Los Alamos High School

Infobox School
name = Los Alamos High School


imagesize = 150px
established = 1946
motto =
type = Public, Grades 9-12
district=Los Alamos Public Schools
head_name = Principal:
Vice-Principal:
head = Grace Brown
(not him anymore Robert Abney)
faculty = 256cite news | url=http://www.laschools.net/lahs/site/Directory_List.asp?byType=125 | title=Staff Directory | publisher=Los Alamos High School | date=01 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-12-20]
colors = Forest Green & Gold

location = 1300 Diamond Drive
Los Alamos, NM 87544
country = USA
information ="Main Office" [phone]
"Snow Line" [phone]
"Snow Line" [phone]
website = http://laschools.net/lahs
yearbook = La Loma
enrollment = 1194 cite news | url=http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NM/schools/0165000431/school.aspx | title=Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, New Mexico | publisher=SchoolDigger.com | date=01 May 2006 | accessdate=2007-02-21]
enrollment_as_of = 2007
bgcolor_section= #F0E68C
bgcolor_label=
bgcolor_value=
bgcolor_address=
bgcolor_url=
bgcolor_header=

Los Alamos High School (or LAHS) is a nationally ranked public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico. 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.cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/2001/01_09/b3721153.htm|title=Santa Fe's High-Tech Chaparral|publisher=Business Week|date=09 January 2001|accessdate=2008-04-11] Additionally, 63% of LAHS faculty have earned an advanced degree. The school is located across from the University of New Mexico's Los Alamos Branch Campus where some students occasionally take classes.

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 is homogeneously middle class, although the attendance boundary does contain both upper middle class areas like Barranca Mesa and lower middle class areas like the Royal Crest Trailer Park. Elsewhere in New Mexico, LAHS is sometimes characterized as a school for the "rich".cite news|url=http://www.nukewatch.org/facts/nwd/EconomicFS_112406.pdf|title=In the “Hungriest” State, The USA’s Richest County Is Fed by Nuclear Weapons Programs|publisher=New Mexico Nuclear Watch|date=24 November 2006|accessdate=2008-02-05]

LAHS is not a magnet school, but occasionally students from other school districts commute to attend there because the school is well known.

The mascot of Los Alamos High School is the Hilltopper, often depicted as a rugged Mountain Man with a walking stick atop the scenic Jemez Mountains that overlook LAHS.

History

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 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.

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.cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02EEDF1139F93AA15752C1A963958260&|title=City Seeks Renewal In Absence Of Bomb|publisher=New York Times|date=29 November 1995|accessdate=2008-03-25]

In October of 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 UNM-LA.cite news|title=Visitors from Russia Enjoy Visit to Los Alamos|publisher=Santa Fe New Mexican|date=13 November 1995|accessdate=2008-03-25]

Two U.S. Presidents have visited Los Alamos High School: John F. Kennedy in 1962cite news|url=http://www.lanl.gov/history/people/DV_Docs/LASL%20News,%20December%2013,%201962.pdf|title=The President's Visit|publisher=LASL News|date=13 December 1962|accessdate=2007-12-20] and William Jefferson Clinton in 1993cite news|url=http://www.lanl.gov/history/people/DV_Docs/LANL%20Newsbulletin,%20May%2021,%201993.pdf|title=President: Lab Can Affect The Future As It Has The Past|publisher=LANL Newsbulletin|date=21 May 1993|accessdate=2007-12-20] cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFD9113CF93BA25756C0A965958260&|title=Clinton Stumps For His Program In '92-Like Blitz|publisher=New York Times|date=18 May 1993|accessdate=2008-03-25] and also 1998.cite news|url=http://www.lanl.gov/history/people/DV_Docs/LANL%20Daily%20Newsbulletin,%20February%204,%201998.doc|title=The Lab Forever Changed the 20^th Century|publisher=LANL Newsbulletin|date=4 February 1998|accessdate=2007-12-20]

Student body statistics

Ethnic compositioncite news|url=http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/other/nm/531#students|title=Los Alamos High School|publisher=GreatSchools.Net|date=2006|accessdate=2007-12-20]
* European American: 78%
* Hispanic: 17%
* Asian American/Pacific Islander: 3%
* American Indian/Alaskan Native: 1%
* [African American] : 1%

