Leigh High School
Encyclopedia
Leigh High School is a secondary school
located in San Jose, California
. Opening in September 1962, it was the fifth school to be established within the Campbell Union High School District
. The school has twice been awarded the California Distinguished School award, in 1999 and 2003. , the enrollment at the school was 1729 students. The school colors are gold (yellow) and pine green. The school's mascot is the longhorn
.
scores of students were the highest in the district in 2000, and were above the state and national averages. The California Department of Education Academic Performance Index
of Leigh High school gave it a ranking of 9 within its state, and a relative ranking of 8. Ninety percent of Leigh graduates go on to attend either university or community college after graduation.
Leigh's 1,700+ students annually score above the state and national averages on the STAR, CAHSEE, SAT, and Advanced Placement tests. Leigh also serves a large Special Education population through its Resource, Special Day Class, and Emotionally Disturbed programs. Maintaining an average class size of thirty students, Leigh provides a comprehensive curriculum that includes instructional programs designed for college-bound, Special Education, and vocational students.
Leigh also offers seven honors classes: English 1–4, World History, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
The Central County Occupational Center (CCOC) offers interested students a variety of vocational training in areas such as multimedia, cosmetology, managerial accounting, electrical maintenance, and auto body repair.
All high school students in the county’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HOH) program attend classes at Leigh, some of whom take sheltered classes with other deaf students, but many of whom are mainstreamed into classes with Leigh’s hearing population.
During the winter, the music program offers both Winter Percussion and Winter Guard programs, the latter which has become a World Guard and has ranked in the finals at world competitions.
Leigh also offers choir as a year-long class for all grades.
As of the 2008–2009 school year, the music program's parent association has changed its original name, Instrumental Music Parent's Association, to Performing Arts Parent's Association (PAPA), due to the combination of Leigh High School's drama, choir and band programs. More information can be found at www.leighpapa.org.
Leigh High School's Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Music Theory Class, Jazz Band, and Marching Band have been directed by Suzanne Holden since the beginning of the 2008–2009 school year.
The marching band competes in the Western Band Association (WBA) competitions in the fall, along with the Northern California Band Association competitions. The Leigh High School marching band also performs their competition show at all home football games.
Pre-marching season preparation for the band includes a weekend away at camp and a week at school, the latter reaching up to 9 hours a day.
Marching band field shows usually consist of an opener, a ballad, and a closer. In addition to a band director and staff members, the Leigh Marching Band is led by student captains and section leaders.
Since its creation in 2005, the Leigh Winter Percussion ensemble has put on the following shows:
2005: Chairman Dances
2006: A Day In The City
2007: Ritmo (concert percussion)
2008: Fire Garden Suite
2009: Anxiety (in conjunction with branham High School in the Branham-Leigh Winter Percussion)
2010: Chronos
2011: W"e" Belong
In only the second year of the school's existence the 1964 Varsity football team tied for the league championship. This was followed up by the 1966 Varsity football team that won the league title outright. In 1970 the Varsity football team again won the league title with a record of 11–1, its lone loss coming in the inaugural County Championship game against Los Altos Hills (30–23). The 2001–2002 Varsity Football team was runner-up in the Central Coast Section Championship. The 2004 Varsity Football team also shared the league championship with Oak Grove High School
.
In the mid 1970s, Leigh High was noted for its Cross Country
dynasty, under the coaching of Homer Latimer, and in 1974 the Longhorns won the national title. The school's proximity to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains
, where runners trained vigorously year round, was a significant contributor to the program's success. They also won the California Central Coast championship in baseball in 2000.
There are more than thirty clubs on campus open to all students, with meeting times during lunch or after school, which makes it convenient for students to attend. Each club or organization must have a constitution and must be approved by the Associated Student Body (ASB).
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Opening in September 1962, it was the fifth school to be established within the Campbell Union High School District
Campbell Union High School District
The Campbell Union High School District, referred to as the CUHSD, is a school district in the greater San Jose, California, USA area, including Campbell and Saratoga. Its five main campuses, Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, and Westmont, serve more than 7800 students, and employ 550 teachers and...
