Amador Valley High School
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Amador Valley High School is a
comprehensive public high school Comprehensive high schools are the most popular form of public high schools around the world, designed to provide a well-rounded education to its students, as opposed to the practice in some places in which examinations are used to sort students in ...
in Pleasanton, California. It is one of three high schools in the
Pleasanton Unified School District The Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) is a public primary and secondary education school district located in Pleasanton, California, United States, a suburban town east of San Francisco. It consists of nine elementary schools, three midd ...
, along with Foothill High School and Village High School. Founded as Amador Valley Joint Union High School (AVJUHS), it graduated its first class in 1923. Major construction and renovations were undertaken after district voters approved bonds in 1922, 1965, 1997, and 2016. As of 2020, the school has offered its 2,700students 24
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
courses, 26
varsity sports In most English-speaking countries, varsity is an abbreviation of the word ''university''. In the United States and Canada, the term is mostly used in relation to sports teams. Varsity in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, varsity team ...
, vocational training, and a variety of extracurricular activities. Amador's location allows it to be the launching point for community protests and parades. The Amador Theater, one of Pleasanton's performing arts facilities, has been hosted a high school since 1932. The school is a four-time
California Distinguished School California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately 5-10% of California schools are awarded t ...
and a three-time
National Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
. In national competitions such as We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, the Amador Valley team has won the 1995 and 2022 national titles. The Amador Valley Wind Ensembles have performed at national venues and conferences, including
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and the
Midwest Clinic The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference is the world's largest instrumental music education conference, annually drawing approximately 17,000 attendees to Chicago from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. It is he ...
. Several Amador Valley athletic teams have won multiple
California Interscholastic Federation North Coast Section The North Coast Section (NCS) is a part of the California Interscholastic Federation, governing the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, up along the northern coast of the state of California, from Fremont in the south to Crescent C ...
Division I titles since 2010, including the softball team which
MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...
named 2014 mythical national champion following a perfect season.


History


Region and districts

Amador Valley High School, originally Amador Valley Joint Union High School, was named for its location in the Amador Valley (part of the
Tri-Valley The Tri-Valley area is grouping of three valleys in the East Bay (California), East Bay region of California's San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area. The three valleys are Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. The Tri-Valley encompass ...
area of the San Francisco East Bay). The valley's namesake was a wealthy
Californio Californio (plural Californios) is a term used to designate a Hispanic Californian, especially those descended from Spanish and Mexican settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries. California's Spanish-speaking community has resided there sinc ...
rancher, Don José María Amador. The school selected the
Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...
as its mascot, in honor of the title used by Amador; ''
Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...
'' is a Spanish term used as a mark of high esteem for a distinguished nobleman or gentleman. Amador Valley High School is located in Pleasanton, California. While Pleasanton provided elementary and
middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
education since its early years, students proceeding to
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
attended nearby
Livermore High School Founded in 1891, Livermore Union High School is a public high school located in the city of Livermore, California, United States. It is part of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. In 2007, it was chosen as one in four schools i ...
until 1924. Out of concerns of overcrowding and transportation for the commuting students, Pleasanton parents and students advocated for a local high school in the early 1920s. The activism culminated in a voter bond referendum on March 14, 1922, to establish the Amador Valley Joint Union High School District (AVJUHSD) and build the high school. Amador Valley's first class graduated in 1923. From 1922 to 1988, the school was part of the AVJUHSD. This district taught high school students from Pleasanton, nearby
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, and the local rural community. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 led to the building of a series of local freeways and increased population and student enrollment. In 1969, the school reached its maximum capacity, about 1,895students. To accommodate the larger student population, Dublin High School was founded as part of the AVJUHSD. Both schools held classes on the Amador Valley campus during the 1968–69school year. A continued influx of families to the area prompted the foundation of another high school within the AVJUHSD,
Foothill Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...
, in 1973. Following a 1988ballot measure, the AVJUHSD merged with the Pleasanton Joint School District to form the
Pleasanton Unified School District The Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) is a public primary and secondary education school district located in Pleasanton, California, United States, a suburban town east of San Francisco. It consists of nine elementary schools, three midd ...
. Prior to the district unification, the AVJUHSD operated Amador Valley High School, Foothill High School, and Dublin High School. Dublin High School was annexed into the Dublin Unified School District. As of 2022, the Pleasanton Unified School District contained two comprehensive high schools (Amador Valley and Foothill), one continuation high school (Village), three middle schools, nine elementary schools, one preschool, and an adult education program. The school grounds are bordered on the east and southeast by Santa Rita Road, a Union Pacific railroad track on which the
Altamont Corridor Express The Altamont Corridor Express (also known as ACE, formerly Altamont Commuter Express) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs ...
runs, and Arroyo Valle. To the north are several businesses and residential districts lie on the western border. The campus is the launch point for annual community parades and protests, including the Alameda County Fair Fall Festival Parade and the Tri-Valley Women's March.


