Langley High School is a high school within the Fairfax County Public Schools system in Northern Virginia. It is located in McLean, a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Fairfax County. The campus is located less than a mile west of the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters.
History
McLeadership Program at McLean HS - At McLean High School, upperclassmen students -- called "Big Macs" -- mentor freshmen.
"Langley High School" was established in 1965. The name 'Langley' came from Thomas Lee in honor of Langley Manor, which was part of the home estate in Shropshire, England. Langley means 'long open meadow'. Thomas Lee was one of the first to envision the Thirteen Colonies as a separate nation whose capital should be on the Potomac between Great Falls and Little Falls. Keeping these things in mind (including the Anglo Saxon background) the school steering committee chose the nickname 'Saxons' and the schools colors of forest green and old gold with white as a trim color in keeping with the traditional theme."
Demographics
The student body was 69.50% White, 20.87% Asian, 4.59% Hispanic, 1.18% Black, and 3.86% Other during the 2012â€"13 academic school year. In the 2011â€"12 school year, Langley High School's student body was 71.15% White, 19.20% Asian, 4.60% Hispanic, 1.70% Black and 3.35% Other.
Langley’s boundaries extend west of State Route 123 (Dolley Madison Boulevard) and north of both State Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and State Route 267 (Dulles Toll Road) from McLean to Great Falls, ending at the Loudoun County line. Small parts of Vienna, Reston, and Herndon along the south side of Route 7 are also within the school’s attendance area.
Until 1994, areas west of Springvale Road in Great Falls were within the Herndon High School boundaries. After leaving Forestville Elementary School, students attended Herndon Middle and Herndon High School. When Buzz Aldrin Elementary School was preparing to open, Langley High School was then under-enrolled, and some residents from the Forestville attendance area requested reassignment of their neighborhoods from the Herndon High to the Langley High School pyramid. As a result, school officials shifted Langley’s boundary line west from Springvale Road to the Loudoun County border.
During the Fairfax County School Board elections in 2011, then School Board Chairman, Janie Strauss, took credit for having "prevented changes to the Langley High School boundaries" for 18 years and for having "fought off" attempts to redistrict "current neighborhoods out of Langley".
Academics
The LHS academic program follows standard Virginia guidelines, requiring 24 credits for graduation. Additionally provided at Langley is the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Langley offers one of the most comprehensive AP programs available, featuring more than 20 AP level classes in every discipline. Significant courses include the school's Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra classes, as well as the only Russian courses offered in a Fairfax County Public High School outside of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Langley also used to contain a unique humanities department for the high school level. Students would enroll in paired English and History classes, where the curriculum paralleled one another. The humanities department was split for the 2012â€"2013 school year in favor of optional tied classes.
Langley High School is ranked as one of the top high schools in the United States and in the state of Virginia. In 2015, U.S. News and World Report listed LHS as the second best high school in Virginia, with Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ranked as the first. Langley was ranked 98 in the United States in 2015.
Extracurricular activities
Relay For Life of Langley-McLean
Since 2013, Langley High School has been host to the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Langley-McLean, an overnight fundraising event that has raised over $170,000 for the ACS since its 2013 Inaugural Event held on Saturday, April 27, 2013. The event is one of only two student-led Relay For Life fundraisers held in Virginia and received the American Cancer Society's "Youth Event of the Year" Award in the South Atlantic Region for their 2013 event. In 2014 & 2015, Relay For Life of Langley-McLean partnered with McLean High School, in hopes of expanding and increasing the event's reach in the local community. Relay For Life of Langley-McLean is planned and operated by a 50-member Executive Planning Committee consisting of students from both Langley and McLean High Schools, a representative from the local American Cancer Society (Mrs. Shari True in 2013, Mrs. Debi Hardy in 2014, and Ms. Katie Sue Van Valkenburg in 2015), and Langley High School's College and Career Advisor Mrs. Hannah Wolff. A mirror committee at McLean High School assists with the partnership between the two schools.
