Sammamish High School

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Sammamish High School
Location
100 140th Ave. SE
Bellevue
Flag of Washington Washington
Flag of the United States USA
Information
Principal Thomas C. Duenwald
Enrollment

1205 (October 2006)
Faculty 116 (November 2006)
Type Public High School
Mascot Thunderbird
Color(s) Red & Black         
Established 1959
Information (425)456-7600
Nickname Totems
Homepage Sammamish High School Home Page
Distric Home Page for Sammamish
Sammamishtotems.org

Sammamish High School is one of four regular 9-12 grade schools in Bellevue School District (Bellevue, WA). The school is known as the Totems, and the mascot is the Thunderbird. Its colors are red, black, and white. The current principal is Tom Duenwald, with Andrea Pfeifer and Jose Rodriguez serving as Assistant Principals. Previous principal Spencer Welch departed after the 2005-06 school year to become Director of Human Resources for the school district.

Sammamish generally serves students from the east zone of the district, but students from outside its attendance area can enroll at the school through its open enrollment policy. The student body is the most diverse in the district, with more than 35% of the students come from minority backgrounds.[1] Sammamish High's feeder elementary schools are Cherry Crest, Stevenson, Lake Hills, Phantom Lake, and Spiritridge. Its feeder middle schools are Odle and Tillicum. [2]

Contents

[edit] Academics

Sammamish is well known for its magnet programs (Sammamish Visual and Performing Arts Center), solid and challenging Advanced Placement classes, strong career and technical programs[3]. Sammamish was named the Washington state recipient of 2006-07 Siemens Awards of Advanced Placement.[4] This award recognizes the excellence of Sammamish's Advanced Placement instructions and student performances.[5]

Under the decision of Program Delivery Council on Dec. 13, 2006, Sammamish switched to a modified 7-period schedule starting 2007-08 school year from the previous block schedule. Principal Bang-Knudsen and PDC Facilitator George Westergaard cited two main reasons to switch back to a regular schedule[6].

[edit] Advanced Placement

Sammamish offers Advanced Placement classes. From 2002 through 2006, Sammamish students' scores have counted for over 50% of all the passing exams in AP Calculus BC for the entire state.[7]

Sammamish was ranked as #104 in 2007, #190 in 2006, #227 in 2005, and #141 in 2003[8]out of all the high schools in United States by Newsweek Magazine. The ranking is based on the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken divided by number of graduating seniors. All other high schools[9] in the district are listed as some of the best 1,000 high schools within the US. The validity of these rankings is disputed for various reasons, such as that Sammamish's lack of an IB program deflates its rating as compared to its neighbor Interlake High School[10].

[edit] Athletics

Sammamish High School is a member of the Kingco Athletic Conference [11], Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. 22 sports are played over the course of three seasons at Sammamish, with Cheer and Drill active year-round. Past statistics can be found at the WIAA website.[12]

Sammamish High School State Championship Games
WIAA State Tournament History, inquire by selecting Sammamish - (3A)
Year Sport Winning Team Losing Team Location (all in Washington) Class
1976 Girl's Basketball Sammamish 45 Walla Walla 34 Pacific Lutheran University 4A
1977 Girl's Basketball Sammamish 53 Garfield 30 Pacific Lutheran University 4A
1978 Boy's Basketball Garfield 58 Sammamish 56 Seattle Coliseum, Seattle 4A
1978 Boy's Soccer Shorewood 2 Sammamish 0 Seattle 4A
1979 Boy's Soccer Sammamish 6 O'Dea 2 Seattle 4A
1981 Boy's Soccer Highline 2 Sammamish 0 Seattle 4A
1989 Girls's Soccer Jefferson 3 Sammamish 1 Renton 4A
1990 Girls's Soccer Sammamish 1 Federal Way 0 Shoreline 4A
1992 Girls's Soccer Federal Way 3 Sammamish 0 Shoreline 4A
1995 Boy's Basketball Evergreen 64 Sammamish 59 (OT) Kingdome, Seattle 4A
1999 Boy's Football Prosser 42 Sammamish 38 Tacoma Dome 3A
2002 Drill Team Sammamish S Sun Dome, Yakima 3A
2003 Drill Team Sammamish S Sun Dome, Yakima 3A

[edit] Activities

Sammamish High School is home to a variety of extracurricular activities[13]. Associated Student Body and administrators coordinate these throughout the schoolyear. Academically, the school houses chapters of the National Honor Society, National Arts Honor Society, Tri-M (Music Honor Society), Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society), and as of the 2006-07 school year, a successful and competitive Policy/Lincoln Douglas Debate team, which has competed at the semi-final level of the Auburn Regional Forensics Invitational. An active Multicultural Club conducts events to demonstrate the diversity of the student body and coordinates the annual "Taste of Sammamish" culinary festival. Also, the Arts Magnet Program creates opportunities for students to participate in actual production. The school's theater, opened in early 2005, cost the district $4.5 million[14] and is now home to at least two student productions each year. It contains professional equipment and is sometimes available to outside groups for rent, making it the third professional-quality theater in King County, Washington.[15] Sammamish Graphic Arts students often participate in state and regional graphics competitions. The school offers a fully-functional hot glass studio and extensive programs centered on healthcare. The jazz choir has won numerous awards,[16] and along with jazz band competes in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival each year. Jazz choir was recently featured in Bellevue Community College's Vocal Jazz Invitational with its award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Celebration!. In February of 2007, Sammamish won 1st Runner-up in the most competitive Multi-Mic Division at Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.[17]

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] Links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sammamish High School (html). bsd405.org. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  2. ^ Sammamish High School (html). bsd405.org. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  3. ^ Sammamish High School (html). bsd405.org. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  4. ^ http://www.siemens-foundation.org/documents/2006_07%20AP%20Award%20Winners.pdf
  5. ^ http://www.siemens-foundation.org/documents/SAAPRelease2007.pdf
  6. ^ PageNotFound : Bellevue School District
  7. ^ "Sammamish Senior High", seattletimes.com, The Seattle Times, 2006-08-26. Retrieved on 2008-02-07. 
  8. ^ The Seattle Times: School Guide
  9. ^ Bellevue High School (Washington), Newport High School, and Interlake High School, International School
  10. ^ Education Sector: Analysis and Perspectives: Challenged Index
  11. ^ Kingco Athletics
  12. ^ WIAA Schedules
  13. ^ http://curriculum.bsd405.org/sites/schools/Sammamish/Shared%20Documents/SHS%20Clubs.aspx
  14. ^ The Seattle Times: Local News: New theater ready to take stage at Sammamish High
  15. ^ Mahlum: Sammamish High School Performing Arts Center
  16. ^ http://curriculum.bsd405.org/MySite/Public.aspx?accountname=BSD%5cfowlers
  17. ^ Today@Idaho - News Article
v • d • e
Bellevue School District
High Schools
Middle Schools
Chinook Middle School • Highland Middle School • Odle Middle School • Tillicum Middle School • Tyee Middle School
Elementary Schools
Ardmore Elementary School • Bennett Elementary School • Cherry Crest Elementary School • Clyde Hill Elementary School • Eastgate Elementary School • Enatai Elementary School • Lake Hills Elementary School • Medina Elementary School • Newport Heights Elementary School • Phantom Lake Elementary School • Puesta del Sol Elementary School • Sherwood Forest Elementary School • Somerset Elementary School • Spiritridge Elementary School • Stevenson Elementary School • Woodridge Elementary School
Alternative Schools
International School • Kelsey Creek Home School Center (1-12) • Robinswood Middle School • Robinswood High School
v • d • e
Kingco Athletic Conference [1]
4A
3A