Tarpon Springs High School

Coordinates: 28°08′39″N 82°46′43″W / 28.14417°N 82.77861°W

Tarpon Springs High School
Administration building
Address
1411 Gulf Road Tarpon Springs, Florida United States
Information
Type	Public
Established	1905
School district	Pinellas County
Superintendent	Dr. Michael A. Grego
Principal	Mr. James Joyer
Enrollment	1,503 (as of 2012)
Color(s)	████ Maroon ████ White
Song	Boku no Pico (Opening Theme) by Pico
Mascot	"Spongers", a diver in a full suit and Mark V helmet. Referring to the local sponge diving industry.
Nickname	TSHS
Rival	East Lake High School
Website	Tarpon Springs High School Website

Tarpon Springs High School, is a Public High School in Pinellas County, Florida. The school graduated its first class of seniors in the year 1906.^[1] The school is known most for its Greek Heritage, football, music conservatory, the culinary department, and the veterinary academy. Its mascot is the Sponger, reflecting the town's history of sponge diving. The student body is composed of 89% Caucasian, 4% African-American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Mixed-Race, and 0% American Indian.^[2] It was announced in early December 2011 that Tarpon High's graduating class of 2011's graduation rate was a record breaking 95%. This is highest rate in the school's history, higher than all county, state, and national averages. The school received an "A" grade by the state of Florida in 2010.

Programs

Clubs

The school currently has more than 20 clubs, including: Academic Team, Art Club, Poetry club, Crime Watch, DCT, Debate/Model UN, Drama Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FFA, French Club, Future Educators of America, Greek Club, Health Occupations Students Of America, Interact, Japanese Club, Key Club, Latin Club, Maroon Mob, Multicultural Club, National Honor Society, Peer Connectors, Physics Club, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, French National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), Science National Honor Society, Wild Side and Yearbook.^[3]

Outdoor Performance Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Color Guard, Percussion Ensemble

The band program, which is a part of the Leadership Conservatory for the Arts at the school, has won many awards, including:

- 2006 Bands of America Grand Nationals RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 5 time - AA National Champions Most Outstanding Music (Class AA) Most Outstanding Visual (Class AA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Class AA) Grand National Finalist 8 Consecutive appearances

- 2006 Bands Of America Atlanta Super Regional Olympic Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga. Grand Champions AA Division - 1st Place Most Outstanding Music (Class AA) Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

- 2006 Bands Of America Florida Regional Tropicana Dome, St. Petersburg Grand Champions AA Division - 1st Place Most Outstanding Music (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

- 2006 Seminole Sound Spectacular Grand Champions 1st Place Gold Division Best Color Guard Auxiliary Best Drum Major Best Woodwinds Best Brass

- 2006 Florida Bandmasters District Marching Band Festival Straight Superiors 13 Consecutive Years 2007 FBA District Jazz Festival Jazz Ensemble I Straight Superiors Jazz Ensemble II Straight Superiors

- 2007 FBA Solo and Ensemble Festival 100+ Superior Medals Winter Guard Straight Superiors

- 2007 WGI West Palm Beach Regional Winter Guard Scholastic World Class Finalist Concert Percussion Ensemble 1st Place

- 2007 FBA District Concert Festival Wind Ensemble I Straight Superiors 13 Consecutive years

- 2007 FBA District Concert Festival Wind Ensemble II Superior Rating Only 2nd Ensemble to receive Superior rating in the entire district

- 2007 WGI Tampa Regional Winter Guard Scholastic World Class Finalist

- 2007 North Texas State University Jazz Festival Dallas, Texas Only Jazz Ensemble from Florida invited to perform

- 2007 John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center National Band and Orchestra Festival, Washington DC Gold Rating (One of 5 Scholastic Wind Ensembles selected nationally to perform at the Kennedy Center)

- 2010 BOA Atlanta Super Regional Grand Champions and Class AAA Champions

- 2010 Bands of America Grand Nationals Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana Class AAA National Champions Most Outstanding Visual (Class AAA & Finals) Most Outstanding General Effect (Class AAA) (Tied with Kennesaw Mountain High School Marching Band)

- 2011 Bands Of America Atlanta Super Regional Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga. Grand Champions AAA Division - 1st Place Most Outstanding Music (Class AAA) Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AAA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AAA)

- 2012 Bands Of America Atlanta Super Regional Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga. Grand Champions AA Division - 1st Place Most Outstanding Music (Class AA) Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

- 2012 Bands of America Grand National Finalists and AA National Champions

- 2013 Bands of America Atlanta Super Regional Class AA Champions

- 2011 Bands Of America Atlanta Super Regional Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga. Grand Champions AA Division - 1st Place Most Outstanding Music (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding Visual (Finals & Class AA) Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA)

-2014 Bands of America Grand National Champions and AA National Champions - 1st place Most Outstanding Music Performance (Finals & Class AA), 1st place Most Outstanding General Effect (Finals & Class AA), 1st place Most Outstanding Visual Performance (Class AA)

-2015 Berklee High School Jazz Festival Category L2 Champions, Competition Top Scorer

- Additional Achievements: One of 7 high school symphonic bands in the nation to perform at The National Band Festival in Carnegie Hall, New York City in 2005 and 2001. One of 6 symphonic bands in the nation to perform at The 2003 San Francisco International Wind Festival San Francisco, California. One of 14 symphonic bands selected to perform at The 2001 National Concert Band Festival Indianapolis, Indiana. The Marching Band is the Bands of America Grand Nationals Marching Band Division AA National Champion for 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 at the RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as the Bands of America Grand Nationals Marching Band Division AAA National Champion for 2010 The Jazz Ensemble is the 2002 and 2005 Lakeside Jazz Festival Grand Champions and has achieved 12 years of consecutive straight Superior ratings at The Florida Bandmasters Association district and state Jazz Festival. The Winter Guard/Dance Ensemble are Winter Guard International World Championship Finalists for 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011 in the Scholastic World division. The Winter Guard is the first scholastic World Class Winter Guard in the history of Pinellas County to make the Finals at the World Championship in Dayton, Ohio. In 2012, the Outdoor Performance Ensemble was selected to be 1 of 10 bands marching in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC.

Notable alumni

• Mike Gruttadauria, former NFL player
• Don Smith, former NFL player
• Kipp Vickers, former NFL player
• Ted Watts, former NFL player

References

1. http://tshs.pinellas.k12.fl.us/about/history.asp
2. http://tshs.pinellas.k12.fl.us/parent_services/sip.htm
3. "Tarpon Springs High School Clubs - Vivisection". Archived from the original on 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-09-09.