Hereford High School, Parkton
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| Established | 1954 |
|---|---|
| Type | Public high school |
| Principal | John Bereska |
| Faculty | 79[1] |
| Students | 1,376[2]
Grade 9: 345 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 17301 York Road, Parkton, Maryland, USA |
| District | Baltimore County Public Schools |
| Colors | Maroon and Gold
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| Mascot | Bull |
| Website | http://herefordhs.bcps.org/ |
Hereford High School is a four-year public high school located in the rural northern Baltimore County town of Parkton, Maryland, USA, as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools. The school was established in 1954.
Busing is used to transport Hereford students, who live the school's district, called the Hereford Zone. The Hereford Zone covers 233 square miles and makes up over a third of Baltimore County by area.[3]
This school has the only agriscience program in the county.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
Agricultural High School opened in Sparks, Maryland in 1909 and had its first graduating class in 1912.[4] The name was changed to Sparks High School around 1920, and it was converted into an elementary school in 1953.[4] Hereford High School was established in Parkton, Maryland to replace Sparks High School in 1954.[4]
[edit] Arts
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007) |
Currently, there are many music programs offered at Hereford, including:
- Concert Band (for freshmen)
- Concert Orchestra (for freshmen)
- Concert Choir (for freshmen)
- Women's Choir
- Ladies Faire
- The Bulltones (an expanded version of a barbershop quartet)
- Symphonic Winds (for upperclassmen)
- Symphonic Orchestra (for upperclassmen)
- Jazz Band (for upperclassmen)
- Chamber Choir (for upperclassmen, by audition only)
- Pep Band (for Basketball and Football games)
- Pit Orchestras (for the Winter musical, by audition only)
Starting in the 2006-07 school year, a Pep Band under the supervision of (then) Music Department Director Mark Zielinski and Orchestra Director Peter Lander was formed. It played at men's and women's basketball games. It is now under the supervision of Peter Lander and Rachel Zephir. Also, under the direction of Mrs. Elizbeth Fink, a version of a barbershop quartet, named the Bulltones was formed and performed at the following concerts.
In 2007, the Hereford High School Symphonic Winds were able to perform Chorus Angelorum by composer Samuel R. Hazo. The piece was commissioned for the Winds two years prior, after the death of Joey and Audrey Baseman (their siblings and grandchildren were in the band).
The art program at Hereford is under the direction of Kathleen Gardner and Joanna Hicks. The major group for this department is the National Art Honor Society, which provides services like face-painting at Homecoming, sponsorship of Youth Art Month activities, assisting at after-school art programs in the city and county, the House of Ruth art supply fund and more.
The theatre program at Hereford is under the direction of Chris Rose. There used to be three shows per year, however, it has been said that there will only be two shows this year. Currently, Hereford partakes in the Cappies program in the Baltimore Area. In the past, they have won awards for Best Musical (Pippin), Best Female Vocalist (Katherine Crowe in Pirates of Penzance and Julienne Gede in The Secret Garden), Best Costumes (Abby Urbanas, Steph Parks, Hannah Morgan in The Secret Garden) and, under the direction in past years of Lee Waters, members of the theatre program as well as the program as a whole won a number of awards at the All State Theatre Festival, held annually at Magruder High School in Montgomery County. Because of this continually evolving program, the actors have been able to perform songs on the Hippodrome Stage. They have also won awards at the yearly trip to the Pennsylvanian Renaissance Festival. An extracurricular Improv Troupe and Drama Club also exist.
There is no dance program at Hereford.
[edit] Athletics
The mascot of Hereford is the bull, due to the region's rich agrarian history. The women's teams are called "Lady Bulls".
