Piedmont High School (California)
- Piedmont High School should not be confused with Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose, California.
Piedmont High School is a high school located in Piedmont, California, United States.
| Piedmont High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
800 Magnolia Avenue , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Motto | "Achieve the honorable" |
| Established | 1921 |
| School district | Piedmont Unified School District |
| Principal | Randall Booker |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 873 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Purple and white |
| Mascot | Highlanders |
| Newspaper | Piedmont Highlander |
| Yearbook | Clan-O-Log |
| Website | Piedmont High School Official Website |
Piedmont High School is part of the Piedmont Unified School District.
Background information
Piedmont High School offers ninth through twelfth grade. The school motto is "Achieve the honorable."
The school maintains rigorous academic standards, and is well known in the area as an excellent school; a large percentage of students go on to attend higher institutions renowned for their academics, such as Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University. Of the 2003 graduating class, 92 percent went on to a four-year university and another 6 percent went on to a two-year university.
Many families move to Piedmont for the schools once their children reach school-age. The majority of high school students have lived in Piedmont since elementary school. As in the surrounding cities, only residents of the city can attend school at the district, unless a parent is a district employee.
Academics
Piedmont High School has a strong academic focus.
Foreign languages offered are Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Art classes come in various fields: music (A Cappella, band, orchestra, AP Music), visual art (2-D art, ceramics, AP Art (2-D or 3-D)), and drama (Acting I through IV). Other electives offered are Clan-O-Log (yearbook) and the Piedmont Highlander (school newspaper); law and society; public speaking; multiple computer classes; and creative writing.
Four years of English are required to graduate, as well as three years of math, and completion of Integrated Science I and II. In addition, all students must take one year of an art class, two years of foreign language, one semester of any computer class, and one semester of social psychology (required sophomore year). Freshmen are required to take physical education unless they are nationally ranked in any sport. Only one semester each sophomore and junior year is required, which can be replaced by one season of a sport.
In 2006, the school decided to form its own honors society, after researching California Scholastic Federation, the honors society to which the school had previously subscribed. The Piedmont Honors Society has a GPA cut-off of 3.60, in addition to a community service requirement of 15 pre-approved hours for sophomores, 25 for juniors, and 35 for seniors. The class of 2007 is the last class to maintain eligibility and membership with CSF.
Bird Calling Contest
Piedmont High is also home to the world famous Piedmont Bird-Calling contest. Winners of the contest are featured on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Ellen DeGeneres Show every year, and before that on the The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The contest was started by legendary Piedmont High teacher Leanard J. Waxdeck, who had interest in birds.
Sports
PHS offers a variety of varsity and junior varsity sports.
Fall
|
Winter
|
Spring |
The women's basketball team was recently nationally ranked and received much attention, although it remains controversial due to the fact that most of its star players are brought in from outside Piedmont. Its recent, famous basketball stars, Courtney and Ashley Paris, did not attend Piedmont High, but rather its alternative high school, Millennium.
Both the men's and women's cross country teams have placed in the top spots at the Bay Shore Athletic League and North Coast Section races, and have advanced to the state meet for many past years. In 2005, the men's Varsity team accomplished the amazing feat of first place at the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. They are the second team in the school's history to obtain the title (the women's varsity basketball team had the previous two years), the first men's team, and the only completely home-grown team to do so.
The softball team recently hired Jen Deering as head coach. Deering was a member of the University of California's 2002 national championship team. She has since moved on to a coaching job on the east coast.
PHS uses the Highlander, a kilt-clad Scotsman playing the bagpipes, as its mascot.
Famous alumni
PHS has produced both nationally and internationally recognizable alumni. Former UCLA Quarterback, and current Baltimore Raven, Drew Olson graduated from Piedmont High. Pro football player turned actor Fred Williamson also was a student; some of his football records still stand there. Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara was a graduate. Clint Eastwood spent part of his academic career in Piedmont, even serving as the Business Editor of the yearbook, before switching to the schools in neighboring Oakland, California.