Air Academy High School (or AAHS) is a public high school that serves the northwestern end of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as the United States Air Force Academy. Air Academy has been ranked within the top 10 high schools in the state for its high academic standards. It is the only high school in the United States built on a military academy (School District 20 also has an elementary school on the Air Force Academy).
Air Academy is situated in the foothills of the Front Range, sitting at around 6,550 feet above sea level.
The school's sports mascot is the "Kadet" (KAY-det), a fictional bird of mythical proportions that is representative of a baby falcon. The name itself is a reference to the fact that the high school can be seen as a "little sibling" to the Air Force Academy. The USAFA college students are called "Cadets," and the AAHS mascot name was replaced with a K, resulting in "Kadet."
History
The school was opened in 1956 on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy for the 1957-58 academic year before having its first commencement ceremony in 1958, making the class of 2007 its 50th graduating class. It is the second oldest high school in Colorado Springs, behind Palmer High School. It was originally constructed as just one building, which is now referred to as 'A' Building, which was finished in 1959, and includes all classrooms in the 100s. 'B' Building was added the second year after the original building was constructed, and consists of the rooms in the 200s. Through the years, two other buildings were constructed to supplement the growing student population, 'C' (300s and cafeteria) and 'D' (400s and 500s) Building. The latest addition, an extension to D Building that includes all classrooms in the 500s, was completed in 1998 and consisted of several new classrooms, as well as a new gym and band room. Both gyms are located in A Building, while the smallest gym (in C Building) was converted to a weightlifting gym in 2004.
Daily schedule
Air Academy's school day started out as 7:15-2:15 daily, and originally had a 6 class period, all-day-every-day schedule with 3 lunch shifts, during period 5. The different lunch shifts were numbered periods 5A, 5B and 5C, for the students who had different lunch shifts. In 1993, the school switched to a every-other-day alternating schedule, with the rotation days being named 'Blue' and 'Silver' after the school's colors. The school hours were changed to 7:45-2:45 daily. The class periods were numbered 'B1', 'B2', 'S1', 'S2', etc. for which classes to attend on Blue days and which classes on Silver days. Until 2016, there was a period called 'Academy' time, which was from 9:10 to 9:35 daily. This was designed for students to visit their teachers to make up missing work and tests (intervention time) and socialize. At the end of the 2015-2016 school year, the school repurposed the time period, which they pushed it back to Wednesdays and Thursdays weekly. Each student was given a teacher based on last name and grade level, and must visit that teacher and show them an authorization pass or excuse permission slip from another teacher if they wanted or needed to go elsewhere. This class period was renamed from Academy to 'Kadet Time.' The name 'Kadet Time' was first used beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. From 2014 to 2016, lunch was after 3rd period. Since 2016, lunch has been after 2nd period. Students also went to their 3rd and 4th period classes every day (Blue and Silver) from 2014 to 2016. Because of this, the class periods were called 'BS3' and 'BS4' or simply just '3' and '4'. Similarly, this practice was also discontinued in 2016.
Other schedules were also created for special use, like the 8 Period schedule (for after snow cancellation days and the very beginning of each school year.) A full list of schedules used at the school can be found here.
Academics
The school was recognized by Newsweek in 2004 and 2005 as being one of the top 1000 public high schools in the country in terms of academic achievement. Air Academy has been ranked as one of the top 10 schools in Colorado multiple times and the school continues to achieve 'superior' rating on standardized tests. Air Academy is also a 11-time winner of the John Irwin School of Excellence Award (2001-2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016) from the Colorado Department of Education.
AAHS offers Advanced Placement classes to students in numerous subject areas.
Athletics
Air Academy offers varsity and junior varsity athletic teams competing in Colorado High School Activities Association 4A and 5A sporting events. Facilities at the school include two gyms, a weights facility, a track, soccer, baseball, and softball field, eight tennis courts, race track, and an outdoor football/soccer stadium (nicknamed the K-Dome).
Air Academy has had many teams enter the state playoffs, with teams such as men's and women's basketball, men and women's swimming and diving, wrestling, hockey, baseball, women's lacrosse, and cheerleading all competing for state titles. Air Academy has had individuals compete in and win individual state titles in swimming, cross-country, and track.
