Gunn High School
Encyclopedia
Henry M. Gunn High School is one of two public high schools in Palo Alto
, California. Gunn High School is a four-year high school with a current enrollment of just over 1,900 students. The Class of 1966 was the first class to graduate from Gunn High School. The academic year has two semesters with 240 minutes of weekly instruction for every class. The school's schedule operates on a rotating bell schedule with classes assigned to lettered "periods" from A through G.
Established in 1964, Gunn High School was named after the late Henry M. Gunn (1898–1988), 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 ethnic and racial makeup of the 2010–2011 student population is: Caucasian – 49.5%, Asian – 34.9%, Hispanic – 7.4%, Asian Indian – 5.5%, African American – 2.1%, Multiple or no response – 20.2%. Males make up 51.0% and females make up 49.0%. Approximately 6% of the student body is economically disadvantaged and 4% are English Learners.
The mascot
of the school is Timmy the Titan. The student newspaper
is The Oracle, part of the High School National Ad Network. The internal student-run television news show is the Titan Broadcast Network, featuring a news show called "The G" every morning.
In the spring of 2010, Gunn High School was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church. Rather than responding with violence, students and staff staged a successful counter-demonstration in the form of a Phelps-A-Thon
. As a result, the school received favorable press and publicity and raised more than $1,100.00 for its gay-straight alliance.
rated Gunn High School 66th in 2007, 74th in 2008, and 64th in 2010. Newsweek
rated Gunn High School the 81st best high school in America in 2008 and 42nd in 2011.
95.9% of the graduating class go on to attend college, with 80.2% going to four-year colleges. The average SAT
score for Gunn seniors is 1942 for the Class of 2010 (633 CR, 673 M, 636 W). Gunn has one of the highest average SAT scores for public high schools in the United States. Gunn also has many students who are selected as National Merit Semifinalists – 43 in 2007, 44 in 2008, 31 in 2009, 42 in 2010 and 30 in 2011. In addition, 50 students received a National Merit letter of commendation in 2007, 50 in 2008, 60 in 2009, 68 in 2010 and 74 in 2011. Usually 25% of the Gunn senior class receives one of these two National Merit honors.
Gunn offers 22 AP classes and 8 Honors classes that count for the weighted GPA. In May 2010, 657 students took 1820 AP tests. 93% scored 3 or higher and 54% scored a grade of 5. Gunn does not rank students individually – ranking is reported by decile.
Education in mathematics and sciences is particularly strong. In 2004, 5 students qualified for the USAMO
out of around 250 nationally, and during the 2004–2005 school year 5 out of the approximately 35 American students in the Gold Division of the USACO
were from Gunn. In 2009, nine students qualified for the USAMO
. Gunn also consistently places in the Top 3 at the Bay Area Mathematics Olympiad (BAMO). In 2011, the Gunn team placed 9th at the Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
.
In 2011, Gunn is home to four national semifinalists in the Siemens Competition and the Intel Science Talent Search
, two of the most prestigious science competitions in America. In each competition, one individual went on to compete at the finalist stage.
36 members of the class of 2012 were named National Merit Semifinalists
.
and Lockheed Martin
employee Bill Dunbar, has consistently placed in the top 25 at the FIRST Robotics Competition
. It is also the only FIRST Robotics team to have won the national animation award twice, in 1997 and 2006. They also won best models worldwide in their 2010 animation.
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, California. Gunn High School is a four-year high school with a current enrollment of just over 1,900 students. The Class of 1966 was the first class to graduate from Gunn High School. The academic year has two semesters with 240 minutes of weekly instruction for every class. The school's schedule operates on a rotating bell schedule with classes assigned to lettered "periods" from A through G.
Established in 1964, Gunn High School was named after the late Henry M. Gunn (1898–1988), who served as the Palo Alto superintendent from 1950 to 1961. In 1964, the Palo Alto Unified School District
Palo Alto Unified School District
- Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School :Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School is a middle school located at 480 East Meadow Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94306. 2007 STAR test results showed an attendance of 870 students, in grades 6 through 8. It was originally named Ray Lyman Wilbur Junior High School after...
announced it would name the district's third high school after him.
The ethnic and racial makeup of the 2010–2011 student population is: Caucasian – 49.5%, Asian – 34.9%, Hispanic – 7.4%, Asian Indian – 5.5%, African American – 2.1%, Multiple or no response – 20.2%. Males make up 51.0% and females make up 49.0%. Approximately 6% of the student body is economically disadvantaged and 4% are English Learners.
The mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the school is Timmy the Titan. The student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
is The Oracle, part of the High School National Ad Network. The internal student-run television news show is the Titan Broadcast Network, featuring a news show called "The G" every morning.
In the spring of 2010, Gunn High School was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church. Rather than responding with violence, students and staff staged a successful counter-demonstration in the form of a Phelps-A-Thon
Phelps-A-Thon
Phelps-A-Thon.com is a Boston-based, pro-LGBT website working to counteract the message spread by the Westboro Baptist Church and their leader, Rev. Fred Phelps. It works by channeling passions against WBC into donations for groups targeted by the WBC's pickets.Phelps-A-Thon.com assists groups...
