Laguna Hills High School is a public secondary school located in Laguna Hills, California which serves the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. The school has the smallest student enrollment of the district’s four schools at approximately 1,700 students. The mascot for Laguna Hills is the Hawk, and the official colors are brown and gold. 220 credits are required to graduate from Laguna Hills High School.
- The innovative programs include the Golden-Bell Award Winning Two-Way Language Immersion Program[1]; AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination); a four-year Model United Nations program; an interdisciplinary senior Humanities program; and a two-period Virtual Enterprise business program.
- 89% of LHHS grads are accepted at 2 or 4-year colleges[citation needed]
- Recent renovations to the school have brought a new football stadium and second gym, and new science building, a redone theater and library, a new multipurpose room in the center of campus, a new food services building, expansion of the ceramics and arts room, a new video productions class and a massive 4,500 sq ft (420 m2) weight room. Upcoming projects will focus on the locker rooms and the remaining classrooms.
[edit] Awards and Recognition
- LHHS has historically had the highest API scores of the four comprehensive high schools in SVUSD, and had a score of 838 in 2007, 17 points higher than the next highest school and scored 854 in 2008[2], one of the top scores in the county[3]
- In Newsweek's list of the top 1,300 high schools, Laguna Hills placed 613 which places it within the top 3% of schools nationwide[4]
- LHHS has been named a National Blue Ribbon School and a California Distinguished School on multiple occasions[5]
[edit] Academics
[edit] International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate program at Laguna Hills High School has historically had the highest pass rate for full diploma candidates of the high schools offering the diploma program in SVUSD. In 2007 26 students graduated as full diploma candidates.[citation needed] Competitive and successful Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs have a tradition of engaging honors students in curriculum designed to help them succeed in these rigorous exams.
[edit] Advanced Placement and Honors courses
[edit] Performing Arts
- Laguna Hills High School hosts 5 instrumental music groups including a Symphonic Band, Marching Band , Drumline, String Orchestra, and two Jazz Ensembles under the direction of Andrew Julian.
- Award winning Nationally ranked Chamber, Treble, and Concert Choirs.[citation needed]
[edit] ComedySportz
ComedySportz has become an integral part of the school's drama department as well as student activities. In only its second year, the troupe placed 2nd at the Fullerton Drama Festival under Theater Games. The team was founded by alum Jack Michelman.
[edit] Key Club
Under the supervision of Greg Rogers, Laguna Hills High School is home to the largest Key Club organization in Southern California.[citation needed]
[edit] Athletics
LHHS has a proud history of athletic excellence, with 17 different sports entering into CIF play during the 2006-2007 school year. Football, Wrestling, Softball, Baseball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Cross Country and Track & Field won the league championship. Girls Basketball and Wrestling both won CIF titles. Work on the school's new stadium was finished in August 2007 so that games can be played at LHHS rather than in the stadium at nearby Mission Viejo High School.[citation needed] Each student must have completed four semesters of physical education before they graduate.
[edit] Wrestling
- 23 Consecutive league championships[6]
- In 2007 the program won 2 CIF titles (CIF duals and CIF individuals), 2006 CIF Champion; won the 2005 CIF Championship as well, 3 out of the last 5 years with the other two seasons recognized as CIF runners-up.[7]
- Won both the Dual Meet CIF title and the CIF individual title again in 2008
- 5 wrestlers advanced to the state meet in 2008
- 5 consecutive league championships ('05-'06-'07-'08) to go with 7 previous titles[8]
- CIF titles in 1991, 1997 & 2008
[edit] Girl's Basketball
- 1997 California State Champs
- 2000 CIF Southern Section Champs
- 2007 CIF Southern Section Champs
- Lauren Engeln CIF MVP
- 2008 CIF Southern Section Champs
- Lauren Engeln CIF MVP
- 2007, 2008, 2009 PCL Champs
[edit] Soccer
- Both the boys and girls team won Pacific Coast League titles on all 3 levels with the boys advancing to the CIF quarterfinal and the girls to the CIF semifinals in 2008[9]
[edit] Softball
- Recent alums Brittany Lastrapes and Rosie Neil played in the NCAA finals, Brittany for the University of Arizona and Rosie for Stanford
- In 2008 the girls repeated as Pacific Coast League champions and made it to the semifinals of CIF [10]
[edit] Waterpolo
- Under the leadership of long time coach Blake Corbin, LHHS has excelled in its aquatics programs.
[edit] Notable alumni
[edit] Alma Mater and Fight Song
- Scott Johnson, an English teacher and Boys Soccer Coach at the high school, penned the Laguna Hills High School Fight Song.
[edit] The Laguna Hills High School Alma Mater
Hail to Thee, our Alma Mater
Praise to You.
Spirit and our pride for Her
We will have our whole lives through.
Standing proud and tall
The Hawks will be in view
And remain victorious in all we do.
Laguna Hills, always be true
Brown and gold forever
We will honor you.
[edit] The Laguna Hills High School Fight Song
- The song is set to the tune of the fight song of Notre Dame.
Cheer, cheer for Laguna Hills
Valiently soaring in for the kill,
Bravely fighting for Hawk High,
Shake down the thunder from the sky!
Hawks soar above the brave and the bold
Proudly defend the brown and the gold
As our loyal Hawks go flying
Onward to victory.
[edit] References
- ^ California School Boards Association
- ^ http://api.cde.ca.gov/AcntRpt2008/2008GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=30736353030244
- ^ 2007 Growth API LEA List of Schools Report (CA Department of Education)
- ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
- ^ SVUSD Distinguished and Blue Ribbon Schools
- ^ Article - SPORTS - Laguna Hills makes it 23 league titles in a row
- ^ hawkwrestling.com laguna hills hawks varsity wrestling team
- ^ www.hawkfootball.net
- ^ www.hawksoccer.com
- ^ www.cifss.org
[edit] External links
