La Serna High School
Encyclopedia
La Serna High School is a public high school in Whittier, California
that was founded in 1960 and is part of the Whittier Union High School District
. The school's colors are Crimson
, Gold
and White
.
four times, in 1990, 1996, 2003, and 2009.
in order to pass high school. The average class size at La Serna varies per grade level. For 9th graders, the average class size is 26, 31 for both 10th and 11th graders, and 28 for 12th graders. La Serna has an average rating of 8 out of 10 from parents and students, making it a "great school".
The students 2006 school year API score was 742, and improved to 777 at the end of 2007 school year. Every year, 10th graders must take the High School exit exam, known as CAHSEE. In 2006, approximately 84 percent of 10th graders passed the English/Language Arts portion of CAHSEE, and in 2007 it was improved to 85 percent. However, only 83 percent of 10th graders passed the Math portion of CAHSEE in 2007, compared to the 86 percent from 2006.
Approximately 59 percent of the enrolled at La Serna are of Hispanic descent, followed by Caucasians with a percentage of 39. Asians make up 3 percent of the student population, and all others 1%.
For the 2007-2008 school year, there are approximately 2,410 students enrolled at La Serna. 585 students are freshman, 543 are sophomores, 514 are juniors, and 392 are seniors.
was a system implemented in 2005 that was aimed at helping incoming freshman students acclimate to the high school environment by having peer mentors help them through their first year at La Serna.
The Freelancer is the name of La Serna High School's newspaper, which has one issue released each month during the regular school year. The Freelancer is created and written by the students, who also allow feedback mail to which they respond. One teacher oversees the production of each newspaper per year.
In 2006, English teacher Holly Vance was demoted from her position as the adviser of the newspaper's production, due to the controversial penultimate issue on May 10 of the 2006 school year entitled The ‘S’ Word, which the topic discussed was sex
amongst teenagers. Also due to this, the final edition of the year for the month of June was banned and the student body was unsuccessful in overturning the decision.
, track and field
, cross country
, soccer, volleyball
, baseball, softball
, tennis, wrestling
, and basketball. Boys football and Boys & Girls Cross Country and Boys Water Polo and girls volleyball are held in the autumn; boys and girls basketball, soccer are held in the winter; and boys baseball, tennis,and girls softball and boys and girls track and field are held in the spring every school year.
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
that was founded in 1960 and is part of the Whittier Union High School District
Whittier Union High School District
Whittier Union High School District is a California high school district serving most of the City of Whittier and parts of Santa Fe Springs. The union high school district was formed in 1900 and is currently composed of five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools, and an adult...
. The school's colors are Crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
, Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and White
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
.
History
La Serna High School was founded in 1960. The school has been a California Distinguished SchoolCalifornia Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
four times, in 1990, 1996, 2003, and 2009.
Students
At La Serna High School, every Senior is required to complete the Senior ProjectSenior Project
Senior ProjectStudents, usually in their senior year of high school, choose a topic of interest to them and create a senior project that consists of the four P's:* Paper* Project* Portfolio* Presentation-How it works:...
in order to pass high school. The average class size at La Serna varies per grade level. For 9th graders, the average class size is 26, 31 for both 10th and 11th graders, and 28 for 12th graders. La Serna has an average rating of 8 out of 10 from parents and students, making it a "great school".
The students 2006 school year API score was 742, and improved to 777 at the end of 2007 school year. Every year, 10th graders must take the High School exit exam, known as CAHSEE. In 2006, approximately 84 percent of 10th graders passed the English/Language Arts portion of CAHSEE, and in 2007 it was improved to 85 percent. However, only 83 percent of 10th graders passed the Math portion of CAHSEE in 2007, compared to the 86 percent from 2006.
Approximately 59 percent of the enrolled at La Serna are of Hispanic descent, followed by Caucasians with a percentage of 39. Asians make up 3 percent of the student population, and all others 1%.
For the 2007-2008 school year, there are approximately 2,410 students enrolled at La Serna. 585 students are freshman, 543 are sophomores, 514 are juniors, and 392 are seniors.
Link Crew
Link CrewLink Crew
Link Crew is a leadership program offered to high schools in the United States and Canada. The program allows the school to choose upper-classmen to be linked with freshmen throughout the year. The Link Leaders help the freshman get involved by informing them about the activities put on by the...
was a system implemented in 2005 that was aimed at helping incoming freshman students acclimate to the high school environment by having peer mentors help them through their first year at La Serna.
The Freelancer
In 2006, English teacher Holly Vance was demoted from her position as the adviser of the newspaper's production, due to the controversial penultimate issue on May 10 of the 2006 school year entitled The ‘S’ Word, which the topic discussed was sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
amongst teenagers. Also due to this, the final edition of the year for the month of June was banned and the student body was unsuccessful in overturning the decision.
The Pennon
La Serna High School's yearbook is called The Pennon, which, like The Freelancer, is created by the student body and a teacher adviser.Athletics
La Serna High has a large athletics program. Their sports include footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, soccer, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, baseball, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, tennis, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, and basketball. Boys football and Boys & Girls Cross Country and Boys Water Polo and girls volleyball are held in the autumn; boys and girls basketball, soccer are held in the winter; and boys baseball, tennis,and girls softball and boys and girls track and field are held in the spring every school year.
Notable alumni
- Dave DalbyDave DalbyDavid Merle Dalby was a former American football center.-College:Dalby played for UCLA, where he became part of their All-Century team as center...
, 1968 – former centerCenter (American football)Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1972 until 1985. - Royce "The Voice" Reynolds, 1984 – a member of the doo-wopDoo-wopThe name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group The Alley CatsThe Alley CatsThe Alley Cats are an American doo-wop group singing in a cappella.The group originated in 1987, when a doo-wop revival program was occurring at Fullerton College. Two men, also the group's future founding fathers, Mando Fonseca and Royce "The Voice" Reynolds, decided to start an a cappella group...
. - Gary AllanGary AllanGary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...
Herzberg, 1986 - Country music artist. - Ara BabajianAra BabajianAra Babajian is an American drummer who has been a member of such bands as Leftöver Crack and The Slackers. Ara is of Armenian descent, and is named after Ara, an Armenian king....
, 1993 - Drummer for The Slackers and The McMartin Choir Boys. - Andrea BarberAndrea BarberAndrea Laura Barber is an American actress who is best known for having played Kimmy Gibbler on the ABC sitcom Full House.- Personal life :...
, 1994 – American actress most notable for her role as Kimmy Gibbler on Full HouseFull HouseFull House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
. - Tupe PekoTupe PekoSiitupe Marcus "Tupe" Peko, is an American Football offensive lineman. Peko attended La Serna High School and first played at the collegiate level at Cerritos College and transferred to Michigan State University and has spent 4 years in the NFL, at first primarily as a backup and started in 11...
, 1996 – former offensive lineman for the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
from 2002 until 2004. - Adam SnyderAdam SnyderAdam Richard Snyder is a National Football League offensive guard and tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. He was drafted in the third round in the 2005 NFL Draft by the 49ers....
, 2000 – current offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.