Albany High School (Albany, California)

Infobox School
name = Albany High School

city = Albany
state = California
country = USA
colors = red and white [http://www.albany.k12.ca.us/ahs/]
district = Albany Unified School District
mascot = cougar
grades = 9-12
established =
type = Public secondary
enrollment =
motto =
principal = Ted Barone
yearbook =
newspaper = [http://albanyhighcougar.com The Cougar]
website = [http://www.albany.k12.ca.us/ahs/ Albany High School Official Website]
address = 603 Key Route Blvd.
campus = Semi-urban
coordinates=coord|37.895890|-122.292421|display=inline

:"For other schools of a similar name, see Albany High School."

Albany High School (AHS) is a comprehensive secondary school located in Albany, California. Educating students in grades 9–12, the school has an enrollment of 1293 students. The school mascot is a cougar and the school colors are red and white. Ted Barone is the current principal.

Achievements

In 2001, Albany was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for the maximum term of six years. Albany has one of the highest standardized test scores in the state of California.Fact|date=July 2008 For 2005, the average SAT I reasoning verbal score was 566; average math score was 616. 95% of the class of 2005 passed the California High School Exit Exam.Fact|date=July 2008

The school is known for its wrestling, science, and math teams. The science team won the 1993 national Department of Energy science bowl competitioncite web | url=http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/pastprize.htm | title=NSB: 1st Place Teams and Prizes | accessdate=2008-01-23 ] . In 2005-06, both Albany's girls varsity cross country team and their softball team won league championship over rival Piedmont High School and tied with Alameda High School.Fact|date=February 2007

U.S. News & World Report, in their recent survey of public high schools, awarded Albany High with a silver medal, placing it in the top 500 in the country.

Recent events

In 1997, the old main building and gymnasium, WPA structures which opened in 1934, were deemed unsafe for earthquakes. A full four school years of portables later, a new three story building opened in 2001. Oddly enough, the "trailer park" era held some architectural advantages over its predecessor and successor structures, most notably with its broad, expansive open air decks, which brought a positive centralizing and social mixing aspect to the campus. The new building's design efforts - characterized by critics as "design by committee" - resulted in a large but function-less glass tower next to the main entrance, and an external appearance of an airplane hangar. The whole building, as well as the tiled floor, is trimmed with red and white, representing the school colors.

During the 2004-2005 school year, several security cameras were installed in the building to prevent various acts of vandalism.Fact|date=February 2007 2004 was also the year the school suffered overcrowding due to an overly large freshman class. The large influx of students was caused in part by an Albany Unified School District policy, which allowed students from other cities such as El Cerrito and Richmond to enter Albany schools.Fact|date=February 2007

Academics

Albany participates in many local competitions, including NAQT, NOSB's Otter Bowl (which they won in 2006 and took fourth nationwide), and the National Science Bowl, in which they also took fourth place nationwide. Albany High won its 2008 Science Bowl regional competition, defeating academic rival Mission San Jose High School. Traditionally, both schools went to different regional competitions, but in 2008, due to a desire to participate in both the Otter Bowl and Science Bowl, whose regionals coincided, Albany was forced to attend MSJ's regional competition for Science Bowl.

Block schedule

Albany High changed from a 7-period per day schedule to a block schedule during the 2005-2006 school year. Instead of having seven 57-minute periods per day, the new block schedule consists of two blocks, A and B. Block A, Tuesday and Thursday, have 95 min periods for periods 1, 3, 5, and 7. Block B, Wednesday and Friday, have 95 min periods for periods 2, 4, and 6 with an added 40 minute Advisory period between 2nd and 4th period. On Monday, all classes meet for 52 mins. The first class always begins at 7:40.

Notable Graduates

*Tim Armstrong - Punk rock musician, singer and guitarist for Rancidcite news | title=Rancid Proves It's Punk Enough In A Blazing Show | last=Garofoli | first=Joe | date=1995-12-13 | work=Contra Costa Times | page=F01]
*Matt Freeman - Bass guitar player for Rancid
*Tyson Griffin, 2002 - UFC Fighter [cite news | url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15529066_ITM | title=Getting kick out of mixed martial arts: Griffin, a former Times' top 100 athlete from Albany High School, carries a 6-0 record into tonight's lightweight fight | last=Heater | first=Jay | date=2006-06-09 | accessdate=2008-04-22 | work=Contra Costa Times]
*Lloyd "Young L" Omadhebo, 2005 - The Pack rap groupcite web | url=http://www.dropmagazine.com/the-pack-interview/ | title=The Pack Interview | last=Viard | first=Alex | date=2007-10-30 | accessdate=2008-04-22 | work = Drop Magazine]
*Kellita Smith - Actress - played Bernie Mac's wife on The Bernie Mac ShowFact|date=April 2008
*Amani Toomer - NFL Football player

ee also

*Albany Middle School

References

External links

* [http://www.albany.k12.ca.us/ahs/ Albany High School official website]
* [http://www.ahs-alumni.org/ Albany High School Alumni website]

Extracurricular activities

* [http://eteamz.active.com/ahscougarsoftball/ AHS Varsity Softball]
* [http://albanyhighcougar.com AHS Newspaper - The Cougar]
* [http://eteamz.active.com/AHSCougarBaseball/index.cfm? AHS baseball]
* [http://www.albanyvolleyball.com/ AHS Volleyball]
* [http://www.ahsvideopro.com/ AHS Video Production Website]