Canyon Crest Academy
Encyclopedia
Canyon Crest Academy is a public high school
in San Diego, California. Founded in 2004, the school is a member of the San Dieguito Union High School District
. It is located near Cathedral Catholic High School
and Torrey Pines High School
in the Carmel Valley
neighborhood.
The 400-seat proscenium theater and other rooms on campus are generally considered top notch for high school and professional standards. The theater includes: a fly loft where sets can be pulled down from the rafters, a video feed in the dressing rooms, lighting in the catwalks above the house that can generate visual effects, and an orchestra pit that can accommodate an 80-piece ensemble.
Canyon Crest Academy's founding freshman class (class of 2008) was able to select the school's colors and mascot, among other traditions. The students originally elected a panther
as the mascot, with red and black as the school's colors. However, the mascot was soon changed to a raven
due to the similar mascot of a nearby school.
Although Canyon Crest Academy sponsors many sports teams, there is no football team, and there are no plans to add one. Students wishing to be involved in high school football typically opt to enroll in nearby Torrey Pines High School
.
The school's founding principal was Mr. David Jaffe. After three years as Principal, Jaffe accepted a promotion within the district, whereupon former vice-principal Mr. Brian Köhn assumed the office of Principal on July 1, 2007 for the 2007-08 school year.
The majority of incoming freshmen are drawn from Carmel Valley Middle School
, while others typically come from local middle schools such as Oak Crest Middle School, Diegueño Middle School
, or Earl Warren Middle School, all of which are members of the San Dieguito Union High School District
.
Canyon Crest uses a 4x4 class schedule instead of a rotating block schedule, which means that students can complete eight full classes a year (four in the fall term and four in the spring term), rather than six year-long courses. CCA also offers a variety of elective classes not traditionally taught in public schools including American Sign Language, Japanese, Film and Society, Advanced Topics in Math, Anatomy and Physiology, Science and Research Labs, Environmental Science, Stage Craft, Music Theater production, Rock Band, Surf and Lifesaving, Recording Arts, Interior Design, and Fashion Design. The current student to teacher ratio
(overall) is roughly 34:1.
Canyon Crest offers the following AP courses: English Language & Composition, English Literature, World History, US History, American Government, Economics, European History, Psychology, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C, Environmental Science, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Japanese Language, French Language, Art History, Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: 3-D Design, Studio Art: Drawing, and Computer Science.
The school's 2007–08, 2009–10, and 2010-11 API scores were the highest in San Diego County for high schools. In 2011 CCA had an overwhelming API score of 910 surpassing every school in San Diego County history (No school had surpassed 900 in the past). It now stands as one of the top 12 most comprehensive high schools in California.
In 2007, the College Board announced that CCA's class of 2008 led the nation in AP World History scores for schools of its size. The AP World History teacher was Mark Van Over. This accolade was published by the College Board in the 2007 AP Report to the Nation.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in San Diego, California. Founded in 2004, the school is a member of the San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Encinitas, California. The district serves students in the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar and surrounding areas.-High schools:*La Costa Canyon High School...
. It is located near Cathedral Catholic High School
Cathedral Catholic High School
Cathedral Catholic High School is a private coeducational Catholic High School in San Diego, California. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, and was originally founded as the University of San Diego High School in 1957...
and Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School is a high school in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. The school is named after the Torrey Pine tree that grows in the area...
in the Carmel Valley
Carmel Valley, San Diego, California
Carmel Valley is a wealthy, master-planned coastal community in the north-western corner of San Diego, California, USA. The community is composed of commercial offices, residential units, hotels, and retail stores and restaurants...
neighborhood.
History
During the first school year (2004–05) at Canyon Crest Academy, only freshmen were admitted into the student body, with a new class of freshmen being added with each subsequent year. As a result, a complete student body did not exist on campus until the fourth year of instruction (2007–08), when the founding freshmen were in their senior year. During the first school year, the students were instructed in portable trailers located in the school's parking lot. It was not until well into the year that the majority of the construction of the actual campus was completed, and classrooms were able to be moved into the new buildings. Other parts of the campus, such as the gym and theater, did not open until later on as construction was still underway. All facilities were open and construction completed by the end of the second school year (2005–06). The overall cost of building the campus mounted to $103 million.The 400-seat proscenium theater and other rooms on campus are generally considered top notch for high school and professional standards. The theater includes: a fly loft where sets can be pulled down from the rafters, a video feed in the dressing rooms, lighting in the catwalks above the house that can generate visual effects, and an orchestra pit that can accommodate an 80-piece ensemble.
