Artesia High School (Lakewood, California)
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| Artesia High School | |
| Address | |
|---|---|
| 12108 E. Del Amo Boulevard Lakewood, California 90715 |
|
| Information | |
| School board | ABC Unified School District |
| Superintendent | Gary Smuts |
| Principal | Sergio Garcia |
| Enrollment |
1,896 |
| School type | Secondary |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Language | English |
| Mascot | Pioneer |
| Team name | Pioneers |
| Colour(s) | Black and red |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Homepage | Artesia ASB web site |
Artesia High School is a public high school in Lakewood, California, with a student population of around 1,900. It is one of the five high schools in the ABC Unified School District and is recognized for its diverse student body, its magnet programs, and nationally recognized varsity sports teams.
Contents |
[edit] History
As Artesia and surrounding areas became the hub of the rapid Southern Californian development, construction of Artesia High was completed in 1954, making it the oldest high school in the ABC Unified School District, then known as the Excelsior Union High School District. The opening ceremony of the school was highlighted with a speech by Vice President Richard Nixon, future thirty-seventh president of the United States. In his speech he expressed his hope that Artesia High School would serve as an example against educational segregation, in light of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling passed only a few months before. The school mascot is the Pioneers, as voted by the first class of freshmen and sophomores entering that year, symbolizing brave exploration into the unknown.
Recently, as part of a $137 million school district modernization project, Artesia had undergone significant upgrades in its buildings and equipment. As of 2007, Artesia High offers 10 Advanced Placement courses and numerous 'Honors' level courses in a far and wide reaching curriculum.
[edit] Clubs and Athletics
Artesia has a number of clubs and on-campus organizations covering a wide range of activities. Every club varies in its nature, from the mountain hiking Wilderness club[1], to the serious mathematicians in the Calculus club. The clubs are required to choose their own leaders, though they must have a teacher supervisor. All clubs are responsible for their own funds and its usage. This results in the school clubs having a great space of independence and autonomy from the ASB (student government) and teacher staff. The list of clubs is always growing, with several to-be clubs receiving their charters every year. Artesia High is also a part of the MESA (Mathematics Engineering and Science Achievement) schools program, and is under the direct guidance of California State University, Long Beach.
Artesia High School is well renowned for its competitive sports teams, and the boys basketball team has been distinguished for ranking 1st in California during the 2005-2006 season, where they won the CIF Division III championships with a record of 33 wins to a single loss. The 2006 win makes it the second time in the school's history that it claimed victory in the California Basketball championships. The school is also well known for its football and baseball teams.
Artesia High competes in 13 sports categories: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, Track, Swimming, Wrestling, Water Polo, Softball, Tennis and Golf.
Notable sports figures are Ed and Charles O'Bannon, who both played at UCLA and in the NBA, Jason Kapono who currently plays for the NBA Toronto Raptors, Jon Stefanhason, a former NBA player (Dallas and Currently playing in Europe, Tom Tolbert, a former NBA player (Golden State, Charlotte, Orlando, and LA Clippers), who is an NBA analyst for ABC, Derek Glasser, point guard for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and basketball players James Harden, Renardo Sidney, James Cotton, Avondre Jones, Angel Santana, Jason Pruitt, A.J. Gasporra and Malik Story. Boxer Armando Muniz represented the United States in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the Welterweight (148 pound) class. Muniz was also the National AAU Welterweight champion in 1969 and 1970.
Famous football alumni include Kansas Wesleyan University (NAIA) wide receiver Aaron Aska, Kansas State University running back Joe Hall, and Oregon State wide receiver Kenny Farley.
The most famous soccer alumnus is Memo Arzate '99. He led the Pioneers to back-to-back Suburban League Championships in '97 and '98. Arzate was also a three-time AHS MVP, and league MVP as a sophomore and junior. He was recognized as the Pioneers' Offensive Player of the Year in '96 and '97.
On March 24, 2007, the boys basketball team has defeated Bishop O'Dowd High School from Oakland for the California Division III State Championship title, and celebrated Artesia's second back to back D-III title and fifth overall state championship.
[edit] Academics
Artesia High offers a great variety of academic and non-academic courses, from Psychology to the Advanced Placement Environmental Science class. The school's current Academic Performance Index (API) score is 670, marking a 74 point increase during the last two academic years.
In conjunction with Artesia's college preparatory curriculum, Advanced Placement courses are offered throughout the school year for students wishing to challenge themselves at a fast paced academic level. A number of AP courses, in a multitude of subjects are available, ranging from European History, English, Calculus to Spanish Language classes. In addition, a significant number of UC weighted honors courses are offered in subjects of mathematics, foreign language, english, social studies, science, and computer programming.
[edit] Other Extracurriculars
[edit] Visual and Performing Arts
[edit] Band
Artesia High School fields a full marching band in the fall season and a concert band in the spring season. The band competes in many local competitions and parades. An offshoot of the marching/concert band is the jazz band, which incorporates jazz style instruments. All players must be in the Advanced Band class to participate.
[edit] Drumline
The Artesia High School drumline (battery) is an award winning member of the American Drumline Association. The School has won awards in various performances over the years. Members are generally a part of the marching/concert band.
[edit] Choir
The Artesia High School choir is a rapidly expanding vocal ensemble with both male and female voices, forming a mixed choir complete with soprano, tenor, alto, and bass parts. The choir operates from the visual and performing arts building, adjacent to the band concert room.
[edit] Student Media and Publications
[edit] Pioneer Express
The Pioneer Express is the official publication distributed by the Artesia High School journalism class on a bimonthly basis. The Express features articles on a wide variety of subjects ranging from school current events to book reviews. The Pioneer Express often conducts key interviews with members of the administration and faculty, providing valuable information on the current affairs affecting the school and its community. The Express features a full staff complete with a photography crew.
[edit] ATV
The ATV is the student led broadcasting segment, operating most school days during the homeroom period. It operates in a similar fashion to a live news report, though the broadcast is usually shot a day or more before. Like the Pioneer Express, it conveys valuable information regarding school events, and is used as a speech platform during Student Body Government campaign season. Members of ATV are required to be in the broadcasting class to participate.
[edit] Yearbook
The Artesia High school yearbook is a year round class that operates in room 302 during seventh period after school. The publication is staffed by dedicated members who have received numerous outside awards for their dedication to quality and creativity.
