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Patrick Henry High School (San Diego, California)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Henry High School is a public high school in San Diego, California
. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District
. It is attended by students in grades 9-12 residing in Del Cerro
, San Carlos
, Allied Gardens, Mission Valley and the College Area
.
It is a four-year high school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
. The 57 acres (230,671 m²) campus includes a counseling center, child development center, computer and science labs, a cafetorium, library and drama theater. Patrick Henry is a member school of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and complies with the NACAC
statement of principles of good conduct.
The school participates in the Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program (VEEP) whereby approximately 600 students travel daily from a minority community and are regularly enrolled, full-time students. In 2009, the ethnic composition of the school represented more than 20 ethnic groups, PHHS is composed of approximately 48.8% White, 29.4% Hispanic, 10.4% African-American and 11.4% other ethnicities
In the late 1970s Patrick Henry was the first of only a few high schools in the San Diego area to have a smoking section.
On January 5, 1984, the San Diego Police Department executed one of the largest and most controversial narcotics raids in the department's history- arresting 63 Patrick Henry High students, who had allegedly sold drugs to an undercover officer posing as a student.
On January 3, 2007 the San Diego Police department again executed a narcotics raid resulting in the arrest of 15 students from Patrick Henry and University High Schools. The students were taken into custody and booked on suspicion of narcotics offenses, including possession for sale. Undercover SDPD officers posed as students and bought narcotics, including marijuana, Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and prescription medications.
In 2011, a lesbian couple was voted the homecoming king and queen. This led to both support and international opposition.
Magazine listed Patrick Henry as being among the top one percent of high schools in the nation. The 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) has continued to rise and was 748 in 2009 (an API of 800 is the target).
, Navajo campus, is co-located on the school site.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
. It is attended by students in grades 9-12 residing in Del Cerro
Del Cerro, San Diego, California
Del Cerro is a residential neighborhood of approximately 2,300 residents in the eastern part of San Diego, California. Del Cerro borders the communities of San Carlos, Allied Gardens, College Area, Grantville, and the city of La Mesa, and is adjacent to Lake Murray and San Diego State University...
, San Carlos
San Carlos, San Diego, California
San Carlos is an upper middle-class neighborhood in the eastern area of San Diego, California. It borders the neighborhoods of Del Cerro, Tierrasanta, and Allied Gardens, the city of La Mesa, and Mission Trails Regional Park...
, Allied Gardens, Mission Valley and the College Area
College Area, San Diego, California
The College Area is a neighborhood of the Mid-City region of San Diego, California.The College Area is dominated by San Diego State University , which was formerly San Diego State College and previous to that San Diego State Teachers College, which the area is still named after...
.
It is a four-year high school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
. The 57 acres (230,671 m²) campus includes a counseling center, child development center, computer and science labs, a cafetorium, library and drama theater. Patrick Henry is a member school of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and complies with the NACAC
National Association for College Admission Counseling
The National Association for College Admission Counseling , founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 11,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education, including professional school counselors, college access...
statement of principles of good conduct.
The school participates in the Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program (VEEP) whereby approximately 600 students travel daily from a minority community and are regularly enrolled, full-time students. In 2009, the ethnic composition of the school represented more than 20 ethnic groups, PHHS is composed of approximately 48.8% White, 29.4% Hispanic, 10.4% African-American and 11.4% other ethnicities
History
Patrick Henry High School opened in 1968, and had a grant from the Danforth Foundation as an "experimental" public school. Principal Donald W. Giddings had his pick of any teacher in the San Diego Public School system for his start up campus. The student body in 1968 consisted of juniors and sophomores only, and it became a 3 year high school the following year. Classes were scheduled around a twenty minute modular system with some "classes" consisting of two "mods" and others were three "mods". In the beginning, most classes were "independent study", and the campus was open, so that students could make use of any community resources to enhance learning. But, most students were in summer school those first 2 years, having spent a lot of independent study time talking to friends in the "quad". The school modified the program, offering learning objectives, learning packs, and the ability to complete coursework at one's own pace (with teachers always available). Independent study was still available, but the motivated student needed to petition the independent study "teacher" who then worked with students on curriculum and community resource development. Over time, Patrick Henry became a more and more traditional school. Nonetheless, the early experiment was successful in bringing unusual (for the time) courses and great flexibility in learning. In 1972, a peer counseling class was instituted. Students accelerated their studies in languages, literature, the sciences, and other areas. Some graduated early as a result, while others chose to become even better prepared for college. By 1973, Patrick Henry had numerous advanced placement classes, including English and Art History, the latter being rather rare at that time.In the late 1970s Patrick Henry was the first of only a few high schools in the San Diego area to have a smoking section.
