Valencia High School (Santa Clarita, California)

Infobox High School
name = Valencia High School

motto = Trying For Time
established = 1994
type = Public
principal = Dr. Paul Priesz (1994-Present)
faculty = approx. 121
students = 2995
mascot = Vick the Viking
colors = Purple and Gold
city = Valencia
state = California
country = USA
website = [http://www.valenciavikings.com www.valenciavikings.com]
grades = 9 - 12
average
address = 27801 N. Dickason Drive
newspaper = "The Viking Vision"
yearbook = "The Viking Vengeance"

Valencia High School, located in the City of Santa Clarita, California in the community of Valencia, California was built in 1994. Valencia High School is operated by William S. Hart Union High School District. While concentrating on its sports programs, the Valencia High School student body has created a solid foundation of clubs, activities, and academic excellence. Scholars, athletes, club members, and artists have emerged as leaders. Valencia High School opened for schooling on September 9, 1994, with 816 students and principal Dr. Paul Priesz. Valencia High School has grown rapidly to three thousand currently enrolled students and over two hundred full-time staff members, as of 2008.

Principal Dr. Paul Priesz was named Principal of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators for 2002 and came in 8th place for California's 2004 National High School Principal of the Year. [ [http://www.valenciavikings.com/info/publications/account_rpt_card.pdf Valencia High School Accountability Report Card] ]

Activities

Valencia Television (VTV)

Valencia High School has an award-winning video program.Fact|date=April 2007 The video program has entered their productions into competitions such as the Student Television Network, and the Santa Clarita Film Festival. The video program also features the daily recorded-television program, VTV. VTV is an early morning news broadcast to the entire school, updating the school on club information, current events, weather, and sports. In 2007, VTV became a member of the National Student Television Network (STN), and participated in the 2007 tournament at the Disneyland hotel. The VTV team took 3rd place at the tournament.Fact|date=April 2007

peech and Debate Team

The speech and debate team has increased in state and national rankings over the past few years. Paige Fieldsmen took seventh place in the 2006 California state championships in exemplary speaking and Eric Johnson won ninth in the California state championships in 2007 in impromptu speaking, as well as placing fith in the state in public forum debate with his debate partner , Dennis Fieldsmen,in 2008. Zeke Schmaltz and Dick Hall also placed sixth in the state in parliamentary debate that same year. Run by Joe Machiavelli and Kim Palin, the speech and debate team is the top ranked team in the Santa Clarita Valley.Fact|date=November 2007

Valencia High School Drama Club

The Drama Club at Valencia High School is a well recognized and reputable program throughout Southern California. [citation needed] The program usually puts on at least two performances a year, normally a comedy, or drama. There have also been numerous student directed one-act productions at Valencia High School. The program has won numerous awards, particularly at the Annual Chapman University Shakespeare Festival. For the second time in a row, Valencia High School won Best Scene, the top award given at the Chapman University Shakespeare Festival in Orange Chicken County. [2]

Valencia High School Choir

The Valencia High School Choir program is stellar, consisting of 200 students in six separate touring choirs. Mrs. Christine Enns, the choral director, is a highly trained vocalist in her own right; she won the National Harmony Acapella Sweepstakes in 2007 performing with Voco. Under her direction, the VHS Choirs have traveled to Florida, Hawaii, Carnegie Hall New York, and in 2009, Italy. The Concert Choir and Women's Chamber Ensembles have repeatedly achieved the ratings of "Gold Choir" and "Choir of the Festival," and have been invited to the highly prestigious Festival of Gold numerous times. They have also been fortunate to have outstanding student accompanists whom have repeatedly won the honored Maestro Awards (Heritage Festival). Each year for the last three years, Valencia has had multiple students accepted into the California All-State Honor Choir. In May 2008, the Women's Choir Dona Bella was awarded Best Overall Choir, the "Esprit Du Cour - Ensemble of the Festival" and given the highest rating in the nine year history of the San Francisco Music in the Parks. The Dona Bellas received a score of 100 out of 100 from Deke Sharon, founder and current vice-president of the Contemporary A Capella Society. "I have never actually given a score of 100 percent but I gave them 100 percent. I rarely have an opportunity to hear a group that is such a pleasurable experience." "It was like reading a high school essay and, while reading it, finding yourself pouring over an article found in the New Yorker." The VHS Vocal Jazz program is one of the strongest in California. In April 2007, they placed third in their debut Reno Jazz Festival performance. In April 2008 they won first place in the national Fullerton Jazz Festival in the "Advanced" category, followed by a "Unanimous Superior" rating at the Vocal Jazz Festival in Greeley, Colorado where students in the vocal jazz group "Two N' Four" were offered $10,000 in college scholarship money for their performance. In 2008, four students from the VHS Choir program comprised the 15 total Californians chosen to participate in the California All-State Jazz Choir. 2009 marks the first year Valencia Choir students will tour nationally to Italy where they will perform mass at St. Peter's Basilica, The Vatican, Rome.