The Executive Planning Committee is headed up by two Event Co-Chairmen. The Inaugural Chairmen in 2013 were Zackary Dailey and Rosie Mahoney (both LHS Class of 2013) and the 2014 Event was chaired by Harris LaTeef (LHS Class of 2015) and Ava Shomaker (LHS Class of 2014). The 2014 Relay For Life of Langley-McLean was held on Saturday, April 26 at 6:00 PM to Sunday, April 27 at 6:00 AM and succeeded in raising $110,366.78 for the American Cancer Society. Over 630 teachers, students, and administrators attended the 12-hour event and was the largest fundraiser by financial success between the two schools. Representatives from the 2014 Committee attended the American Cancer Society's Annual Campus Relay For Life Training in Atlanta, Georgia in August 2014 due to the 2014 event's success. The 2015 Relay For Life of Langley-McLean is set to be held on May 16, 2015 at James Fenimore Cooper Middle School due to the upcoming renovation of Langley High School. The 2015 Committee was chaired by Harris LaTeef (LHS Class of 2015) and Allie Eames (LHS Class of 2015). The 2015 event was held on May 16, 2015 and raised over $112,000.
Model United Nations
Langley High School's Model United Nations (MUN) program is the most successful club of its kind in the history of Virginia, as the team was nationally ranked as a Top-15 high school MUN team by the Model UN consulting organization Best Delegate in the 2013-2014 school year. The Model UN team is the largest completely student-run organization at Langley High School, with membership numbering over 120 students.
Since then, Langley High School has excelled, winning Best Large at national conferences hosted across the East Coast. In 2017 Langley's MUN team won Best Large Delegation at the circuit's premier conference, ILMUNC XXXIII--defeating many power schools such as Horace Mann, Mira Costa, J.P. Stevens, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Mclean, and Princeton Day.
Langley also attends a multitude of local conferences including TECHMUN (TJHSST), CHMUN (Chantilly), PWMUN (C.D. Hylton), OPMUN (Osbourn Park), and GFMUNC (Gar-Field). Club membership is open to LHS students of all ages, who annually elect the club's five officers. In 2014, the club hosted its own inaugural high school Model UN conference, the Virginia Invitational Model United Nations Conference I (VIMUNC), attracting over 700 delegates.
South Asian Student Association
Langley High School's South Asian Student Association (SASA) is one of the most active cultural clubs of its kind in Northern Virginia. The club annually hosts Langley's renown, "International Night," providing students with the opportunity to experience various cultures from all around the world without traveling overseas to do so. Performances vary from ethnic instrumental solos, salsa, Bollywood Dances, Egyptian belly dancing, Chinese festive ribbon performances, skits by Langley's ESOL, Poi, singing, a cultural fashion show, and much more, showcasing a wide diversity of art, music and culture.
During March 2014 the club brought together six schools across Northern Virginia to celebrate Holi, a popular festival in India. In June 2014, Langley SASA hosted its first District-Wide charity event "Bollywood Bash," integrating dozens of South Asian clubs across counties in Northern Virginia and kindled a boom of cultural awareness and respect, empowering the hidden minorities and giving them an identity. The club met their fundraising goal of $1,500 that night assuming its image and prestigious reputation as the first high school cultural club in Virginia to accomplish such a feat. CORD, the organization the association is raising money for, is to help redevelop rural India by promoting literacy and strengthening local government. SASA, as one of the most active clubs at Langley, holds monthly club events ranging from Bollywood movies, charities, dinners, dances, and more.
Clubs
Langley has over 50 clubs of varying interests, including Model United Nations, South Asian Student Association (SASA), Debate and Forensics, Key Club, UNICEF Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Academic Team, Economics Club, Relay For Life of Langley-McLean and several sports and cultural appreciation clubs, including one for the performing art poi.
Student publications
Langley's award-winning student newsmagazine, The Saxon Scope, is released once a month. Student journalists write, edit and revise all articles. The newspaper reporting, typesetting, layout, photography and computer graphics designs are also done by the journalism classes at Langley, headed by the Editor-in-Chief.
Music Department
Langley's music department consists of award-winning band, choral, and orchestral programs. In addition to concerts, festivals, and competitions, the department performs in an annual in-school winter assembly for students and faculty.