. The school has twice been awarded the California Distinguished School award, in 1999 and 2003. , the enrollment at the school was 1729 students. The school colors are gold (yellow) and pine green. The school's mascot is the longhorn
Texas longhorn (cattle)
The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring...
.
Academics
Leigh High School is an academically successful high school, with rankings placing it above average when compared to others in California. The average SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores of students were the highest in the district in 2000, and were above the state and national averages. The California Department of Education Academic Performance Index
Academic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
of Leigh High school gave it a ranking of 9 within its state, and a relative ranking of 8. Ninety percent of Leigh graduates go on to attend either university or community college after graduation.
Leigh's 1,700+ students annually score above the state and national averages on the STAR, CAHSEE, SAT, and Advanced Placement tests. Leigh also serves a large Special Education population through its Resource, Special Day Class, and Emotionally Disturbed programs. Maintaining an average class size of thirty students, Leigh provides a comprehensive curriculum that includes instructional programs designed for college-bound, Special Education, and vocational students.
Advanced programs
Leigh offers Advanced Placement (AP) instruction in Chemistry, English, US History, American Government, Studio Art, Spanish Language, French Language, Physics, Biology, Calculus, Statistics, and Music Theory.Leigh also offers seven honors classes: English 1–4, World History, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
Special education programs
The school's AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) has been in place for four years, so Leigh now has four AVID classes, one for each grade level.The Central County Occupational Center (CCOC) offers interested students a variety of vocational training in areas such as multimedia, cosmetology, managerial accounting, electrical maintenance, and auto body repair.
All high school students in the county’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HOH) program attend classes at Leigh, some of whom take sheltered classes with other deaf students, but many of whom are mainstreamed into classes with Leigh’s hearing population.
Music programs
Leigh High School is noted in the Campbell Union High School District for its many musical programs. Leigh High School offers a concert band, a symphonic band, a wind ensemble which requires an audition, and a jazz ensemble which also requires an audition.During the winter, the music program offers both Winter Percussion and Winter Guard programs, the latter which has become a World Guard and has ranked in the finals at world competitions.
Leigh also offers choir as a year-long class for all grades.
As of the 2008–2009 school year, the music program's parent association has changed its original name, Instrumental Music Parent's Association, to Performing Arts Parent's Association (PAPA), due to the combination of Leigh High School's drama, choir and band programs. More information can be found at www.leighpapa.org.
Leigh High School's Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Music Theory Class, Jazz Band, and Marching Band have been directed by Suzanne Holden since the beginning of the 2008–2009 school year.
Leigh High School Marching Band
Leigh High School marching band is one of the school's most popular and renowned activities, usually bringing in more than 100 students per season. It includes a drumline, a front ensemble, a colorguard, wind instruments, and brass instruments.The marching band competes in the Western Band Association (WBA) competitions in the fall, along with the Northern California Band Association competitions. The Leigh High School marching band also performs their competition show at all home football games.
Pre-marching season preparation for the band includes a weekend away at camp and a week at school, the latter reaching up to 9 hours a day.
Marching band field shows usually consist of an opener, a ballad, and a closer. In addition to a band director and staff members, the Leigh Marching Band is led by student captains and section leaders.