. As a result, the school received favorable press and publicity and raised more than $1,100.00 for its gay-straight alliance.
Academic reputation
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
rated Gunn High School 66th in 2007, 74th in 2008, and 64th in 2010. Newsweek
Newsweek
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...
rated Gunn High School the 81st best high school in America in 2008 and 42nd in 2011.
95.9% of the graduating class go on to attend college, with 80.2% going to four-year colleges. The average SAT
SAT
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...
score for Gunn seniors is 1942 for the Class of 2010 (633 CR, 673 M, 636 W). Gunn has one of the highest average SAT scores for public high schools in the United States. Gunn also has many students who are selected as National Merit Semifinalists – 43 in 2007, 44 in 2008, 31 in 2009, 42 in 2010 and 30 in 2011. In addition, 50 students received a National Merit letter of commendation in 2007, 50 in 2008, 60 in 2009, 68 in 2010 and 74 in 2011. Usually 25% of the Gunn senior class receives one of these two National Merit honors.
Gunn offers 22 AP classes and 8 Honors classes that count for the weighted GPA. In May 2010, 657 students took 1820 AP tests. 93% scored 3 or higher and 54% scored a grade of 5. Gunn does not rank students individually – ranking is reported by decile.
Education in mathematics and sciences is particularly strong. In 2004, 5 students qualified for the USAMO
United States of America Mathematical Olympiad
The United States of America Mathematical Olympiad is a high school mathematics competition held annually in the United States. Since its debut in 1972, it has served as the final round of the AMC series of contests...
out of around 250 nationally, and during the 2004–2005 school year 5 out of the approximately 35 American students in the Gold Division of the USACO
United States of America Computing Olympiad
The United States of America Computing Olympiad is a computer programming competition aimed primarily at secondary school students in the United States. Participants of the USACO submit programs in one of five languages, C, C++, Java, Pascal, and Python, to various competitions held throughout the...
were from Gunn. In 2009, nine students qualified for the USAMO
United States of America Mathematical Olympiad
The United States of America Mathematical Olympiad is a high school mathematics competition held annually in the United States. Since its debut in 1972, it has served as the final round of the AMC series of contests...
. Gunn also consistently places in the Top 3 at the Bay Area Mathematics Olympiad (BAMO). In 2011, the Gunn team placed 9th at the Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
The Harvard–MIT Mathematics Tournament is an annual high school math competition started in 1998. The location of the tournament, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, alternates between Harvard University and MIT...
.
In 2011, Gunn is home to four national semifinalists in the Siemens Competition and the Intel Science Talent Search
Intel Science Talent Search
The Intel Science Talent Search , known for its first 57 years as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search is a research-based science competition in the United States for high school seniors. It has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious" science competition. In his speech...
, two of the most prestigious science competitions in America. In each competition, one individual went on to compete at the finalist stage.
36 members of the class of 2012 were named National Merit Semifinalists
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
.
PLTW
Gunn is also host to PLTW, an organization that promotes engineering and technology. It has Digital Electronics and Intro to Engineering Design, as well as Principles of Engineering.Robotics Team
The acclaimed Gunn Robotics Team (GRT), established in 1997 and advised by teacher and former NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
employee Bill Dunbar, has consistently placed in the top 25 at the FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
. It is also the only FIRST Robotics team to have won the national animation award twice, in 1997 and 2006. They also won best models worldwide in their 2010 animation.
Notable alumni
- Zoe LofgrenZoe LofgrenZoe Lofgren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in San Jose.-Early life, education, and early career:...
, class of 1966 – member, U.S. Congress House of Representatives - Stanley JordanStanley JordanStanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar....
, class of 1977 – jazz guitarist - Ann PackerAnn Packer (author)Ann Packer is an American novelist and short story writer, perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed first novel The Dive From Clausen's Pier. She is the recipient of a James Michener Award and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship...
, class of 1977 – author - George PackerGeorge PackerGeorge Packer is an American journalist, novelist and playwright.-Biography:Packer's parents, Nancy Packer and Herbert Packer, were both academics at Stanford University; his maternal grandfather was George Huddleston, a congressman from Alabama. His sister, Ann Packer, is also a writer...
, class of 1978 – author - David LeavittDavid LeavittDavid Leavitt is an American novelist.-Biography:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leavitt is a graduate of Yale University. and a professor at the University of Florida...
, class of 1979 – author of Family Dancing and The Lost Language of CranesThe Lost Language of CranesThe Lost Language of Cranes is a novel by David Leavitt, first published in 1986. A British TV movie of the novel was made in 1991. The movie was released on dvd in 2009.-Plot introduction:... - Stephan JenkinsStephan JenkinsStephan Douglas Jenkins , is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind , Blue , Out of the Vein , and Ursa Major...