On January 3, 2007 the San Diego Police department again executed a narcotics raid resulting in the arrest of 15 students from Patrick Henry and University High Schools. The students were taken into custody and booked on suspicion of narcotics offenses, including possession for sale. Undercover SDPD officers posed as students and bought narcotics, including marijuana, Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and prescription medications.
In 2011, a lesbian couple was voted the homecoming king and queen. This led to both support and international opposition.
College admissions
The school was designated a California Distinguished School in 1999. In 2000 and again in 2003, NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
Magazine listed Patrick Henry as being among the top one percent of high schools in the nation. The 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) has continued to rise and was 748 in 2009 (an API of 800 is the target).
Campus
The San Diego Community CollegeSan Diego City College
San Diego City College is a public, two-year community college located in San Diego, California. City College is part of the San Diego Community College District along with San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College and San Diego Continuing Education...
, Navajo campus, is co-located on the school site.
Notable alumni
- Brian Stokes MitchellBrian Stokes MitchellBrian Stokes Mitchell is an American stage, film and television actor. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theatre since the early 1990s...
1974, Actor, Singer, Composer - Annette BeningAnnette BeningAnnette Carol Bening is an American actress. Bening is a four-time Oscar nominee for her roles in The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia and The Kids Are All Right, winning Golden Globe Awards for the latter two films...
American Actress, (class of 1975) - RupaulRuPaulRuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
(Rupaul Andre Charles) Celebrity Drag Queen (Class of 1979) - Brenda Ann SpencerBrenda Ann SpencerBrenda Ann Spencer is a convicted American murderer who carried out a shooting spree from her home in San Diego, California, on January 29, 1979. During the shooting spree, she killed two people and injured nine others at Cleveland Elementary School, which was located across the street from her home...
Convicted American Murderer (Class of 1980) - Aaron HarangAaron HarangAaron Michael Harang is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Amateur career:Harang graduated from Patrick Henry High School then went on to San Diego State University...
Major League Baseball Pitcher, (Class of 1996) - Eric Karros Former Major League Baseball Player, Commentator (Class of 1985)
- Ken KocherKen KocherKen Kocher is an American football defensive lineman who played most recently for the Columbus Destroyers in the Arena Football League. Kocher was a Parade High School All American and a standout at UCLA....
National Football League; Greenbay Packers, Arena Football League; Columbus Destroyers (Class of 1998) - Ericka LorenzEricka LorenzEricka Denise Lorenz is an American water polo player, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She also won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics....
US Olympic Water Polo Player, (Class of 1999) - Matt NokesMatt NokesMatthew Dodge Nokes is a retired American professional baseball catcher and designated hitter. He played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants , the Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , the Baltimore Orioles, and the Colorado Rockies...
Major League Baseball Catcher, (Class of 1980) - Russ LorensonRuss LorensonRuss Lorenson is an American singer and actor. Though a stage actor since childhood, Lorenson has more recently established a reputation as an interpreter of jazz standards...
Actor, Singer, Composer (Class of 81) - Ricky WilliamsRicky WilliamsErrick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
National Football League Running Back, Heisman Trophy Winner (Class of 1995) - Sal ZizzoSal ZizzoSalvatore "Sal" Zizzo is an American soccer player who plays for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:...
US Soccer Player, (Class of 2005) - Steve FairchildSteve Fairchild-Personal life:Fairchild graduated from Colorado State University in 1980 with a degree in economics.-References:...
1975. Former National Football League coach, Colorado State head coach. - Kellen Winslow Jr. (Grades 9-10) NFL Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tony HarnellTony HarnellAntony "Tony" Harnell is an American hard rock singer, best known for his work with the Norwegian hard rock band TNT....
1977/78 grades 9-10 Singer/Songwriter for 1980s hard rock band TNT