Saratoga High School

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Saratoga High School
Location
Saratoga, California
United States
Information
School district Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District
Religious Affiliation(s) None
Principal Jeff Anderson
Enrollment

Approximately 1350 as of 2006-2007
Type Public high school
Mascot Falcon
Color(s) Scarlet (primary), Navy Blue, Grey
Established 1959
Communities served Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos
Feeder schools Redwood Middle School
Homepage http://www.saratogahigh.org/


Saratoga High School is a high school in Saratoga, California, United States, part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The school is jointly accredited by the California Department of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Student enrollment averages around 1350. It is ranked as the 72nd best high school in the nation, according to a U.S. News & World Report analysis.

The McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center, a community facility, was recently completed on the campus. It was originally planned for the early 1960's but construction was postponed and the funds used for sesmic upgrades to the Los Gatos campus. Public and private funds were raised 40 years later and it was scheduled to open in early-2004, but budget and construction delays pushed the completion date back to August, 2005. The center is named after Saratoga residents Eric and Marguerite McAfee, who donated $1 million towards its construction. [1]

Contents

[edit] Academics and activities

[edit] Academics

SHS Football Field
SHS Football Field

Saratoga High is locally known for its rigorous academic program. 98% of graduates go on to college or technical school. In 2005, 98% of the students took the SAT with a mean of 1283. In 2006, 908 AP exams were taken with 89% receiving qualifying scores. 23% of the class of 2007 were semifinalists or commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program [2]. In 2003, the school's California State Academic Performance Index (API) score was 911, the leading score among all comprehensive public schools in the State of California. The school's 2005 API score was 914 [3]. Its long time athletic rival is Los Gatos High School and its academic rivals are Mission San Jose High School, Gunn High School and Monta Vista High School. Many of Saratoga's alumni have gone on in droves to UC schools, Ivy League schools and other top schools. It is common for students to apply to Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Harvard University, MIT and UCLA.

[edit] Journalism

The school's nationally ranked student newspaper The Saratoga Falcon is published approximately bi-monthly by two staff groups led by journalism adviser Michael Tyler. The yearbook program publishes an outstanding book every year, named the Talisman, and is also advised by Michael Tyler.

[edit] Music Department

Saratoga High School is well known for its award-winning and accomplished Music Department. The Music Department is under the supervision of department chair Michael Boitz, who directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, and the Saratoga Strings. Other faculty members include Jim Yowell, choir director, John Zarco, director of the Symphonic Band, and administrative assistant, Janet Verson.

The Saratoga High School Music Department travels to world events every three years. In 2006, the band, choir, and orchestra went to Australia to perform in the Sydney Opera House. The tour band premiered "The Sails of Time" by David Gillingham. Past events include performing in Europe (2003) and Hawaii (2000).

The Saratoga High School marching band currently has 200+ members, and recently competed in the Western Band Association (WBA) Championships in 2006 and advanced into finals competition for the first time where they placed 9th in State. In 2007, the band placed 7th.

In 2007, the marching band purchased new uniforms, breaking the 25 year tradition of its previous uniform. The new uniforms are in the color red, white, and black, replacing the colors of the venerated 25 year old uniforms, which were red and cream.

Past Field Shows:

1997 Twister
1998 Japan
1999 Africa
2000 Flight Composed by: David Holsinger
2001 Pandora's Box Composed by: Key Poulan

A show shrouded in mystery and mystics, depicting the mythological story of Pandora's Box. The movements were titled "Zeus", "Plagues", "Hope", and "Without Evil, There Is No Good".
2002 Red Composed by: Key Poulan

Telling the story of Communism, Red combined traditional folk music of Communist countries to tell their history. The movements were titled "China", "Korea", and "The Soviet Union".
2003 Medusa Composed by: Key Poulan

Based on the story of Medusa's treachery. This fast paced show consisted of "Medusa Lure Poseidon", "Athena's Rage", "Serpents", and "The Gorgon's Pursuit."
2004 Triumph! Arranged by: Jay Bocook
2005 The Wind and the Lion Arranged by: Jay Bocook. Saratoga went to WBA Finals for the first time in 2005
2006 The Process of Invention Composed by: Gary P. Gilroy, Percussion arranged by: Nate Bourg and Kohei Mizushima.
2007 Boundless Composed/Arranged by: Aaron Guidry, Percussion arranged by: Tom McGillen, Kohei Mizushima, and John Zarco

Throughout the years, the bitterness of the rivalry between Saratoga High and Los Gatos High has been largely absent among the music department, where there tends to be more collaboration, encouragement, and support between the rival schools.

[edit] Chess Team

At the 2005 National Grade Level Chess Championships in Houston, the 9th graders were national champions and the 10th graders took second [4]. At the 2006 National High School Chess Championships in Milwaukee, the school chess team placed 3rd out of more than 50 teams from across the nation.

