Briar Woods High School
| Briar Woods High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
22525 Belmont Ridge Road , 20148 | |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Founded | 2005 |
| School district | Loudoun County Public Schools |
| Principal | Edward Starzenski |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,101 (2007) |
| Language | English |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and Orange |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Communities served | Brambleton Broadlands Arcola |
| Rival School | Freedom High School |
| Athletic Conference | Dulles District Region II |
| Website | http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/bwhs |
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 Arcola.
History
Briar Woods High School opened on August 29 2005 with its student body coming from Stone Hill Middle School and Eagle Ridge Middle School. The first and current principal is Edward Starzenski who served as principal of Loudoun County High School from 1989 to 2004. The school was officially dedicated on October 14 2005 at a ceremony presided over by school district superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III.[1] In 2006, Briar Woods celebrated its first Homecoming, despite the lack of a returning class.
Demographics
In 2006-2007 Briar Woods High School's student population was 67% White; 10% Black; 7% Hispanic; and 16% Asian.
Curriculum
- See Main Discussion: Loudoun County Public Schools – Curriculum
Test scores
Briar Woods is a fully accredited high school by the Virginia Department of Education. Briar Woods High School recorded SAT results for the first time this year. Briar Woods’ scores included 506 in critical reading, 491 in math and 485 in writing[citation needed].
Yearly Traditions
Still being a new high school, Briar Woods has had to, and continues to, make new traditions. Some of these include Multicultural Night, the Kiss the Lobster contest, Fractured Fairytales, and painting the class rocks.
Extracurricular activities
Art
The Briar Woods Art Department, in cooperation with the Art Club, has created numerous murals inside the school building. In 2008, the art classes had their first trip to New York.
Athletics
Briar Woods is a member of the AA Dulles District and Region II.The golf team won the Dulles District tournament in the fall of 2006 before eventually losing to Western Albemarle at the Region II Championship. In 2007, the same team won the AA Dulles District and the Region II tournament, earning them the school's first state bid. At states, they finished seventh.
In the 2006-2007 season, the boy's tennis team upset Loudoun County High School in the Dulles District Championship to advance to regionals. Their incredible season ended with a 5-2 loss in the Region II Championship to State Champions Western Albemarle. Returning all of their starters in the 2007-2008 season, the boy's tennis team were undefeated in district play and won the Dulles District Championship. In Regionals, Briar Woods defeated Monticello before again losing to State Champions Western Albemarle 5-2 in the Region II Championship.
In 2007, got a record breaking score of 7-3 for a 3rd year varsity football program in the district. This 2007 Falcon football team was the first to take the Falcons to the regional Football playoffs. Where they lost there first round game to Millbrook.
Gladiator Fighting
Briar Woods is an active participant in the gladiator galactic battles competition and a seven time state champion. Liz, a.k.a. the Raging Otter, is the school's best gladiator. She has a 95.1% win rate and has won 13 titles statewide. Zeke, a.k.a. the Pink Bunny, is the second best athlete in the sport. He has a 90.2% win rate and has won 9 titles statewide. The team coach, Ms. Moosey, was a top gladiator in her day and is now one of the top coaches in the state.
Drama
Briar Woods High School’s department’s production company is the Black Forest Productions. Productions have included The Music Man. The Wizard of Oz, Dracula, "Fractured Fairy Tales", Crazy For You, and the International Thespian Society production of Jekyll and Hyde.[citation needed]
Music
Briar Woods has four bands: the Symphonic-Winds Band, the Symphonic Band, the Falcon Regiment Marching Band, and a Jazz Band. The Briar Woods band has had the honor of performing at Carnege Hall. Other music groups include the 3 guitar classes, the Briar Woods chorus, the Falcon Singers (advanced, mixed choir), and the Bel Canto Women (select women's choir)as well as an all strings orchestra conducted by Hector Zavala.
Student Council
The Briar Woods High School SCA (Student Council Association) is a member of the VSCA (Virginia Student Councils Association) and the NASC (National Association of Student Councils).
Clubs
Briar Woods High School has many active clubs and organizations including commonalities such as the NHS, DECA, FBLA, and Key Club. The school also has an It's Academic group, cultural societies including Spanish, German, French, and Latin, and special interest activities: Art, Drama, International Thespian Society, Forensics, Literary Magazine, International Thespian Society, Drama Club, Book Club, Philosophy, Bible, VFEA (Virginia Future Educators Association), Science and Math, International, PEER, Dance Team (B-Woods Dance Company), Anime Club, and Library Teen Assistants' Organization.
Philosophy Club
The purpose of the Philosophy Club is to explore Eastern and Western philosophies and to gain a broad appreciation for the subject. At each meeting, members select topics for debate. They can range from discussions about religion, science, political science, and social theories to contemplating the mysteries of the living world.
Zeke Mihelcic was the president of the 2007-2008 school year's Philosophy Club.
Library Teen Assistants' Organization
More commonly known as the Library Club, this group was founded in the 2007-2008 school year to provide willing students with an organized way of assisting in the Library. Some of the tasks members perform include reshelving books, organizing shelves, decorating for the seasons, and unpacking new books. It is quite easy to see that someone in the library has taken the liberty to edit this site, deleting information about each activity and adding more info about activities that meet in the library.
References
Citations
- ^ "Briar Woods Dedicates Itself to the Future, Opportunities". Loudoun County Public Schools. 2005-10-26. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
Sources
- "NCLB - School Report Card". Virginia Department of Education. 2006/2007. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
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