Ygnacio Valley High School

Infobox_School
name = Ygnacio Valley High School


motto = "Be safe, be respectful, be responsible!|established = 1962
type = Public Secondary
affiliation =
district =
grades = 9 to 12
principal = Carolyn Plath
staff =
students = 1,567 (2007-8) [cite web | url=http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQReports.asp?CDSType=S&CDSCode=07617540737809 | title=Ygnacio Valley High School - Reports (CA Dept of Education) | accessdate=2008-05-07]
athletics =
conference =
colors = Navy blue and gold
mascot = Warriors
location = Concord, California
website = http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/ygnaciovalleyhigh/

Ygnacio Valley High School (YVHS) is a public secondary school located in Concord, California. It draws students from Concord as well as from the neighboring communities of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The school opened in 1962, and its first senior class graduated in 1964. Originally conceived as a temporary facility, the school currently carries an enrollment of over 1,500 total students for grades 9 through 12. When the nearby Northgate High School opened in 1974, YVHS lost approximately half its student body. The school is part of the Mount Diablo Unified School District.

SENIORS! CLASS OF 2009!!!!!!!

Athletics

Since 1964, the school's main athletic rival has been the Clayton Valley High School Eagles (formerly Ugly Eagles). YVHS also shares a lesser rivalry (as well as a property line) with neighboring De La Salle High School.

The first varsity YVHS Warrior football game to be played at the YVHS campus in 38 years took place on September 16, 2006. Ground was broken on a new running track and all-weather turf football and soccer field at YVHS in August 2005. Prior to the completion of the new field, most football home games were played at Mount Diablo High School or Diablo Valley College, due to poor field conditions and a lack of lighting.

In December 2005, the YVHS football team coached by Mike Ivankovich won the NCS-2A championship against Miramonte High School for the second time since 1999.

In 1992, YVHS changed its school colors to navy blue and gold. The student body felt that the previous colors of powder blue and yellow were no longer fashionable for athletic team uniforms.

On March 14, 1987, the YVHS Boys Basketball team, coached by Jim Grace, won the (Division 1) Northern California Championship at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. 56-54(2OT) over James Logan High School. It marked the first time in history that an East Bay High School (east of the Caldecott tunnel), has accomplished such a feat. The 1987 squad set and still holds the school record with 28 wins.

VIP visits

During the 1988 Presidential campaign, then Vice President George Bush made an appearance at YVHS and addressed the student body. In 1996, YVHS received another Presidential visit when Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore made a rare joint appearance. They visited the campus as part of the "NetDay 96" event, which kicked off a drive to connect California public schools to the Internet.cite web
url=http://www.clintonfoundation.org/legacy/030996-speech-by-president-at-netday-concord-ca.htm
title=Remarks by the President to the Concord Community on NetDay: Ygnacio Valley High School, Concord, California
accessdate= 2008-06-12
author=
last= Clinton
first=Bill
authorlink=
coauthors=
date=
work=
publisher= Clinton Foundation] cite web
url=http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/NetDay/Video/statement.html
title=Statement by the Vice President about Netday
accessdate= 2008-06-12
author=
last=Gore
first= Al
authorlink=
coauthors=
date=1997
work=
publisher= ] It has been noted that YVHS is an ideal location for such high-security visits, due to the limited entry points into school property. [Polk, Perry. [http://www.cetpa-k12.org/pub/v36n3.pdf "This is Tom Killen calling from the White House..."] The Databus: California Educational Data Processing Association, April 1996, pp. 5, accessed 4 Feb 2008.]

In the early 1990's, YVHS also received visits from U.S. Representatives George Miller and Bill Baker, sponsored by the school's now-defunct Public Policy Society.

Ongoing issues

The school mascot, the warrior, is represented as a Native American with a feathered headdress. Similar mascots representing Native American culture are often a point of contention throughout the state of California, where over 100 high schools have American Indian mascots.

YVHS is occasionally cited in the ongoing school prayer debate, after allowing Muslim students to use an available room for prayer during Ramadan in 2004.

Jasmine Vega has been nominated for 2008 Homecoming Queen. Vote for her!!

Noteworthy alumni

* Mike Bellotti - Head coach of the University of Oregon football team. [ [http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=22667 "Mike Bellotti,"] GoDucks.com press release, 4 Aug 2006.]
* Lance Blankenship - Member of 1989 World Series champion Oakland Athletics. [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/lance-blankenship.shtml "Lance Blankenship,"] The Baseball Cube, accessed 4 Feb 2008.]
* Jonathan Dayton - Director of "Little Miss Sunshine". [ [http://www.allocine.co.uk/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne=156743.html "Jonathan Dayton,"] allocine.co.uk, accessed 4 Feb 2008.]
* Tami Erin - Actress, best known for title role in "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking". [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20040905085354/http://www.tamierin.com/Actingtraining.htm "Tami Erin: Acting Training,"] tamierin.com, 24 June 2004 (link to archive copy). ]
* Kiko Garcia - Shortstop; played for Baltimore Orioles in 1979 World Series. [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/kiko-garcia.shtml "Kiko Garcia,"] The Baseball Cube, accessed 4 Feb 2008.]
* Kristin Heaston - Shot put athlete; in 2004 became the first female Olympic athlete ever to compete in Olympia, Greece. [ [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Heaston_Kristin.asp "Kristin Heaston,"] www.usatf.org (USA Track & Field), 28 August 2007]
* Damian Jackson - Former infielder for the Washington Nationals and other teams. [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/J/damian-jackson.shtml "Damian Jackson."] The Baseball Cube, accessed 4 Feb 2008.]
* Carl Ryanen-Grant - UC Berkeley University Medalist in 1997; received widespread attention for his battle with malignant melanoma. [Scalise, Kathleen. [http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1997/0430/medalist.html "The University Medalist"] , UC Berkeley Office of Public Affairs, 30 April 1997.]
* Dave Tollefson - Defensive end; played for New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. [ [http://www.packers.com/draft/2006/davetollefson.phtml "Dave Tollefson,"] packers.com (Green Bay Packers 2006 Draft), accessed 4 Feb 2008.]
* Chris Walsh - Retired Minnesota Vikings wide receiver. [Pashelka, Curtis. [http://www.contracostatimes.com/highschools/ci_8093115 "Cream of the Crop through the years,"] "Contra Costa Times", 27 January 2008.]

Future Noteworthy AlumniLauren Davis & Sjohnne EasterClass of 2009!!!!!

References

External links

* [http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/ygnaciovalleyhigh/ YVHS Home Page]
* [http://yvhsathleticboosters.org/ YVHS Athletic Boosters]
* [http://www.yvhschoirs.org/ YVHS Choirs]
* [http://www.yvmusic.org/ YVHS Instrumental Music Boosters]
* [http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/ Mt. Diablo Unified School District]
* [http://www.clintonfoundation.org/photo-gallery.php?theme=Modernizing%20American%20Classrooms&pg=0&i=329 Photo gallery from 1996 Clinton/Gore visit to YVHS]