[edit] Sports and Athletics

The golf team has won six league titles in the last seven years, and is currently on a five-year winning streak. The boys tennis team won the league title in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The badminton team held the league title for three consecutive years, from 2003 to 2005.

Because of neighbor complaints, American football lights have been slow to come to Saratoga High's football field until recently. In the past, the team has had to play at Los Gatos High School. In April 2006, the Trustees of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District approved permanent lights for the football field [5]. The lights were first used in the Fall of 2006. In 2007, the Falcon football team took another El Camino Division Title and advanced to the CCS semifinals, losing to Live Oak High School by a score of 17-14.

[edit] Scandals

On May 9, 1997, a junior revealed to her peers the essay questions of an Advanced Placement examination before it was given that day. The student received the information from a contact in Singapore, who had taken the test at an earlier time. When news of the leak later reached the Educational Testing Service, they gave students the options of (a) retaking the test, (b) cancelling their submission for a refund, or (c) receiving a score with only the multiple choice graded.[1]

In the summer of 2002, an assistant principal, Martin Nichols, was arrested on charges of "soliciting sexual favors" from a junior boy who attended the school. He pled no contest and did not return to the school the following year.[2]

In January 2004, a comprehensive cheating scandal was discovered. The matter received national news coverage due to the extensive and technically advanced cheating methods employed, such as using a keylogger to steal teachers' passwords and change grades. While only a small number of students were involved in the scandal, the school has since been subjected to negative press concerning its competitive atmosphere. Eight students involved were suspended.[3][4]

One of the eight students was later arrested for allegedly plotting to bomb the campus as an act of revenge. The sophomore allegedly stole "bomb-making materials from a chemistry lab" at the school and was apprehended during a break-in of the school's science building on January 16, 2004.[5] [6] The student was subsequently expelled from the school.

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Steven Spielberg - 1965 - Spielberg has said that the school was the "worst ever experience" of his life and "hell on Earth", and he claimed to have experienced anti-Semitism during his year there (1964-1965).[7]
  • Paul Magid - 1972 - Co-founder of the juggling and theatre troupe "The Flying Karamozov Brothers"
  • Roger Bamford - 1973 - Principal Architect, Oracle Corporation
  • Zach Gill, Dan Lebowitz and Steve Adams, members of the Animal Liberation Orchestra band are all alumni from the class of 1993.
  • Vienna Teng - 1996 - popular singer-songwriter
  • Lance Guest - 1978 - Actor best known for his role as Alex Rogan in 1984's "The Last Starfighter".
  • Arturo Fallico - 1971 - Artist and Special Educator.
  • Ed Solomon - Actor, Director, Writer and Producer. Wrote Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Charlie's Angels among others.
  • Mike Gurley - Singer-Songwriter and Guitar player for dada.
  • Craig Miller - 1982 - Merchandising Giant
  • Patricia Miranda - Bronze medalist in wrestling in the summer 2004 Olympics
  • Bill Haselman - 1984 - Major League Baseball player for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox,and Detroit Tigers.
  • Lee Hancock - Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • Carrie Steinseifer - 1986 - Gold Medal in swimming - 100meter freestyle at 1984 Olympics
  • Mark Arnold - 1984 - Comic Book and Animation Historian, author of "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!".

[edit] Principals

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Vernon Trimble (1959-1971)
  • Donald Brand (1971-1980)
  • Tod Likins (1980-1990)
  • Patricia Dickson (1990-1993)
  • Kevin Skelly (1993-2004)
  • Bill Richter (interim) (2004-2005)
  • Harry Bettencourt (interim) (2005)
  • Jeff Anderson (2005-)

[edit] Assistant Principals

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • Gerald Zapelli (1959-1976)
  • Henry Rogalsky (1980-1990)
  • Jerry McClosky (1990-1996)
  • Karen Hyde (1990-)
  • John Martin Nichols (2000-2002)
  • Dan Fowler (2002-2003)
  • Brian Safine (2003-2005, 2008-)
  • Gail Wasserman (2004-)
  • Markus Autrey (2005-2006)
  • Joe Bosco (2006-)

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "SHS students can retake 'contaminated' AP quiz". Saratoga News, June 4, 1997.
  2. ^ "Ex-Saratoga High School assistant principal faces sex charges". Saratoga News, July 24, 2002.
  3. ^ Toth, Lisa. "Eight Saratoga High students are suspended for cheating incidents", Saratoga News, 2004-01-28. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. 
  4. ^ Gaura, Maria Alicia; Alan Gathright. "Saratoga High cheating scandal gets uglier; Teen arrested in theft of lab chemicals; friend held for alleged threats to principal", The San Francisco Chronicle, 2004-02-05, pp. A17. 
  5. ^ Ngo, My; Lisa Toth. "Police arrest student on campus with bomb materials", Saratoga News, 2004-02-04. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. 
  6. ^ "Saratoga High student believed to have plotted to blow up school", The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 2004-01-31. 
  7. ^ "Uneven Steven". Metro, May 29 - June 4, 1997.

[edit] External links