Whitney High School
Whitney High School is an outstanding academic institution, one with a long and distinguished history of rigorous academic preparation that ensures students’ post-secondary success. Whitney has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School five times and honored as a California Distinguished School an unprecedented eight times! Furthermore, the school has been featured repeatedly in US News and World Report’s annual list of top performing schools and often holds the title of #1 High School in California. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Whitney graduates can be found at the finest colleges and universities around the country, and their contributions throughout the world have been considerable.
Whitney’s vision is “…to develop intrinsically motivated, collaborative learners who approach their education purposefully and creatively by taking ownership of their learning to become responsible, innovative global citizens.” Therefore, in addition to ensuring that all Whitney students master the California State Standards and the Four Cs of 21stCentury Learning (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration), we promote deeper learning by inspiring students to explore their own areas of interest. As Plato once advised, “Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” We achieve this by working with every student to develop a Personalized Education Plan (PEP), by providing interest-based learning experiences in our classrooms, and by providing students with choices when possible. In addition, we further enhance their educational experiences through outstanding co-curricular and extra-curricular programs in music, theater, sports and the visual arts, as well as opportunities to participate in roughly 50 different clubs and service organizations throughout the year. Ultimately, we believe that participation in challenging, meaningful, and high-interest learning experiences will enrich students’ lives and help them to be more compelling, competitive, and prepared for life beyond our walls.
Whitney High School’s mission is to prepare our graduates to be accepted and successful at their best-match colleges and universities. Over the course of six years, we work closely with our students to identify their interests, establish their preliminary objectives for higher education, develop comprehensive plans that facilitate their achievement of those objectives, and assist them with identifying and pursuing enrollment at the institutions they have selected. In addition, we guide our students in applying for a variety of grants and scholarships and thereby eliminate any potential financial barriers to their chosen courses of study. In fact, our staff helped the Class of 2019 obtain over nine million dollars in scholarships for undergraduate study.
Our parent community plays an integral role in Whitney’s success. To better support our diverse student population, our school welcomes a variety of parent groups, including the Chinese Parents’ Association, Filipino Parents’ Support Group, Indian Parents’ Association, Korean Parents’ Association, Latino Parents’ Association, and the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). In addition, The Whitney Foundation for Educational Excellence (WFEE) is the largest group of active parents on our campus and includes members from each of the other representative parent groups.
Whitney High School has exceptional students, dedicated and highly skilled staff, and a supportive network of families and stakeholders. Our school maintains a rigorous and relevant college-preparatory environment while preserving the welcoming and intimate atmosphere of a small campus. We provide our students with a variety of exciting learning experiences both within and outside the traditional classroom setting. Through this unique and purposeful approach, our students develop the strong foundation necessary for achieving success in college and university academics and in their future careers.
For more information about Whitney High School, please visit our website at: https://www.whitneyhs.us.
