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Los Alamitos High School

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Los Alamitos High School
Location
Map
Los Alamitos
,
California

United States of America
Information
TypeFree public
MottoDieu Et Mon Droit
Established1967
School districtLos Alamitos Unified School District (part of the Anaheim Union High School District, 1967-1980)
PrincipalKelly Godfrey
Number of students3,173 (2007-2008)
Color(s)Red, white, blue, gold
MascotGriffin (named Gunther and Gretchen)
WebsiteSchool website

Los Alamitos High School (also known as Los Al) is a public school for grades 9 to 12 located in Los Alamitos, California, and also serving the city of Seal Beach and the community of Rossmoor. It is the only traditional high school in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Both Oak Middle School and McAuliffe Middle School feed into Los Alamitos High.

History

In its very first year, classes were held at Pine Junior High School (now McAuliffe Middle), and only sophomores attended. The following year saw the school move into its new campus whose buildings were specifically designed for Los Al's unique flexible scheduling program (and the addition of juniors, followed by seniors the next year). This version of flexible scheduling used then-current computer technology to generate daily class schedules based on each instructor's lesson plans. Students would report each morning to their "scheduling class" to receive their daily schedule - broken into a series of "modules". Each teacher would select the needed number of fifteen minute modules to allow for that day's instruction, whether it be a test, a lecture, a lab, etc. In their scheduling class, students could rearrange or fill open modules from the "May" schedule, a listing of available classes. This allowed serious students to make the best use of their schedule to attend classes in a sequence that made more sense for that day.

Los Al's unique flexible scheduling was replaced with a traditional school schedule in 1977 after it was discovered that less disciplined students were abusing the system. For those more dedicated students who leveraged the school's unique scheduling to their advantage, Los Al produced an extraordinary number of early graduates, who went on to succeed in the best universities.

Beginning in Fall 1987, the Orange County High School of the Arts was resident on its campus, but its success and growth led it to move to a bigger campus in Santa Ana in 2000.

When the third wave ska craze hit Orange County in the early 1990s, Los Alamitos High School was an incubator for some of these bands. Los Alamitos High School produced such ska bands as: Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, The Scholars, The Nuckle Brothers, and the ill fated Free Jeff.

Los AL is also known for their fierce rivalry with Esperanza High School.

Principals of Los Alamitos High School:

  • 1967-1968 Mr. Wilbur Wheaton
  • 1968-1970 Mr. William McKee
  • 1970-1976 Mr. Dale Schroeder
  • 1976-1979 Mrs. Mary Franks
  • 1979-1980 Mr. Dale Hughes
  • 1980-1985 Mr./Dr. Rudy Castruita
  • 1985-1998 Mrs. Carol Hart
  • 1998 (interim) Mrs. Sherry Kropp
  • 1998-2000 Dr. Rebecca Shore
  • 2000 (interim) Mr. Kelly Godfrey
  • 2000-2006 Mr. Dan Brooks
  • 2006-present Mr. Kelly Godfrey

Extracurricular Activities

Athletic programs

Los Al is known for its success in many Varsity sports. The Griffin Varsity soccer, team has won CIF-Southern Section titles in 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984. The boys Varsity Football team won the CIF Southern Section titles in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 2002, and reached the finals and semi-finals on numerous other occasions, most recently in 2005. The Griffin Varsity golf team won its first CIF section championship in the 2005 season and repeated in 2006. The Boys water polo team was also CIF-SS Division II champions in Fall 2004. 2006. The boys Basketball team won CIF championships in 2006 as well as in 2007.

The women's volleyball team were CIF Southern Section champions in 2002 (Division IA), 2004, and 2005 and CIF State champions in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Girls soccer won CIF section titles in 1996 (Div. II), 1997 (Div. I) and 2005 (Div. I). The last team was also named the No. 1 team in the nation by Student Sports Magazine.

Los Al Basketball great Ali Ton hold the assist record at Davidson College

The Los Alamitos High School marching band/entertainment unit took sweepstakes in their division or the first time in 2006, after going undefeated all season. The unit has an award winning drumline as well as Colorguard.

The Los Alamitos High School Vocal Music Program

The Los Alamitos High School Vocal Music Program boasts six successful choirs. Each group has a successful history in competitions.

  • Sound FX: The advanced Show Choir.
  • Soundtrax: The advanced Women's Show Choir.
  • Xtreme: Men's Choir.
  • Axcent: The beginning Women's Choir.
  • Xpressions: The advanced Concert Choir, specializing in classical music, for those with exceptional musical ability.
  • XS: Its a beginning extracurricular Vocal Jazz group, consisting of 16 members. The group's membership is volunteer-based and is open to all students. In 2006-2007, they placed 16th of 17 groups at the Cal-State Fullerton Jazz Festival.

Director Dr. Randi Carp has been involved in public school choral music in the USA since 1965. For the past 16 years she has been the Director of Vocal Music at Los Alamitos High School. 2008 is her last year at Los Al. Her groups are constantly active in school and community performances, traditional choral festivals and many show choir competitive activities. Dr. Carp brings a beginners look to the Los Alamitos music department. She has taught music education at California State University, Fullerton and was the President of the Southern Section of the California Music Educator's Association. Dr. Carp was named the 2004-05 Teacher of the Year for the Los Alamitos Unified School District. The choir director for the 2008- 2009 year and beyond is Dr. David Moellenkamp

CIF teams

Note: This list does not include sports which are currently clubs and thus not officially recognized in CIF.

Other school group programs

Academic Accolades

  • United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School - 1990, 1994, 1998 (Special Honors in Art Education for 1998)[1]
  • California Department of Education California Distinguished School - 1988, 1994, 1998[2]
  • California School Boards Association Golden Bell Awards - 1998 (Griffins with a Mission), 2005 (Contemporary Media in the Arts)[3]

Notable alumni

Actors
Professional Sports
Music
Others


Bands

References

External links

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