The school has won many state athletic championships including 13 since the year 2000:[5]
- Men's Cross Country: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978
- Women's Cross Country: 1978, 1979, 1980, 2004, 2005
- Field Hockey: 1979, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006
- Football: 1997, 2001, 2002
- Men's Indoor Track: 1980
- Men's Lacrosse: 1977, 1982, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2003
- Women's Lacrosse: 2001, 2002, 2003
- Men's Soccer: 1987, 1988, 1989
- Women's Soccer: 2000
- Volleyball: 1975, 1979
- Wrestling: 1970
- Boys' Track & Field: 1971 & 1972[6]
The Hereford High School varsity football team (the "Bulls") is well known throughout the state of Maryland.[7] The Bulls have won three state titles in recent years (1997, 2001, 2002). Much of this success is attributed to coach Steve Turnbaugh.[7] [8]
In May 2006, Hereford High School initiated a controversial appeal of a ruling in the Class 2A state championship in girls' track. The initial ruling had upheld the victory of Alison Smith in the 1600-meter race, denying a claim that Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden, a wheelchair athlete, had assisted team-mate Smith by pacing her. The consequential disqualification of McFadden and Smith by the Jury of Appeals of the State Games Committee cost defending champion Atholton High School the title.[9]
Hereford High is also the host of the annual "Bull Run" Cross Country Invitational, run in the end of September, which is one of the largest East Coast cross country running events, attracting over 100 schools from surrounding states. The "grueling" course is noted for its hills, twists, turns and a steep ravine known as "The Dip", all making for what has been called "The Toughest Three Miles in Cross-Country" by John Dye of DyeStat.[10][11]
[edit] Statistics
- Total students: 1,376[2]
- Classroom teachers: 79[1]
- Student/teacher ratio: 17 students per teacher
- White (not Hispanic) 94%, African American 3%, Asian/Pacific Islander 1%, Hispanic 1%, American Indian/Alaskan Native 0%[12]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Matthew McKaig, a 1992 graduate of Hereford High School, and United States Army soldier who guarded the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery for 1,121 shifts, exceeding a decade-old record of 1,119.[13]
- The school was in the news when two alumni, Lance Cpl. Norman W. Anderson III and Marine Cpl. Joshua D. Snyder, were killed in Iraq in just over a month in 2005.[14][15]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Hereford High School". Public School Review LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ a b "2006 Maryland Report Card". Maryland State Department of Education. June 15, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ "Open and Closed Session Minutes". Board of Education of Baltimore County, Maryland. January 13, 2004. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ a b c Van den Beemt, Pat. "Pages from the past - History of Sparks High School preserved". North County News. August 1, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ Hereford High School State Championships, accessed December 23, 2006
- ^ MPSSAA Track & Field[1]
- ^ a b Worgo, Tom. "Back on top: Hereford wins second straight state championship". North County News. December 4, 2002. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ Platania, Joe. "Baltimore Football Report". Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC. October 30, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ Groundbreaking wheelchair athlete disqualified at state meet, USA Today, 2006-05-26
- ^ Flynn, Sean P. "Far From All Downhill; 'The Toughest Three Miles in Cross-Country'", The Washington Post, November 12, 2005. Accessed December 27, 2007.
- ^ Kent, Milton. "Bull Run Invitational showcase running out of elite competition", Baltimore Sun, September 28, 2007. Accessed December 27, 2007. "The Bull Run has become one of the biggest races on the East Coast cross country calendar each year, attracting schools from four surrounding states and the District of Columbia.... This year, more than 100 schools, 2,600 runners, spectators and well-wishers are expected to pack Hereford with cars lined along York Road for miles, as the course, which twists and turns along steep hills and woods, is as much a part of the event as the competition itself."
- ^ "2006 Maryland Report Card". Maryland State Department of Education. June 15, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ "A Final Salute; Sentry Set a Record at Tomb of the Unknowns", The Washington Post, March 7, 1996. pg. V.01
- ^ "Parkton Marine killed in Iraq - '02 Hereford High graduate victim of suicide car bomb in Karabilah", Baltimore Sun, October 21, 2005
- ^ "Second Hereford High Grad Killed in Iraq", Capital News Service (Maryland), December 2, 2005