Pride of the Vikings Band

The Valencia High school band (known as the "Pride of the Vikings") is under the direction of Miss Erin Stankey as of the 2007 school year. Formerly under the direction of Robert Babko from 1995-2007, Valencia H.S. Band continues to have an outstanding reputation dedicated to musical excellence. 2008 marks the first year of the addition of the new symphonic band as well as marching band. The band will tour to Hawaii in April 2008 for competition.

Colorguard

In 2007, the Valencia Color guard came in second place in the National Championships. They never got less than third place in the winter season of 2007.

Junior ROTC

The school is home of the CA-782nd AFJROTC, a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. The CA-782 is led by Captain Edward A. Colley (USAF Retired) and MSgt Frederick Malcomb (USAF Retired). The CA-782 uses the vast knowledge and experience from these retired military members, as well as proven military techniques, to build a cadet run program where students from all over the district meet to develop leadership and physical fitness. Many ROTC members choose to join the military right out of high school.

Athletics

Boys Volleyball

The boys volleyball team, lead by Kevin Kornegay, has won more than seventy consecutive league matches dating back to 2001. They advanced to the CIF championship game in each season from 2001 to 2006, winning in 2003, 2004, 2006, and most recently in 2008. Under head coach Mark Knudsen, the Vikings have won CIF in four of the previous six seasons, with a 186-27 record since 2003, posting a school best 19-15 record in 2008.

Valencia Volleyball alumni have been named All-American Volleyball Players and many have received scholarships to play on NCAA Division 7 teams.Fact|date=April 2007

Going into the 2008 season, the Vikings have been ranked the #1 team in the entire nation by Rivals.com. They finished the season as the #1 team in the nation after defeating Santa Barbara in the CIF-SS DII Championship game, claiming the 4th championship title in the last 6 years.

Swim Team

In 2006 the girls team went undefeated in all their league meets, while the boys team suffered only five losses. The team has taken second place at League finals in 2005 and 2006.

Softball Team

In the 2007 spring season, the lady vikings softball team won the National Championship beating Hart High School. Pitcher, Transom Landon, had a record setting season with over a thousand strikeouts in her high school career and winning every game she pitched in as a freshmen. The Valencia High alumni received a scholarship and currently goes to the University of Michigan. During her last season, Transom brought in numerous awards including a national championship. In the 2008 season, the team won the foothill league title and won their second straight CIF-SS Division I Championship, defeating a previously undefeated Simi Valley squad.

Athletic Awards

Foothill League Champions

Valencia High School competes in the Foothill League, one of the most competitive leagues in allof California. Other schools in the league are: Hart High School, Canyon High School, Saugus High School, West Ranch High School, and Golden Valley High School.
* Baseball - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Boys Basketball - 1999, 2005, 2008
* Girls Basketball - 2000, 2001, 2005
* Football - 2004
* Boys Golf - 2000, 2002
* Girls Golf - 2004, 2005, 2006
* Girls Soccer - 2001
* Softball - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007*, 2008*
* Boys Tennis - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
* Girls Tennis - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
* Boys Track & Field - 2001
* Boys Volleyball - 2001, 2002, 2003*, 2004*, 2005, 2006*, 2007, 2008*
* Girls Volleyball - 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

CIF Champions

* Volleyball Boys 2003 – Div 2
* Volleyball Boys 2004 – Div 2
* Volleyball Boys 2006 – Div 2
* Volleyball Boys 2008 - Div 2
* Softball 2007 – Div 1
* Softball 2008 - Div 1

CIF Finalist

* Football 1999
* Football 2001
* Volleyball Boys 2001
* Volleyball Boys 2002
* Boys Golf 2002
* Volleyball Boys 2003
* Soccer Girls 2003
* Football 2004
* Volleyball Boys 2004
* Golf Girls 2004
* Softball 2005
* Girls Golf 2005
* Tennis Girls 2005
* Volleyball Boys 2005
* Volleyball Boys 2006
* Tennis Girls 2006
* Softball 2007
* Tennis Girls 2007
* Volleyball Boys 2008
* Softball 2008

* Wins were disputed, or unofficial.

State Champions

* Softball 2007
* Volleyball Boys 2008

National Champions

* Softball 2007
* Dance Team (USA National Champs in Large Jazz) 2008
* Volleyball Boys 2008

Notable Alumni

- Manuel White, Former Washington Redskins NFL Running Back (Class of 2000)

-Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, Runner-up of "America's Next Top Model" (Class of 2000)

- Ashley Tisdale, from Disney's "High School Musical" (Class of 2003)

-Mackenzie Rosman, star of "7th Heaven" (Class of 2007)

- Taylor Lautner, star of "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl and plays Jacob Black in the upcoming film Twilight" (Class of 2010)

- Taylor Dooley, star of "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" (Class of 2011)

Trivia

* Valencia High School was used as a set for the films "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion", "Bio-Dome", and "Pleasantville".

References

External links

* [http://www.scvfilmfestival.com/ Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival]
* [http://www.hart.k12.ca.us/valencia/ Valencia High School]