Rocky Mountain High School (Colorado)
| Rocky Mountain High School (Fort Collins, Colorado) | |
|---|---|
|
Rocky Mountain High School Logo The Lobo Way | |
| Location | |
|
Fort Collins, Colorado United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°32′48.02″N 105°5′59.84″W / 40.5466722°N 105.0999556°WCoordinates: 40°32′48.02″N 105°5′59.84″W / 40.5466722°N 105.0999556°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1973 |
| School district | Poudre School District |
| Principal | Craig Woodall |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | Class of 2010: 568, Class of 2011: 515, Class of 2012: 527, Class of 2013: 493, Class of 2016; 678 |
| Number of students | 1900 |
| Color(s) | Cardinal Red and Yellow Gold |
| Athletics | 5A |
| Mascot | Lobo |
| Website | Rocky Mountain High School |
Rocky Mountain High School (abbreviated RMHS, also known as Rocky) is one of four public high schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. Its colors are cardinal red and gold and its mascot is the lobo, or wolf. The school serves roughly 2000 students, mostly from south / west/ central Fort Collins. Rocky Mountain High School opened at its current location in 1973 and was expanded in 1994.
History
Rocky Mountain High School was founded in 1973. Its student body was made up of sophomores and juniors originally from Fort Collins High School and Poudre High School. The campus was made of three separate buildings. In 1994 to 1995, the school's campus was redesigned to make one large building from the original three separate ones. A new media center, theatre, a vocal music room, a larger commons area, and a large fitness center were added during this remodel. In 2005, an auxiliary gym and multipurpose room were added. Rocky started as a three-year high school but as part of a grade reconfiguration in Poudre School District, Rocky became a four-year high school. The class of 2009 had 692 seniors, the largest senior class Rocky Mountain High School has ever had.
Academics
Rocky Mountain High School runs on a 4 by 4 block schedule with four classes a day. At the semester, courses that would typically last an entire year such as math or science end and are replaced with a new class. The studentsAdvanced Placement program. The school also participates in the CU Succeed program, which allows high schoolers to take classes for college credit at Rocky. Juniors and seniors can also take college level courses at the local community college, Front Range Community College.
Notable accomplishments
Since its opening in 1973, Rocky Mountain High School has been involved in countless sports and academic competitions. Some of the most widely recognized of their extracurricular activities are the school's athletic programs, the speech and debate programs, and the outstanding music program.
In 2006, RMHS senior Colin West won first place nationally in U.S. Extemporaneous speaking with the National Forensics League.[1]
The baseball team, coached by Scott Bullock, also won the CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association) State Championship four consecutive years from 2007 through 2010.
In 2009, as part of the High Plains Hockey League, Rocky Mountain Varsity Hockey took home the state championship.
The Rocky Mountain Highlighter, the school's prestigious newspaper, is regarded as one of the top student newspapers in the nation due to its numerous Pacemaker awards.[2] The paper is advised by Stephen Wahlfeldt.[3]
Performing arts
The Rocky Mountain High School Music Department received a prestigious award from The GRAMMY Signature Schools program. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year. Rocky Mountain High School was recognized as Colorado's best high school music program for 2010-2011. The selection process for GRAMMY Signature Schools begins each year in August when the GRAMMY Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school's music program. Applications are completed and submitted online in October at www.grammyintheschools.com. After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit GRAMMY Signature School status.
Rocky Mountain Bands
Rocky Mountain has three different levels of band: Symphonic, Summit Winds, and Rocky Mountain Winds. The Rocky Mountain winds has been recognized as one of Colorado's best bands. During the summer of 2008, the Rocky Mountain Wind Ensemble accepted an invitation to play in China prior to the Beijing Olympics games.
One of Rocky Mountain High School's other bands is Spirit Band, the school's marching band. The Spirit Band plays at every varsity football and basketball home game.
Rocky Mountain Orchestras
Rocky Mountain also has four orchestras: Concert Orchestra, Sinfonietta, Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. Each ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire, ranging from Renaissance to rock. The Symphony Orchestra strings team with members of the Rocky Mountain Winds to perform masterworks of the orchestral literature. Each orchestra gives numerous concerts throughout the year at Rocky, in the Fort Collins community, and in state festivals.
