Valhalla High School (El Cajon, California)

Infobox Secondary school
name = Valhalla High School
native_name =

established = 1974
city = El Cajon
state = California 92019
province =
country = USA
campus = Suburban
type = Public comprehensive secondary
affiliation =
affiliations =
president =
principal = Mary Beth Kastan
headmaster =
rector =
dean =
founder =
chaplain =
chairman =
head_label =
head =
faculty =
students = Approximately 2,200
enrollment =
enrolment =
grades = 9-12
address = 1725 Hillsdale Road
district = Grossmont Union High School District
oversight =
accreditation =
mascot = Norseman
colors = Orange and White
colours =
newspaper = The Saga
yearbook = Ragnarok
free_label_1 = Nickname
free_1 = Norsemen
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
website = [http://valhalla.guhsd.net/ Valhalla High School]
footnotes =
picture =

Valhalla High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in Rancho San Diego, a neighborhood near El Cajon, California, and serves approximately 2,000 students in grades nine through twelve. Opened in 1974, Valhalla is the tenth of twelve high schools established by the Grossmont Union High School District. Its motto upon opening was "Freedom with Responsibility" and was an experimental, open campus with a college-like class schedule. This changed significantly in the 1980s and it became like other schools in the Grossmont District.Valhalla High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a 2001 and 2007 California Distinguished School Award winner.

tudents

Valhalla's student body is composed of students from the following ethnic backgrounds (2006-2007 school year): [ [http://www.axiomadvisors.net/livesarc/Presentation/SARCAdministration/Portals/Portal1/Detail.aspx?CDS=37681303730066&LanguageID=1&Preview=False&Category=+&DivID=SP School profile] ]
*White (not Hispanic) - 68.8%
*Hispanic or Latino - 16.7%
*African American - 4.0%
*Filipino - 2.1%
*Asian - 2.1%
*American Indian or Alaska Native - 1.1%
*Pacific Islander - 0.4%
*Multiple or No Response - 4.8%

Campus

Valhalla's main structure is a four-story, orange, octagonal building. Classrooms are situated along the outside wall and center of the building. The library and gymnasiums are freestanding.

Sports facilities include a football and soccer field, baseball diamonds, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, and two swimming pools.

Traditions

Odin's March is the initiation for any new students or faculty members entering Valhalla High School. They must march up the stairs, through the rainbow bridge, and touch Thor's Hammer. When a student graduates, he or she descends the stairs and once again touches Thor's Hammer.

Each year the senior class paints a mural that is permanently displayed and hung up inside the school building. Each mural is unique to the year in which that particular class attended including current events not normally related to the school itself.

Vision statement

:"The vision of the staff and administration at Valhalla High School includes quality instruction and curriculum designed to meet the diverse needs and interests of all students. There also exists at Valhalla an ongoing commitment on the part of all stakeholders to continually assess the core curriculum to assure that, through academic offerings, the standards established by the State of California, the Valhalla Expected Schoolwide Learner Results, and our school's Core Values are met."

Notable alumni

*Greg Louganis, 1976, four-time Olympic gold medalist in diving
*Broc Glover, Motocross National Champion
*Dan Gookin, author
*Amy Finley, "The Gourmet Next Door" Host on the Food Network
*Tony Clark, Major League Baseball player

ports Championships

*1978-79,1981,1985-86,1990-91,1994-96, 2000 CIF Division Champions Men's Water Polo
*1986-1988, 1998-1999 - 3A Division III CIF Champs - Boys Soccer
*1987, 1993, 2004 - 3A/Division III CIF Champs - Girls Soccer
*2003, 2005 - CIF Champions Men's Swimming
*1985- California State Champions - Wrestling
*2006 - Division III CIF Champs - Baseball
*2005 - CIF Champions - Volleyball
*1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2008- Men's Golf Champions

References

External links

* [http://valhalla.guhsd.net/ Valhalla High School]