The band program, under the direction of Mr. Doug Martin, consists of six bands: Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, and Jazz Band. Langley also has an active marching band that performs at home football games, as well as state marching band competitions, which is accompanied by the award-winning Color Guard team. The Langley Band performed in Spain in 2014, Chicago in 2015, and Los Angeles in 2016. The Wind Symphony performed in Indianapolis in 2017 in the prestigious Music For All National Festival. Its size has nearly doubled over the course of 2013â€"2015, and has expanded immensely.
The choral program, under the direction of Dr. Mac Lambert, consists of five choirs: Treble, Women's Select, Concert, Chamber, and Madrigals. Langley Choirs have recently competed in competitions internationally in Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg, and domestically in Orlando and San Diego. Dr. Lambert is the recipient of Langley's 2011 Teacher of the Year award.
The orchestral program, under the direction of Dr. Scott McCormick, consists of five orchestras: Freshman, Symphonic I, Symphonic II, Philharmonic, and Chamber. Langley Orchestras have recently competed in Rome, Italy.
Theatre Department
Langley's theatre department is chaired by Theatre Arts instructor, Valerie Karasek. Currently, the department produces a musical and one or more plays every year. In the 2014â€"2015 season, the department produced The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and will compete in the VHSL competition with a one act directed by student Hannah Fletcher, 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview. The 2013â€"2014 season included productions of Little Women: The Musical, Fearful Symmetry, and The Children's Hour. The 2012â€"2013 season included productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. The 2011â€"2012 season included productions of Grease and the Cappie-nominated production, The Crucible.
For the first time in Saxon stage history, Langley High School became the VHSL Liberty Conference 6A one-act competition champions in January 2014 when they won first place with their production of Fearful Symmetry. The production later went on to win 3rd place in the Region 6A North Competition, making it the highest ranked student-directed production of the competition. Kathleen Welch was part of the "All Star Cast" of outstanding actresses and honorable mentions were given to Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf (student directing) and the ensemble of Madeleine Chalk, Jamie Goodson, Rachel Mayman, and Kathleen Welch.
Langley High School participates in the Cappies Critics and Awards Program for High School Theater. Its 2014 production of The Children's Hour won two Cappie awards for Best Play and Supporting Actress in a Play (Lily Brock). Its 2009 production of Time's Square 2090, an original musical written by Wesley Brandt, who graduated from Langley in 2010, won four Cappie awards for Creativity, Best Ensemble in a Musical, Best Male Dancer, and Best Musical. Langley's critic team received nominations in 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, winning the 2002 award for Best Critic team. Langley won the Cappie award for 2011 Rising Critic (Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf), 2012 award for Featured Actress (Kaity Hinojosa), 2013 awards for Returning Critic (Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf) and Ensemble in a Play (Crummles Theatre Troupe), and 2014 award for Graduating Critic (Jamie Joeyan-Waldorf). In 2016, "Chicago" won two Cappie awards for Best Male Dancer (Cuinn Casey) and Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Jamie Goodson).
On February 1, 2018, the theatre department announced the cancellation of "And Then There Were None", just a week prior to opening night.
List of Productions
Science Fair
Langley High School actively participates in science fair events. Each year, first and second-place winners from the school-hosted science fair are selected to attend the Fairfax County Science and Engineering Fair. The Fairfax County Science and Engineering Fair is an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) affiliated fair, sending around 10 projects each year to the international fair. Notable winners from the past have included:
- (2009) Jun Sup Lee â€" 4th Place Grand Prize in Mathematics at the competition in Reno, NV.
- (2010) Jong Hyuck Won â€" Grand Prize Winner and Best of Category in Medicine and Health Sciences at the competition in San Jose, CA.
- (2011) Kelly Martins â€" 3rd Place Grand Prize in Environmental Management at the competition in Los Angeles.
- (2012) Jason Cui â€" 4th Place Grand Prize in Medicine and Health Sciences at the competition in Pittsburgh, PA.
Other activities
Langley's fashion department sponsors an annual fashion show that is held in Langley's auditorium. Student directors, who are also Fashion Marketing students, spend months planning the event, soliciting student models, creating publicity, and choreographing dances to go with each fashion scene. The event attracts sold-out crowds every year. Past show themes have included "Walk Into The Wild", "Once Upon A Runway: A Fashion Fairytale", and "Stellar Style."
