[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E946-E947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN TRIBUTE TO TORREY PINES HIGH SCHOOL: A NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 1998

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that Torrey 
Pines High School, located in my 51st Congressional District, part of 
the San Dieguito Union School District, is named a National Blue Ribbon 
School.
  My congratulations go to Principal Marie Grey, and Superintendent 
William Berrier, and to the many parents, students, teachers and 
community leaders that make Torrey Pines High School the national 
leader that it is.
  So that every American may learn about what has made Torrey Pines 
High School such a success, I am honored to insert into the permanent 
Record of the Congress of the United States the attached essay 
describing its work and its history. In addition, I encourage Members 
and citizens to visit Torrey Pines High School on the Internet, at 
http://www.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/sites/tp/welcome.html.

                        Torrey Pines High School

       Torrey Pines High School is one of three high schools in 
     the San Dieguito Union High School District. The 2,230 
     students in grades nine through twelve represent the 
     communities of Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, 
     Fairbanks Ranch and Carmel Valley, all in Northern San Diego 
     County. The campus is a modern facility constructed in 1974. 
     Phase II construction, completed in 1986, added 23 
     classrooms, a theater, auditorium, stadium and a state-of-
     the-art library/media center. The campus is used seven days a 
     week, day and night, by adult education classes, ROP, 
     athletic teams and community groups.
       Our commitment to student learning has resulted in 
     recognition at the state and national levels. Torrey Pines 
     High School is a twice-honored Nationally Distinguished 
     School (1987 and 1993), three-time California Distinguished 
     School (1986, 1993 and 1996) and chosen by Redbook Magazine 
     as the ``Best High School in California'' in 1993 and 
     recognized for ``Overall Excellence'' in 1995. 97% of our 
     graduates attend college and our test scores are consistently 
     among the highest in the state. In 1996 our students had the 
     highest SAT scores in San Diego County. Torrey Pines athletic 
     teams, likewise, have a tradition of achievement, winning 66 
     CIF Championships, with 44 since 1990.
       To maximize in-depth student learning and facilitate 
     project-oriented instruction, we use a rotating two-hour 
     block schedule. Several noteworthy programs help us address 
     the needs of our diverse population. The Peer-Tutoring Center 
     and Math Assistance Program log over 1,000 hours of tutoring 
     each year. The Center offers tutoring after school and 
     evenings in all subject areas. The Advancement Via Individual 
     Determination

[[Page E947]]