In 2008, Allie McLaughlin capped off these individual achievements by capturing the 5A state 3,200 meter track title with a time of 10:49. In the 2008-2009 season, McLaughlin won the individual 5A cross country finals with a time of 17:04, beating the second-place finisher by exactly one minute. She then went on to finish fourth in the Foot Locker Regional and fifth at the national competition, only twelve seconds behind the winner. At 4'10", McLaughlin is noted for her small stature.
Performing arts
Instrumental music program
Air Academy has received national acclaim for its numerous instrumental ensembles. Its marching band has consistently been state finalist since 1989 and has received state titles in 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, along with percussion caption awards (when it was still an available award) in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2003.
Outside of the state, the marching band has competed in Bands of America Super Regionals, winning 1st place in class AA in 2011 (San Antonio, Texas) and 2015 (St. Louis, Missouri). They have been a BOA finalist in 2013 (St. Louis), 2015 (St. Louis), and 2016 (St. Louis).
Air Academy's concert bands and jazz ensembles also consistently receive superior ratings.
Winter guard
The Air Academy winter guard has won many titles, including state champion in 2004 (Regional A), 2007 (Scholastic A), 2013 (Scholastic A), 2014 (National Scholastic A), 2015 (National Scholastic A), and 2016 (Scholastic A).
Choir program
The school boasts multiple choirs, as well as three a cappella groups. There is an all-boys a cappella group named the Echos from the Deep, an all-girls a cappella group named Amber Cascade, and a mixed a cappella group named Out of the Blue.
Drama program
Air Academy has a drama department that includes an award winning chapter of the National Thespian Honors Society. The school holds an annual student directed variety show called "Montage".
Forensics program
Air Academy High School is well known for having one of the best speech and debate teams in the Colorado Grande District, which comprises the southern half of Colorado on the Front Range. The team usually sends at least three people to nationals, and Air Academy is well known in the forensics community for its domination of Congressional Debate. Air Academy High School was the first (and only) school in district history to sweep all of the possible team awards for the Colorado Grande National Qualifiers Tournament, having won the Congressional Debate Sweepstakes, Debate Sweepstakes, Speech Sweepstakes, and Overall Sweepstakes during the 2013-2014 season.
The extemporaneous speaking portion of the team was also the first in district history to sweep all of the Colorado Grande National Qualifiers for Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking and United States Extemporaneous Speaking in one tournament, having completed this feat in the 2013-2014 season.
Air Academy High School maintains rivalries with Pueblo West High School, St. Mary's High School (Colorado Springs) and Cheyenne Mountain High School for the highest-ranked team in the district.
AFJROTC
Air Academy is home to District 20's CO-20021 AFJROTC Program. There are currently over 250 students from across the district enrolled in it. The schools eligible are Liberty High School, Rampart High School, Discovery Canyon Campus, The Classical Academy, Air Academy High School, and Pine Creek High School. The unit won Distinguished Unit with Merit for the 06-07, 12-13, and 15-16 school years. Currently, the unit holds the honor of having the highest number of cadets to attend service academies and ROTC scholarships in the nation. It is led by Colonel Rob Huber, Master Sergeant Anthony Rush, and Senior Master Sergeant Jerry Easley. Each class is broken down into military style "flights" consisting of A Flight-G Flight, also top five and wing staff flights making two "groups", and all together one wing.
Notable alumni
- T. A. Barron, fantasy writer
- Gregg Brandon, football coach
- Donald Cerrone, professional mixed martial artist, formerly with World Extreme Cagefighting, currently competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Pat Forde, sports journalist, ESPN
- Linden King, professional football player
- Wil McCarthy, inventor, scientist, science fiction writer
- Allie McLaughlin, mountain running long distance world champion
- John Novembre, MacArthur Genius Award winner; Professor of Computational Genetics, University of Chicago
- Pat Rice, former MLB player (Seattle Mariners)
- Matt Slauson, professional football player, New York Jets, Chicago Bears
- Nate Zuercher, banjo player, Judah & the Lion
See also
- Academy School District 20
- Liberty High School
- Pine Creek High School
- Rampart High School
References
External links
- AAHS Official website
- AAHS Daily Schedules