Canyon Crest Academy's founding freshman class (class of 2008) was able to select the school's colors and mascot, among other traditions. The students originally elected a panther
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
as the mascot, with red and black as the school's colors. However, the mascot was soon changed to a raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
due to the similar mascot of a nearby school.
Although Canyon Crest Academy sponsors many sports teams, there is no football team, and there are no plans to add one. Students wishing to be involved in high school football typically opt to enroll in nearby Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School
Torrey Pines High School is a high school in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. The school is named after the Torrey Pine tree that grows in the area...
.
The school's founding principal was Mr. David Jaffe. After three years as Principal, Jaffe accepted a promotion within the district, whereupon former vice-principal Mr. Brian Köhn assumed the office of Principal on July 1, 2007 for the 2007-08 school year.
Enrollment
Enrollment for the 2007-08 school year was about 1799. Canyon Crest Academy draws from the local areas of North San Diego County such as Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas. Students are only placed into the school after submitting an application to attend. All students that applied to enroll in Canyon Crest Academy during the first three school years were admitted. However, for the 2007-08 school year, the first lottery was held to narrow down the incoming class size from the pool of applicants. In the random lottery, approximately four out of five students were accepted from the applicant pool.The majority of incoming freshmen are drawn from Carmel Valley Middle School
Carmel Valley Middle School
Carmel Valley Middle School, or CVMS, is located in San Diego, California, in the neighborhood of Carmel Valley. The school is a member of the San Dieguito Union High School District, and it offers seventh and eighth grade education....
, while others typically come from local middle schools such as Oak Crest Middle School, Diegueño Middle School
Diegueño Middle School
Diegueño Middle School is a middle school in Encinitas, in San Diego County, California, United States, serving students in 7th and 8th grades as part of the San Dieguito Union High School District. The school was founded in 1985...
, or Earl Warren Middle School, all of which are members of the San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District
San Dieguito Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Encinitas, California. The district serves students in the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar and surrounding areas.-High schools:*La Costa Canyon High School...
.
Curriculum
Canyon Crest Academy has Envision, a prototype arts and technology program. Envision has 6 divisions: Digital/Fine Arts, Theater, Cinema, Dance, Vocal Music, and Instrumental Music. The program regularly sponsors shows & performances, and interacts with professionals & teachers in the North County community. The Envision program also trains students in their particular field of interest. Students additionally have the option of taking classes from MiraCosta Community College on the CCA campus, available after school.Canyon Crest uses a 4x4 class schedule instead of a rotating block schedule, which means that students can complete eight full classes a year (four in the fall term and four in the spring term), rather than six year-long courses. CCA also offers a variety of elective classes not traditionally taught in public schools including American Sign Language, Japanese, Film and Society, Advanced Topics in Math, Anatomy and Physiology, Science and Research Labs, Environmental Science, Stage Craft, Music Theater production, Rock Band, Surf and Lifesaving, Recording Arts, Interior Design, and Fashion Design. The current student to teacher ratio
Ratio
In mathematics, a ratio is a relationship between two numbers of the same kind , usually expressed as "a to b" or a:b, sometimes expressed arithmetically as a dimensionless quotient of the two which explicitly indicates how many times the first number contains the second In mathematics, a ratio is...
(overall) is roughly 34:1.
Canyon Crest offers the following AP courses: English Language & Composition, English Literature, World History, US History, American Government, Economics, European History, Psychology, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C, Environmental Science, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Japanese Language, French Language, Art History, Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: 3-D Design, Studio Art: Drawing, and Computer Science.
Awards and Honors
The Envision Music Program has been selected as one of 130 finalists nationwide for the 2008 and 2011 Grammy Signature Schools National Award for Excellence in School Music Programs.The school's 2007–08, 2009–10, and 2010-11 API scores were the highest in San Diego County for high schools. In 2011 CCA had an overwhelming API score of 910 surpassing every school in San Diego County history (No school had surpassed 900 in the past). It now stands as one of the top 12 most comprehensive high schools in California.
In 2007, the College Board announced that CCA's class of 2008 led the nation in AP World History scores for schools of its size. The AP World History teacher was Mark Van Over. This accolade was published by the College Board in the 2007 AP Report to the Nation.