Development

Classes were first held at Amador Valley on August 14, 1922, at the school's initial location at the Pleasanton Grammar School, serving 59students. The first class of eight students graduated in 1923, and the school quickly became known for its municipal bands and sports teams. The initial school land, building, furnishings, and upkeep was funded by a $110,000 bond authorized by district voters on September 26, 1922. Construction started in 1923 on the Rancho Valle de San Jose property, to accommodate 200 students upon its completion in 1924. The initial school building was built in Mediterranean Revival style and included "five regular recitation rooms, a science laboratory with lecture room, a sewing room, a cooking room, a room for commercial branches, two drawing rooms, a shop with two connecting work rooms, a library, a reception room and office for the pricipal ic a teachers' room, a nurses' room, and gymnasium". Pleasanton mothers started a school lunch program in 1927 to provide students with a better environment for learning. Parents donated pots and pans, and a newly hired cook prepared lunches, to be eaten at new tables and benches. The tables and benches were constructed by the custodian and the music teacher from the wood of horse stalls formerly on the campus. This project led to the formation of a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chapter at Amador Valley in the late 1920s. District voters approved a $1.5million school bond issue in 1965, with the authority to borrow up to $5million more. The bond was directed towards site procurements and new construction. Much of the "original" Amador Valley High School building was demolished then significantly reconfigured in 1968. The Amador Theater was added to the main campus building in 1932. As of 2019, the theater remains the city's largest performing arts facility. The theater has hosted school plays, band concerts, performances, lectures, and assemblies. The theater survived the demolition of the rest of the campus in 1968 and was restored after a community fundraising effort. The Amador Theater underwent another substantial renovation and expansion between 1981 and 1989, at a total cost of $2million. The project was mostly funded by the City of Pleasanton, which took ownership of the theater the same year. The land under the theater remained owned by the school district. The teachers
union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
and the Pleasanton school districts failed to come to an agreement on a contract for the 1985–86school year. In protest of a breakdown in negotiations, Amador Valley teachers went on a rolling strike in 1986. The school brought in substitutes to replace the picketing teachers. After over a week of walkouts and negotiation including a state mediator, the teachers went back to work having won immediate 8percent pay raises. Amador Valley teachers are unionized under the Association of Pleasanton Teachers,
California Teachers Association The California Teachers Association (CTA), initially established in 1863, is one of the largest and most powerful teachers' unions in the state with over 300,000 members and a high political profile in California politics. The teachers' union is ba ...
, and National Education Association. As of the 2021–22school year, the average teacher salary is $88,971, which is 3% more than the average California teacher salary of $86,376. The city passed a general obligation bond, MeasureB, in 1997. The bond granted the school district $69million to replace old and crowded facilities and modernize the school campus. The measure enabled the addition of renovated science classrooms, a multipurpose room, a library and media center, and a sound-proofed music building. The parking lot and central quad were expanded, with more than 550 parking spaces in the new lot, and classrooms were equipped to be more energy efficient. A new two-story building was completed in 2004, containing twenty-four classrooms. The following year, the school aquatic center was remodeled. City voters passed another general obligation bond, MeasureI1, in 2016. This was the district's first bond passed since MeasureB in 1997. The bond granted $270million to the school district to repair and improve district facilities, as well as provide new science equipment and learning technology. As a part of these renovations, the school district constructed a two-story instructional building on the Amador Valley campus, including "five standard classrooms, three science classrooms, two computer science labs, and two rooms specifically for special day class students". Construction commenced in 2020 and concluded in 2022, at a total cost of $18,400,000. The passage of Prop 39 funded the 2019 addition of solar panels to the student parking lot. The cost of $650,000 is projected to save about $1.8million in electricity costs over 25years. The solar panels provide renewable electricity to the high school and create covered parking in a re-oriented lot.