Rocky Mountain Singers
The Rocky Mountain Singers are a select mixed group, made up of 36-45 juniors and seniors. In 2007-2008, RMHS Singers were one of the 3 choirs selected out 50, accepted into the Eric Whitacre Festival singing a variety of Eric Whitacre pieces, including "Sleep" under the direction of Eric Whitacre himself. The Rocky Mountain Singers were graciously accepted to sing with the BYU Singers and CSU Chamber Singers in April 2011.
Spotlight
Spotlight is one of the many vocal groups in the Rocky Mountain High School music program. Spotlight is the school's main audition-only vocal jazz group. The group generally consists of about 12 juniors and seniors.
The group opened for/worked with groups such as First Take from Southwest Community College in Creston, Iowa, M-Pact, New York Voices, SONOS(ARORA), BASIX and Groove Society. In March 2007, the group placed second in the International Competition of High School A Cappella quarterfinals, earning them an invitation to the Semifinals in Seattle Also in March 2007, Spotlight made a trip to the California Bay Area for an a cappella boot camp, to work with an expert in contemporary a cappella music, where they put together 5 new songs in 4 days to perform at the end of the week.
The Rocky Mountain Spotlight choir made another appearance at the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) in January 2009, and was also selected to perform for the Jazz Education Network Conference in Atlanta in 2013. [2]
Echoes
Echoes is an advanced mixed chamber choir, consisting of Junior and Senior men and woman who are either in RM Singers or Prima Voce. Echoes ranges from 10 - 15 singers. Throughout the past 20 years, the group exceeded in many competitions and festivals in the state and country, including CMEA, also, functions in Germany and Italy. Echoes made a return to the RMHS choir department in the 2010-2011 school year, after a short hiatus that was started in the 2008-2009 school-year.
Prima Voce
Prima Voce is Rocky Mountains audition-only all women's choir. It is one of the top two choirs, at the same level as Rocky Mountain Singers. The choir consists of sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Con Brio
Con Brio is an intermediate choir that first started in the 2003-2004 school year. In 2007, Con Brio took 1st at the 2007 All Choir Competition in Longmont Colorado, as well as RM Singers, Bel Canto, and Prima Voce.
Capriccio
Capriccio first started off as an entry level woman's choir for sophomore, junior, and senior girls in 2008-2009. In 2009-2010, when freshman moved into Rocky, Capriccio became an all 9th grade mixed choir.
Spotlight Syrens
Syrens is a select women's vocal jazz group that began in 2008-2009. It is made up of sophomore, junior, and senior women. Spotlight Syrens were selected to perform at C.M.E.A in January 2013.
Low Beaux
Low Beaux is Rocky's all-men choir, which began in 2008-2009. Its name is a play on words and, when said, is pronounced "lobos," Rocky's mascot. It is made up of 9th-12th grade boys.
Past choirs
Bel Canto: Entry leveled mixed choir (2006–2009) Sinfonia: Entry leveled mixed choir (1973–2004) Bella Voce: Entry leveled women's choir (2003–2006) Women's Show Choir: (2006–2007) Varsity Women: Advanced women's choir (1994–2002) Center Stage: Mixed show choir (1980–2007) Mountain Men: Men's choir (1973–2004)
Notable alumni
- Andy Burns* - 2008 graduate, University of Kentucky, MLB prospect drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2008[4]
- Rick Dennison - Former linebacker, Denver Broncos[5]
- Marco Gonzales* - 2010 graduate, Major League Baseball pitcher for the Saint Louis Cardinals[6]
- Katie Herzig - Grammy award nominated singer/songwriter[7]
- Korey Jones, CFL player[8]
Colorado Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year Recipient*
References
- ↑ "Archived National Tournament Results" (PDF). National Forensics League. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ↑ "RMHS Highlighter Recognized as Top High School Newspaper". Retrieved 2012-07-26.
- ↑ http://www.allvoices.com/news/7583390-rocky-mountain-highlighter-ranked-again-as-one-of-top-student-newspapers-in-nation
- ↑ Lytle, Kevin (January 23, 2014). "Andy Burns invited to major league camp with Toronto Blue Jays". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ↑ Frei, Terry (August 19, 2008). "Dennison puts his talent on the line". Denver Post. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Cardinals' Gonzales set to debut in familiar park". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ↑ Hellen, Aaron (April 4, 2008). "Local artists returns to her roots for Apple Tree CD release". The Rocky Mountain Collegian Online. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ↑ Lyell, Kelly (May 3, 2013). "Former Rocky Mountain High School, Wyoming standout Korey Jones gets his shot at the NFL". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved June 25, 2014.