Homestead High School (Cupertino, California)

Infobox school


name= Homestead High School
motto =
established = 1962
type = Public 4-year comprehensive
staff = 97 (in 2007)cite web | url=http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQReports.asp?CDSType=S&CDSCode=43694684333316&lPage=P | title= Homestead High - Reports (CA Dept of Education) | publisher=California Department of Education | accessdate=2008-02-28]
principal = Graham Clarkcite web | url=http://www.fuhsd.org/SARC/Hexsum06.htm | title=Executive Summary School Accountability Report Card | date=2005-2006 | publisher=Fremont Union High School District | accessdate=2007-01-14]
students= 2,270 (in 2007)
grades=9-12
city = Cupertino
state = California
campus=Suburban
country = USA
colors = color box|green green color box|white white
mascot = Mustang
rival = Fremont High School
newspaper = "The Epitaph"
affiliations =
website = http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/

Homestead High School (HHS) is an American comprehensive high school serving western Cupertino, western Sunnyvale, and portions of southern Los Altos, in Santa Clara County, California. Opened in 1962, the school serves 2,270 students in grades 9 to 12 as part of the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD). [cite web|url=http://hhs.fuhsd.org/guidance/documents/school_profile_2006-07.pdf|title=HHS School Profile|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-01-29] In 2003 the California Department of Education recognized Homestead as a California Distinguished School, and in 2004, the Federal Department of Education recognized Homestead as a Blue Ribbon School. [cite web | url=http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2004/index.html | title=2004 Schools — No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Program | published=United States Department of Education | date=2005-09-23 | accessdate=2007-01-16]

History

Homestead High School has played an important role in the development of Silicon Valley. During the late 1960s and 1970s, the school was a haven for students interested in electronics and the emerging computer age. The school’s electronics class is considered as seminal as Frederick Terman's program at Stanford University. [cite web | url=http://www.cnn.com/books/beginnings/9904/infinite.loop/index.html | title=Infinite Loop — Peeling Apple to find no core | published=CNN | last=Malone | first=Michael S. | authorlink=Michael S. Malone | date=1999-04-08 | accessdate=2007-01-13 | quote=In particular, there was a class at Homestead in electronics taught by John McCollum. It would prove as important to the computer age as Fred Terman's electronics class at Stanford had been for Bill Hewlett and David Packard three decades before.] During this period, the electronics teacher, John McCollum, created a hands-on classroom in which students like Stephen Wozniak learned while designing, building, repairing, and understanding a range of equipment. [cite web | url=http://www.woz.org/pages/wozscape/pgsinterview.html | title=The PowerGS Issue #5 Woz Interview | last=Rahimzadeh | first=Auri | year=1995 | accessdate=2007-01-13] Today, would-be engineers, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs find support through the school's programs in robotics, mathematics, science, business courses, and its Future Business Leaders of America chapter.

Campus

Homestead High School is bordered by Homestead Road to the north and Interstate 280 to the south. A football field, synthetic track (laid down in 2002), and a baseball field occupy the southern half of the school's campus. The other half, facing Homestead Road, consists of several school buildings. The majority of the buildings have an inner corridor with outdoor corridors connecting the buildings. Green-colored hoofmarks decorate Homestead High School's sidewalks and walkways, which are from the school's official mascot and color. The front walls of the school are decorated with murals of similar theme, including a large, newly painted mural of a mustang.

Academics

Homestead High School offers a curriculum including preparatory courses, vocational training, and general education. The school has a variety of special programs to meet the needs of exceptional students. Open-access Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered in the subject including US History, English, Physics, Calculus, Art, Government/Economics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, Spanish, French, Japanese, Music Theory, and Chinese. Several programs promote positive learning for all students, including Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and inclusion classes to support the needs of English Language Learners and Special education students. The school also offers a Peer Tutorial program and a program called EXCELClarifyme|date=March 2008 to serve the needs of students trying to pass the California High School Exit Exam and finish graduation requirements. The school introduced a block schedule in the 2003 school year that includes a 30-minute tutorial period four days a week.

Academically, Homestead ranks in the top 10 high schools in Santa Clara County.Fact|date=January 2008 Based on the average standardized test scores of its diverse student body, Homestead ranks third in the Fremont Union High School District, below top-ranked Monta Vista High School and second-ranked Lynbrook High School. Homestead has been successful at placing its students in state and national competitions.Clarifyme|date=March 2008 In science, math, and business, Homestead students have matched or outperformed students at Lynbrook and Monta Vista, and Homestead students have regularly placed among the top schools in the United States.

Extracurricular activities

Homestead High School provides a broad co-curricular program. Students actively lead and participate in a wide variety of organizations, clubs and teams. [cite web|url=http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/clubs/|title=Homestead High School Clubs|accessdate=2008-01-29] Several have received national distinction.

