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Granada Hills High School
Motto: An Independent Public School
Location
10535 Zelzah Ave Granada Hills, CA, 91344 United States
Information
Type	Public
Established	1960
School district	Charter
Head of school	Brian Bauer
Grades	9-12
Color(s)	green, black, white, purple
Mascot	The Highlander
Website	http://www.ghchs.com/

Granada Hills Charter High School (GHHS, GHCHS, or simply "Granada") is an independent public school consisting of over 4100 students in grades 9-12. The school colors are green, black, and white.

It is located in the Granada Hills neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, USA and serves Granada Hills, portions of Northridge, and Porter Ranch.

Contents 1 History 2 Funding 3 Accreditation and Certification 4 Facilities 5 Achievements 5.1 Academics 5.2 Athletics 5.3 Forensics 6 Highlander Band 6.1 Television 6.2 Film 6.3 Live Performances 7 Notable alumni 8 References 9 External links

[edit] History

The school is a comprehensive public high school and was founded in 1960 as part of the the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In 1994, the school opened on its campus an LAUSD magnet school with an emphasis in math, science and technology in conjunction with the California State University at Northridge. The school also maintains a highly successful program for the deaf and hard of hearing. In 2003, the school was awarded charter status which granted it fiscal and instructional autonomy in order to improve student academic performance.^{[citation needed]} The current charter is valid through June 30, 2014.

[edit] Funding

As an independent public school, GHCHS generates approximately $35 million based on student enrollment and specific programs, all of which is overseen by a locally determined Board of Directors or Governing Board. As an independent, directly funded charter school, the majority of the funding is sent directly to the school.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Accreditation and Certification

The school currently holds a six-year (without a midterm review) accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the highest accreditation term available and one only a small handful of schools in the state receive. In addition, based on its high standards of leadership, instruction, student performance and fiscal responsibility, the School was awarded Certified Membership with the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), one of a small group of charter schools statewide to receive such a status. During the 2007-08 school year, GHCHS was also awarded the Cambridge Certification after undergoing an exhaustive review of the instructional program, governance, student performance, operations, and fiscal viability.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Facilities

The school's sports stadium, the John Elway Stadium, is used by the Los Angeles Rampage women's soccer team, and is the former home ground of the San Fernando Valley Quakes United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League soccer team.

[edit] Achievements

[edit] Academics

In 2007, Granada won the Los Angeles City Academic Decathlon and its Science Bowl team placed second at the Los Angeles regional competition. In 2005, its Science Bowl teams took fourth and fifth place at the regional competition, and its Academic Decathlon team ranked third in the nation. Currently, Granada, is the 379th best high school in the nation, according to Newsweek.

The school has a team that participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition every year, Team #599 the RoboDox. In 2001 & 2006, they were finalists at the Southern California Regional Competition. They were also the champions of the Los Angeles VEX Regional Competition held in December 2006 at CSUN. Since its inception, they have been coached by Joseph Vanderway, who was the recipient of the Woodie Flowers Award at the Los Angeles Regional in 2007, the highest award given to coaches and mentors participating in FIRST. They have also been recipients of the Johnson & Johnson Sportsmanship award, given to the team most dedicated to helping others as much as themselves, for multiple years.

It became a Title I school in 2003-2004 and operates in terms of student performance through its charter, Local Education Agency Plan (Single Plan for Student Achievement), School Technology Plan, Governing Board policies and memorandums of understanding with LAUSD. In the last 3 years as a charter school, GHCHS has become a laboratory for educational reform while maintaining the highest-ranking Academic Performance Index (API) and attendance of any comprehensive high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

[edit] Athletics

In the 1978 L.A. City Championship Baseball game, John Elway led Granada to the title over Crenshaw High, which featured future major leaguers Chris Brown and Darryl Strawberry.

Granada Hills Girls Golf team is 6-0 for LA City Championship titles since the program started in 2001.

Partial list of Granada Hills L.A. City Championship teams:

• Baseball: 1975 (4A Division), 1976 (4A Division), 1978 (4A Division), 1979 (4A Division), 1984 (4A Division), 2002 (Invitational), 2003 (Invitational), 2004 (Invitational), 2006 (Invitational)
• Basketball: 1976 (3A Division), 1987 (3A Division), 2006 (3A Division)
• Football: 1970, 1987
• Boys Golf: 19 of 24 City or League Championships between 1965 and 1988.
• Girls Golf: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Boys Volleyball: 1986 (3A Division), 1987 (3A Division), 1997 (4A Division), 2006, 2007, 2009
• Girls Volleyball: 2009
• Swimming: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

[edit] Forensics

The Granada Hills Charter High School Speech & Debate Team competes in Forensics annually at various locations in California. ^[1]. The Forensics team participates in the Tri-Valley Forensics League^[2] (TVFL) as its district sponsor, and is currently the district champion, winning the TVFL State Qualifiers^[3]. They are also members to the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA)^[4].

