Granite Hills High School (El Cajon, California)

Granite Hills High School
Established	1960
Type	Public secondary
Principal	Georgette Torres
Students	Estimated 3,000
Grades	9-12
Location	1719 East Madison Avenue, El Cajon, California, USA
District	Grossmont Union High School District
Accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Campus	Urban
Colors	Navy blue and Columbia blue
Mascot	Ernie the Eagle
Yearbook	Pageant
Newspaper	Clarion
Nickname	Eagles
Website	Granite Hills High School

Granite Hills High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in El Cajon, California and serves students in grades nine through twelve. Opened in 1960, Granite Hills is one of thirteen high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. GHHS is the home of the Eagles. Granite Hills High School has been an IB World School since July 2001.

Traditions

Alma Mater

Nestled in the granite hills fly our colors white and blue high above the mountain crest we soar as eagles proud and true

rising high with pride and honor to our victory we will soar granite hills our alma mater eagles now and ever more

NOTE: In the 1970s, the Alma Mater was as follows:

Granite Hills our Alma Mater Nestled in your mountain crown Let every son and daughter true, add to your honor, fame renown Years of most treasured memories, Home of our loyalty.

Shooting

During fifth period, minutes after lunch period had ended on March 22, 2001, 18-year old GHHS Senior Jason Hoffman arrived on campus and opened fire on the attendance office, which also houses the principal and vice principals' offices, from the outside. Five people were either injured by shrapnel or suffered severe symptoms from the traumatic experience but few victims incurred bullet wounds. Hoffman was shot in the buttocks and jaw. He was arrested by police officer Rich Agundez, who had been on campus during school hours since the shooting two weeks earlier at a high school within the same district, Santana High School. Hoffman would later commit suicide by hanging himself from bedsheets in his prison cell in November 2002.

History

Recently Granite Hills has been undergoing some construction to many of its classes. The football field has also been renovated.^{[citation needed]}

It was discovered that Granite's soil contains a large amount of carcinogens. As of January, 2009, studies were in progress and the source of contamination was unknown. Tainted dirt has also been found at other schools in the district. In January 2009 the long time eagle statue, "Ernie", was ripped off of its base by vandals and destroyed.

Granite Hills Marching Band

The students in the GHHS Marching Band perform at the Mother Goose Parade, Christmas in the lights, Alpine Parade, and at every home football game especially the Homecoming game. The marching Eagles also go to "Band Night" featuring the SDSU Marching Aztecs and gathering other marching bands from the GUHSD District. Popular tunes such as the "007 Theme" and "Bon Jovi Theme" highlight the "GUHSD Marching Band and Color Guard Field Show Extravaganza" held every year. During second semester they do winter and spring concerts as the "Concert Band". Some are joint concerts with middle schools from Cajon Valley School District.

Athletics

Granite Hills is the only school in the GUHSD to offer every CIF sanctioned sport.

Notable alumni

• Tommy Vardell, 1987, NFL San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions
• Brian Giles, 1989, Major League Baseball right fielder, San Diego Padres and previously Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates
• Marcus Giles, 1996, Major League Baseball second baseman, Philadelphia Phillies
• Jimmie Johnson, 1993, 5 time (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion
• Joe Roth, former All-American quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley
• Shane Spencer, 1990, Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder, Hanshin Tigers and previously Major League Baseball New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets
• Julia Schultz, 1997, model and actress
• Lt. General Herbert J. Carlisle, 1974, USAF Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, U.S. Air Force
• Markus Perrson creator of minecraft
• George Allen, 2010, El Cajon Mayor

See also

• List of high schools in California
• List of high schools in San Diego County, California
• List of high schools in Grossmont Union High School District

References

• Shots on Campus: Echoes of Terror

External links

• Granite Hills High School website
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges Directory of Accredited Schools 2005-2006 (PDF)