Gender compositioncite news|url=http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/54083|title=Los Alamos High School|publisher=PublicSchoolReview.com|date=2002 - 2004|accessdate=2007-12-20]
* Male: 51%
* Female: 49%

Future Plans (2004 Graduating Class)cite news|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060117225533/http://lahs.laschools.net/forms/047profile0405.pdf|title=Class of 2004 Statistical Overview|publisher= Los Alamos High School|date=2004|accessdate=2006-01-01]
* 4 year college: 86.4 %
* 2 year college: 3.7%
* Technical / Vocational School: 3.2 %
* Military: 4.3 %
* Undecided: 2.3 %
* Nothing: .2%

Clubs and Organizations

* Anime Club
* Art Club
* Astronomy Club
* Ballroom Dance Club
* Band
* Business Professionals of America
* Chess Club
* Choir
* DECA
* Environmental Club
* FCCLA (Family & Consumer Science)
* Fencing Club
* Fellowship of Christian Athletes
* French Club
* Gay Straight Alliance
* German Club
* Hilltalkers (Debate Team)
* International Club
* Juggling Club
* Juntos
* Key Club
* LAHS Coalition for Peace
* LAHS Film Society
* Lookout Student Newsletter
* Los Alamos Youth Leadership (LAYL)
* Math Club
* Mock Trial
* Movement to Bring Back the Big Band Era
* National Honor Society
* Natural Helpers
* NJROTC
* Olions (Drama Club)
* Orchestra
* Pegasus (Art & Literary Magazine)
* Political Discussions Society
* Rave Club
* Robotics Club
* Snow Club
* Spanish Club
* Student Council
* Supercomputing Challenge
* Woo Club For life
* X-Scape Landscaping Club
* Yearbook

Athletics

Los Alamos High School competes in the NMAA District 2-AAAA.cite news|url=http://www.nmact.org/schools/72|title=NMAA Member Schools|publisher=New Mexico Activities Association|date=2007-08-01|accessdate=2007-12-20]

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.

In 2002 the LAHS Girls Cross Country team led by coaches Rob and Kathy Hipwood won the AAAA State Championship with a perfect score of 15.cite news|url=http://www.sports-net.org/NM/GAMES/showbrkt0up.cgi?20022003|58|title=State Cross Country Meet (Girls) 2002|publisher=Sports-Net.Org|date=2002-11-11|accessdate=2007-12-20] Rob Hipwood was a 1982 LAHS graduate. That season the Girls Cross Country Team was ranked second nationally among high school teams.

In 2000 the Hilltoppers won state in AAA boys' bastetball led by star player [http://utahutes.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jackson_chris00.html Chris Jackson] . Jackson went on to play in the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship for Utah.

In 1995 Kevin Dotson set the national high school record for the high jump at 7'2".cite news|title=Dotson Does It: Four Years, Four State Titles for 'Topper|publisher=Santa Fe New Mexican|date=1996-05-11|accessdate=2008-04-18] In 1975 Lynn Bjorklund set the national high school record for the women's outdoor 3000 meter at 9:08.6. This record still stands.cite news|url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/records/outdoor/women/hs_outdoor_records.html|title=High School Records--Women|publisher=Track and Field News|date=2003|accessdate=2007-12-20]

