School District and Community

Palos Verdes High School is located 21 miles southwest of metropolitan Los Angeles and draws predominantly middle to high income business and professional residents. Palos Verdes High School was originally opened in 1961 but was closed in June 1991 due to declining enrollment in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. After 11 years, the school reopened in September 2002. The district does not have boundaries for the two high schools; therefore, students have a choice as to which high school they would like to attend. Palos Verdes High School is accredited through 2012 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC); it was named a California Distinguished School in 2005.

The school is on a traditional semester schedule. There are three block periods each day, with an optional zero period class that is a traditional (non-block) class. Courses taught during zero period are 55 minutes in length and meet each day. Block scheduled courses are 113 minutes in length and meet every other day on a rotating A and B schedule. Periods 1, 2, and 3 meet on “A” days, and periods 4, 5 and 6 meet on “B” days. Freshmen and sophomores are required to take six classes each semester. Juniors and seniors are required to take five classes each semester.

Palos Verdes High School has received national, state, and local recognition for its Live From 205 student broadcasting show, drama programs, PVIT/Project Lead the Way robotics and engineering
programs, Scientific Research program, Chinese program, and Science Bowl program.

School Administration

Counseling Staff

Paula Stapleton, Counselor: A-Coo
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stapletonp@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Pat Colin, Counselor: Cop-Fi
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colinp@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Adam Genovese, Counselor: Fj-Ke
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genovesea@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Trista Ramirez, Head Counselor: Kf-M
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ramirez@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Amerika McHugh, Counselor: N-Se
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mchugha@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Andrea Pellicane, Counselor: Sf-Z
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pellicanea@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

Teri Kuwahara, College Center Director
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kuwaharat@pvpusd.k12.ca.us

 College Attendance Rates
 Class of 2009

4-year colleges: 81%
2-year colleges: 18%
Public in-state: 47%
Private in-state: 18%
Public out-of-state: 19%
Private out-of-state: 16%

 

 Student Enrollment: 2009-10

 Total Student Body: 1836

12th grade: 447
11th grade: 505
10th grade: 408
9th grade: 476

Biology E
Biology M
Chemistry
Math (Level IC)
Math (Level IIC)
Physics

Honors and Advanced Placement Course Offerings

English:English 1 Honors, English 2 Honors, English 3 Honors, English AP Language, English AP Literature

Fine/Practical Arts:Advanced Orchestra, Drama 3 Advanced, Drama 4 Advanced, Jazz Band 2, Studio Art AP (3D, 2D or Drawing), Art History AP, Music Theory AP

Foreign Language:Chinese 3 Honors, Chinese AP Language, French 3 Honors, French AP Language, Spanish 3 Honors, Spanish AP Language, Spanish AP Literature

Mathematics:Geometry Honors, Algebra 2 Honors, Pre- Calculus Honors, Calculus AB AP, Calculus BC AP, Computer Science A AP, Statistics AP

Science:Biology 1 Honors, Chemistry 1 Honors, Biology 2 AP, Chemistry 2 AP, Physics B AP, Physics C AP, Environmental Science AP

Social Studies:World History Honors, World History AP, European History AP, United States History AP, U.S. Government AP, Comparative Government AP, Economics AP, Psychology AP, Human Geography AP

**Total AP Offerings: 28   **Total Honors Offerings: 12

Transcript Designations

• H - Honors courses
• AP - Advanced Placement
• Work Exp - Work Experience (10 hours a week minimum)
• Internship - Internship (5 hours a week minimum)
• MCR - Meets College requirements i.e. Geometry MCR, Algebra 2 MCR, Spanish 2 MCR
• College Course - College-level courses taken outside of the traditional school day
• SCROC - Southern California Regional Occupational Center (provides training in
  employment skills such as engineering, advanced video production, and photography)
• PVIT - Palos Verdes Institute of Technology course, aligned with Project Lead the Way engineering curriculum and coursework.
• Scientific Research - an advanced science course where students work on original research projects, participate in local and state Science Fairs and/or engineering/robotics competitions.
• N - non-academic course

