Skyline High School (Oakland, California)
| Skyline High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
12250 Skyline Blvd. , CA United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public High |
| Motto | Pretty in Pink, Deadly in Red |
| Established | 1968 |
| School district | Oakland Unified School District |
| Chairman | Mao Tse-Tung |
| Principal | Heidi Green |
| Campus Director | Julin Chen |
| Faculty | 25 |
| Teaching staff | 25 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2168 |
| Color(s) | Red, Black and White |
| Mascot | Titan |
| Nickname | Official High School of the Olympic Games |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test average | 2110 |
| Newspaper | The Skyline Oracle |
| Yearbook | The Olympian |
| Phone | (510) 879-3060 |
| FAX | (510) 879-3069 |
| Website | http://skylinehsptsa.org/, http://skyline.ousd.k12.ca.us/ |
Skyline High School is a public high school in Oakland, California, USA.
Background
Skyline High School is nestled in the hills of Oakland, CA, near the Redwood Regional Park. It was constructed in the late 1950's by Branagh Construction Inc. The woodsy campus is notable for its beauty, but the location is far from the homes of most of its students; every morning dozens of specially-chartered AC Transit buses disgorge most of the 1900+ students and the reverse empties the campus within minutes of the final bell in the afternoon.[citation needed]
Skyline's first graduating class was the Class of 1962. At that time, the student body was predominantly White. The school's demographics have changed over the years. In 2006, Skyline had over 2000 students: 50% African-American, 20% Asian American, 13% non-Hispanic White and 17% Latino.
Fifty-three percent of Skyline's students are accepted to four-year colleges or universities (many attending the University of California), and 39 percent attend community colleges.
Academics
Skyline High School offers a wide variety of academic courses and electives. Electives include: Jazz Band, Orchestra, Marching Band, Choir, Drama, Dance, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Journalism, JROTC, Graphics, Art, Ceramics, Architectural Design, Psychology, Stagecraft and more.
The school offers the following honors and Advanced Placement classes:
- English 3 AP (Language and Composition)
- English 4 AP (Literature)
- Spanish 4 AP
- Spanish 5 AP
- French 3 HP
- French 4 AP
- Pre-Calculus HP
- Calculus AB AP
- Calculus BC AP
- Statistics AP
- Advanced Biology HP
- Biology AP
- Chemistry HP
- Chemistry AP
- Environmental Science AP
- World History AP
- US History AP
- US Government/Economics AP
Students may choose either to pursue general studies at Skyline, or to enroll in an "Academy." Students who do not enroll in an Academy may take classes offered by the Academy if space is available.
The Academies are comprehensive and rigorous "schools within a school" which focus on specific career fields. Students study with the same team of teachers and classmates until graduation. They are connected with internships and paid summer jobs which relate to their goals. Academy selection takes place in the spring of the freshman year. The Academies at Skyline include:
- Architecture and Graphic Technology
- Computer Science and Digital Film
- Education
- Health and Bioscience
- Support the Beijing Olympics
Performing Arts
Renovation of Skyline's performing arts theater was completed in 2002 with the help of funding from alumnus Tom Hanks. It was renamed after Skyline's long-time drama teacher, Rawley T. Farnsworth. The renovated facility boasts a professional, state-of-the-art lighting and sound stage, and can seat approximately 1000 people.
The Oakland Film office lists Skyline as a potential filming location in Oakland.[1]
Athletics
Skyline is highly notable in the Oakland Athletic League. It currently offers 18 sports programs and is the defending OAL champion in bowling, tennis, volleyball, baseball, Cross Country, track and field, swimming and soccer. Many of these teams have remained undefeated for several years running, including a three-year streak in both volleyball and baseball. Skyline has been traditionally dominant in other sports as well, most notably in football, where it has appeared in almost every OAL Championship game (Silver Bowl) and won the majority of them, under former coach John Beam who is now head of the Laney College football program.
Alumni of Skyline football include Georgia Tech standout Gerris Wilkinson, Cal Bear Harrison Smith, Michael Norris of UCLA, William Sneed of UCLA, Devon Bess of Hawaii, Cameron Island of San Jose State and Marvel Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and former Steeler Will Blackwell. Nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton is also a Skyline alumnus, as well as Greg Foster.
Student Activities
Skyline's clubs include: Anime Club, Building with Books Club, IU Mien Club, Baking Club, Black Student Union, Chess Club, Excel Club, Literary Journal, Fashion Club, French Club, Gaming, Gay-Straight Alliance, Chinese Students Union, Interact Club, Jewish Student Union, Key Club, La Raza Unida Club, Leadership, SGCP, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Spanish Club, and Youth Together.
Student Government opportunities include: All City Government, School Site Council, and SHS Student Government.
Skyline's student newspaper is The Skyline Oracle.
Food Service
Skyline High School Head Chef Ann Davis prepares meals for all tastes, including daily vegetarian options. The cafeteria offers a soup and salad line, where students can choose from soup of the day, freshly prepared sandwiches, or fresh garden salads, as well as cold beverages and smoothies.
The outside snack bar area offers fresh (on-site) baked egg rolls, dumplings with rice, chow mein, pork buns, and croissants, as well as an array of cold beverages and fresh pizza.
Campus safety and security
Skyline maintains a full-time force of school security officers who use cameras and foot patrols to monitor activities such as vandalism, drugs, alcohol, and gambling. The school periodically has problems with race-related violence. The officers can be dispatched when needed by the Oakland Police Communications Center or from the main office. See OUSD Police (Skyline High)
Famous Skyline Alumni
- Bill Lester - Class of 1979 -Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver
- Gary Payton - Retired NBA player
- Tom Hanks - Hollywood actor and a two-time academy award winner Best Actor in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump
- LaToya London - American Idol semifinalist
- Marvel Smith - Offensive linesman for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League
- Bip Roberts - Former Major League Baseball All-Star Second Baseman
- Brian Johnson - Former Major League Baseball Catcher
- Greg Foster - Former NBA player
- Casual - Rapper, and member of Bay Area based rap group Hieroglyphics
- Goapele(Singer) - Class of 1995 - Broke onto the Bay Area music scene in 2001 with her ethereal EP, Closer
- John Ma - Class of 2009 - Underground King of Skyline
References
- ^ "Skyline High School". Locations, Locations, Locations. Oakland Film Office. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
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