Folsom High School
 |
| Folsom High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
1655 Iron Point Road Folsom, CA 95630 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1922 |
| School district | Folsom Cordova Unified School District |
| Enrollment | 2,794 |
| Color(s) | Red Blue White |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
| Newspaper | The Bulldog Times |
| Website | http://www.fcusd.org/Domain/31 |
Folsom High School is an American high school, located in Folsom, California. Established in 1922, it is a part of the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District. With an approximate student population of 2,800 students and over 100 faculty members, Folsom High School has an outstanding record in achievements, being named as one of the US News best high schools in the country. Furthermore, Newsweek magazine has consistently ranked Folsom High School as a top one percent high school in the nation.[verification needed]
Administration
| Principal | Howard Cadenhead |
| Vice Principal | Annie Conover |
| Vice Principal | Greg Crannell |
| Administrative Assistant | Sherrie Graston |
Academics and student life
Students attending Folsom High have a wide variety of stellar options to choose from. Numerous programs, including a nationally high ranked athletics department, and a nationally acclaimed music program directed by Curtis Gaesser with the best marching band and jazz bands in the country as ranked by Downbeat magazine, are offered at Folsom High School. Foreign languages offered are: Spanish, French and German, all continuing up to AP level. Community service clubs that are offered include GPS, CSF, and Key Club. Academic clubs include Math Club, Science Club, and Robotics Club, which manages two FTC robotics teams. Folsom High School is has opportunities in engineering through the ACE Mentors Club, where students work with professional architects and engineers to design a building proposal, and an award-winning Solar Boat Team, where students design and build a solar powered boat from scratch and compete in the SMUD NorCal Solar Regatta.
AP courses being offered include AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP Statistics, AP European History, AP United States History and AP Calculus both AB and BC. Folsom High School's AP scores are well above national levels, with near perfect pass rates in Calculus and Psychology.
Starting Fall 2011, Folsom High School integrated The Global Program Studies directly into class curriculum. The Global Program Studies is a four-year program that connects global perspectives with global experiences through the infusion of an international studies curriculum. Through seminars, guest speakers, and a senior project, students are engaged in coursework that inspires them to think not only critically, but also globally.
Accolades
Folsom has strong teams in various academic competitions, such as Mathletes, Science Bowl, and Quiz Bowl. In 2015, a student-organized quiz bowl team qualified for the national-level PACE competition. Furthermore, Folsom High School annually remains as a top contender for the regional inter-scholastic Academic Decathlon tournament.
In 2010, the Boys' Varsity Football team won the California Interscholastic Federation Division II State Bowl game. In that same season, FHS Boys' Varsity Football team were one of the few high school teams to make a nationally televised appearance on ESPN for their prolific style of play on the field.
Down Beat Magazine has ranked Folsom High School’s Jazz Band as the number one High School Big Band in the nation, an honor Folsom High has earned eight times since 1993. Down Beat has also top-ranked the Folsom High Jazz Choir nationally for the past 16 consecutive years. Due to Folsom High's nationally acclaimed Jazz program, Folsom High School hosts the regional Folsom Jazz Festival annually.
Athletics
The varsity football team for the 2010 Season won the California Interscholastic Federation Division II State Championship. On December 18, 2010 the Bulldogs defeated Serra, 48-20 at the State Bowl at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Quarterback Dano Graves was later named Max Preps National High School Player of the Year for his outstanding performance on the field.
In 2006 and 2008, the varsity cheerleading squad took second place in the Universal Cheerleading Association's High School National Championship losing to Colleyville Heritage High School in 2006 and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in 2008.
In 2013, Folsom quarterback Jake Browning was named the 2013 California State Gatorade Player of the Year. He led his Bulldogs to another section championship and guided the Bulldogs to the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California Regional Championship, where the Bulldogs lost to De La Salle High School (Concord, California).
In 2014, the varsity football team defeated Oceanside High School 68-7 for the CIF Division I State Championship title, their second state title in four years.
Notable alumni
- Brendan Ryan Barrett - Hollywood film actor
- John Briggs, Former professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics)
- Mike Cather, Former professional baseball player (Atlanta Braves)
- John Jones - a professional soccer player
- Spider Jorgensen - former Major League Baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants)
- Ryan Rau - Linebacker for the Miami Dolphins
- Virgil Carter - Former professional Football Quarterback (Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals)
- Jordan Richards - Safety for the New England Patriots
