La Cañada High School

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La Cañada High School

Established	1963
School type	Public
Principal	Dr. Damon Dragos
Location	La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States
Students	approx. 1,800
Mascot	The Spartan
Colors	Maroon and Gold
Website	www.lcusd.net/lchs

La Cañada High School is a four year comprehensive secondary school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The school is adjacent to the 210 Freeway north of Pasadena's world famous Rose Bowl and south NASA's prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Its address and email address are: 4463 Oak Grove Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011.

1 Mission statement
2 Alma Mater
3 Academics
4 Athletics
5 Extracurricular Activities
6 Library: the IRC
7 Expected Schoolwide Learning Results
8 Statistics & Trivia
9 Famous Alumni
10 External links

[edit] Mission statement

"It is the mission of La Cañada High School, through the coordinated efforts of its faculty, staff, and community, to provide programs so that, upon graduation, all students will be inspired and able to use their developed skills to become leaders in service to society."

[edit] Alma Mater

Front view of LCHS

La Cañada, proud and grand
Alma mater shall forever stand!
Our crowning glory, strong and bold
We will honor thee, Red and Gold.
Through the years we'll sing thy name
With faith and loyalty!
Praise to our Alma Mater;
Hail, All Hail!

[edit] Academics

LCHS offers a full range of academic courses, including:

Spanish, French, German, and Korean language classes.
American Sign language is also offered after school, it is brought from GCC (Glendale College) and you can earn college credit if you take it. Armenian might also be offered in the 2007-2008 school year. It is probably going to be offered as a regular class, but it might be brought from GCC.

Band, Orchestra, and Choir programs for all levels of learning
Theatre, Dance, Art, and Creative Writing classes of all kinds
Science courses in Geology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Levels of Mathematics up to Calculus AB/BC
AP and Honors courses

In addition, La Canada High School has had the second highest Academic Performance Index score among all comprehensive public high schools in southern California, a reflection of the academic excellence that it embodies.

[edit] Athletics

La Canada High School competes interscholastically as a member of the Rio Hondo League in Boy's and Girl's Soccer, Volleyball, Water Polo, Tennis,Ryan Lisman Tossing, Basketball, Track and Field, Cross Country, Golf, and Swimming, as well as Baseball, Softball, and Boy's Football and Wrestling. In addition, LCHS also has a club Hockey and equestrian team.

The Spartans have continued, over the last few years, to be the dominant force in Rio Hondo league play, capturing the 2005-2006 league championships in Boys' Water Polo, Swimming, Boys' Basketball, Cross Country, Baseball. In addition, the Swimming and Boys' Waterpolo teams both won the CIF Southern Section championships, however the swimming championship was revoked due to minor violations of C.I.F. policies. The Spartans' equestrian team won the Interscholastic Equestrian League championship. Boys' Wrestling, coached by Gavin Williams, has captured its second Academic CIF Championship while remaining competitive in wrestling dual matches. In 2007, La Canada High earned a two-seed in the CIF Boy's Basketball Division III State Tournament, advancing to the regional finals before losing to Artesia High School, who was ranked number one in the nation. The 2007 Spartan basketball team was led by Adam Malik, who posted impressive numbers throughout the regular season and the tournament.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

La Canada High School features numerous clubs and organizations which are run by the very involved and enthusiastic student body.

The various clubs include:

Technology Club
The Student Union
Key Club
S.A.D.D. - Students Against Drunk Driving
JSA - Junior Statesmen of America
Art Club
Ceramics Club
Chess Club
GSA - Gay Straight Alliance
Spanish Club
French Club
Science Club
Cultural Awareness Club
Bible Club
Literary Arts Club
Math Club
Green Club
21st Century Institutes
Amnesty International
Recreational Club
ComedySportz Team
Bridge (Peer Counciling)
German Club
CSF - California Scholarship Federation
NHS - National Honor Society
Yo-Yo Club
Amtgard Club
Atheists and Agnostics Club
Harry Potter Club
Interact Club

All of the clubs on campus are governed by the Associated Student Body, or "ASB" as it is known. This student government group is comprised of elected officers and representatives from grades 9 through 12. In addition to governing clubs, ASB plans school dances, pep rallies, games and music in the quad, manages the student store, and plans other events such as blood drives, senior activities, etc. The advisor for ASB is Ms. Tamar Hill, a science teacher and girls basketball coach.

