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Los Alamos High School

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Coordinates: 35°53′10″N 106°19′01″W / 35.886155°N 106.316893°W / 35.886155; -106.316893
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Los Alamos High School
File:Los Alamos High School logo.png
Location
Map
1300 Diamond Drive
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544

United States
Information
TypePublic, Grades 9-12
Established1946
School districtLos Alamos Public Schools
PrincipalSandra Warnock
Staff256[2]
Faculty82[1]
Enrollment1200 (2008)
Color(s)    Forest Green & Gold[3]
YearbookLa Loma
Websitehttp://laschools.net/lahs

Los Alamos High School (or LAHS) is a nationally ranked public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico. LAHS is the only high school in Los Alamos County, which has the highest concentration of PhDs per capita in the United States.[4] The mascot of Los Alamos High School is the Hilltopper, depicted as a Mountain Man with a walking stick atop the Jemez Mountains that overlook LAHS.

History

John F. Kennedy remarks at the High School Football Stadium, Los Alamos, New Mexico. December 7, 1962

During the Second World War Los Alamos was the site of the Manhattan Project. During wartime, structures in Los Alamos were temporary because people were expecting to leave after the wartime project was completed. In August 1945, following the Allied victory in Japan, it was decided the Los Alamos National Laboratory's nuclear research would continue in order to counter a rising Soviet threat. In 1946 Los Alamos begin erecting permanent structures, including Los Alamos High School. Life during the war and post-war transition was difficult for the first students of LAHS. "'[We were] normal teenagers trying to have a normal life in very adverse conditions," said Dan Nelis, one of the school's original students.[5]

In 1946, much of the budget for construction and operation of the high school was provided directly by the Atomic Energy Commission instead of state or local taxes. This arrangement persisted under the Department of Energy and Washington has traditionally paid for a third of the school system's budget.[6] Support from the federal government has been declining and was only 22% in the 2008-2009 academic year. [7]

During the 1960s, LAHS began to attract attention for its consistent academic performance, low drop-out rate, and innovative teaching methods.[8][9]

In October 1995, after the cold war had ended, a delegation of nuclear scientists from Sarov (Los Alamos's Russian sister city) visited Los Alamos to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Allied Victory in WWII. During their visit members of the delegation both attended and taught classes at Los Alamos High School and the University of New Mexico, Los Alamos.[10]

In 2000, two students were slain before daylight on Good Friday while making a traditional religious pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayó.[11] On May 10 many students lost their homes[12] in the Cerro Grande Fire. The blaze also devastated the scenic forests and hillsides surrounding the school.

The school was used as a filming location for 2010's Let Me In, the American remake of the Swedish cult-classic horror film Låt den rätte komma in.[13] Students from LAHS and the surrounding community participated as extras in the cast.[13]

The John F. Kennedy Memorial at Los Alamos High School

Two U.S. Presidents have visited Los Alamos High School: John F. Kennedy in 1962[14] and Bill Clinton in 1993[15][16] and 1998.[17] In 1964, after the assassination of President Kennedy, the community of Los Alamos[18] erected a permanent memorial in his honor at the high school football field.

Academics

Los Alamos High School's academic achievements have been recognized by a number of national publications. Its consistent academic performance has been recognized in Newsweek[19] and US News and World Report[20]. LAHS was identified as a top performing public high-school in Class Struggle, a book by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews examining the public education system in America[21][22]. The strength of LAHS's academic record is largely attributed to the academic nature of Los Alamos County, which has the highest concentration of PhDs per capita in the United States.[4] LAHS is not a magnet school[23] and does not have an admissions exam; Any student living in Los Alamos is free to attend. Every year students from LAHS students are recognized for the achievements by the National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Hispanic Recognition Program, and the College Board's AP Scholar awards.

LAHS does not rank students, arguing that a focus on rank by potential universities can cause many excellent students to be overlooked.[24] The GPAs of top students at LAHS are separated from each other by thousandths of a point.

63% of LAHS faculty have earned an advanced degree.[1]

LAHS is accredited by the North Central Association of the New Mexico State Department of Education. The Department of Education frequently awards LAHS with an "Exemplary" rating for its academics.[25] LAHS has consistently exceeded the Adequate Yearly Progress Math and Reading proficiency requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act for it's student body at large. However, LAHS has sometimes failed to meet the requirements of AYP due to inadequate test scores among students with disabilities or insufficient participation of Caucasian students.

Curriculum

The Los Alamos High School has a standards-based curriculum and allows students to develop an individualized four-year plan.[31] Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in German, Spanish, French, physics, biology, chemistry, calculus, statistics, English, American history, European history, psychology, and computers. Students also participate in NJROTC, educational work study, a building trades program, an automotive program, marketing and office technology courses, and concurrent enrollment at the University of New Mexico's Los Alamos Branch Campus which is located adjacent to the high school. Students who desire a different approach to education can apply to the School of Choice, a project oriented, cooperative learning, interdisciplinary program. Comprehensive special education programs are available at all levels including work study and vocational training. Work-related courses for credit include student assistant and student intern (stipend), which involve work on campus; MAPS (Mentorship, Apprenticeship, Partnership), which places students in the community (credit only); and Co-op Work Experience, which employs students throughout the community.