, class of 1983 – lead singer for Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup... - Jessica YuJessica YuJessica Lingman Yu is an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. She has worked on documentaries, dramatic films, and television shows. Yu won an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien .-Early life:Yu graduated from Gunn...
, class of 1983 – director of Academy Award winning short documentary for Best Documentary in a Short Subject for the film Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'BrienBreathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'BrienBreathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien is a 1996 short documentary film directed by Jessica Yu. It won an Academy Award at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997 for Documentary Short Subject.... - Steve AlmondSteve AlmondSteve Almond is an American short story writer and essayist. He is the author of eight books.-Life:He was raised in Palo Alto, California, and graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University. He spent seven years as a newspaper reporter,...
, class of 1984 – author - Rick PorrasRick PorrasRick Porras is an American producer, notably co-producing The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Stanford University, graduating in 1988 with a degree in History....
, class of 1984 – co-producer on The Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter... - Matt FlynnMatt Flynn (musician)Matt Flynn , is currently the drummer of the band Maroon 5 . Originally the substitute drummer for the band, he took over after the departure of Ryan Dusick, who left the band due to wrist and shoulder injuries. Matt was previously a Yamaha Drum Artist, but now endorses Ludwig drums, Zildjian...
, class of 1988 – Grammy Award-winning drummer of Maroon 5Maroon 5Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, as well as former drummer of The B-52'sThe B-52'sThe B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar... - Shemar MooreShemar MooreShemar Franklin Moore is an American actor and former male fashion model. His most notable roles are that of Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005, Derek Morgan on CBS's Criminal Minds, and as the third permanent host of Soul Train from 1999 to 2003.-Early life:Moore was...
, class of 1988 – actor, formerly of the CBS soap opera The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
, currently the CBS drama Criminal MindsCriminal MindsCriminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, as well as the former host of Soul TrainSoul TrainSoul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains... - Anne WojcickiAnne WojcickiAnne E. Wojcicki is an American biotech analyst, biologist, and the co-founder of 23andMe.Wojcicki is the daughter of educator Esther Wojcicki and Stanley Wojcicki, a Polish American physics professor at Stanford University. She attended Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California, where she was one...
, class of 1991 – businesswoman, founder of 23andMe23andMe23andMe is a privately held personal genomics and biotechnology company based in Mountain View, California that is developing new methods and technologies that will enable consumers to understand their own genetic information...
, wife of Google founder Sergey BrinSergey BrinSergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion.... - Brett SimonBrett SimonBrett Simon is an American commercial, music video and film director.-Career:Simon graduated from Princeton University summa cum laude in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing, and later graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002 with...
, class of 1992 – director of Assassination of a High School PresidentAssassination of a High School PresidentAssassination of a High School President is a 2008 American neo noir comedy film, directed by Brett Simon, written by Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski, and starring Reece Thompson, Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton and Michael Rapaport... - Brian MartinBrian Martin (luger)Brian Martin is an American luger who competed from 1990 to 2010. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the men's doubles event with a silver in 2002 and a bronze in 1998....
, class of 1992 – four time Olympian in the sport of Luge - Brad LeeBrad LeeBrad Lee is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Palo Alto, California and currently resides in San Diego, California. He is currently a member of The Album Leaf and Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects...
, class of 1998 – musician - Trip AdlerTrip AdlerJohn R. "Trip" Adler III, is an American entrepreneurwho is best known for starting the social publishing companyScribd. Adler grew up in Palo Alto, California, and thenattended Harvard University where he studied biophysics and...
, class of 2002 – CEO and co-founder of the document-sharing website ScribdScribdScribd is a Web 2.0 based document-sharing website which allows users to post documents of various formats, and embed them into a web page using its iPaper format. Scribd was founded by Trip Adler, Tikhon Bernstam, and Jared Friedman in 2006... - Mehdi BallouchyMehdi BallouchyMehdi Ballouchy is a Moroccan footballer. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, class of 2002 – professional soccer player - Andrew JacobsonAndrew JacobsonAndrew Jacobson is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
, class of 2003 – professional soccer player - Matt MarquessMatt MarquessMatt Marquess is an American retired soccer player.-College and Amateur:Marquess grew up in Palo Alto, California, played college soccer for UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University, and in the USL Premier Development League for San Jose Frogs-Professional:Marquess was drafted in the third round ...
, class of 2004 – professional soccer player
External links
- Gunn High School website
- Gunn Alumni Site
- The Oracle, student-run newspaper
- Gunn Auto Tech
- Gunn High School's The Partisan Review, student-run political magazine patterned after the now-defunct Partisan ReviewPartisan ReviewPartisan Review was an American political and literary quarterly published from 1934 to 2003, though it suspended publication between October 1936 and December 1937.-Overview:...
- Gunn Robotics Team
- Gunn Web Design Club's New Gunn Site
- Phelps-A-Thon.com