[edit] Library: the IRC

LCHS's Information Resource Center (IRC)

LCHS's Information Resource Center (IRC) opened in February 2002 and is a multi-use facility with up-to-date technology and information available to all the school's students. The IRC's mission is "to prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading and the use of information technologies." The library is available for public use Monday through Friday from 3:30-8:00 PM, except during school holidays. Below is a photo of the interior of the IRC. The desks in the foreground are equipped with internet-connected computers, the monitors of which can be seen through the desks' clear tops.

[edit] Expected Schoolwide Learning Results

LCHS graduates will have the ability to communicate effectively through:
- Speaking and writing to and for diverse audiences.
- Using correct grammar (conventions)
- Other forms of communicating, depending upon purpose, including cultural and social appropriateness in varying ways
LCHS graduates will become life-long learners who can explore and develop knowledge and skills that lead to a fulfilling life.
- Developing a sense of one's gifts, talents, and potential
- Developing self-confidence and self-esteem
- Knowing the value of life-long learning
- Learning to function independently and responsibly
- Balancing home, career, and leisure time
- Setting personal and professional goals
- Establishing habits of mental, physical, and social well-being through physical fitness, nutrition, and hygiene
LCHS graduates will be able to use technology as a tool to facilitate and enhance learning, to solve problems, to perform life skills, and to adapt to a constantly changing world through:
- Accessing and utilizing technology
- Accessing and retrieving information
- Analyzing, evaluating, and applying information
- Applying technology to "real world" problems
- Creating, maintaining, and/or presenting data
- Be able to evaluate the uses of technology
LCHS graduates will become productive, responsible citizens as shown by interacting with their school, community, nation, and world through:
- Awareness and comprehension of current events
- Acceptable ethical and behavioral standards
- Accountability for personal actions
- Awareness and comprehension of their role as citizens in school, community, nation and world
- Civic and personal responsibility
- Respect for the tolerance of cultural, sexual, physical, and religious diversity
- Adaptability, Compassion, Courage
- Deliberateness, Honesty, Initiative
- Loyalty, Optimism, Perseverance, Trustworthiness
LCHS graduates will have the ability to think critically through:
- Formulating ideas
- Creativity
- Logic and reasoning skills
- Strategizing
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Conflict-resolution

[edit] Statistics & Trivia

Student body is primarily made up of Caucasian and Asian students, currently there are less than 2 percent of African American students, totaling in 5 students.
99% of each graduating class goes on to college.
LCHS' cross-town rival schools are Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, South Pasadena High School in South Pasadena and San Marino High School in San Marino.
Junior high yearbook is called Alpha; high school yearbook is called Omega.
Junior high newspaper is called The Spartan Star; high school newspaper is called The Spartan but was formerly known as The Odyssey.
There are three public elementary schools that feed into LCHS: LCE (La Cañada Elementary), PCR (Palm Crest Elementary), and PCY (Paradise Canyon Elementary).
La Canada High School is the first Rio Hondo League school with FieldTurf
La Canada High School is composed of two schools on campus. One is the high school(9-12) and the other the junior high school(7-8). Although the two schools are officially separate, they share many of the same teachers, facilities and organizations.
In 2005-06 school year the LCHS (7/8 grade) had about 25-30 ethnic armenians in its jr. high accounting for about .5-.8% of the school.

[edit] Famous Alumni

Matt Whisenant (1989), former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Peter Wells (1992), competed in sailing (mistral class) at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Jason Inouye (1992), cinematographer.
Brian Hull (1992), golfer.
Sam Paneno (1997), co-winner of the inaugural NCAA Inspiration Award.
Josh Henderson (1996), led the spartans to 2 national championships in soccer and played for the U-21 national team, in which he was the leading scorer in the world.