A list of accomplishments for the Lincoln-Douglas Debate team at GHCHS:

• 2009 Varsity LD Champion at Pepperdine University
• 2008 CHSSA State Champion in Thematic Interpretation^[5]
• 2007 JV Champion at Stanford University^[6]
• 2007 Top Speaker in JVLD at Stanford University
• 2007 Open LD Champion at California State University, Fullerton
• Qualifiers to the Tournament of Champions^[7]
• Qualifiers to the National Forensic League National Speech and Debate Tournament in Extemporaneous Speaking^[8]
• 2007 Novice Champions at Pepperdine University
• 2006 Top Speaker in JV LD at Stanford^[9]
• 1st seed, 2nd seed, and 3rd seed in JVLD at the 2006 Stanford Invitational^[10]
• 2006 dual JV LD Champions at University of Southern California

[edit] Highlander Band

• 13 Time Los Angeles City Champions

[edit] Television

• 2008 screening of "Homecoming" with John Elway for ESPN
• 2007 Live Performance with MyFox L.A. Hilites with Elizibeth Espinosa
• 2005 & 2006 Frito-Lay presents Mexican National Soccer team U.S. tour halftime extravaganza
• - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
• - Dieste Harmel & Partners Agency, Dallas, Texas
• - National/International television broadcast
• 2005 Round Table Pizza Commercial –National Television advertising campaign
• - Japanese Monster Productions
• 2005 Comedy Central Holiday Parade promotion
• - World Wide television broadcast
• - Riverfron Productions-(Alumni Band)
• 2005 Will Smith at the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon - National Television audience
• 2004 ABC - Extreme Makeover Home Edition
• 2004 Warner Brothers - Gilmore Girls
• 2004 Kelloggs National Advertising Campaign – National Television Commercial, RADICAL MEDIA PRODUCTION, CENTRAL CASTING CO.
• 2004 Dateline NBC – National Television Broadcast
• 2002 7-UP National Advertising Campaign – National Television Commercial -HEADQUARTERS PRODUCTIONS
• 2002 Winter Olympics - Salt Lake City, Utah – (only high school band invited) - INTERNATIONAL Television Broadcast and Coverage
• 2002 World’s Largest Digital Image Commercial – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - Hewlett-Packard Corporation-DOGMATIC PROD
• 2001 Cal Florida All-Star Football Classic – National Broadcast – FOX SPORTS
• 2000 MTV’s Rock Your World – Nationally Broadcast MTV series
• 1998 The American Teacher Awards - National Television Broadcast
• The Walt Disney Company (Performing original composition by and rehearsing under Tony Award Winning composer Harold Wheeler)
• 1996 KCET, California Gold, Huell Howser. Angels Flight Re-dedication - NATIONAL PUBLIC TELEVISION AUDIENCE

[edit] Film

• 2003 Ben Stiller's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
• 1999 The Michael Jordan Story – International Movie Release – HBO PRODUCTIONS
• 1998 Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy – Soundtrack Work – Touchstone Pictures

[edit] Live Performances

• 2006 Hollywood Bowl - Hector Berlioz - Grand Symphony - Two performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
• 2004 Hollywood Bowl - Leonard Bernstein's Mass - Los Angeles Philharmonic
• 2004 Live performance with Debra Harry and Blondie at Warner Brothers Studio International Television Division
• 2003 KIIS FM Wango Tango Performance – Live on stage performance with JC Chasez of NSYNC – Rose Bowl (Featured music from 20th Century Fox production of “Drumline”)
• 2002 Los Angeles Philharmonic Summer Season 2002 Inaugural Performance – Hollywood Bowl – L.A. PHILHARMONIC ASSOC.
• 2000 Democratic National Convention Command Performance – L.A., CA PARAMOUNT STUDIOS
• 1997 Command Performance for Hillary Clinton
• 1994 Filmex International Film Exhibition. Opening night, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood.
• Performing original composition by Grammy and Tony award winning composer Stephan Sondheim

[edit] Notable alumni

• Doug Baker, professional baseball player^[11]
• Valerie Bertinelli, actor
• Ryan Braun, professional baseball player^[11]
• Jamal Brooks, professional football player
• John Elway, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Denver Broncos
• Robert Englund, actor
• Shin Hyesung, Korean pop star
• Joan Jett, singer
• Kameron Loe, professional baseball player^[11]
• Gary Matthews, Jr., professional baseball player^[11]
• Blanchard Montgomery, professional football player^[12]
• David Mullich, videogame producer
• Jeffrey Lee Pierce, writer,singer,guitarist the Gun Club.
• Dave Schmidt, professional baseball player^[11]
• Tamlyn Tomita, actress
• Lisa Wilhoit, actress

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Granada Hills Charter High School official website

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Coordinates: 34°15′40″N 118°31′26″W / 34.261°N 118.524°W / 34.261; -118.524