MONROE HIGH SCHOOL (LOS ANGELES)

'Monroe High School (MHS)' is a high school in the North Hills area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Home of The Vikings (mascot). It is home to Small Learning Communities (SLCs) and magnet schools.

Contents

History

Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs)

SAS (School for Advanced Studies)

The Magnet Schools in MHS

Speech and Debate

Mock Trial

Sports

Track and Cross Country

Attempted Name Change

External links

History

Monroe High opened in 1958 [1].
The opening of Panorama High School in October 2006 [2] relieved overcrowding at James Monroe High School[3].

Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, Monroe High will finally transition to a traditional calendar indicating the year will goes from September-June since the early 90s'.

Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs)

★ 9th Grade Academy

★ Arts, Media, & Entertainment

★ Education, Child Development, & Family Services

★ Hospitality, Tourism. & Recreation

★ Public Service

★ Engineering & Design (including the Monroe SAS)

SAS (School for Advanced Studies)

The Monroe School for Advanced Studies formed in 2001 under the leadership of Todd Tyni. After his departure, Dr. Leigh Clark became the new director, with Greg Schiller as the co-coordinator. Although the program does not necessarily have a specific academic theme or focus, due it's small size, it belongs to the larger SLC of Engineering & Design in C-Track. Attempts have been made to try to make SAS its own Smaller Learning Community; however, it is too small (somewhat ironically), with only about 100 students. Its overreaching goal is to expose students to higher-level learning opportunities, prospective colleges and career paths, and simply: education for education's sake.
The SAS boasts a small, close-knit group of teachers and students, as well as a unique, personal and challenging course. Although the SAS provides students with a "basic plan" of classes to take, which meet or or succeed high school requirements and college prerequisites, many students choose to modify their schedules to suit their interests and needs. The program also stresses Advanced Placement classes, offering opportunities to take courses in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature, AP World History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP Psychology, and AP Spanish Literature.
SAS students have gone on to create the SAS club to plan, coordinate and fund-raise for the program, and the SAS Drama Club, which has produced ''Werewolf's Curse or: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow'' by Billy St. John and ''The French Have a Word For it'' by Georges Feydeau. The Drama Club is scheduling to perform ''Rumors'' by Neil Simon for the Fall semester of 2007. SAS students have opportunities to take part in other school clubs and classes; many belong to programs such as JROTC, Cheerleading, Volleyball, Yearbook, Leadership, Basketball, Fencing, Christian Club, Key Club, and Karate Club.

The Magnet Schools in MHS

Magnet Students can choose from honors level and Advanced Placement (AP) classes in many subject areas such as:

★ AP Environ. Sci

★ AP English

★ AP Biology

★ AP Foreign Language

★ AP Calculus

★ AP Chemistry

★ H Physics

Speech and Debate

James Monroe High School has a Speech and Debate team coached by Kathy Graber. The team has had six state champions, including two in expository speaking, one in Original Oratory, one in Dramatic Interpretation, one in Original Prose and Poetry, and one in Thematic Interpretation. Students from the team have gotten into schools such as Harvard, Yale, Brown, Wellesley, caca UCLA, USC, Berkeley and many more. The team often has people rank in the top 18 in the state in various events.
'State Champions':
Expository 1999-Nassira Nicola (The Harp),
Expository 2000-David Yarovslavsky (The Lies Across America),
Original Oratory 2002-Alex Aguila (Affluenza),
Dramatic Interpretation 2003-Michecia Jones (Yellowman),
Original Prose & Poetry 2006-Cameron Hovsepian (BackDoor Blues), &
Thematic Interpretation 2007-Cameron Hovespian

Mock Trial

Because of The Law and Government Magnet, James Monroe High School has its own court room located in the school's F hall. The school's Mock Trial team, which competes in the Constitutional Rights Foundation's Los Angeles Mock Trial, has been very successful over the years. In the last 6 Years, the school has been in the semifinals four times, and one time in the quarterfinals. They have had multiple members rank best attorney in Los Angeles.

Sports

Football (Boys)
Baseball(Boys)
Basketball (Boys and Girls)
Volleyball (Boys and Girls)
Tennis (Boys and Girls)
Fencing (Boys and Girls)
Soccer (Boys and Girls)
Softball (Girls)
Track and Field (Boys and Girls)

Track and Cross Country

The Monroe High School Track and Cross Country teams have been quite successful in the past 20 years. Under Head Track Coach Dean Balzarett and Coach Leo Hernandez, both Boys and Girls Track and Cross country teams have won multiple League Championships throughout the years. In 2005 the Boys Cross Country team ended San Pedro High's winning streak by winning the 2005 Cross Country Team City Championship. In the 2006 Season, the Girls team placed 2nd in the City, winning its first trip to the State Championship in Fresno.
Notable athletes include:
Cesario Marquez- Holder of one of the fastest prep times on the Pierce College Course (14:50 mins)
Manuel Ruiz- Holder of the LA City Track Record for the Boys' Varsity 3200 meter (8:55 mins)
Gabriel Guzman- Track City Champion in the Boys' Varsity 3200 meter as a Sophomore, Cross Country City Champion as a Junior.
Tim Quinn- All American High School Pole Vaulter in the 1970's
Jeff Nadeu- Former Track City Record Holder in the High Jump
In June of 2007, Coach Dean Balzarett retired after 41 years as Coach of the Track and Cross Country Teams. He was awared one of the 2006 California Coaches Association High School Coach of the Year awards. He remains one of the greatest Coaches in Monroe History.

Attempted Name Change

In 1972 one teacher on the History staff, Marvin Katz, challenged his class to "make history". Two of his students, Douglas McBride (deceased 1997) and Peter Hess decided to make a case for changing the name of the school to Marilyn Monroe High School. The two students circulated petitions and made tee shirts with Marilyn's image and the words "Monroe High". The students pitched their idea to the school staff and community wherever possible. They touted that the school would be more relevant using a modern era person instead of a President no one knows much about and promised to replace the bust in the library with a much more interesting one. The students decided they had succeeded making history when UPI called Mr. McBride one evening to interview him about the effort. As with so many high school projects it was soon dropped.

External links

★ Monroe High School website