Foothill High School (Pleasanton, California)

Infobox_School | name = Foothill High School
imagesize = 134px
established = 1973
type = Public
principal = John Dwyer
enrollment = 2,343 [http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SchEnr.asp?TheName=Foothill+high&cSelect=FOOTHILL%5EHIGH--PLEASANTON%5EUNIF--0175101-0130096&cChoice=SchEnrEth&cYear=2006-07&cLevel=School&cTopic=Enrollment&myTimeFrame=S&submit1=Submit School Level Enrollment Reports ] ]
mascot = Falcon
location = 4375 Foothill Rd.
Pleasanton, CA 94588
country = USA
information = [phone]
website = [http://pleasanton.k12.ca.us/foothill/ Foothill HS Home Page]

Foothill High School (FHS) is a four-year secondary school in Pleasanton, California. It was built in 1973. It is one of two comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school in the Pleasanton Unified School District. The current enrollment is 2,343 students. The school recently made headlines by banning "freak" dancing. The school mascot is the falcon and the official rival school is Amador Valley High School. The school colors are yellow and blue. FHS was recognized as 2001 California Distinguished School and a 2002 National Blue Ribbon California Nominee. In addition, FHS was a 2006 winner of the National Blue Ribbon Award.

Marching band

Foothill High School has an outstanding band program for all students. Classes are offered in Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Auxiliary Units, and Percussion. The Foothill Band provides many Performance opportunities for its students, including: home football games, band reviews, special performance opportunities, tours, jazz festivals, concert festivals, and hosting the Foothill Band Review and Field Show Competition.

The Foothill High School Marching Band is one of the most successful high school bands in the state of California. In the past 32 years, the band has won nearly 1,000 Sweepstakes awards and 1st place trophies. The Foothill marching band competes in the NCBA circuit.

Past Foothill Band performances include a tour of England on New Year's Day in 1995, where the band set a Guinness World Book record for the longest distance a marching band has played. Among the Band's other achievements are a tour of Nice, France, five performances at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, performances in Hawaii,Canada, the Fiesta and Sun Bowls, Southern California, and the Portland Rose Festival Parade.

Members of the band practice from 7:00 to 8:12 every morning, one to two periods during the day, and from 6:00 to 9:00 every Tuesday night. Percussion practices Tuesday and Thursday nights. Auxiliary practices Wednesday nights. [http://www.foothillband.org/About_the_band.htm]

In 2007, Foothill took Grand Champion at the Fiesta Bowl Parade with 1st in Music, Marching, Drum Major, General Effect, and Auxiliary. [http://fiestabands.com/results.asp]

In the news

Tina Faelz, a fourteen year old freshman at Foothill High School, was last seen alive at about 2:35 p.m. Thursday, April 5, 1984. Her murder remains the only unsolved murder case in Pleasanton. [ [http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_7902202 1984 Pleasanton slaying remains a mystery (January 7, 2008) ] ]

On Tuesday June 8, 2004, there was a very large food fight on campus during lunch time. It was the last "regular schedule" day before the shortened lunch-less final exam days. Many students were suspended and several recommended for expulsion. One female student was arrested for possession of marijuana and alcohol. Seniors who were suspended or expelled could not attend the graduation ceremony. However, suspended students could still receive their diplomas. [ [http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/morgue/2004/2004_06_11.foot11.shtml Food fight get out of hand, students arrested (June 11, 2004) ] ]

In 2005, a portable classroom was lit on fire and melted the doors of the surrounding classrooms. The classroom was used for a computer class and over $225,000 dollars of computer equipment was lost. [ [http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/morgue/2005/2005_01_28.afoot28.shtml Investigators probe cause of $225,000 Foothill High fire (January 28, 2005) ] ]

"Freak dancing" was banned at Foothill school dances after a parent chaperone complained. Due to the freak dancing incident at Foothill in December 2005, there was no dance in December 2006. Radio station Wild 94.9 dubbed Foothill as the "Horniest School in America" after this incident. [ [http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_019003444.html cbs5.com - Freak-Dancing Banned At High School in East Bay ] ]

Demographics

Limited-English Proficient - 52 (2.41%); economically disadvantaged - 27 (1.15%); Asian - 327 (15.15%); Black, not Hispanic origin - 44 (2.04%); Hispanic - 107 (4.96%); Native American - 19 (.88%); Pacific Islander - 9 (.42%); White, not Hispanic origin - 1,570 (72.72%); Other - 75 (3.47%).

Notable alumni

*Paula Creamer, LPGA golfer
*Clayton Stroop, Musician, Thriving Ivory
*Joey Fredrick (Clark), Musician, Every Move A Picture
*Brent Messenger, Musician, Every Move A Picture
*Gabrielle Union, actress
*Kate Hooven, Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team
*Matt Dickens, Broadway Stage Actor
*Ryan Roxie, Musician, Previously Lead Guitarist with Alice Cooper

Notable awards

Ranked number 408 on Newsweek's 2008 list of the 1,300 Top U.S. Schools. [ [http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?q=2008/rank/401/ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com ] ]

References

External links

* [http://pleasanton.k12.ca.us/foothill/ Foothill High School Site]
* [http://www.foothillband.org/ Foothill High School Marching Band Website]
* [http://pleasanton.k12.ca.us/ PUSD District Site]
* [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=37.672026,-121.916721&spn=0.005927,0.014334&t=k&z=17&om=1 Satellite View from Google Maps]