Fallston High School

Fallston High School
Location
Fallston, Maryland, USA
Coordinates	39°31′19″N 76°24′47.5″W
Information
Type	Public Secondary
Motto	"A Proud Tradition of Excellence"
Established	1977
School district	Harford County Public Schools
Principal	Richard Jester
Asst. Principal	Eileen Turowski Daniel J. Hanzelik
Grades	9–12
Number of students	1,365
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Orange, Brown and Gold
Mascot	Cougar (named 'Gar')
Newspaper	The Print
Website	Fallston High School

Fallston High School is located in the town of Fallston, in Harford County, Maryland. The school is made up of three floors. On the first floor are located the main office, guidance office, media center, academic classrooms and the gym. The upper floor is exclusively classrooms. The basement holds the cafeteria, Music and Technical skills classrooms and the locker rooms. Computer labs are located on all levels.

School Schedule

The school schedule was changed for the 2006-2007 school year, and now operates on a four-period per day schedule, known as the "Block Schedule". Students are enrolled in eight classes for the year. Some classes will meet daily for a semester, while other classes meet every other day. This schedule provides longer periods of instruction with fewer class changes than the previous schedule.

As of 2007 the school day begins at 7:30 and ends at 2:00, with each class meeting for approximately 88 minutes, and including a 5 minute class change in between classes. There are three different lunches (as of 2010) occurring during the 3rd period of each day, each lasting for 28 minutes.

History

With increasing population growth in this area of once-rural Harford County during the 1970s, the Board of Education determined the need for a secondary school to serve the youth of Fallston. Fallston High School was designed by Richard Ayres, architect, and built by Cam Construction Company at a cost of $10 million. The ground on which the school is built was formerly a dairy farm. The land was acquired from local Real Estate developer Mr. Joseph Diegert, with an adjacent four acres set aside as a new home for the Fallston Volunteer Fire Company. Fallston High School opened in November 1977 with a staff of 73 and a student population of 1400 in grades 6 through 10. The majority of the original Fallston students transferred from Bel Air schools. Initially the school was a combined Middle/High School but converted to being exclusively a High School with the opening of Fallston Middle School on an adjacent piece of property in 1993. Fallston High School was visited by President Reagan during his term as president on December 4, 1985.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Sanctioned Sports

Fall- Field Hockey, Football, Men's and Women's Soccer, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Men's and Women's Volleyball, Golf

Winter- Men's and Women's Basketball, Wrestling, Cheerleading, Indoor Track, Men's and Women's Swimming

Spring- Baseball, Softball, Men's and Women's Lacrosse, Track & Field, Tennis

Non-Sanctioned Sports- Ice Hockey, Bowling

2011 - 2012 School Year (fall, winter)

• Field Hockey: UCBAC (conference) Champions, 1A State Champions
• Men's Soccer: 2A State Championship Finalists
• Football: 2A Regional Semi-Finalists
• Women's Volleyball: UCBAC (conference) Champions, 2A State Championship Finalist
• Wrestling: UCBAC (conference) Champions

2010 - 2011 School Year (spring)

• Men's Lacrosse: UCBAC (conference) Champions, 2A Regional Semi-finalists
• Women's Lacrosse: UCBAC (conference) Champions, 2A Regional Champions
• Tennis: UCBAC (conference) Champions

Maryland State Championship Teams

• Men's Cross Country: 1981
• Men's Lacrosse : 1985, 1987, 2001
• Women's Field Hockey: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
• Men's Soccer: 1992
• Women's Soccer: 1994, 1996, 2009
• Women's Softball : 2004
• Women's Indoor Track : 2005
• Men's Swimming : 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
• Women's Basketball : 2009, 2010
• Women's Lacrosse : 2009
• Women's Volleyball: 2010

Non-Athletics

Honor Societies and Selective groups

• Art National Honor Society
• German National Honor Society
• Spanish National Honor Society
• French National Honor Society
• National Honor Society
• Student Government Association

Competitive Organizations

• Dance Team: State Champions 2008, 2011
• It's Academic
• Harford County Forensics League
• Chemathon Team
• Ecology Club
• Electrothon Team
• Envirothon Team
• Marching Band
  • The Fallston High School Cougar Marching Band toured in the Tournament of Bands circuit, as well as the Cavalcade of Bands circuit. It has been to the Atlantic Coast Championships of the Tournament of Bands in the years 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006. After 2006, the Band stopped competition but continues to play at football games and parades.

Non-competitive organizations

• Best Buddies
• Spanish Club
• German Club
• Fishing Club
• French Club
• History Club
• Philosophy Club
• Future Business Leaders of America
• Varsity Club
• Rock Band Club
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
• SALC (formerly SAC)
• International Club
• Art Club
• STARS (formerly SADD)
• Forensics
• Newspaper "The Print"
• Ecology Club
• Environmental Club
• Drama Club
• Tech Crew
• Car Club
• Movie Club
• Orchestra

The school also has an Eligibility Committee. If a student enrolled in an extracurricular activity or activities is failing in one or more subjects, they will be declared ineligible to participate in that or those activity/activities.

Notable alumni

• Sheryl Davis Kohl, former member of Maryland House of Delegates, graduated in 1980.
• Kimmie Meissner, member of the USA 2006 Winter Olympics team, 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Champion, and 2006 World Figure Skating Champion, graduated in 2007.

Notable events

• Then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited the school on December 4, 1985.
• Fallston High was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine (February 20, 2006 issue) for the Kimmie Meissner Olympic "Send Off."
• Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger (Notre Dame University) came to Fallston High as a public speaker.
• Former Attorney General of the United States Edwin Meese III visited the school in 2005.
• The kick-off for Maryland Public Schools' PRIDE program occurred at Fallston High School on February 22, 2007.
• Selected by Newsweek Magazine as one of America's top public High Schools in 2009 and 2010.

Sources

• Harford County Public Schools
• Joseph Schmitz, former Principal, Fallston High School
• Tom Dixon, former President, Fallston Cougar Boosters, Inc.
• http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2009/americas-best-high-schools/list.html
• http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/americas-best-high-schools/list.html