Catalina Magnet High School
Encyclopedia
Catalina High School is a public high school, located on the North Side of Tucson, Arizona
. Catalina is a magnet high school (drawing students from the entire school district) in Tucson Unified School District
and serves approximately 1300 students in grades 9-12. The school name originates from the Santa Catalina Mountains
north of Tucson. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are royal blue and white.
It would not be until 1959 that the original plans for the school were completed. In the 1960s Catalina was known as the Disneyland for the higher income students who attended Catalina from central Tucson and the Catalina Foothills
. Shortly following the establishment of Catalina, many other high schools opened in the more affluent suburbs of Tucson, including [], Rincon
, and Canyon del Oro
.
When Pueblo and Catalina High Schools were on the planning boards in 1953, TUSD School Board member Delbert L. Secrist wanted to name them "Abraham Lincoln" and "George Washington" respectively. His fellow board members didn't go along with the idea. Catalina was named under a new TUSD school board policy of naming high schools after local mountain ranges. Catalina was built as a state-of-the art school, costing $2,496,619, to which were added extra classrooms, locker and shower facilities and a science wing, totaling 73 regular classrooms. The school was initially controversial, with critics dubbing Catalina Disneyland, as the architecture was viewed as lavishly modern and expensive. Catalina, which had been designed for 1,500 students, opened with an enrollment of 2,000. Prior to the completion of the buildings, students had attended Tucson High on double-sessions, with Catalina students attending the morning session.
The building was designed by Scholer, Sakeller & Fuller, r Architects, and was built by J. J. Craviolini and ; L. C. Anderson.
. It is the home of three magnet programs allowing students to apply from all over the district. The aviation program has two strands. The private pilot strand gives students the opportunity to earn their pilot's certificate as part of their curriculum. The structures strand gives students the opportunity to learn to build and repair aircraft. The electronics strand teaches students about robotics. The allied health program has several strands including the Certified Nursing Assistant program, the radiology program, the athletic training program and the pharmacy technician program. The traditional magnet is a back to basics curriculum. The construction academy offers students a traditional vocational experience teaching building trades from nail and hammer and heating and air conditioning to home design. The academy is fully partnered with SAHBA and several local construction companies in the area. The career & technical academy offers students the opportunity to earn Pima Community College credit while taking their courses at Catalina. Culinary arts and digital media arts are just two of the several articulated courses.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Catalina is a magnet high school (drawing students from the entire school district) in Tucson Unified School District
Tucson Unified School District
Tucson Unified School District is the largest school district of Tucson, Arizona in terms of enrollment. As of 2006 TUSD has more than 60,000 students and approximately 3,700 faculty members....
and serves approximately 1300 students in grades 9-12. The school name originates from the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
north of Tucson. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are royal blue and white.
School history
With only one high school, Tucson High, the TUSD school board began discussion of building a second high school in the district in 1953 to meet the population growth of Tucson. In January 1957, the partially completed campus facilitated a full student body. Additional classrooms, shower and locker facilities and a science wing were added later, with 10-cent levy funds and federal aid under Public Law 815. The school presently has 65 regular classrooms and the 8-classroom science wing. R.T. Gridley was the first principal of Catalina, and the first graduating class was in May 1957. Catalina students voted for its first student council and student officers in September 1955 while still at Tucson High.It would not be until 1959 that the original plans for the school were completed. In the 1960s Catalina was known as the Disneyland for the higher income students who attended Catalina from central Tucson and the Catalina Foothills
Catalina Foothills, Arizona
Catalina Foothills is a census-designated place located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 53,794 at the 2000 census...
. Shortly following the establishment of Catalina, many other high schools opened in the more affluent suburbs of Tucson, including [], Rincon
Rincon High School
Rincon High School is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. The school serves about 1,300 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Tucson Unified School District . Since 1985, the campus has been shared with University High School, a separate accelerated institution. Courses from each school can be...
, and Canyon del Oro
Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School, also known as CDO, is a comprehensive public high school in Oro Valley, Arizona, located north of Tucson at the base of Pusch Ridge. Established as a high school in 1964, CDO is one of three high schools of Amphitheater Public Schools and serves about 1,800 students in...
.
When Pueblo and Catalina High Schools were on the planning boards in 1953, TUSD School Board member Delbert L. Secrist wanted to name them "Abraham Lincoln" and "George Washington" respectively. His fellow board members didn't go along with the idea. Catalina was named under a new TUSD school board policy of naming high schools after local mountain ranges. Catalina was built as a state-of-the art school, costing $2,496,619, to which were added extra classrooms, locker and shower facilities and a science wing, totaling 73 regular classrooms. The school was initially controversial, with critics dubbing Catalina Disneyland, as the architecture was viewed as lavishly modern and expensive. Catalina, which had been designed for 1,500 students, opened with an enrollment of 2,000. Prior to the completion of the buildings, students had attended Tucson High on double-sessions, with Catalina students attending the morning session.
The building was designed by Scholer, Sakeller & Fuller, r Architects, and was built by J. J. Craviolini and ; L. C. Anderson.
Awards and recognition
- 2006 Girls Arizona State Cross Country Champions;
- 2006 Boys Arizona State Cross County Runner Up;
- 2008 Boys Arizona State Soccer Runner Up;
- 2009 State MESA Runner Up;
- Division champs: baseball, basketball; boys and girls volleyball
- National Merit Scholar winner, 1st place in the Arizona State Math Contest, Division A, Level II;
- Winner of the National Scholastics Hall of Fame for "The Trumpeteer", the school newspaper since 1957.
Academics
Catalina is under accreditation by the North Central AssociationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
. It is the home of three magnet programs allowing students to apply from all over the district. The aviation program has two strands. The private pilot strand gives students the opportunity to earn their pilot's certificate as part of their curriculum. The structures strand gives students the opportunity to learn to build and repair aircraft. The electronics strand teaches students about robotics. The allied health program has several strands including the Certified Nursing Assistant program, the radiology program, the athletic training program and the pharmacy technician program. The traditional magnet is a back to basics curriculum. The construction academy offers students a traditional vocational experience teaching building trades from nail and hammer and heating and air conditioning to home design. The academy is fully partnered with SAHBA and several local construction companies in the area. The career & technical academy offers students the opportunity to earn Pima Community College credit while taking their courses at Catalina. Culinary arts and digital media arts are just two of the several articulated courses.
Athletics
Catalina presently competes in the Arizona Interscholastic Association 4A Gila Conference, Division II. The girls are the 2006 State Cross Country Champions.Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps AZ-943rd Cadet Group
Catalina is also home to the AZ-943 Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Cadet Group. The unit has earned the title of Distinguished Unit for the past seven years as well as various awards for marching and community service. The Senior Aerospace Science Instructor is Lieutenant Colonel Robert Maldonado, USAF Ret. and the Aerospace Science Instructor is Master Sergeant Mark R. Wagner USAF Ret.Notable alumni
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. - Merle Reagle America's pre-eminent crossword puzzle creator with puzzles in The New York Times, etc.
- Jennifer J. StewartJennifer J. StewartJennifer J. Stewart is an American children's book author. She writes humorous books for middle grade readers.She was born in East Patchogue, New York, to a librarian mother and a physicist father. When she was four years old, her family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she grew up and attended...
(1978); children's book writer - Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
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