Court cases

The AVJUHSD challenged the constitutionality of the 1978 California Proposition13, which placed a cap state-wide on county real estate taxes. The proposition limited property tax assessments to the 1975standard, eliminating $7billion of $11.4billion in annual property tax revenue to the state. According to ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', the "severe" limitations this imposed on state funding forced local governments and most school districts in California to make "drastic cutbacks". A 1978 article in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' predicted that the proposition would jeopardize the state's ability to receive about $98million of
Federal Impact Aid Federal Impact Aid is designed to assist United States local school districts that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt Federal property, or that have experienced increased expenditures due to the enrollment of federally ...
each year since the state could not maintain prior levels of spending. The district argued that the measure was "so drastic and far-reaching that it was 'a revision' of the state Constitution and not a mere amendment". The district was unsuccessful in its suit. In their ruling, the judges distinguished between " amendment" and "
revision Revision is the process of revising. More specifically, it may refer to: * Patch (computing), Update, a modification of software or a database * Revision control, the management of changes to sets of computer files * ''ReVisions'', a 2004 antholo ...
". The court confirmed that an initiative cannot "revise" the constitution; Proposition13, however, was an amendment to the
California Constitution The Constitution of California ( es, Constitución de California) is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. California's original co ...
and not a "revision". In 2009, ''Amador Valley'' was cited by dissenting Justice
Carlos R. Moreno Carlos Roberto Moreno (born November 4, 1948) is an American jurist who is the former United States Ambassador to Belize, serving from June 24, 2014 to January 20, 2017. Previously, he served as a judge of the United States District Court for the ...
in arguing the non-constitutionality of California Proposition8. Amador Valley administrators censored 1999
Salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tradi ...
Nicholas Lassonde's graduation speech for being "too religious", claiming that it "violated
separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
". Lassonde filed suit against the school district and school principal, claiming that the censorship violated his
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
rights. In
Lassonde v. Pleasanton Unified School District ''Lassonde v. Pleasanton Unified School District'' is a case about First Amendment freedoms and the separation between church and state. A student of Amador Valley High School claimed a violation of his first amendment right of speech when part ...
, the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...
ruled against Lassonde citing a precedent from Cole v. Oroville Union High School District (9th Cir. 2000). The court upheld the censoring of student graduation speeches, concluding that in this case, "if the school had not censored the speech, the result would have been a violation of the Establishment Clause".


Academics


Enrollment

As of the 2020–21school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,744students and 112.79classroom teachers , for a
student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...
of 24.33. Seven percent of Amador Valley students are involved in
special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
, four percent qualify for English language learner support, and eight percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. School enrollment grew 27% between 2000 and 2005, primarily because of new residential development. After 2005, enrollment growth slowed to an average of 4% per half-decade as of 2020. Enrollment across the Pleasanton Unified School District peaked during the 2018–19schoolyear, with yearly declines since 2021–22. The enrollment decline accelerated due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Amador Valley reached a peak enrollment of 2,744 students during 2020–21schoolyear. The school district forecasted that enrollment at Amador Valley would fall by nearly 500 students by 2028. Despite relatively stable enrollment since 2005, the school has seen shifts in demographics by ethnicity. Between 2005 and 2021, the
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
subgroup halved from 72% to 37% of the student body while the
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
subgroup tripled from 14% to 45%. A school board trustee attributed a decline in interest in the district's Spanish dual immersion program with the increase in Asian students. As of the 2020–21school year, the student population at Amador Valley had similarly sized pluralities of White and Asian enrollment, with smaller
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
and African American minorities.


Awards

The school is a four-time
California Distinguished School California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately 5-10% of California schools are awarded t ...
and a three-time
National Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
. In 2008, a team of Amador Valley students won the national
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
-sponsored
Junior 8 Also known as J7 Youth Summit, J7 Summit, J7, Junior 7, J8, J8 Summit The J7 ("junior 7") Global Citizenship Summit provides young people from around the world with opportunities to learn more about topical global issues, to debate and discuss th ...
Competition. The team traveled to Toyako, Japan to attend the 2008 Group of Eight (G8) Summit of World Leaders to discuss global issues. The 2022 U.S. News & World Report high school rankings listed Amador Valley as #424 in its National Rankings and #56 in its California High School Rankings. Nine of Amador Valley's teachers have been recognized as a Pleasanton Unified School District teacher of the year; one of those honorees was designated an Alameda County teacher of the year.


