Valencia High School (Santa Clarita, California)
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| Valencia High School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 27801 N. Dickason Drive Valencia, California, USA |
|
| Information | |
| Principal | Dr. Paul Priesz (1994-Present) |
| Students | 2995 |
| Faculty | approx. 121 |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Motto | Learning For Life |
| Mascot | Vic the Viking |
| Color(s) | Purple and Gold |
| Yearbook | The Viking Voyager |
| Newspaper | The Viking Vision |
| Established | 1994 |
| Homepage | www.valenciavikings.com |
Valencia High School, located in the City of Santa Clarita, California in the community of Valencia, California was built in 1994. Valencia High School is operated by William S. Hart Union High School District. While concentrating on academic excellence, the Valencia High School student body has created a solid foundation of clubs, activities, and sports programs. Scholars, athletes, club members, and artists have emerged as leaders. Valencia High School began its Maiden Voyage on September 9, 1994, with 816 Vikings, and on board and at the helm was our leader, Dr. Paul Priesz. Valencia High School has grown rapidly to several thousand currently enrolled students and over two hundred full-time staff members, as of 2007.
Principal Dr. Paul Priesz was named State Secondary Principal of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators for 2002 and nominated for California's 2004 National High School Principal of the Year.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Activities
[edit] Valencia Television (VTV)
Valencia High School has an award-winning video program.[citation needed] The video program has entered their productions into competitions such as the Student Television Network, and the Santa Clarita Film Festival. The video program also features the daily live-television program, VTV. VTV is an early morning news broadcast to the entire school, updating the school on club information, current events, weather, and sports. In 2007, VTV became a member of the National Student Television Network (STN), and participated in the 2007 tournament at the Disneyland hotel. The VTV team took 3rd place at the tournament.[citation needed]
[edit] Speech and Debate Team
The speech and debate team has increased in state and national rankings over the past few years. Page Feldman took seventh place in the 2006 California state championships in extemp speaking and Eric Smith won ninth in the California state championships in 2007 in impromptu speaking, as well as placing fith in the state in public forum debate with his debate partner , Dennis Feldman,in 2008. Zeke Schmarcher and Nick Hall also place sixth in the state in parlimentary debate that same year. Run by Joe Marcucilli and Kim Forbes, the speech and debate team is the top ranked team in the Santa Clarita Valley.[citation needed]
[edit] Valencia High School Drama Club
The Drama Club at Valencia High School is a well recognized and reputable program throughout Southern California.[citation needed] The program usually puts on at least two performances a year, normally a comedy, drama, and/or musical. There have also been numerous student directed one-act productions at Valencia High SChool, including "Bang Bang, You're Dead" and "The Family Continues". The program has won numerous awards, particularly at the Annual Chapman University Shakespeare Festival. For the second time in a row, Valencia High School won Best Scene, the top award given at the Chapman University Shakespeare Festival in Orange County.[2]
[edit] Valencia High School Choir
The Valencia High School Choir program is outstanding, boasting of 180 students in six separate touring choirs. Mrs. Christine Enns, the director, is a highly trained musician in her own right; she won the National Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival in 2007 with VOCO. Under her direction, the VHS Choirs have traveled to Florida, Hawaii, Carnegie Hall New York, and in 2009, Italy. The Concert Choir and Women's Chamber Ensembles have repeatedly achieved the ratings of "Gold Choir" and "Choir of the Festival," and have been invited to the prestigious Festival of Gold numerous times. They have also won multiple Maestro Awards for their outstanding student piano accompanists. Each year for the last three years, Valencia has had multiple students accepted into the CMEA All-State Honor Choir. In May 2008, the Women's Choir Dona Bella was awarded Best Overall Choir, and the highest score given in the nine year history of San Francisco Music in the Parks, receiving a perfect score from Deke Sharon, founder and current vice-president of the Contemporary A Cappella Society. "I have never actually given a score of 100 percent but I gave them 100 percent. I rarely have an opportunity to hear a group that is such a pleasurable experience." "It was like reading a high school essay and, while reading it, finding yourself pouring over an article found in the New Yorker." The VHS Vocal Jazz program is one of the best in California. In April 2008 they won first place in the Fullerton Jazz Festival in the "advanced" category, followed by a "perfect" rating at the UNC Jazz Festival in Greeley, Colorado where students in the vocal jazz group "Two N' Four" were offered $10,000 in college scholarship money for their performance. In 2008, four students from the VHS Choir program comprised the 15 total Californians chosen to participate in the CMEA All-State Jazz Choir.