tate Championships

Recent awards

* LAHS was awarded Silver Medal in US News and World Report's Best High School Search 2008.cite news|url=http://www.usnews.com/directories/high-schools/index_html/state_id+NM/page_number+2/page_size+10/sort+alpha/name+/award+/school_name+/county+/detail+less|title=Best High School Search|publisher=US News and World Report|date=2007-12-20|accessdate=2007-12-20]
* In 2005 LAHS was named one of the "1,000 Best High Schools in America" (#649) by Newsweek Magazine.cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8759025/site/newsweek/page/7/|title=1,000 Best High Schools in America|publisher=Newsweek|date=2005|accessdate=2006-01-01]
* A recent LAHS history teacher, Nancy Schick, was named the 2005 New Mexico Teacher of the Year.cite news|url=http://www.ccsso.org/projects/national_teacher_of_the_year/state_teachers/2005/5747.cfm|title=2005 New Mexico Teacher of the Year|publisher=Council of Chief State School Officers|date=2005-04-20|accessdate=2007-12-20]
* LAHS graduating classes of 2004 and 2005 had 12 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists each.
* An LAHS student is one of six New Mexico semifinalists in the 2005 Presidential Scholars competition.
* Five LAHS students were awarded Scholar designation in the National Hispanic Recognition Program, based on their performance on the 2004 PSAT and their five-semester transcripts.
* The National Achievement Scholarship Program, established to recognized outstanding African-American students, has given a designation of commended student to an LAHS student.
* In 2005 Los Alamos High School had 28 AP Scholar awards. 16 AP Scholar with Honor awards, 26 AP Scholar with Distinction awards, and 4 National AP Scholar awards.
* LAHS literary magazine, Pegasus 2004, was "Recommended for Highest Award" in the 2004 NCTE Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
* LAHS NJROTC Unit was designated a "Distinguished Unit" for the second year in a row. This year's designation includes academic honors, which is reserved for only a handful of units.
* All four LAHS choirs received superior ratings at the District Large Group Festival. Two of these choirs also received "Best in Class" for Class AAAA schools.
* LAHS Wind Ensemble Band received a superior rating from the New Mexico Music Educators Association Large Group Festival; Symphonic Band received an excellent rating.
* LAHS Topper Marching Band won first place in their category at the tournament of the bands in 2006.

No Child Left Behind Act

LAHS has a history of meeting the AYP requirements of No Child Left Behind, often achieving exemplary ratings from the New Mexico Public Education Department.cite news|url=http://sde.state.nm.us/ayp2007/dist/LosAlamos.pdf|title=2007-2008 AYP School Accountability Report|publisher=New Mexico Public Education Department|date=2007-10-07|accessdate=2007-12-21] cite news|url=http://www.ped.state.nm.us/resources/downloads/2003.annual.report.pdf|title=2003 Annual Report|publisher=New Mexico Public Education Department|date=2004-01-01|accessdate=2008-02-28] In 2004, LAHS failed to meet AYP. The 2004 AYP math and reading proficiency scores of 89% and 92% both exceeded the respective NCLB proficiency goals of 35% and 44%, but a participation rate of 95% of students is required to pass.cite news|url=http://sde.state.nm.us/div/acc.assess/accountability/dlRptCard2004/LOS_ALAMOS_PUBLIC_SCHOOLS.PDF|title=2004-2005 District Report Card|publisher=New Mexico Public Education Department|date=2005-02-07|accessdate=2008-02-29]

Notable alumni

* Ari Turner, Putnam Fellow of the 1998 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition (class of 1996)
* Anthony Sandoval, Marathon Runner and Olympic hopeful during the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympicscite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/23/sports/othersports/23sandoval.html|title=At 51, a Marathoner Has Shed the Weight of Disappointment|publisher=New York Times|date=23 May 2005|accessdate=2008-03-25]
* Nelson Martinez, Local anchorman of KOAT "Action 7" Newscite news|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVOvYPwsn0Q|title=Nelson Martinez Farewelll|publisher=KOAT "Action 7" News|date=06 May 2007|accessdate=2008-03-26]
* Dean Cummings, winner of the World Extreme Skiing Championship in 1995

Notes

References

* [http://laschools.net/lahs/site/default.asp LAHS Website]
* [http://www.lanl.gov/worklife/schools.shtml LANL "Schools in Los Alamos"]
* [http://lahs.laschools.net/forms/047profile0405.pdf LAHS Profile by Los Alamos Schools]
* [http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/backissues/1997-1998/980413standards2.html Top Public School Ranking by AP Exams]
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/nm/531 GreatSchools.net]
* [http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/54083 Public School Review]
* [http://www.nmact.org/ New Mexico Activities Association]

Additional Images

External links

* [http://www.lahsalumni.org/ Los Alamos High School Alumni Association]
* [http://www.lahsnjrotc.com/ Los Alamos High School NJROTC]