The Woodlands High School - Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular Activities

The school offers more than 80 different clubs and organizations. Students have the opportunity to participate in band, choir, speech, debate, drama, drill team, orchestra, cheerleading, and UIL academic activities.

The Woodlands High School Band was honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation with the Sudler Flag of Honor in 2003 to recognize its high standards of excellence in its concert activities over several years. The band was honored again by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 2009 with the Sudler Shield to recognize its excellence in marching band activities. This makes The Woodlands High School one of only a handful of high schools internationally to have received both the Sudler Flag and the Sudler Shield. In 2003, and again in 2012, the band was invited to perform at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois (aka The Midwest Clinic). In 2006, the band won the Bands of America class AAA National title. The band has been both a UIL state finalist and a Bands of America national finalist on multiple occasions, and has advanced to the state level of the TMEA Texas State Honor Band Competition.

In 2004, the school's newspaper, The Caledonian, was awarded the Silver Star for Excellence in Journalism by the University Interscholastic League. Various journalism awards have been given to the paper's staff including former editors Carolyn Kayes, Alison Conklin, and Trenton Horne. The Caledonian experienced a period of peak success under the leadership of Barbara Frazier, under whose administration the staff received numerous awards and accolades from the Interscholastic League Press Conference, a division of the University Interscholastic League. Frazier's successor, Laura Landsbaum, took over sponsorship of the staff during the 2004-2005 school year. Under Landsbaum's tutelage, the highest award garnered by The Caledonian was the Lone Star Award. Various students under Landsbaum received UIL honors including district placement by section editors Denny Staples and Michelle Johnston, a regional placement by section editor Katy McDowall, and state placements by Managing Editor Jenna Greengold in 2007 and section editor Kirsten Romaguera in 2009.

The Woodlands High School Winter Guard program has achieved success in both the Texas Color Guard Circuit and the Winter Guard International circuit. Winter guards from The Woodlands High School have won numerous regional and state championships, and in 2004 The Woodlands High School Winter Guard took home the WGI Scholastic Open Class World Championship title. This was the first time a Texas group took home a title.

The Woodlands High School Theatre Department has succeeded in advancing to the state finals of the UIL One-Act Play contest six times and won the state title in 2000. The theatre department has also been invited to perform on the main stage of the International Thespian Festival four times. Two students, Vic Shuttee and Megan Kane, have won the coveted National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts Grant.

The Woodlands High School choirs perform at UIL and private competitions and festivals, garnering "Sweepstakes" awards as well as "Best of Class" and "Grand Champion" awards from as far away as New York City, and as close to home as San Antonio and Houston. Large numbers of TWHS choir students have sung in all-region choirs, and many have gone on to sing in the Texas All-State choir .