Mountain View High School (Mountain View, California)

For other schools named "Mountain View High School", see Mountain View High School (disambiguation).
Mountain View High School
Address
3535 Truman Avenue
Mountain View, California
United States
Information
Type Public
School district MVLA
Principal David Grissom
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1,851 (2012)
Campus Open
Color(s) Black and Gold
National ranking 297th out of 300 (as of 2013)
Newspaper The Oracle [1]
Yearbook Aegir
Website Mountain View High School

Mountain View High School (MVHS or MV) is located at 3535 Truman Avenue, Mountain View, California, 94040. It is one of two Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District public high schools-- in fact, it is the second highest ranked school in the district, behind only Los Altos High School. Mountain View High School serves a diverse student body of over 1750 students from the cities of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. As of 2012, the student body is 51% White, 25% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 2% other, and 2% African-American.[2] As a college preparatory high school, MVHS offers open access to all 25 Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses across the curriculum. The school earned the distinction of California Distinguished High School in 1988, 1994, and 2003.[3] In 2000 and 2007, MVHS received a full 6 year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school sent 97% of its graduating class of 2013 to post-secondary schools. Newsweek ranked Mountain View High School as the 224th best public open enrollment high school in the nation in 2007.[4] In addition, the California Department of Education recognized Mountain View High School as a California Gold Ribbon School, citing its "Equal Opportunities Schools" program that identifies and supports first generation students taking rigorous academic courses.[5]

MVHS Theater and entrance

History

Before Mountain View High School was created in 1902, students living within the town's limits would take the train from Downtown Mountain View Station on Castro Street to attend either Palo Alto or Santa Clara High Schools. In August 1902, the town of Mountain View opened its first school at the corner of El Camino Real and Calderon Streets, named Mountain View Union High School. By the dawn of the 1920s, the high school's student body was increasing to the point where the campus was unable to accommodate any more students. In 1922, the school district decided to build a new campus at a new location on Castro Street. The new campus first opened its doors in late August, 1924. By 1933, the opening of Moffett Field would force the school to add new buildings to the campus in order to accommodate both the locals and the military children who would be transferred in and out every year.

By the 1950s, Mountain View Union High School was once again unable to accommodate the increasing student body on its campus. In order to fix this issue, the school district added another school, Los Altos High, to the district in the small rural town of Los Altos.

By 1961, the district added another school near Grant Road at the corner of Truman and Bryant. This was named Chester F. Awalt High School, and closed in 1981 due to declining enrollment. Mountain View School District (known today as MVLA) decided to sell the original school buildings back to the city and relocate to the newly closed Awalt High School location. Los Altos High School adopted the MV school colors and mascot. Thus, Mountain View became the black and gold Spartans and Los Altos dropped the Knights and became the blue and gray Eagles.

Classes

The high school holds an open enrollment policy: any student may register for any class being offered at the school, regardless of a student's grade. Mountain View High, like most Bay Area schools, offers all 8 of the AP advanced STEM classes including AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. Environmental Science AP and Psychology AP were added as class options for the academic year of 2013-2014.

Performing Arts

The MVHS Performing Arts Department consists of student musicians, performers, and artists working together in a variety of different ways. Classes are available for all levels ofexperience, interest, and time commitment. All of our yearlong courses are A-G approved and our co-curricular after school programs include a Symphony Orchestra, Musicals, Plays, Winter Auxiliary Programs, and Dance Recitals. Approximately 500 students participate in a Performing Arts class and nearly 10% of the student body is a member of the award-winning Spartan Marching Band.

The Drama Department produces three plays per year, along with a student-directed one-act play festival. Trips include Theatreworks student matinees, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

The Choir Department is very active on campus and in the local communities. With combined yearly performances reaching nearly 100, vocalists at all levels have plenty of opportunities to sing a wide variety of repertoire. The two advanced choirs tour (domestically and abroad) each year.

The Spartan Marching Band

Dance Spectrum serves nearly 200 students each year. Dancers are exposed to styles and techniques from around the world. The culminating performance in May gives student choreographers the opportunity to design, develop, and lead their peers through dances ranging from Hip-Hop to Folklorico.

Instrumental Music houses two levels (intermediate and advanced) of Band, Orchestra, and Jazz along with their all-inclusive flagship Marching Band and Color Guard. Student Musicians will gain experience in Music Theory, Composing, Conducting, and Leadership. Aside from three large-ensemble concerts per year, the students host a Chamber Concert each semester that provides opportunities for small ensembles and soloists to perform for an audience.

Demographics

As of 2012, the enrollment at Mountain View High School was 1,851. During the 2012 school year, the students were 51% White, 20% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 2% Black, 1% Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, <1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 2% two or more races.[2]

MVHS Library

Academics

25 students from the class of 2013 were named National Merit Scholar semifinalists.[6] The classroom student:teacher ratio is 21:1. Newsweek ranked Mountain View High School as the 224th best high school in the nation in 2007 .[4]

Mountain View also has high statewide test scores. In 2009 MVHS achieved an Academic Performance Index (API) score of 865 out of 1000.

Athletics

MVHS Athletics is part of Central Coast Section (CCS), which governs High School Athletics from San Francisco to King City, and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The school sponsors the following interscholastic teams for young men and women: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, football, volleyball, badminton, and water polo.

In the spring of 2014, the Men's Volleyball team came from behind to beat inter-city rival Saint Francis in 5 sets in the CCS Championship. They went on to win the Norcal Tournament, thus defeating Saint Francis a second time 3 sets to 1. They compiled a 34-3 record, 14-0 in league, and ranked #4 in the nation, #3 in state, according to Maxpreps.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Oracle Online
  2. 1 2 "Mountain View High Student Body". U.S. News. 2012.
  3. ↑ California Distinguished Schools Program
  4. 1 2 America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com Archived February 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ 2015 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award
  6. ↑ Los Altos Town Crier-Issue 46 dead link 2007-11-14 MVLA Students named national merit scholar semifinalists Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Player Bio: Erik Davis". Stanford University sports. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  8. ↑ "Top-Seeded UCLA Seeks Fourth Consecutive NCAA Title". UCLA Bruins. May 6, 2008. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  9. ↑ "UCLA Alumnus Blake Krikorian Has Died at 48". UCLA Bruins Men's Water Polo. 2016-08-04. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  10. ↑ [/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1455&Itemid=56 "From MV to D.C.: Pulitzer Prize-winning Mountain View alumnus chats with mentor"] Check |url= value (help). Los Altos Online. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  11. ↑ "Kendal Smith". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
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