Class Rank and Grade Point Average

• Student class rank is not computed per district policy.
• All credit courses taken in grades 9-12, including classes taken during the summer through community college or at high schools outside the district, are included in the determination of the cumulative grade point average. The course numbering system on the transcript indicates where each course was completed.
• The first semester of a year-long course is designated with an “A” and the second semester with a “B”.
• Grades of A, B, C, D and P are passing. Grades of F - Failure, NC - No credit, AU - Audit, I - Incomplete, and CR - Credit are also available.
• The transcript lists both weighted and unweighted GPA. The GPA is averaged three ways: for all classes (including PE/athletics), grades 9-12; academic GPA (no PE/athletics) grades 9-12; and academic GPA (no PE/ athletics) grades 10-12. Advanced Placement and Honors courses qualify for weighted grades and are
  designated with a “+” on the transcript.

*A cumulative weighted GPA is determined by calculating the unweighted GPA then adding 0.2 points for each weighted course.
**We do not release student disciplinary records per school policy.

Junior & Senior Research Project

Palos Verdes High School has a strong cross-curricular research focus in grades 9-12, which emphasizes the use of research and the scientific method throughout all areas of the curriculum. Students have participated in numerous research activities through relationships with UCLA, USC, El Camino College Engineering/Robotics and International Business programs, Honda, Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, and other local organizations.

All seniors at Palos Verdes High School are required to complete The Senior Project in order to graduate. Beginning in the junior year, all students declare their two-year research thesis and write a 5-7 page research paper. During the senior year, students continue to research their topics and write a 8-10 page research paper demonstrating information literacy and also complete a related physical project (15 hours) with a mentor. At the end of the senior year, students present their papers and their physical projects to a panel of community members, teachers, staff and District
representatives.

The Senior Project demonstrates the responsibility and rigor expected of students at Palos Verdes High School. All seniors are expected to maintain a strong work ethic during the entire year, especially after AP tests in May, and to successfully complete their two-year research project in June.

Athletic Program

Football
Boys’ Basketball/Girls’ Basketball
Song Squad
Crew (Co-ed)
Boys’ Lacrosse/Girls’ Lacrosse
Cheer Squad
Boys’ Water Polo/Girls’ Water Polo
Boys’ Golf/Girls’ Golf
Boys’ Tennis/Girls’ Tennis
Cross Country (Co-ed)
Surfing (Co-ed)
Equestrian (Co-ed)
Boys’ Soccer/Girls’ Soccer
Track (Co-ed)
Softball
Baseball
Swimming (Co-ed)
Boys’ Volleyball/Girls’ Volleyball
Choreo Dance
Dance Team

PVHS fields varsity level teams in most of these sports. The majority of students compete in the Bay League in all sports except golf. In 2006-07 PVHS won CIF championships in boys’ soccer.

School Clubs, Activities, and
Publications

55 extracurricular clubs exist at
Palos Verdes High School including:

Science Olympiad, Math Club, Chinese Club, PVIT Club, Habitait for Humanity, Kiwins, Tutor Club, Model United Nations, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, California
Scholarship Federation, International Thespian Society, Spanish Honor Society, French Honor Society, Green Club, and Interact.

PVHS students design and publish the school yearbook The Triton as well as the school newspaper The Point and literary magazine Trade Winds. In addition, students in Live From 205 write, produce, and direct the live broadcast show. Students in the web production classes design and maintain the school website www.pvhigh.com.

PVIT Program
(Palos Verdes Institute of Technology)

Created in 2005, this program houses (5) nationally recognized Project Lead the Way engineering/robotics courses: Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, and Civil Engineering and Architecture, Engineering Design & Development. These courses are linked with physics and geometry as well as the scientific research course and the PVIT Club activities:
Robotics Vex Team, Solar Car/BP Project, Robo Magellan/MIT-Lemelson Grant, Underwater ROV Team, and Bio-Fuels Project.

PVID Program
(Palos Verdes International Diploma Program)

Created in 2007 and based on the Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID) certification/program requirements, the PVID
program requires that students complete courses in: AP Human Geography, AP Comparative Government, the 9th-11th grade Humanities blocked courses in honors/AP social studies and English, the year-long AP Econ/AP U.S. Government course (GEMM), and a college level International Business course, along with participation in MUN (or other elective classes) and a senior thesis in International Studies.