in districts, regionals, and finals to Robinson Secondary School. The girls lacrosse team won the region and state championship.

2008-2009

The boys cross country team won district, region, and state titles. The girls cross country team finished third in the district and were runners-up in the region. The football team, with a perfect 10 – 0 season, went on to win the district and regional titles, finishing with a 13-1 record losing 10-7 to Oscar Smith High School in the state semi-finals after Tiger kicker Ryan Trottman kicked a short field goal in the waning moments. The boys swim and dive team placed third in the district and won the regional title, and the girls swim and dive team placed second in the district. The girls basketball team finished with a perfect season, and went on to win the district and regional titles, and were runners-up in the state. The girls indoor track and field team won the district title. The boys outdoor track and field team won the district title.

2009-2010

The boys cross country team won the district title for the fifth straight year, they also won the region title for the fourth time in five years, and were runners-up in the state. The girls cross country team finished second in the district and sixth in the region. The girls indoor track and field team won the district title for the second straight year.

The boys basketball team, under first year head coach David Brooks, defeated Chantilly on a game-winning 17 footer by Senior Andrew Daniels to win its first District title since 1972.

The boys swim and dive team won the state, regional, and district championship titles. Senior Bradley Phillips won the 400 meter freestyle, setting a national record, and the 200 meter freestyle. Senior KJ Park won the 200 meter IM and the 100 meter breaststroke. The men's 400 freestyle relay also won and set a national record. The girls swim and dive team placed fourth at states. Junior Kaitlin Pawlowicz won the 100 meter butterfly and the 200 meter IM, and set a national record in the 200 meter IM.

Amanda Steinhagen became the first girl to win the Virginia High School League (VHSL) girls high school golf championship twice. She also won it in her Sophomore year at Oakton. Amanda set a state record of 138 for the tournament.

Notable alumni

In popular culture and film