Monta Vista High School

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Monta Vista High School
Established 1969
Type Public 4-year
Principal April Scott
Students 2,573 (2006-2007)
Grades 9-12
Location Cupertino, California, USA
Colors Purple and Gold
Mascot Matador
Newspaper El Estoque
Website http://www.mvhs.fuhsd.org/
Front of the high school.
Front of the high school.
Monta Vista academic court, December 1971.
Monta Vista academic court, December 1971.
Monta Vista academic court, August 2006
Monta Vista academic court, August 2006
Monta Vista academic court and renovated library, June 2006.
Monta Vista academic court and renovated library, June 2006.
Auditorium with mural.
Auditorium with mural.

Monta Vista High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the Silicon Valley suburb of Cupertino, California, USA. Part of the Fremont Union High School District, the school serves most of the suburban residential and industrial technology enriched area of western Cupertino. Monta Vista also has a strong alumni following.

Opened in 1969 with freshman and sophomore classes only, and graduated its first class in 1972. Since then, its student body size has averaged about 2500 students.

Contents

[edit] Alma Mater

The traditional Monta Vista alma mater:

Hail to thee 'ole MV High
Proud her colors 'ere may fly,
Purple-gold they stand for might,
Teach us to defend the right
Truth and honor never fail
Loyalty will 'ere prevail,
Strong ideals will never die,
Hail to thee 'ole MV High!

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2006-2007 school year, Monta Vista has a student body of 2,573 students, of which a majority (68.7%) are Asian American, 28.2% are white, 2.1% are Latino and the remaining 1% is composed of African Americans, Filipino, and American Indian.[1] Monta Vista has the largest student body in the district.

A 2005 Wall Street Journal article[2] claimed that Monta Vista is currently experiencing a "white flight" caused by white families feeling overwhelmed by the recent influx of Asian American immigrants.[3]

[edit] Academics

With an API score of 900 points out of 1000,[4] Monta Vista is regarded as one of the top schools in California. In the class of 2007, there were 47 National Merit Semi-finalists and 74 National Merit Commended students. In 2007, Newsweek's 1,200 top U.S. schools ranked Monta Vista #85, the 7th Californian high school. The highest ranked school in the Fremont Union High School District, the The Washington Post magazine ranked Monta Vista as the 57th best high school in the United States, the fourth highest academically performing high school in all of California,[5] and the highest academically ranked school in the Fremont Union High School District in 2005. Though these rankings exclude private schools, many have selective admission policies, whereas schools like Monta Vista and Lynbrook do not; however, proof of residency is required for enrollment. For this reason, these rankings do not necessarily provide accurate results for all high schools.[6]

Numerous Monta Vista students have gone on to continue their education at some of the most well-known colleges and universities in the United States. Of the 593 graduating seniors in 2007, 213 will attend the University of California at the following campuses: UC Berkeley (46), UCLA (37), UC San Diego (48), and Other UCs (82). Other college destinations of note for the class of 2007 include Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Columbia, Yeshiva University, Williams College, Cornell, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Juilliard School, USC, and UPenn. The Monta Vista community takes pride that nearly all (over 96%) of its 2007 graduates went on to continue their formal education.

[edit] Athletics

Monta Vista High School's mascot is the Matador, with its official school colors being purple and gold. The school mascot's uniform, however, is that of a purple bull. Monta Vista High School rivals nearby Lynbrook High School and Cupertino High School and competes in the SCVAL of the Central Coast Section.

The school's campus consists of a large baseball field, an American football field, and tennis courts. Due to neighborhood complaints about noise levels, as well as a lack of lighting on the field, Monta Vista holds most of their home football games at Cupertino High School. In 2007, the school completed construction of the new lighted pool, which is host to several water polo and swimming competitions per year.

[edit] Architecture

The majority of the school's buildings are built in the Spanish Mission architectural style. The school has been undergoing a multi-million dollar facilities modernization, with a new library, completed in late 2005, showcased in the center of campus. Small renovations, such as the fitting of metal doors in place of old wooden ones, were completed over the summer of 2006. The athletic facilities, such as the gym, swimming pool and locker rooms, have now completed renovation. A new school office/main entrance is under renovation and scheduled to be finished early 2008.

Monta Vista is divided into four major structures. A Building holds most of the foreign languages. B Building has many science classrooms and language arts, with C Building holding many social sciences. D Building is a relatively new building, and has math and science classrooms and the Monta Vista Linux Lab, where computer programming classes are held. The F building is located on the opposite side of the campus, and has arts, performing arts, and industrial technology classes.

[edit] Hacking Incident

In December 2007 a group of students used a hacking program to gain access to a computer network used by the administration and faculty. The hacked servers contained tests, homework assignments, and student schoolwork, but not grades. Some of the students stated that they were simply curious about the school administrative network, while others were annoyed by the security software that blocked access to select sites deemed inappropriate for school. Unlike the 2004 hacking incident at nearby Saratoga High School, the student were not hacking into the computer network with the intention of cheating. The school requires all students to sign a pledge promising to use technology appropriately. An unknown number of students were disciplined.[7] At least two of the students were expelled from Monta Vista High School.

[edit] Trivia

  • Abraham Lincoln Elementary School sits just to its east, and John F. Kennedy Middle School lies to its southeast. Both schools are literally across the street.
  • Monta Vista is the site of a 1973 sex comedy, The Cheerleaders.
  • Monta Vista's Dance Team is extremely successful, having won a State Title every year from 2001-2006, and National Titles in both 2005 and 2006. Outside of competitions, the team performs at rallies, football games, and their annual Winter and Spring Shows.
  • Monta Vista's Cheer Team recently placed first in the 2007 USA Spirit Nationals held in Anaheim, California in the Super Varsity Show Cheer Novice Division.[citation needed] Outside of competitions, the team performs at rallies, at the Spring Show, and at every football and basketball game.
  • In its first year of Quiz Bowl Competition, Monta Vista High School captured the 2006 Northern California NAQT Championship, and placed 54th out of 128 in the National Championship.
  • Monta Vista Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) has an extensive history of national success, ranking 4th in the entire country at the 2007 National Leadership Conference.
  • Monta Vista DECA is ranked #1 in California and has gained international recognition from previous victories at the DECA international conference.
  • As of the start of the 2006-2007 school year, Monta Vista has the largest band program in the Fremont Union High School District.
  • Monta Vista and nearby Lynbrook High School, also of the Fremont Union High School District, are academic and athletic rivals. However, little tension exists between the two student bodies. Both schools have similar demographics and ratings.
  • The school is a member of the California Color Guard Circuit.
  • In 2008, Monta Vista hosted the State Dance Tournament
  • Petri Hawkins-Byrd, bailiff on the Judge Judy television program, was the school security officer in the 90s and served as the staff advisor for the student-run WWF club.

[edit] Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Monta Vista High School include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.fuhsd.org/SARC06.m.pdf
  2. ^ The New White Flight - WSJ.com
  3. ^ The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition
  4. ^ 2007 Growth API School Report - Monta Vista High
  5. ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
  6. ^ The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - MSNBC.com
  7. ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7725723

[edit] External links


Fremont Union High School District

Cupertino | Fremont | Homestead | Lynbrook | Monta Vista