University High School (Irvine)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| n/a | |
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Motto
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Unity through Diversity |
|---|---|
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Established
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1971 |
| Public secondary | |
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Principal
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John Pehrson |
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Students
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3225.75 |
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Grades
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9–12 |
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Location
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Irvine, California USA |
| Trojan | |
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Newspaper
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The Sword and Shield |
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Website
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iusd.org/uhs |
University High School (UHS or "Uni") is a public high school serving grades 9-12 located in the city of Irvine, California. Established in 1971, it was the first high school erected in Irvine. The campus is situated on approximately 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land in the southwestern portion of the city, adjacent to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), from which the high school derives its name. The school comprises four main academic buildings, a performing arts theater, a swimming pool, eight tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts, an indoor gymnasium supplemented with other indoor athletic facilities, a 400-m outdoor track, and several practice fields. Housed within these facilities are the departments of English, world languages, math, science, social science, art, industrial technology, athletics, physical education, English proficiency programs, special education, and the Orange County Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. The school's mission is "to provide all students with the opportunities and environment to achieve academic and personal excellence while assuring that this is done in a safe and comfortable atmosphere." The school colors are navy, Columbia blue, and white. The school mascot is the Trojan. They also have the highest GPA averages and grades in the Irvine Unified School District.
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[edit] Achievements
The school has consistently made Newsweek's list of Top High Schools. In 2003, the school ranked 58th[1]out of the top 804 high schools in the nation. In 2005, the school ranked 117th[2] out of the top 1000 high schools. In Newsweek's current 2006 list, the school ranks 156th[3] out of 1,200 top high schools.
In 2006, University High School tied for first place at the Regional Science Olympiad over Northwood and Tesoro High Schools. They then advanced to the State Level where they won second place, defeating rivals Arcadia High School and Villa Park High School. The Model United Nations club won numerous Best Club awards at regional and state contests alike, including conferences at Tustin High School, Mission Viejo High School, the University of California, Irvine, and the Los Angeles Invitational Conference.
In 2005, the University High Girls Swimming Team won their CIF for the first time in a few years. In May 1987, University High School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an exemplary school in the Secondary School Recognition Program. In 1988 and 1992, Uni was similarly recognized as a California State Distinguished School. University was accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) for six years in 2004.
University High School students consistently score well above the national average on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Board. In 2004, 86.2% of Uni seniors scored a mean of 596 on the verbal section of the test, compared with a California mean of 501, and a national mean of 508. On the mathematics section Uni students' mean was 651, compared with the California mean of 519 and the national mean of 518. Uni's total average of 1247 is high compared to the state total mean of 1020 and the national total mean of 1025. Students achieved an Academic Performance Index (API) of 890 from the State of California, while 501 students won a $1,000 scholarship based on their performance on a California state standardized test, the CAT/6.
University High students have consistently been extremely successful in national and state academic awards programs such as the National Merit Scholarship Program (with 37 semi-finalists in the 2005-2006 academic year), the Irvine Company Spectrum Leadership Awards, and many other local and regional contests. Each year, graduating seniors claim a variety of scholarships for college, with the class of 2004 garnering over $350,000 in scholarship winnings. The UHS orchestra is the largest public high school symphony orchestra in Orange County, California and annually sends scores of students to All-Southern California and All-State of California Honor Orchestras. In November 2005, University High School had three students qualify as Semi-Finalists in the prestigious Siemens-Westinghouse science competition.
University High School is also known throughout Southern California for its quality theater productions, which are famous for being grand in scale and scope. Led by the head of the theatre department, Daniel R. Trevino, University High is particularly known for the mounting of its full-scale annual spring musicals, which resemble professional productions. UHS has even produced several regional premieres of new works, an impressive feat usually reserved for professional theatres. These Southern California premieres include Side Show (2002) and Bat Boy the Musical (2003). Past award-winning productions include Miss Saigon (2006), which featured a helicopter descending on stage as well as a Cadillac car. Les Miserables (2003) featured a mechanical turntable (speculated cost of $13,000) and an intricate war barricade. Singin' In The Rain (2001) featured an elaborate raining set. In 2006, the production of Urinetown, won many awards at the Fullerton College Theatre Festival.
Previous seasons: 2006- Miss Saigon, Urinetown 2005- Disney's Beauty and the Beast 2004- Cabaret, Songs for a New World 2003- Les Miserables, Bat Boy the Musical 2002- Side Show 2001- Singin' In The Rain 2000- Carousel 1999- Grease
University High offers several school-given scholarships to graduating seniors, including the newly-established Dr. Schmelzer Award of $500 to students interested in pursuing a career in education.
The current principal is John Pehrson.
[edit] Student body
95% of the 2003 UHS graduates entered post-secondary institutions of which 62% entered four-year universities and colleges. Thirty-three percent entered community colleges, of whom many plan to transfer to four-year institutions. Fifty percent of the students in the class of 2003 were accepted to schools in the University of California (UC) system and 31.5% are attending one of the UC schools. Eighteen percent were accepted to California State University campuses, with 6% attending. Five percent of the students enrolled in vocational training, joined the U.S. military, returned to their native countries, or planned to work or travel.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Garrett Atkins - Major League Baseball player
- Will Ferrell- Hollywood Actor and Former Saturday Night Live Cast Member
- Tim Wallach - Former Major League Baseball player and Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach
- Ben Maller - Sports Radio Personality
- Zach de la Rocha (Former lead singer of Rage Against the Machine)
- Nicole Parker - MadTV cast member
- Dita Von Teese (Heather Sweet)
- Tim Commerford - Bassist Audioslave, former bassist of Rage Against the Machine
- Vanness Wu - Taiwanese singer and actor
- Martin Leung - Known as the VideoGame Pianist online