     Program (AVID) fosters the academic success of under-
     represented minorities. Project Astral provides Latino 
     language minority students with the opportunity to attain 
     academic excellence and high self-esteem through English and 
     Spanish language literature instruction and theatrical 
     productions. Student Assistance Services (SAS) is a 
     comprehensive program that offers a variety of activities 
     focusing on preparing students to be ``ready to learn'' and 
     providing the necessary services and networks to meet this 
     goal, including student support groups, the Human Relations 
     Council, parent education forums, Peer Assistance Listeners 
     (PALS), Choices and Challenges, staff inservices and 
     community referrals. The program trains students to offer 
     unconditional positive regard for their peers and provide 
     emotional support for those who are referred to the program.
       Our commitment to excellence in the classroom is 
     complemented by the breadth and dept of our program of 
     extracurricular activities. Approximately 45% of our students 
     participate on 21 athletic teams. Student government strives 
     to involve all students, with approximately 200 students 
     contending for 37 positions in annual student elections. 
     Student-initiated activities range from lunchtime concerts by 
     student musicians to homecoming float-building. Clubs like 
     Earth Impact, the International Club, Aztlan, Youth Outreach, 
     VICA, Horticulture Club, the Investors Club and Students 
     Against Drunk Driving insure that the TPHS activity 
     smorgasbord offers something nutritional and appealing for 
     every appetite. Extracurricular activities include the 
     Science Olympiad, lunch-time activities, Academic League 
     and student publications. Our student newspaper is 
     distributed free to all students. The Falconer 
     (newspaper), Free Flight (yearbook), First Flight (the 
     TPHS literary magazine) and Free Flight Video have all 
     received numerous state and national awards for 
     excellence.
       The 155-member TPHS staff includes 65 percent of teachers 
     with more than 10 years of teaching experience and 60 percent 
     with Master's degree. The staff is a cohesive community built 
     on a commitment to high educational standards, creative 
     problem solving, support services for all students and a 
     shared concern for the individual. Professional development 
     activities have included course work at Oxford, Stanford, 
     U.C. Berkeley, Princeton and other universities; travel/study 
     abroad; Woodrow Wilson scholarships and mentor teacher 
     projects. Teachers are currently involved with the Teacher-
     Led Professional Development Project, California School 
     Leadership Academy (CSLA), the National Science Foundation, 
     California Literature and Mathematics Projects and other 
     professional growth activities and professional associations. 
     Intradepartmental review and team planning are supplemented 
     by workshops, classes, lectures, support groups, sabbatical 
     leaves, summer institutes, inservices and staff development 
     programs.
       TPHS parents play a vital role in the TPHS community. Each 
     fall, five parents are elected to the School Site Council, 
     which meets monthly with the principal and oversees the 
     School Improvement Plan. Parents also serve as TPHS 
     representatives to the District Site Council, District Budget 
     Committee, Site and District GATE committees, District 
     Curriculum Review Committee, Legislative Analysis Network and 
     the Bilingual Advisory Committee. School-to-home 
     communication is accomplished through a monthly newsletter 
     and numerous parent meetings held at the school. Back-to-
     School Night, sponsored by the Parent Association, is held 
     annually in October and fills the school to capacity, giving 
     parents the opportunity to visit all classrooms. An estimated 
     600 parents attend annual College Nights and eight Parent 
     Information Forums are sponsored each year by the SAS team 
     and reach approximately 100 parents. Four to six district 
     information evenings are held annually for parents of 
     bilingual students, attended by an average of 175 persons and 
     3 to 4 meetings per year are held for parents of students in 
     Special Education.
       The Torrey Pines High School Foundation was founded in 1993 
     to raise funds through donations and special events for the 
     benefit of all students. Foundation funds support programs 
     and improvements which are not adequately funded by district 
     allocations. These programs and improvements provide for 
     growth, broadened experiences and a well-rounded education 
     for every student. The Torrey Pines Foundation raises 
     approximately $500,000 each year to supplement district and 
     state school funding. The following campus organizations are 
     included in the Foundation: Academic Team Boosters, Art Club 
     Boosters, Athletic Boosters, Dance Team Parents, Friends of 
     the Library, Grad Night, Parent Association, Student 
     Assistance Services, Technology Boosters and Theater 
     Boosters. The 25 member Parent Board, with representation 
     from all geographic areas, meets monthly at the school and is 
     involved in significant support of the school program. Each 
     year the Parent Association provides more than $10,000 in 
     teacher mini-grants to support classroom activities. More 
     than 200 parents volunteer on our campus serving regular 
     weekly assignments or helping with special projects. A 
     committee of 30 parents oversees the annual Grad Night 
     celebration, with $30,000 raised annually. Friends of the 
     TPHS Library has an average annual membership of 150 and 
     draws upon local talent to provide such innovative programs 
     as ``Authors Evenings'' to the community. The Technology 
     Boosters, formed in 1994, is a group of twenty parents and 
     community members who are actively participating in our site 
     technology committee, collaborating closely with staff to set 
     and implement school-wide technology goals. Dollars for 
     Scholars, a national organization, awards approximately 
     $40,000 in scholarships annually to approximately fifty 
     graduating seniors.
       Community partnerships have enriched our school community. 
     Participation in community organizations such as San Dieguito 
     for Drug-Free Youth and Prevention Connection has provided us 
     with resources for the war against substance abuse. 
     ``Explorations'' is a career awareness program which brings 
     professionals and business leaders from our community to 
     speak to students about their careers. Teachers participate 
     in the Teacher Job Shadow Program through a partnership with 
     Mira Costa College and California State University, San 
     Marcos. Through our School-to-Career Program, we have 
     established an Internship Program which places approximately 
     200 students each year into semester-long internships in 
     community businesses.
       Torrey Pines High School refuses to rest on its past 
     accomplishments and is characterized by a spirit of continual 
     school improvement. To this end, the Strategic Planning 
     Leadership Team is in the process of developing a site 
     strategic plan which will involve our entire learning 
     community in the development of a shared vision for the 
     school and a set of specific action plans which are aligned 
     to the District Strategic Plan.

     

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