The Epitaph

Homestead's award-winning student newspaper, "The Epitaph", has won eight Gold Crowns over the past several decades from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA).

FIRST Robotics Team

Homestead has a robotics team that competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The team was created by students in 2001. The team number is 670. Alumnus Steve Wozniak has served as a key supporter of the team over the years. Homestead offers a robotics class that serves as a recruiting ground for students interested in joining the team.cite news | url=http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/cupertinocourier/20061025/education1.shtml | title=Dueling machines square off in robot games | work=The Cupertino Courier | accessdate=2007-01-16 | date=2006-10-25 | last=Hussey | first=Erin] The team has a website detailing its history, mission, news, and ongoing activities. [cite web | url=http://hrt670.com/main.php?speed=high |title=Homestead Robotics Team |670|accessdate=2008-01-29]

Future Business Leaders of America

Homestead High School is home to a chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), an organization dedicated to preparing students for success in business and careers. The chapter has enjoyed success, having won an unofficial sweepstakes tally for the past 10 years at [http://www.cafbla.org/Bay_Section_2006/bay_section.htm California FBLA's Bay Section Level] , and the official Sweepstakes Award at the [http://www.cafbla.org/ California FBLA] [http://www.cafbla.org/slc.htm State Leadership Conference] for the past 10 years. [cite press release | url=http://www.fuhsd.org/FBLAnat06.pdf | title=Fremont Union High School District FBLA Students Lead California to National Championship | date=2006-07-06 |accessdate=2007-01-17 | publisher=Fremont Union High School District | last=McArthur | first=Cindy] The chapter had a paid membership of over 200 students for the 2007-2008 school year.

Key Club

A club dedicated on developing leadership and character skills, Key Club is the world's largest community service club. Homestead's Key Club consists of more than 100 members. Its mission is to provide its members with opportunities to perform service, build character, and develop leadership. Homestead's Key Club is part of [http://d34penguins.org/ Division 34] of the Cali-Nev-Ha district.

KFC: Komedy and Film Club

The KFC: Komedy & Film Club represents the school at the annual district-wide Student Film Festival. At the First Annual Homestead High School Student Film Festival in May 2006, members of the KFC took third place overall. At the Second Annual FUHSD Student Film Festival in May 2007, members of the KFC represented their school while placing 1st in the Comedy category.Fact|date=January 2008

Mathematics Competitions Team

The mathematics team has regularly qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). The team took fourth place nationally in the Mu Alpha Theta National Log 1 Contest Mathematics Contest in 2005, 2006, and 2007. From 2003 through 2006, Homestead's math team placed among the top 10 teams nationally in the Ciphering Time Trials, a contest sponsored by National Assessment & Testing. During this period, Homestead's team also placed among the top 20 teams in several other contests sponsored by National Assessment & Testing, including the Team Scramble, the Four-by-Four, and the Collaborative Problem Solving Contests. [cite web | url=http://www.natassessment.com | title=NatAssessment.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] In 2002, the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competition (AMC) awarded the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Excellence in Teaching to Homestead teacher and team faculty advisor Steve Headley. [cite web|url=http://www.unl.edu/amc/f-miscellaneous/f4-sliffe/Alumni/California.shtml#ca|title=AMC Sliffe Alumni List - California|accessdate=2008-01-29]

Music Department and Marching Band

Homestead has an accomplished music program, with a continuous run of championships and sweepstakes starting in 1993 with their field show rendition of Phantom of the Opera. Since then, the Mighty Mustang Marching Band has performed such shows as The Who's "Tommy", and Miss Saigon. In 2005, the band tied for 6th place in the 5A division at the Western Band Association (WBA) State Championships. In 2007 and 2006, the band took the Grand Sweepstakes Award and Sweepstakes Awards in Music, Marching, Showmanship and Field Show at the Cupertino Tournament of Bands. In 2007, the band participated in a Bands of America regional placing 5th in finals. [cite news | url=http://www.svcn.com/archives/cupertinocourier/20061025/news5.shtml | title= Striking up the bands is a longstanding tradition | last=Elbogen | first=Ruby | date=2006-10-25 | work=Cupertino Courier | publisher= MediaNews / Silicon Valley Community Newspapers | accessdate=2008-02-28] The school colorguard participates in the California Color Guard Circuit and placed 2nd at the 2006 WBA State Championships. During the 2008 season, the colorguard was ranked 1st in every CGGC show they participated in, including championships. They also won both WGI regionals they participated in and scored 3rd in the WGI Power Regional West. They travel to Dayton, Ohio every April for WGI World Championships where they place very well. Winter percussion won 1st place, Scholastic division, in the 2007 [http://www.ncbaonline.org Northern California Band Association] (NCBA) Championships. The jazz, vocal, string and wind ensembles consistently rank superior in competitions.Fact|date=February 2008 Wind Ensemble and Orchestra performed in Carnegie Hall at the 2007 New York Band and Orchestra Festival, winning Silver Awards for each musical group. [cite web | url=http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_8711.html?selecteddate=04212007 | title=New York Band and Orchestra Festival - Program Details | date=2007-04-21 | accessdate=2008-02-28] In accordance with Homestead's long-standing reputation as a leader in internet technology at the high school level, the HHS Marching Band maintained the first website in the Fremont Union High School District, hand-coded by alumna Shanna Roberts in 1995. The site continued, albeit from a different domain, after her graduation by alumnus Trenton Hill. Today, the Tuba department maintains a website.

The Pegasus

Homestead's yearbook, "Pegasus", has been its most award-winning publication of recent years, capturing two Pacemakers from the National Scholastic Press Association in 2002 and 2005. The Pacemaker is awarded to the 20 best yearbooks in the country, often out of more than a thousand contenders. The yearbook was also an NSPA Pacemaker Finalist in 2000 and 2001. In 2006, the CSPA awarded the "Pegasus" a Silver Crown. The yearbook has also won myriad other awards, ranging from CSPA Gold Circles (awarded for individual stories, concepts, designs, and photography) to various Best in Show awards.

cience Bowl Team

Homestead has a team competing in the Science Bowl, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Over the years, Homestead students have won awards at the National Chemistry Olympiad and the National Science Bowl. Teacher Gareth Wong initially organized and advised the team, and in 2002 the American Chemical Society recognized his work with a High School Teacher Award for the Western Region. [cite journal | url=http://www.chem.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2002/Sep/abs1067.html | title=ACS Announces High School Teacher Awards | journal=Journal of Chemical Education | year=2002 | month=Sep | issue=9 | volume=79 | pages=1067 | accessdate=2008-02-28] The team is currently advised by chemistry teacher Chris Nafrada and physics teacher Mary Anne Plano. On February 10, 2007, Homestead's team won the regional competition at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, eventually repeating their regional victory on February 2, 2008. [cite web|url=http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/scibowl/|title=DOE Regional Science Bowl at SLAC|accessdate=2008-01-29] At the 2007 National Science Bowl Competition in Washington D.C., Homestead's team placed twelfth out of more than sixty high-school teams, winning a $1,000 prize for the school's science department. [cite web|url=http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/media.htm|title=NSB: Media|accessdate=2008-01-29]

Theater Department

Homestead has an active theater department that presents multiple plays per year. Homestead also sends a contingent to the annual California Thespian Festival. In the spring of 2006, Homestead students took first and second place at the International Thespian Society Festival, where more than 2,000 students competed for awards. [cite news | url=http://www.latc.com/2006/03/29/ | work=Los Altos Town Crier | accessdate=2007-01-16 | date=2006-03-29 | title=Noteworthies ]

Trigenesis

Trigenesis is a math, science, and philosophy club. The club provides peer support for students interested in participating in the county science fair or other science and technology competitions. Over the years, club members have won awards at the Synopsis Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship, the [http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/ California State Science Fair] and the Siemens Competition.

Athletics

Homestead has teams in the following sports:
*Badminton
*Baseball
*Basketball
*Cheerleading
*Colorguard
*Cross Country
*Field Hockey
*Football
*Golf
*Soccer
*Softball
*Swimming
*Tennis
*Track and Field
*Volleyball
*Water Polo
*Winterguard
*Wrestling

Notable alumni

Notable alumni at Homestead High School include:
* Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc.
* Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.
* Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch Brewery [cite web|url=http://www.gordonbiersch.com/brewery/about/bio_dan.html|title=Meet Dan Gordon]
* Randy Wigginton, creator of MacWrite
* Linda Jezek, 1976 Summer Olympics 400 m relay silver medalist [cite web|url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JEZEKLIN01|title=Linda Jezek records at databaseolympics.com]
* Scott Erickson, Major League Baseball pitcher
* Sean Dawkins, NFL wide receiver
* Jeff Sevy, NFL lineman
* Karen Chuang, Dancer and Actress [http://www.danceonsunset.com "Dance on Sunset"]

ee also

* Cupertino High School
* Santa Clara County high schools

References

External links

*Information
** [http://hhs.fuhsd.org Homestead High School website]
** [http://www.fuhsd.org/hhs.htm Fremont Union High School District's Page for HHS]
** [http://star.cde.ca.gov California Standardized Testing And Reporting Results]
*Extracurricular
** [http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/music/ HHS Music Program]
** [http://www.hhstubas.org/index.html HHS Tuba Department]
** [http://www.hhsfbla.com HHS Future Business Leaders of America]
** [http://www.hhskey.org HHS Key Club]
** [http://my.highschooljournalism.org/ca/cupertino/homestead/ HHS Newspaper - "The Epitaph"]
** [http://homesteadathletics.olinesports.com/ HHS Athletics]