Granada High School (California)

Coordinates: 37°40′29.53″N 121°47′21.75″W / 37.6748694°N 121.7893750°W / 37.6748694; -121.7893750

Granada High School
Granada High School emblem
Location
400 Wall Street
Livermore, California 94550
United States
Information
Type Public
Established 1963
School district Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
Principal P.J. Daley
Faculty 173
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 2,017 (2014-15)[1]
Color(s) Black and gold         
Mascot Matador
Newspaper The Pomegranate
Yearbook El Toreador
Information (925) 606-4800
Website Granada High School

Granada High School is a high school located at 400 Wall Street in Livermore, California, United States. It opened its doors to students in January 1963. Situated on a 40-acre campus, it is the larger of two comprehensive high schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD). Granada was established as the town's second public high school in response to significant population growth in the 1960s. Livermore High School was the first high school in Livermore, and rivals Granada. The name Granada is a Spanish word meaning "pomegranate". The school's official newspaper is called The Pomegranate, which is published monthly. The school mascot is a matador.

History

Granada High School is located in the midst of housing tracts in Livermore, which changed from an agrarian community to a growing suburban community at the end of World War II. This change was escalated by the development of the research laboratory that started in the 1950s as a reaction to the United States' role as a nuclear power. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is still a major employer in the community. The growth of the Bay Area as a leader in the area of technology has also changed the nature of the community, as has the recent development of the local wine industry.

Granada High School opened in January 1963. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. There are presently five administrators, 111 teachers, three counselors, and a 54 member support staff that includes custodians, campus supervisors, office clerical, school resource officer, athletic director, and instructional assistants. Although there has been significant turnover of staff in recent years, Granada remains a blend of experienced and new, with many of the teaching staff having been at Granada for over 25 years.

During the spring quarter of 2008, the new science wing opened. The science center has 14 classrooms. A media and library center also opened in 2008. The multimedia center is open daily from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm; it has computers and books.

The Teacher:student ratio as of the 2014/15 school year was 1:28. As of the 2014-15 school year, the ethnic makeup of the student body was:

  • 57% White
  • 25% Hispanic
  • 9% Asian
  • 2% African American

Academics

The front of Granada High School

Granada High School's academic objective is to transform every student into an active learner.[2]

When the 2008 school year started, the schedule changed from the block system to the trimester system. The school year features a three-trimester calendar with five-semester-unit courses. A typical school day feature five 70-minute periods, with the exception of Wednesdays, when periods are shortened to 50 minutes in order to incorporate Staff Development. The trimester schedule was formed to allow for more opportunities for students to take elective courses; for more flexibility in meeting student scheduling needs (students can attend periods 1-5, 2-5, 1-4, 2-4 or 1-3), depending on their post-high school goals and extracurricular commitment; and to allow for slower pacing in math classes. Students must earn 230 credits to graduate (five credits per trimester for courses completed with a grade of D or better). Credits must include four years of English, two years of math, two years of science (physical and life), three and a half years of social science, two years of physical education, one trimester of health, and one year from foreign language or career technical or visual/performing arts.

Granada High School offers a varied and comprehensive curriculum. The college preparatory program includes advanced and honors courses, and the following Advanced Placement offerings for 2015-2016:

  • AP European History
  • AP English Lit & Comp
  • AP Computer Science
  • AP French Lang & Culture
  • AP US History
  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Biology
  • AP Spanish Lang & Culture
  • AP US Government
  • AP Calculus BC
  • AP Chemistry
  • AP Spanish Lit & Culture
  • AP Psychology
  • AP Statistics
  • AP Environmental Science
  • AP English Lang & Comp

Students are not limited in the number of AP/Honors courses they may take, however schedule conflicts often arise when there are attempts to sign up for more than 3 AP courses, as they are relatively low in demand and usually only offered at one or two specific times.

In the Class of 2014, the highest GPA was 4.5, while the mean was 3.08. 59 students graduated with a GPA of 4.0 or higher. Granada’s student population reflects the demographics of the community. Approximately 34 percent of graduates attend four-year colleges upon leaving high school, and 51 percent go to two-year colleges. Close to 60 percent of Granada students meet the University of California and California State University A-G requirements for college admission.

Athletics

Granada High School has teams in 15 sports. These teams compete in the North Coast Section CIF (NCS) and East Bay Athletic League (EBAL).

Men's sports:

Women's sports

  • Fall: cross country, golf, tennis, volleyball, water polo
  • Winter: basketball, soccer
  • Spring: diving, lacrosse, softball, swimming, track

The lacrosse team is relatively new to the school. It was created in 2005, as a club team. In the spring of 2007, the program made the transition to an EBAL team. During their first season the boys' team beat Livermore High School twice, including a shutout in the second game. The competition has recently become more fierce, with the Livermore varsity lacrosse team prevailing in more recent matches. The girls' lacrosse team has been very successful with many wins, including several against Livermore High School.

Granada's baseball team has found success in recent years, under manager and former Granada grad Corrigan Willis, who has compiled a 111–68 record while heading the Matadors.[3] Willis took over the program in the 2009 season, and, beginning in 2010, he has led Granada baseball to six consecutive playoff appearances.

