| Canyon High School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1968 |
| Type | Public |
| Principal | Bob Messina |
| Faculty | 110 |
| Students | 2,640[1] |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Location | Canyon Country, California, California , USA |
| Colors | Green and Gold |
| Mascot | Cowboy |
| Yearbook | Trails |
| Newspaper | Pony Express |
| Website | http://canyonhighcowboys.com |
Canyon High School is a high school in the William S. Hart Union High School District in the Santa Clarita, California community of Canyon Country, California. The school first opened in 1968. The student population is approximately 3100 in grades 9 through 12.
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Canyon High School has a comprehensive academic program with emphasis on preparation for higher education. All preparatory courses required by the University of California and other institutions of higher learning are offered.
Honors and (AP) courses are offered in Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, and [Fine Arts]. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program encourages students from non-academic backgrounds to undertake the college preparatory curriculum and provides them with resources to increase their chance of success in strong academic programs.
Canyon High School supports an active Career Paths program which prepares students for careers in Theater Arts, Health Science, Video production, Engineering, and Industrial Technology. Students engaged in the Career path programs attend specially tailored classes and are afford internship opportunities in their chosen fields. The Career Paths programs ties into the William S. Hart district's Regional Occupational Program (ROP) which offers real-world experiences for students in 30 different career fields ranging from Forensics to Florist.
Canyon High also has an excellent fine arts department with award-winning choral music, marching band, and theater programs. A centerpiece of the theater program is the annual children's theater performances for local elementary school students.
Canyon became known for its outstanding football program in the 1980s under head coach Harry Welch. After winning three California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section titles, the Cowboys were supplanted by crosstown rival Hart and Valencia High Schools in the 1990s and 2000s as the top programs in the area. Welch resigned from coaching but continued to teach at the school. He was rehired as football coach in 2001 and Canyon won another CIF championship in 2005 in which they defeated Hart twice - once for the league title and again in the CIF championship game.
On December 9, 2006, Canyon defeated Moorpark High School 24-22 to secure the 2006 CIF-SS Northern Division title.
On December 16, 2006, Canyon played De La Salle High School, ranked first in the nation, for the state championship. Canyon defeated their heavily-favored opponent 27-13 becoming the first Division 1 state football champions since 1927. Soon after the Canyon team won the state championship, Harry Welch quit as coach, citing an unwillingness to work with school administration. He subsequently retired from the Hart school district and accepted a position at a St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano.[2]
On December 2, 2006, Canyon hosted a rugby team from Perth, Western Australia. Despite kicking out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, the Hart district Wildcats were defeated by the Trinity College, Perth team in a hard and well fought game, 39-34.
Canyon High, along with four other schools in the district, regularly donates school supplies to impoverished schools in Nicaragua. Students correspond with their Nicaraguan counterparts through a pen-pal program.[3]