[edit] Pride of the Vikings Band
Known as the "Pride of the Vikings" Band and Colorguard, the Valencia High school band, as of 2006 came under the direction of Erin Stankey. Formerly under the direction of Robert Babko, the band made two trips to the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) championships, placing 9th out of 10 their first year, and 8th their second year.
[edit] Colorguard
In the year 2007 the Valencia Colorguard came in second place in the WGASC Championships. Also they never got less than third place in the winterguard season of 07.
[edit] Junior ROTC
The school is home of the CA-782nd AFJROTC, a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. The CA-782 is led by Captain Edward A. Colley (USAF Retired) and MSgt Fredrick Malcomb (USAF Ret.) The CA-782 uses the vast knowledge and experience from these retired military members, as well as proven military techniques, to build a cadet run program where students from all over the district meet to develop leadership and physical fitness.
[edit] Athletics
[edit] Boys Volleyball
The boys volleyball team has won more than sixty consecutive league matches dating back to 2001. They advanced to the CIF championship game in each season from 2001 to 2006, winning in 2003, 2004, and most recently in 2006. Under head coach Mark Knudston, the Vikings have won CIF in three of the previous five seasons, with a 186-27 record since 2003, posting a school best 34-2 record in 2006.
Valencia Volleyball alumni have been named All-American Volleyball Players and many have received scholarships to play on NCAA Division 1 teams.[citation needed]
Going into the 2008 season, the Vikings have been ranked the #1 team in the entire nation by Rivals.com.
[edit] Swim Team
In 2006 the girls team went undefeated in all their league meets, while the boys team suffered only one loss. The team has taken second place at League finals in 2005 and 2006.
[edit] Softball Team
In the 2007 spring season, the lady vikings softball team suffered only one loss. Pitcher, Jordan Taylor, had a record setting season with over a thousand strikeouts in her high school career and winning every game she pitched in as a senior. The Valencia High alumni received a scholarship and currently goes to the University of Michigan. During her last season, Taylor brought in numerous awards including a national championship. In the 2008 season, Valencia was expected to suffer, but surprised everyone by only losing five games on the season and winning the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, AZ. The team won the foothill league title and won their second straight CIF-SS Division I Championship, defeating a previously undefeated Simi Valley squad.
[edit] Athletic Awards
[edit] Foothill League Champions
Valencia High School competes in the Foothill League, one of the most competitive leagues in all of California. Other schools in the league are: Hart High School, Canyon High School, Saugus High School, West Ranch High School, and Golden Valley High School.
- Baseball - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
- Boys Basketball - 1999, 2005, 2008
- Girls Basketball - 2000, 2001, 2005
- Football - 2004
- Boys Golf - 2000, 2002
- Girls Golf - 2004, 2005, 2006
- Girls Soccer - 2001
- Softball - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007*, 2008
- Boys Tennis - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
- Girls Tennis - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Boys Track & Field - 2001
- Boys Volleyball - 2001, 2002, 2003*, 2004*, 2005, 2006*, 2007
- Girls Volleyball - 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
[edit] CIF Champions
- Volleyball Boys 2003 – Div 2
- Volleyball Boys 2004 – Div 2
- Volleyball Boys 2006 – Div 2
- Volleyball Boys 2008 - Div 2
- Softball 2007 – Div 1
- Softball 2008 - Div 1
[edit] CIF Finalist
- Football 1999
- Football 2001
- Volleyball Boys 2001
- Volleyball Boys 2002
- Boys Golf 2002
- Volleyball Boys 2003
- Soccer Girls 2003
- Football 2004
- Volleyball Boys 2004
- Golf Girls 2004
- Softball 2005
- Girls Golf 2005
- Tennis Girls 2005
- Volleyball Boys 2005
- Volleyball Boys 2006
- Tennis Girls 2006
- Softball 2007
- Tennis Girls 2007
- Volleyball Boys 2008
- Softball 2008
[edit] State Champions
- Softball 2007
[edit] National Champions
- Softball 2007
- Dance Team (USA National Champs in Large Jazz) 2008
[edit] Famous Alumni
- Stacey Taylor-Kane, American Bohemian and eFamous internet junkie (Class of 1997)
- Manuel White, Former Washington Redskins NFL Running Back (Class of 2000)
- Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, Runner-up of America's Next Top Model (Class of 2000)
- Ashley Tisdale, from Disney's High School Musical and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (Class of 2003)
- Mackenzie Rosman, star of 7th Heaven (Class of 2007)
- Taylor Lautner, star of The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl (Class of 2010)
- Taylor Dooley, star of The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl (Class of 2010)
- Notable punk band Next In Line (Class of 2000)
[edit] Trivia
- Valencia High School was used as a set for the films Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Bio-Dome, and Pleasantville.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Valencia High School (Santa Clarita, California) is at coordinates Coordinates:
