Van Nuys High School

Infobox High School
name= Van Nuys High School


headmaster=
principal= Dr. Judith Vanderbok
motto=
established= 1914
type= Public
location= Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
enrollment=
campus= Country
colors= Crimson, Grey
nicknames= Wolves
conference=
website= [http://www.vannuyshs.org Official website] |

Van Nuys High School (VNHS) established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. The school is home to a Residential Program and three Magnet Programs: Math/Science, Performing Arts, and Medical.

Several neighborhoods, including much of Van Nuys, portions of Sherman Oaks, Magnolia Woods [http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/la-re-guide7may07,1,6749393.story?page=2] , and Victory Park [http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/communities/2005/la-re-guide19jun19,1,3052643.story] , are zoned to this school.

History

Van Nuys High School opened in 1915. [ [http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=school.profile.content&which=8893 LAUSD School Profile ] ]

The Los Angeles Unified School District ordered Van Nuys High School to convert to year-round scheduling in 2001 due to reasons such as overcrowding. Even though it relieved the overcrowding of Van Nuys High School, the Magnet Programs separated tracks, along with the residential students. The Performing Arts Magnet and the Medical Magnet were only available on the A-Track Schedule, while the Math and Science Magnet was only available on the C-Track Schedule. B-Trackers could not take the same classes as C-Trackers, while C-Trackers could only take certain A-Track classes. Teachers that had both A-Track and C-Track students were frustrated because the curriculum had to be synchronized with both tracks.

Van Nuys High School returned to the Traditional School Calendar in 2005. The switch was caused by a decline in the school population and by a new district policy to eliminate year-round schools whenever possible.

The opening of Panorama High School in October 2006 [http://www.laschools.org/project-status/one-project?project_number=55A67308] relieved overcrowding at Van Nuys High School [http://www.laschools.org/news/item?item_id=3780496] .

Van Nuys Community Adult School

The Adult School is on the same campus as Van Nuys High School. It allows adults as well as high school students to take classes. Most Van Nuys High School students take courses in the Adult School for academic remediation. However, some take classes for Counselor-Identified High School Credit Deficiencies, while others take classes for personal necessities of flexible scheduling.

The Adult School is considered a work-at-your-own-pace program. A student can finish an entire course in just 2-3 weeks, but can take longer depending on the work effort of the student.

Notable alumni

There have been hundreds of famous attendees of Van Nuys High School, including:
* Paula Abdul, entertainer
* Karl Auerbach, Internet pioneer and co-creator of IPTV
* Ed Begley, Jr., actor/environmentalist
* Dave Borelli, USC tennis coach
* Julie Brown, actress/comedienne/producer/singer/writer
* Vint Cerf, one of the "fathers of the Internet"
* Stephen M. Cohen, fraudster and sex.com hijacker
* Steve Crocker, inventor of the RFC series
* Kim Darby, "Derby Zerby" actress
* Larry Dixon, drag car champion
* Tony Dow, actor
* Don Drysdale, baseball player
* Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor
* Steve Kanaly, actor
* Stacy Keach, actor
* David Klein, creator of Jelly Belly Gourmet Jelly Beans
* Bruce Kovner, multibillionaire
* Scott Mason, Los Angeles Disc Jockey
* Marilyn Monroe, actress
* Jonathan Postel, one of "the giants of the internet"
* Robert Redford, actor
* Jane Russell, actress
* Tom Selleck, actor
* David J. Skorton, President of Cornell University
* Vince Van Patten, actor & tennis pro
* Bob Waterfield, football player
* Alice Waters, creator of "California cuisine"
* Natalie Wood, actress
* Charles Klapow, choreographer/dancer for High School Musical
* Howard I. Chernin, Deputy Attorney, State of California, Department of Transportation
* Erika Eleniak, actor and Playboy model.

Filming on the Van Nuys High School campus

The campus was used as a location for the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Ridgemont High's mascot in the movie was the same as Van Nuys High School--a wolf, which remains VNHS' mascot today.

The horror films "Christine" and "Sleepwalkers", both written by Stephen King, were filmed at Van Nuys High School.

Other, more forgettable movies filmed at Van Nuys High include Kid 'n Play's "Class Act" and "My Stepmother is an Alien" (featuring Kim Basinger.) Parts of "Grease" were also filmed at VNHS.

The Pilot episode of "The Wonder Years", and several episodes of "Highway to Heaven", as was The Ramones' punk rock movie classic "Rock 'n' Roll High School".

The music video of Vitamin C's Graduation song was filmed at Van Nuys High School. An episode of "Apple's Way" 1974-1975 Vince Van Patten was filmed on the football field. An episode of "Scrubs" was filmed in the track field. An episode of "7th Heaven" was filmed at Van Nuys High School, as was an episode of "Twin Peaks".

In 2007 an episode of Miss Guided, ("High School Musical)," was filmed in the auditorium.

References

External links

* [http://www.vannuyshs.org Van Nuys High School website]
* [http://www.alumni.net/North_America/United_States_of_America/California/Van_Nuys/Van_Nuys_High_School/ Alumni & Map]
* [http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/kozol Tales Out of School] by Sandra Tsing Loh