Student body


View of campus during lunchtime

Los Alamos High School is a medium sized, suburban high-school serving the entire county of Los Alamos, including White Rock. On the whole, the student body can be considered homogeneously upper middle class: The median household income in Los Alamos County is $88,870 and no economically disadvantaged students attend LAHS[26]. Elsewhere in New Mexico, LAHS is sometimes characterized as a school for the "rich".[32] Most of the students at LAHS originate from Los Alamos Middle School, the only middle school in Los Alamos County.

Ethnic composition[33]

Gender composition[34]

  • Male: 51%
  • Female: 49%

Extracurricular Activities

Athletics

Griffith Gymnasium

Los Alamos High School competes in the New Mexico Activities Association District 2-AAAA.[3] Since its transition from a AAA to a AAAA school in 2001, the students of LAHS have won over 30 state titles in competitive high school sports (see below). LAHS was honored with the AAAA Girls all-sports trophy in 2000-01, 2001–02, and 2003-04. In 2003-04 LAHS also received The "New Mexico Athletic Director of the Year" award.

Athletic Classification / District Alignment
LAHS Athletic Districts Year:
2-A 1954–1967
1-AA 1968–1969
1-AAAA 1970–1992
2-AAA 1993–2000
2-AAAA 2001–present

Cross Country

In 2007, the LAHS boy's cross country team (competing as the Los Alamos XC) placed second at the 2007 Nike Cross Nationals.[35] The LAHS Boys Cross Country team also participated in the Nike Cross Nationals in the 2006 season.[36] In 2002 the LAHS Girls Cross Country, won the AAAA State Championship with a perfect score of 15 (i.e. their runners finished in places 1-5).[37] The LAHS Girls Cross Country Team participated in the inaugural Nike Cross Nationals championship in the 2004 season.[38]

State championships

LAHS has won over 85 state championships in athletics, the second-most number of state titles won by any high school in New Mexico.

Music

LAHS directs several musical groups, many of which are offered for academic credit. These groups include a Marching Band, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Four Choirs (2 Women's, 1 Men's, 1 Co-ed), and a Symphonic Orchestra. [51] The LAHS Topper Marching Band won first place in their category at the tournament of the bands in 2006 and 2008[52], swept Pageant of Bands in 2008, won first place in their category at Zia Marching Band Festival in 2009.[53] All four LAHS choirs received superior ratings at the District Large Group Festival in 2009[54]

Other Clubs and organizations

Facilities

In 2010, construction began on the high school to replace aging buildings at the center of the campus. A-D wings were torn down to make room for a new three-story building.[55] The new main building is projected to be be complete in the late fall of 2011 with classes beginning in January of 2012. This is the most recent in a series of capital renovations at the high school including the addition of a new science wing and the newly remodeled R-Wing (formerly the cafeteria). [56] In 2010 Los Alamos Public Schools were commended by Energy Education for their efforts in promoting energy efficiency. LA Schools achieved over a million dollars in energy cost savings during a 56 month period.[57]

Recent awards

Los Alamos High School sits below the Jemez Mountains
  • LAHS was awarded a Silver Medal in US News and World Report's Best High School Search 2008.[20]
  • In 2005 LAHS was named one of the "1,000 Best High Schools in America" (#649) by Newsweek Magazine.[19]
  • LAHS literary magazine, Pegasus 2004, was "Recommended for Highest Award" in the 2004 NCTE Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
  • In 2010 LAHS's NJROTC Unit was designated a "Distinguished Unit With Honors" for the seventh year in a row. This designation included academic honors, which are reserved for only a handful of units.[58]

