Great Oak High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Great Oak High School
picture =
principal = Joe Balleweg
established = 2004
type = Public secondary
grades = 9–12
city = Temecula
state = California
country = USA
enrollment = 3,000+
faculty =
campus = Suburban
mascot = Wolfpack
colors = Red, White, Blue
Motto: S.P.I.R.I.T.
website = [http://gohs.tvusd.k12.ca.us/]

Background and Origin

Great Oak High School, opened in 2004, lies at the base of Wolf Valley in Temecula,California and is surrounded by foothills and suburban homes. Located in Riverside County in the Temecula Valley Unified School District, the consistent, rapid growth of the area demanded the third comprehensive high school in the district. Great Oak offers many programs to assist these students as well as a career-technology program designed to prepare students for direct entry to the workplace. The staff is a group of highly qualified, idealistic educators who are taking advantage of the opportunity to try some new methods of assessment and education.

Philosophy (S.P.I.R.I.T.)

Philosophically GOHS is built upon a set of "Core Beliefs" known as the Branches of Excellence, also referred to as the SPIRIT of Great Oak. Scholarship, Passion, Integrity, Reflection, Involvement, and Teamwork comprise these core values which are the basis for the ESLR’s.

Red Wave (Activities and Athletics):

GOHS staff and administration believe that students connected to their school are more successful. Our Goal is to involve at least 80% of our students in a significant capacity through activities, athletics, clubs, or the performing arts. We have also embraced and enacted the tenets prescribed through the Renaissance program for student recognition and academic excellence to help promote student success and involvement. The Great Oak Marching Band and Great Oak Jazz Ensemble are also part of the Visual and Performing Arts program at Great Oak High.

Campus Construction/Accommodations

The physical plant of GOHS is designed to provide a variety of opportunities for our students. GOHS houses 124 classrooms for instruction. Each classroom contains a computer workstation and LCD projector for presentation purposes, but many are specialized to meet the requirements of the curriculum. The specialized classrooms include: 6 open-use computer labs; 2 business computer labs; 14 science labs; a library; a foods and nutrition kitchen; ROTC with office and wardrobe rooms; 3 art rooms (1 ceramics); a computer repair classroom; TV Video production studio; a print shop; drafting room; construction technology; gymnasium (includes dance room, wrestling room, and weight room); and the performing arts complex (includes band room, choir room, and drama). The campus also includes athletic fields for baseball, softball, and soccer, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, sand volleyball courts and a stadium with a synthetic turf football/soccer field and rubberized track. A swim complex was completed in 2005.

Staff/Academics

The most significant thing about GOHS is the staff. A highly qualified, enthusiastic and energetic staff is the true leader of the PACK. They have worked collaboratively to unpack and identify "power standards." Benchmark assessments have been developed to provide data that informs teachers of strengths or gaps in instruction. A number of departments have critically looked at grading and homework practices and have led the charge for a standards-based grading system that focuses on academic performance rather than effort and citizenship.

Scandals

In early 2007, Great Oak High School agreed to phase out their Wolfpack symbol, which was strikingly similar to that used by the University of Nevada. The University complained after seeing the high school's symbol, and deciding not to fight it in court, the school agreed. T-shirts, murals, and other campus merchandise will have to be changed over time. By 2010, the logos will be phased out.