Alverno High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Alverno High School

motto=
type = Private
grades = 9–12
established= 1960
city = Sierra Madre
state = California
country = USA
enrollment = 289 (as of Fall 06")
mascot = Jaguars
principal = Ann Gillick
television station =
newspaper =
colors =
website = http://www.alverno-hs.org/index.asp

Alverno High School is [an independent, Catholic, college-prep high school for girls located in the [Sierra Madre, Pasadena area of Southern California] . It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Profile

Alverno High School is a Catholic, private, college preparatory school, which aims to prepare young women to be leaders in their world. Small class sizes, a challenging academic curriculum, and a close community offers young women a place to shine. The school's unique form of student government includes nearly a third of the school and helps girls discover their strengths; a strong service component and quality arts and sports programs give girls a rich cocurricular experience. Located on 13.5 beautiful acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Alverno has been educating young women of conscience and conviction since 1960.

History

Alverno High School was originally the home of prominent Los Angeles physician Walter Jarvis Barlow. Barlow hired noted Pasadena architect Wallace Neff to design and construct his home, basing the design on a particular house in Tuscany, Italy, which is attributed to Michelangelo. The Sierra Madre house was completed in 1924 and was called the Villa del Sol d'Oro. After Barlow's death, his wife Marion Patterson Barlow sold the villa and the property to the Sisters of St. Francis in 1942. For the next 18 years, the building was used as a novitiate until 1960 when the school officially opened under the name Alverno Heights Academy. Since then, many buildings have been built on the grounds. In the 1970s, the name was changed to Alverno High School and administration was turned over to the Immaculate Heart community.

Accreditation

Alverno is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools, The Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Catholic Education Association.

Film and television

Throughout the years, many movies and television shows have been filmed on Alverno's 13 acre campus including "Legally Blonde", "The Princess Diaries" and "A Walk in the Clouds.