Capuchino High School
Capuchino High School | |
Home of the Mustangs | |
Established | 1950 |
School type | Public |
Principal | Katya Villalobos |
Location | San Bruno, California, ![]() |
Enrollment | 1192 |
Colors | Green and Gold |
Homepage | [1] |
Capuchino High School is a public high school in San Bruno, California, although the school is surrounded by the city of Millbrae on all but one corner. It is one of seven high schools in the San Mateo Union High School District, a division of the San Mateo County Office of Education.
Capuchino’s rival school is Mills High School in Millbrae, California.
History
From 1895 to 1902, all San Mateo County high school students attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City. Then, from 1902 to 1923, high school students in San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, and San Mateo attended San Mateo High School. In the fall of 1923, Burlingame High School opened and served students in San Bruno, Millbrae, and Burlingame. Capuchino first opened on September 11, 1950, to meet the demands of an increasing high school-aged population in the nearby communities of Burlingame, Millbrae, and San Bruno.[1]
The physical campus, which is just over 34 acres (140,000 m2) in size, was formerly the Spanish Rancho del Capuchino. There was initially only one two-story building on the campus; by 1953 most of the campus was completed. A 1,000-seat auditorium was built in 1959, supplementing the school's little theatre. In the 1961-62 academic year, just prior to the completion of Crestmoor High School, student enrollment exceeded 1,800 and almost every available space was utilized for classrooms.[2]
The school mascot is the Mustang. The school colors are green and gold.
In 1963, KPIX (Channel 5) filmed scenes, including a pep rally, at the school for its weekly High School Salute program. Host Dick Stewart also interviewed students and faculty in the KPIX studios during the telecast.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Capuchino_Campus_in_April_2007.jpg/250px-Capuchino_Campus_in_April_2007.jpg)
SMUHSD residents approved Measure D in November 2000, which authorized funding for school renovation and modernization. Capuchino has a renovated Science Wing, a new spirit court and Cafeteria building, and several new classrooms adjoining the new Administration building. Renovations are continuing throughout parts of the campus.
Fine Arts
The school has long been known for its music and drama programs. Randolph Hunt was the school's first music teacher; he joined the faculty in 1950 and wrote the school's hymn, Hail Green and Gold, and other songs; he left Capuchino in 1960 to earn his doctorate. Ralph Bredenberg (1913-1990) became the band director in 1953 and built an outstanding marching band that performed at numerous competitions, as well as appearing at the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California and the nationally-televised inaugural parade for John F. Kennedy in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1961.[3]
Kenneth L. Ton (1921-1982) was drama director at Capuchino for many years and, when Otto Mielenz became choral director in 1960, they began plans for producing the school first's musical comedy productions. Randolph Hunt had preferred to present operettas by Gilbert & Sullivan, including a performance of The Mikado in 1959, when the new auditorium was completed.[4] Ton and Mielenz first collaborated on a 1962 production of Brigadoon by Lerner & Loewe.[5] In 1964 Mielenz left Capuchino to teach at San Bernardino Valley College, followed by Chabot College in Hayward, California.[6] Mr. Masonson became the new choral director in 1964. Ton continued to direct plays and collaborated on additional musicals, until his retirement in the early-1980s.[7] In the early 1980s a guiding director at Capuchino was Robert Meadows, who had formerly taught at Crestmoor High School until it closed in 1980; Meadows was the first musical director for the Capuchino Community Theatre, whose first productions were The Sound of Music by Rodgers & Hammerstein and The Music Man by Meredith Willson.[8]
Sports
Capuchino has long had an outstanding athletic department. It initially competed in the Peninsula Athletic League, which stretched from Jefferson High School in Daly City, California to Lincoln High School in San Jose, California. As more high schools were built during the 1950s and early-1960s, the Mid-Peninsula was established to include the seven high schools of the San Mateo Union High School District. Capuchino dominated league competition over the years, especially in football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, track, and tennis. During the late 1950s the school won the league championships in varsity football, basketball, and baseball, a time often referred to as "The Golden Age of Sports."[9] Capuchino baseball players Wally Bunker and Keith Hernandez both went on to careers in Major League Baseball.[10]
Curriculum
Capuchino is the only school in the San Mateo Union High School District to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
On the 2005 California Department of Education Academic Performance Index (API), Capuchino scored a 7 of 10, which indicates that its students, on average, tested better than at least 60% of the high schools in the state.
For its similar schools rank, in which Capuchino was compared with the 100 schools in the state with demographics most like that of Capuchino, Capuchino scored an 8, which means its students outperformed those of at least 70 of the 100 schools.
Capuchino also offers ROP (Regional Occupational Program) classes for free. These include CompTIA A+ Certification (or "computer system design"), CCNA Certification (or "Cisco Networking Academy"), and an advanced Art of Video lab.
Demographics
The student population is approximately 37% white, 32% Latino, 9% Asian, 7% Pacific Islander, 6% Filipino, 5% African American, and approximately 4% of its students are of multiple cultural backgrounds.
Approximately 17% of the students at Capuchino are served by the free or reduced-price lunch program, and approximately 80% of Capuchino's students are English language learners.
Notable people
Alumni
- Wes Finlay, 1958. Actor. Opera singer. Producer. Director. Classical guitarist.
- Luana De Vol, 1960. Opera singer
- Wally Bunker, 1963. MLB player.
- Keith Chapman, 1963. Concert organist.
- Gordon De Vol, 1964. Actor.
- Keith Hernandez. 11 time Gold Glover, 1979 MVP and World Series Champion in 1982 & 1986 he was the first Captain of the New York Mets .
- Suzanne Somers, 1964. Actress.
Faculty
- Leo Ryan. History teacher/politician, 1961.
See also
References
- ^ San Mateo County Historical Society
- ^ Interviews with students, 1961-63
- ^ San Bruno Herald archives, 1964 interview with Dr. Hunt
- ^ 1964 interview with Dr. Hunt
- ^ Cap 62 yearbook
- ^ 1967 interview with Otto Mielenz
- ^ San Bruno Herald archives
- ^ Eyewitness accounts by Robert E. Nylund
- ^ Capuchino yearbooks, interviews with students.
- ^ San Bruno Herald archives