Two Teachers Tackle the History of Tuscarora: School Culture and Spirit

Two years ago, Tuscarora High School reached a major milestone: it’s ten year anniversary. 

This was a significant event, with the yearbook themed around this and numerous emblems of the Roman numeral “X” everywhere. But how did we get here? And going into the 12th year of the school’s opening, what’s changed?

Today, the stands are packed at football games, the student section (@tuskyterror on Instagram) is always full and ready to cheer on our Huskies, but school spirit has not always been so consistent. 

Mr. Blair, an English teacher at Tuscarora, weighed in on the difficulty of school spirit when the school first opened its doors: “School spirit was something that came slowly at first but has definitely taken off in the right direction since opening.”

It certainly helps that Tuscarora has a consistently winning plethora of sports teams, from Varsity Football reaching the State Semi-Final competition, the Varsity Softball team winning the District Championship, and Girls’ Cross Country taking third at the Region 4A State competition last year; there’s plenty for students to support in athletic competitions. 

Besides sports, Tuscarora has grown in numerous other ways in terms of interconnectivity among students and teachers.

“I truly love the family feeling that we have here at THS. We all come from VERY different backgrounds, students and faculty alike, but we all belong and matter,” said Blair.

The school community is always growing and changing, this was especially true in 2014 when the Huskies football coach, Adam Fortune, unexpectedly passed away. The tragedy brought the school together in a truly unprecedented way.

“…I think that defining moment in school history really taught both students and staff how important it was to rely on one another and love one another, just like you would in a family,” said Mrs. Paz, a Spanish teacher at Tuscarora.

Paz began teaching at Tuscarora in 2011, but left to live in Chile for a few years; after her return, the school culture was noticeably different.

“The biggest thing I noticed about the school culture after my return from South America was the feeling of “family” and cohesion,” Paz noted.

Tuscarora didn’t always have this sense of cohesion which Blair and Paz have remarked upon. When opening a new school, fostering a sense of belonging, community, and school spirit among students can prove difficult, especially when they have all transferred from preexisting Loudoun County Schools.

“The school was very disjointed and the students had more spirit for their previous schools (Heritage, County and Stone Bridge) than they did for our ‘new’ school,” Blair commented.

Though beginnings were rough, and the school has faced numerous challenges, Tuscarora has maintained a sense of school pride and community over the years, and continues to foster a positive environment for students and staff.