Notable alumni

The Hilltopper, as once seen from Griffith Gymnasium

References

  1. ^ a b c "2004-2005 District Report Card" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  2. ^ "Staff Directory". Los Alamos High School. 2007-09-01. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  3. ^ a b "NMAA Member Schools - Los Alamos High School". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Santa Fe's High-Tech Chaparral". Business Week. 2001-01-09. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  5. ^ Klein, Julia M. (2005-07-24). "The Manhattan Project's 'secret town'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  6. ^ Brooke, James (1995-11-29). "City Seeks Renewal In Absence Of Bomb". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  7. ^ "Los Alamos Public School". National Center for Education Statistics. 2009. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  8. ^ Huber, Robert E. (1967-12-30). "Los Alamos Schools Looked to As Guide". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  9. ^ "Los Alamos Designs Schooling 'Adventure'". Los Angeles Times. 1968-05-09. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ "Visitors from Russia Enjoy Visit to Los Alamos". Santa Fe New Mexican. 1995-11-13. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  11. ^ "Teens shot making Good Friday pilgrimage to northern New Mexico church". Associated Press. 2000-04-22. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ "Remembering Cerro Grande...10 years later". Los Alamos County Council. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
  13. ^ a b "Hollywood comes to Los Alamos High School". Los Alamos Monitor News. 2009-12-20. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  14. ^ "The President's Visit" (PDF). LASL News. 1962-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  15. ^ "President: Lab Can Affect The Future As It Has The Past" (PDF). LANL Newsbulletin. 1993-05-21. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  16. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1993-05-18). "Clinton Stumps For His Program In '92-Like Blitz". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  17. ^ "The Lab Forever Changed the 20th Century". LANL Newsbulletin. 1998-02-04. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  18. ^ John F. Kennedy Memorial (Plaque on Memorial Structure). Sullivan Field, Los Alamos High School. 1964-12-04. {{cite sign}}: Unknown parameter |distributor= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ a b "1,000 Best High Schools in America". Newsweek. 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-09-18. Retrieved 2006-01-01.
  20. ^ a b "Best High School Search". US News and World Report. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  21. ^ "New York schools shine in AP ranking". New York Teacher. 1998-04-13. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  22. ^ Mathews, Jay (1999). Class Struggle: What's Wrong (and Right) with America's Best Public High Schools. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0812931408. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  23. ^ "School Detail for Los Alamos High". National Center For Education Statistics, US Department of Education. 2001-01-09. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  24. ^ "Ranking Students". Los Alamos High School. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  25. ^ "2003 Annual Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  26. ^ a b "School Accountability Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2010-08-01. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  27. ^ "2009-10 School Accountability Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2009-10-16. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  28. ^ "2008-09 School Accountability Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  29. ^ "2007-2008 AYP School Accountability Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  30. ^ a b "2006-07 School Accountability Report" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  31. ^ "Curriculum" (PDF). Los Alamos Public Schools. 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
  32. ^ "In the "Hungriest" State, The USA's Richest County Is Fed by Nuclear Weapons Programs" (PDF). New Mexico Nuclear Watch. 2006-11-24. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  33. ^ "Los Alamos High School". GreatSchools.Net. 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  34. ^ "Los Alamos High School". PublicSchoolReview.com. 2002–2004. Retrieved 2007-12-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  35. ^ "Los Alamos Boys - Nike Team Nationals 2007". Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  36. ^ "2006 Boy's Nike Cross National Results". Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  37. ^ "State Cross Country Meet (Girls) 2002". Sports-Net.Org. 2002-11-11. Retrieved 2007-12-20. {{cite news}}: Text "58" ignored (help)
  38. ^ "2004 Girl's Nike Team National Results". Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  39. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Cross Country State Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  40. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Football" (PDF). New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  41. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Soccer Past State Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  42. ^ "New Mexico State Volleyball Champions" (PDF). New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  43. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Swimming & Diving". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  44. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Wrestling Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  45. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Basketball Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  46. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Baseball Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  47. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Golf Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  48. ^ "New Mexico State Softball Champions" (PDF). New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  49. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Tennis Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  50. ^ "NM MVP Pub: Track & Field Past Champions". New Mexico Activities Association. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  51. ^ "LAHS Band Accomplishments 2009-2010". Los Alamos Public Schools. 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  52. ^ "LAHS band wins big at tournament". Los Alamos Monitor. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  53. ^ "LAHS Band Takes Home 3 Trophies at Zia Competition". Los Alamos Public Schools. 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  54. ^ "Support LAHS Choirs". Los Alamos Monitor. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  55. ^ "LAHS Construction". LAHS Construction Home. Los Alamos Public Schools. Retrieved 2010-12-17. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  56. ^ "LAHS R-Wing/NJROTC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony". Los Alamos Public Schools. 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  57. ^ "LAPS Receives Energy Excellence Award". Los Alamos Public Schools. 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  58. ^ "NJROTC Designated Area 9 Distinguished Unit". Los Alamos Public Schools: Awards & Achievements. Los Alamos Public Schools. 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
  59. ^ Bloom, Marc (2005-05-23). "At 51, a Marathoner Has Shed the Weight of Disappointment". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  60. ^ "Carol Cady Biography & Statistics". Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  61. ^ "How to Throw the Discus featuring Carol Cady". Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  62. ^ "Biography for Drew Goddard". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  63. ^ "Diplomatic Missions and Consular Offices of Croatia". Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  64. ^ "About Kim Paffenroth". Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  65. ^ Russel, Inez (2009-02-28). "El Mitote". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2011-02-17.

Additional Images

  • Old Main Sign for LAHS
    Old Main Sign for LAHS
  • Science Wing
    Science Wing
  • ‎ Corridors
    ‎ Corridors
  • Duane W. Smith Auditorium
    Duane W. Smith Auditorium

35°53′10″N 106°19′01″W / 35.886155°N 106.316893°W / 35.886155; -106.316893

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