In 2013, Willis' squad featured eight senior starts, as they finished the season with a record of 24–2, making it to the semifinals in the North Coast Section playoffs. The team featured San Francisco Giants draftee Ryan Kirby[4] and current Miami Marlins minor leaguer Casey Soltis.[5] The Matadors began the season with 20 consecutive victories, outscoring their opponents 190-39[6] over the course of the 26-game season. The pitching staff was led by seniors Jacob Payne and Anthony Olmo, who finished with records of 12–1 and 11–1, respectively. In 79 innings, Payne struck out 104 batters, allowing just five earned runs and 45 hits. Olmo was dominant as well, pitching 66 2/3 innings, while striking out 58 hitters and finishing with an E.R.A of 1.58. Offensively, the team was led by seniors Ryan Kirby, Matt Richards, Dan Whitney, Vince Fernandez and Jordan Thrailkill. While the team only hit six total home runs, their collective batting average was .317. Kirby led the team with a .390 average, followed by Richards at .386 and Whitney at .382. Fernandez led the team in runs batted in, while Richards led the team with 32 hits.[7] Highlights from the dream season include a 20–1 win over Enochs High School and an 11–1 win over Tracy High School and current Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim minor leaguer Jonah Wesely.[8] The team had a 13–1 record in their league games, as they won the East Bay Athletic league for the first time since the 1980s. The team was ranked as high as second in the nation by MaxPreps during the course of the season.[9]

Parking

The student parking lot can hold approximately 300 cars. Students are not allowed to park in the front parking lot or the lot alongside the shop classes, as these are reserved for staff and visitors. All parking on campus requires a permit.

Closed campus policy

High schools in Livermore have closed campuses. Students are not allowed to leave campus at break or at lunch. Seniors can earn off-campus lunch privileges by maintaining good grades (no Fs), good attendance (no unexcused absences and three or fewer tardies to 4th period), and good behavior (no suspensions). Seniors are given special ID cards that they must have in their possession in order to leave campus. Seniors who do not have their IDs are not allowed to leave campus during lunch. The parking lots are considered off-campus and students are not allowed to go back and forth to their cars during the school day.

Lunches

The district Campus Catering Services meet regularly with a student committee to pick items to be sold on campus. New federal regulations regarding the nutritional values of products sold on campus must be followed. This eliminates some of the high calorie snack foods that have been sold in the past.

Student life

With Spirit Weeks occurring every trimester to unite the student body, Granada's massive student body has plenty of activities. In the beginning of the year, students participate in Homecoming, which includes not just a football game and a dance, but also a spirit week, the Homecoming Carnival, rallies, and skits, which occur throughout the week. Only seniors are allowed to participate in the off-campus lunch program, allowing them to go to nearby fast food restaurants and grocery stores. There is occasionally music at lunch in the quad.

Clubs

Granada currently offers 20 clubs. From common clubs such as CSF to more unusual clubs like Splatoon, there are opportunities for every student:

  • American Red Cross: Club is for encouraging and executing projects and services in cooperation with the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter.
  • At Your Service: Club is for encouraging and executing projects and services in cooperation with the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter.
  • Chess Club: Club aims to provide an opportunity for students to learn about the art of chess, play chess with other members.
  • Current Events Club: To promote, educate, and discuss worldwide affairs in a safe environment among peers.
  • Cyber Patriot Club: Organized for the purpose of educating the community in digital safety and participation in cybersecurity competitions.
  • Equal Rights Amendment:To raise awareness for the inequalities faced by women everywhere of all races, religions, sexualities, and more.  We will take action to raise funds for helpful programs and participate in other activities and do what we can to support all women and make a difference.
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Purpose is to maintain fellowship between Christian athletes on campus with bi-weekly outreach events to teach the community of Christian athletes and any others in attendance.
  • Film Club: Purpose of club is to make films
  • Game Club: Purpose is to create a better community at GHS by meeting new people through board & video games. (school appropriate)
  • Granada Prayer and Worship: Purpose of club is to worship God together and pray for the Granada community.Jefferson Awards: Learning how to play card games and having tournaments
  • Literary Society: Organized for the purpose of reading books and discussing them as a group.Math: Spreading enthusiasm for math; providing a platform to further math pursuits
  • Math: To prepare members for the upcoming AMC test in February and practice with recreational math-based activities.
  • Me to We: We is a movement that believes when we come together, we can create an even better world. Purpose of club is to focus on international and domestic problems and provide assistance to those in need.
  • Mock Trial: To help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.
  • Peer Educators: Aims to fight drug use, especially tobacco and vaping, and promote mental health to improve every student's life through creating a healthy environment.
  • Robotics Club: Purpose for building and competing robots.
  • Science Olympiad Club: Purpose is for students who are interested in STEM and exposing them to more opportunities in science.
  • Splatoon: To discuss the Splatoon related topics and/or play the game.
  • Ultimate Frisbee: Club is formed to host pick-up style Ultimate Frisbee games on campus.
  • Young Life: To provide students with a safe and fun space to hang out with friends and members, while learning more about the Christian faith.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Granada High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  2. ↑ Van Schaack, Chris. "Principal's Message". Granada High School. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  3. ↑ Willis, Corrigan. "Granada Baseball Coach History". MaxPreps. MaxPreps. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  4. ↑ Kirby, Ryan. "Draft Tracker: 2013 First-Year Player Draft from MLB.com". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  5. ↑ Soltis, Casey. "Casey Soltis". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Team Totals". MaxPreps.com. MaxPreps.
  7. ↑ "Team Stats". MaxPreps. MaxPreps. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Granada 2012-13 Baseball Schedule". MaxPreps. MaxPreps. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Mitch Stephens (April 30, 2013). "MitchMash: Mojo, victories continue for Granada's No. 2 baseball team".
  10. ↑ The Official Site of The San Francisco Giants: Team: Player Information
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