Langley's Science Olympiad team consistently receives accolades at the state and national level. In 2015, they beat out their rival the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology at the Virginia state tournament to secure a spot at the national tournament, where they performed admirably.
Athletics
Langley plays in the AAA Liberty District of the Northern Region. The Langley sports teams are all referred to as the "Saxons" (or "Lady Saxons" for some women-only sports), and their primary sports rival is McLean High School. The Girls' Swim and Dive Team won districts in 05-06. The football team won the Northern Region and went to the state finals in 1993. The boys' wrestling team won the Liberty District Tournament the last 11 years straight (2001â€"2011). In addition, they were Northern Region champions in 2007. The girls' volleyball team, for the first time ever, went to the 2007 final round at the state championship tournament but was unable to pull out a victory over the previous year's state champions, Deep Run High School. In 2009, Langley's AAA boys' lacrosse team, coached by Earl Brewer, won the state championship, defeating Chantilly High School in overtime 4â€"3. They repeated as AAA State Champions in 2010 with a 12â€"5 victory over the Loudoun Valley Vikings and again, in 2011 with a 17â€"8 win over the Chantilly Chargers again.
The Girls' Tennis won districts in 2010, finished Northern Region runner-up, and reached the state semifinals. They avenged themselves by winning the Northern Region title the following year, then going undefeated in 2012 to sweep the district, regional, and state titles. Langley High School Boys' Soccer team won its first Virginia State Championship Coached by Bo Amato, a former Manchester United academy player. Attributed to the highly competitive nature of 6A Boys' High School soccer in Virginia, at the end of the 2014â€"2015 soccer year, Langley's boys' varsity team held the rank of No. 4 in the country by soccer publication TopDrawerSoccer.com. Bo Amato earned his 100th win this season and the team finished 20â€"1â€"1 with its only lost to local rival McLean High School.
Langley High School's mascot is the Saxon, in honor of McLean, VA's predominantly Scottish heritage. Conversely, their sports rival, McLean High School's mascot is the Highlander. The mascot was given the name "Otto" in 2010, named after Otto the Great (It was affectionately called Otto by the student body at least as early as 1990).
State championships
Langley has won 39 AAA state championships, which are:
- Girls Volleyball 2013, 2017
- Boys Lacrosse 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
- Girls Tennis 1979, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2012
- Girls Swim and Dive 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2011, 2015
- Boys Golf 1983, 1984, 2001, 2011, 2016, 2017
- Girls Gymnastics 2004
- Boys Tennis 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994
- Softball 1992
- Girls Cross-Country 1983, 1984
- Boys Cross-Country 1979
- Scholastic Bowl 2014, 2015, 2016
- Boys Soccer 2015, 2017
Langley has received two sportsmanship awards, one in AAA girls soccer in 2001 and one in AAA girls volleyball in 2007. In addition, Langley won first place in the Wachovia Cup standings in 1991â€"1992 for athletics.
United States Congressional Baseball Game
In 1977 the Congressional Baseball Game was forced to play the annual game on Langley High School's baseball field due to two previous rain outs on Memorial Stadium.
Notable alumni
- Bruce Allen, 1974, Team President of the Washington Redskins
- Michael Arndt, 1984, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Little Miss Sunshine
- Ross Butler, 2008, actor
- Paula Cale, 1988, actress
- Steve Czaban, 1986, radio personality
- Lauren Graham, 1984, actress
- Neesa Hart, 1985, Award-winning bestselling author, Congressional Medalist, and children's theater producer
- Michael J. Hicks, 1980, economist
- Juliet Huddy, 1987, The Morning Show
- Ashley Iaconetti, 2006, reality television star
- Matt Kaufmann, 1970, computer scientist and winner of the 2005 ACM Software System Award
- Richard Leigh, 1970, songwriter
- G. David Low, 1974, astronaut
- Timothy C. May, freshman year only, cypherpunk and former chief scientist at Intel
- Michael Joseph Ryan, 2016, Trump Tower climber
- Lauren Shehadi, 2001, sportscaster
References