Symphonic band
Symphonic band is a performance based ensemble for students who have prior experience on their instrument and the ability to read music. The ensemble consists of wind instruments and percussion.Wind ensemble
Wind ensemble an audition-only ensemble that performs frequently and includes travel to festivals nationwide. On odd years the group strives to perform out-of-country and plans to perform in Europe in year 2011. On even years they take a smaller trip to San Fransisco to perform.Winter Percussion
Leigh high school has performed very well in the California Colorguard Circuit percussion competitions since the ensemble's formation in 2005. The ensemble was disbanded in 2008 mid-way through the season by the administration, but members continued to perform in conjunction with students from nearby Branham High School in 2009 with their winter percussion ensemble. As of the 2010 season, the Leigh Winter Percussion ensemble has been reformed and has started off their season quite well with a whole new suite of music, as well as instructional staff.Since its creation in 2005, the Leigh Winter Percussion ensemble has put on the following shows:
2005: Chairman Dances
2006: A Day In The City
2007: Ritmo (concert percussion)
2008: Fire Garden Suite
2009: Anxiety (in conjunction with branham High School in the Branham-Leigh Winter Percussion)
2010: Chronos
2011: W"e" Belong
Concert choir
Students sing all levels of music literature in a choir. The principle singing group performs at concerts, festivals, or other events during the school year. Ms. Barbara West is the current Choir director at Leigh.Madrigals
This advanced choir performs many times throughout the school year. Students have to audition for the choir.In the spring of 2011, Madrigals traveled to England, Wales, and Ireland.School athletics
Students at Leigh High School compete in a variety of interscholastic sports, usually at the highest level available to them. Many teams have won regional championships.In only the second year of the school's existence the 1964 Varsity football team tied for the league championship. This was followed up by the 1966 Varsity football team that won the league title outright. In 1970 the Varsity football team again won the league title with a record of 11–1, its lone loss coming in the inaugural County Championship game against Los Altos Hills (30–23). The 2001–2002 Varsity Football team was runner-up in the Central Coast Section Championship. The 2004 Varsity Football team also shared the league championship with Oak Grove High School
Oak Grove High School (San Jose, California)
Oak Grove High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California which serves students in grades 9–12. Average student enrollment is 2800 students, compared to the state average of 900 students. The school is part of the East Side Union High School District...
.
In the mid 1970s, Leigh High was noted for its Cross Country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
dynasty, under the coaching of Homer Latimer, and in 1974 the Longhorns won the national title. The school's proximity to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
, where runners trained vigorously year round, was a significant contributor to the program's success. They also won the California Central Coast championship in baseball in 2000.
Student government
Student government is a vital part of the extra-curricular life of Leigh. The students involved are elected by their peers and foster community amongst students and staff. A subgroup of this organization is Leigh’s Student Congress where diverse representatives are chosen from each sixth period class. These congress meetings promote discussion, planning, and publicity for campus activities.There are more than thirty clubs on campus open to all students, with meeting times during lunch or after school, which makes it convenient for students to attend. Each club or organization must have a constitution and must be approved by the Associated Student Body (ASB).
School campus and facilities
Leigh is currently in the final stages of its building renovations, which were initiated by a ninety-five million dollar local school bond measure passed in 1999. All playing fields and a majority of the schools classrooms have been renovated. The administration offices, library, cafeteria, student quad, art classrooms, and former music classrooms are next in line for renovation. Because Leigh High School was built in 1962, building renovations will continue until the school is completely retrofitted for education in the 21st century.Notable alumni
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, Professional Skateboarder. - Ray BarbeeRay BarbeeRay Barbee is an American skateboarder from San Jose, California. He was one of the first skateboarders to bring freestyle/flatland tricks to street, technical ollie combinations and numerous no comply variations....
, Professional Skateboarder. - Ken CaminitiKen CaminitiKenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
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, convicted murderer and Manson family member (attended but did not graduate) - Jason SutterJason SutterBorn in Potsdam, New York, Jason Sutter began playing drums at the age of nine and played his first professional gig at the age of ten with his band Paragon! Playing his first "bar gig" at thirteen, Jason continued to play clubs two to three times a week throughout his high school years...
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, professional racecar driver - Jim WahlerJim WahlerJames Joseph Wahler is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for UCLA and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft....
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, Professional singer, songwriter, Recording Artist - Ted Kopulos, Radio Personality (KOMEKOMEKOME was a radio station in San Jose, California, heard at 98.5 FM from 1971 thru 1998. Currently, the 98.5 FM frequency is home to KUFX .-Beginnings:...
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), Theater Writer, Composer and Lyricist
See also
- Santa Clara County high schools
- Campbell Union High School DistrictCampbell Union High School DistrictThe Campbell Union High School District, referred to as the CUHSD, is a school district in the greater San Jose, California, USA area, including Campbell and Saratoga. Its five main campuses, Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, and Westmont, serve more than 7800 students, and employ 550 teachers and...