Junípero Serra High School (San Mateo, California)

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Junípero Serra High School
Address
451 West 20th Avenue
San Mateo, California, 94403
 United States
Coordinates 37°32′46″N 122°19′3″W / 37.54611°N 122.3175°W / 37.54611; -122.3175Coordinates: 37°32′46″N 122°19′3″W / 37.54611°N 122.3175°W / 37.54611; -122.3175
Information
Type Private, All-Male
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Established 1944
President Lars Lund
Principal Barry Thornton
Asst. Principal Marybeth Ortiz;
Keith Strange
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 998 [1] (2008)
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Blue and Gold         
Athletics conference WCAL
Mascot Padres
Accreditation(s) Western Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
Newspaper Serra Friar
Yearbook El Padre
Dean of Studies Rita Leung
Dean of Students Robert Ferretti
Admissions Director Randy Vogel
Athletic Director Kevin Donahue
Website http://www.serrahs.com
The main entrance

Junípero Serra High School (commonly Serra or JSHS) is a private secondary school in San Mateo County, California, United States serving students in grades 9-12. A part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, this high school provides single-sex education, accepting only young men. The school has an academic focus with a college preparatory curriculum.

Contents

[edit] Background

Padre Junípero Serra

Junípero Serra High School, named for Padre Junípero Serra, the Apostle of California, opened on September 11, 1944. Recently the school has engaged in several development efforts which have led to significant campus renovations and improved student and faculty access to technology resources.

Situated in residential San Mateo, Junípero Serra High School is located less than five minutes from both U.S. Route 101 and Interstate 280, just off State Route 92. Over 97% of the student body comes from the San Francisco Peninsula.

Although Serra is a school for young men, they are involved in a partnership with two schools for young women – Mercy, Burlingame and Notre Dame, Belmont. This "tri-school" program hosts coed activities including classes, retreats, drama and music productions, club activities and dances.

[edit] Curriculum

Junípero Serra High School offers a college preparatory curriculum, including more than twenty Advanced Placement and Honors courses. Serra students are required to complete a minimum of 240 units, pass all required courses, and perform eighty hours of Christian Service in order to graduate. Students may also earn college credits while at Serra. Ninety-nine percent of graduates continue their education at the college or university level. Serra attributes its students academic success to the school's creation of a challenging, yet comfortable learning environment in which students are placed at various academic levels according to their needs and abilities.

All full time faculty, librarians, and counselors are represented by a labor union and have a collective bargaining agreement with the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The CBA governs the terms of their employment. The labor union's official name is The San Francisco Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers, Local 2240, which is an affiliate of the California Federation of Teachers (AFT, AFL-CIO).

The John L. Zoph Library contains approximately 18,000 volumes and over 30 online subscription databases. It is a curriculum-based collection that can be accessed by Junípero Serra students on campus or remotely through the Serra website.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Athletics

The athletic hall of fame

Junípero Serra High School has a rich athletic tradition. Many of the student-athletes have gone on to compete at some of the top collegiate programs in the country, while several have also been successful in professional sports (Barry Bonds, Tom Brady, Lynn Swann, Jim Fregosi, Dan Frisella, Gregg Jefferies, and Joe Kmak). Additionally, John Robinson was both a college and professional level head coach. Serra participates in the West Catholic Athletic League.

Serra participates in the following sports: Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Cross Country(coached by Willis B. McCarthy, author of the book, [Hundred Miles to Destiny][3]), Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling and Outdoor Lacrosse.

Serra has several rivalries in and out of the WCAL. In football the Padres' main rivals are Bellarmine and St. Francis. In basketball, the Padres maintain a local, out of league rivalry against Burlingame High School and, since 1976, the most anticipated game is "The Jungle Game" against Saint Ignatius.

[edit] Clubs

Amnesty International, Anglers' Club, Art Club, Big Brothers, Block "S" Club, Bowling Club, Broadcasting Club, California Scholarship Federation, Canyons and Canvas Club, Close-Up, College_N_Site, Creative Writing Club, Cycling Club, Fantasy Sports Club, French Club, Golf Club, Habitat for Humanity, Hip Hop Club, Improv Club, Junior State of America, Leadership Club, Math Club, Multi-Cultural Club, National Honor Society, Performance Car Club, Performing Arts Club, Robotics Club, Rock Climbing Club, Sailing Club, Ski/Snowboard Club, Spanish Club, Speech Club, Tri Music Honor Society, Trivia Club,Video Game Club, Yell/Cheer Leaders

[edit] Visual & Performing Arts

Visual and performing arts offerings include: Symphonic Band, Men’s and Mixed Chorus, Jazz Band, Dramatic Workshop and Musical Theater Workshop. In addition, Serra, along with Notre Dame High School in Belmont and Mercy High School in Burlingame, put on a play each fall and award-winning musicals each spring as Tri-School Productions. The musicals are considered some of the best in the Bay Area in terms of High Schools.

Visual and performing arts classes include Architectural Design, Art, Advanced Art, Beginning Guitar, Beginning Percussion and Films.

[edit] Publications

  • El Padre yearbook
  • Serra Friar newspaper

[edit] Student government

The student government at Serra is made up of an executive student council, class officers and homeroom representatives. Members plan activities including dances and rallies and work to improve Serra with the school’s administration.

[edit] Spirituality

Junípero Serra High School is a Catholic school and thus offers faith instruction through the Campus Ministry program and the curriculum. The Campus Ministry Program plans liturgies and other prayer opportunities, hosts retreats, and manages the school's Christian Service program. Theology courses offer instruction in the Catholic faith, morality and worship, and stress the importance of individual faith development. The curriculum is designed to address both students with extensive religious education as well as those with little or no knowledge of the Catholic faith.

[edit] Notable alumni

File:Junipero Serra HS, San Mateo athletic HOF Tom Brady plaque.JPG
Tom Brady's plaque in the athletic hall of fame

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Junipero Serra High School - San Mateo, California - CA - school overview / greatschools". http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ca/private/8136. 
  2. ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". http://www.acswasc.org/directory_search.cfm. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
  3. ^ http://www.100milestodestiny.com

[edit] External links

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