Gunn High School
Henry M. Gunn High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
780 Arastradero Road Palo Alto, California 94306 United States | |
Coordinates | 37°23′56″N 122°07′59″W / 37.399°N 122.133°WCoordinates: 37°23′56″N 122°07′59″W / 37.399°N 122.133°W |
Information | |
Type | Public |
Established | 1964 |
School district | Palo Alto Unified School District |
Superintendent | Glenn "Max" McGee |
Principal | Denise Herrmann |
Staff | 131 (2011–2012) |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1,939 (2015-16) |
Area | Northern Santa Clara County |
Color(s) | Red and Black |
Athletics conference |
Santa Clara Valley Athletic League CIF Central Coast Section |
Mascot | Timmy the Titan |
Nickname | Titans |
Accreditation | Western Association of Schools and Colleges |
Newspaper | The Oracle |
Yearbook | The Olympian |
Feeder schools |
Jordan Middle School JLS Middle School Terman Middle School |
Website | School website |
[1][2] |
Henry M. Gunn High School is one of two public high schools in Palo Alto, California.
History
Established in 1964, Gunn High School was named after Henry Martin Gunn, who served as the Palo Alto superintendent from 1950 to 1961. In 1964, the Palo Alto Unified School District announced it would name the district's third high school after him. The Class of 1966 was the first class to graduate from Gunn High School.[3]
Gunn High School received national attention in 2009 after five of its students committed suicide over a span of nine months, mainly by walking in front of trains at a nearby crossing. Attempts have since been made to try to improve the emotional health of students attending the school. As of 2015, cluster suicide has remained a problem in the district's high schools.[4][5]
Academics
Gunn offers 22 Advanced Placement (AP) classes and 8 Honors classes that count for the weighted Grade Point Average (GPA).[6] In May 2010, 657 students took 1820 AP tests. 93% scored 3 or higher and 54% scored a grade of 5. Gunn no longer ranks students, but ranking was previously recorded by decile.[6]
PLTW
Gunn is also host to Project Lead the Way (PLTW), an organization that promotes science, technology, engineering, and math. Courses from this program include Digital Electronics and Introduction to Engineering Design, as well as Principles of Engineering.[7] However, in the 2012–2013 school year, only Introduction to Engineering Design will be offered. Digital Electronics was cancelled due to low enrollment and Principles of Engineering was cancelled due to funding issues.
Statistics
Demographics
2015–2016[1]
- 1,939 students: 1,006 Male (51.9%), 933 Female (48.1%)
Asian | White | Hispanic | Two or More Races | African American | Filipino | Pacific Islander | American Indian | Not Reported |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
862 | 733 | 173 | 126 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
44.5% | 37.8% | 8.9% | 6.5% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0% |
Standardized testing
SAT Scores for 2014–2015 [8] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Critical Reading Average | Math Average | Writing Average | |
Gunn High | 642 | 686 | 646 |
District | 634 | 671 | 634 |
Statewide | 489 | 500 | 484 |
2013 Academic Performance Index | ||
---|---|---|
2009 Base API [9] | 2013 Growth API [10] | Growth in the API from 2009 to 2013 |
915 | 917 | 2 |
Student groups
Gunn offers over 90 student clubs, teams, and organizations that focus on art, community action, culture, environment, politics, music, dance, journalism, and more.
Theatre
Gunn students stage three major productions every year (Fall, Spring and One Acts) and occasional staged readings.[11]
Music
The music program consists of several music groups including a Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, Concert Band, Concert Choir, and Chamber Singers.
Robotics team
The Gunn Robotics Team (GRT), established in 1997, competes at the FIRST Robotics Competition. It is also the only FIRST Robotics team to have won the national animation award more than once, winning in 1997, 2006, and 2012. They also won best models worldwide in their 2010 animation.[12] In 2012 The Robotics Team won the National FRC Championship Excellence in Design Award (3D Animation) sponsored by Autodesk. GRT is the only team that has won a total of three Animation awards in the history of FIRST.[13][14][15]
Notable alumni
- Steve Almond, class of 1984 – writer (The Evil B.B. Chow, Candyfreak)
- Mehdi Ballouchy, class of 2002 – professional soccer player, currently with the New York Red Bulls
- Matt Flynn, class of 1988 – drummer (The B-52's, Maroon 5)
- Andrew Jacobson, class of 2003 – professional soccer player, currently with FC Dallas
- Stephan Jenkins, class of 1983 – lead singer for Third Eye Blind
- Stanley Jordan, class of 1977 – jazz guitarist (Magic Touch)
- Nina Katchadourian, class of 1985 – conceptual artist
- David Leavitt, class of 1979 – author (The Lost Language of Cranes, The Body of Jonah Boyd)
- Michael Lederer, class of 1974 – author
- Brad Lee, class of 1998 – musician (The Album Leaf, Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects)
- Zoe Lofgren, class of 1966 – U.S. Representative for California's 16th congressional district, 1995 – present
- Matt Marquess, class of 2004 – professional soccer player for the Kansas City Wizards
- Brian Martin, class of 1992 – Olympic medal-winning luger
- Shemar Moore, class of 1988 – actor (Criminal Minds, The Young and the Restless)
- Ann Packer, class of 1977 – author (The Dive from Clausen's Pier)
- George Packer, class of 1978 – journalist (Mother Jones, The New Yorker) and author
- Tom E. Politzer, class of 1976 – saxophonist (Tower of Power)
- Rick Porras, class of 1984 – film producer (co-producer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Contact)
- Brett Simon, class of 1992 – film director (Assassination of a High School President)
- Anne Wojcicki, class of 1991 – biologist, founder of 23andMe and former wife of Google founder Sergey Brin
- Susan Wojcicki, class of 1986 – CEO of YouTube.
- Yiaway Yeh, class of 1996 – Mayor of Palo Alto, 2012
- Jessica Yu, class of 1983 – Oscar-winning documentarian and film director (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, Ping Pong Playa)
- Raphael Bob-Waksberg, class of 2002 – comedian, writer, producer, and actor; creator of BoJack Horseman
- Ann Crady Weiss, founder of Maya's Mom and Hatch Baby and True Ventures partner
References
- 1 2 "Enrollment by Ethnicity for 2015–16: Henry M. Gunn High School". California Department of Education. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ↑ "School Profile 2011–12: Henry M. Gunn High School". California Department of Education.
- ↑ "2007 School Profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ↑ "After five suicides, Palo Alto high school students change culture through peer support « Culture & Features « Peninsula Press ARCHIVE (2010 – Sept. 2014)". peninsulapress.com. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Hanna Rosin (November 16, 2015). "The Suicide Clusters at Palo Alto High Schools - The Atlantic". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- 1 2 "Gunn High School School Profile".
- ↑ "Gunnpltw.com". gunnpltw.com. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ "SAT Report - 2014-15 District Level Scores". California Department of Education. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ↑ "2009 Base API School Report – Henry M. Gunn High". California Department of Education Assessment, Accountability and Awards Division.
- ↑ "2013 Growth API School Report – Henry M. Gunn High". California Department of Education Analysis, Measurement, & Accountability Reporting Division.
- ↑ "Program Overview". Gunn Theatre. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Gunn Robotics Team – Awards". gunnrobotics.net. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Awards – GRT". gunnrobotics.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "NASA Previews Robotics Engineers of the Future" (Press release). NASA Ames Research Center. March 10, 2006. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
- ↑ Malone, Michael S. (March 25, 2002). "The Fix-It Kids Take Over". Forbes Magazine. Forbes.com Inc. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
External links
- Gunn High School website
- The Oracle, student-run newspaper
- Palo Alto Unified School District website