Programs

As of 2021, Amador Valley curriculum offered 24
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
(AP) classes. This includes courses in the
STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics),
social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...
, visual and performing arts, and AP Language courses and their literature complements in English, French, Japanese, and Spanish. Amador Valley's AP program is participated in by 45.4percent of its students, of which 94.3percent receive at least one score of 3 or greater. The school's honors and AP classes are offered under an "open-access" policy; students are encouraged to take more advanced courses if they feel like they can handle it. As of 2019, the school's most enrolled AP classes were AP Psychology, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Statistics, and
AP English Language and Composition Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition (also known as AP English Language, APENG, or AP Lang) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program. When AP exams were first implemen ...
. The school offers specialized instruction through
vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
as part of the Tri-Valley
Regional Occupational Program The California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (CAROCP) is an organization that promotes and supports ROCPs in providing career education, career development, and workforce preparation that contributes to student academic ...
. As of the 2021–22school year, 28.6% of seniors participated in a
vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
program. Courses offered include
automotive repair An automobile repair shop (also known regionally as a garage or a workshop) is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians. Types Automotive garages and repair shops can be divided into following categor ...
, business economics, criminal justice,
digital art Digital art refers to any artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process, or more specifically computational art that uses and engages with digital media. Since the 1960s, various names ...
, marketing, sports medicine, AP Computer Science, and AP Environmental Science. Students in the business courses participate co-curricularly in DECA, competing in exams, project presentations, and case studies to prepare for careers in "marketing, finance, hospitality and management". Amador's DECA program was one of the "largest in the state" according to
Pleasanton Weekly The ''Pleasanton Weekly'' is a weekly newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variet ...
; as of 2015, over 100Amador Valley students participated in the program. Over 50Amador Valley teams and individuals have placed in the top10 at DECA's International Career Development Conference (ICDC) since 2005. Business class students at Amador Valley have been selected as one of three California high schools to pitch Got Milk? advertising campaign ideas to the California Milk Processor Board. The Amador Valley science department initiated Project Creek Watch in 1994. The project provides students with resources for the long term study of Arroyo Valle; these resources include information about the chemistry in the creek, images of the creek, a guide to flora and fauna, and student projects on aquatic species. The project received a Golden Bell Award for excellence in education from the California School Boards Association. A Project Creek Watch co-founder won a 2001 "Internet Innovator Award" from
National Semiconductor National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer which specialized in analog devices and subsystems, formerly with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The company produced power management integrated circuits, display drive ...
for development of the website and associated curricula.


Extracurricular activities


Athletics

Amador Valley has offered athletic programs since 1932. As of 2022, the school offered 26varsity sports teams. These sports are run under the Amador Valley Athletics Boosters and include badminton, baseball/softball, basketball, cross country/track, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, cheer, swimming/diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. Athletics at Amador Valley are funded by parental donations and the Athletics Boosters. The school district provides facilities and an
athletic trainer Athletic training is an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA)"What is an Athletic Trainer?". The Board of Certification Website. 2003. Athletic training is also recognized by the Health Resources Serv ...
for the sports programs at Amador and Foothill, but has provided no monetary support to athletics since 2008 due to statewide cuts in funding. The school's athletic rival is the cross-town Foothill High School. In the '70s and '80s, before the Amador/Foothill rivalry developed, the school's athletic rival was Dublin High School. The rivalry culminates at the annual football game. As of 2017, over 1,000students participated in the school's athletic program. Amador Valley competes in the
East Bay Athletic League The East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) is a high school sports league in the North Coast Section of the California Interscholastic Federation. The league was created in 1964; previously teams competed in the "East Bay Division" (EBD) of the Diablo Va ...
and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) North Coast Section. Several school teams have won multiple North Coast Section Division I titles since 2010, including baseball/softball, cross country (girls), golf (girls), track (boys), and volleyball (boys).. . . . . . The school's basketball teams were runners-up for the CIF CIF State Division II title in 1993 (boys) and 1999–2001 (girls).
MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...
named the Amador Valley softball team its mythical national champion of 2014 following a 27–0 perfect season. The Amador Valley stunt cheer team have won multiple national championships within their divisions at United Spirit Association nationals cheer competitions. The Amador Valley Athletic Booster Club has hosted East Bay Special Olympics "basketball tournaments, track meets, and volleyball competitions" at Amador Valley since 2004. The school coordinates parent and student volunteers, donates proceeds from snack sales, and provides facilities free of charge. The Amador Valley varsity boys' and girls' basketball teams host an annual eight-team basketball tournament, the Amador Basketball Classic (ABC), in the first two weeks of December. The ABC brings high school basketball teams from both inside and outside the state to play in Pleasanton. Each team plays four games between Wednesday and Saturday. Taking place every year since December 1961, the ABC is the longest-running eight-team basketball championship in California. The girls ABC tournament has been held since December 1994.


Civic engagement

Amador Valley's main competitive
civic engagement Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
teams emphasize
public speaking Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech deliver ...
. The school participates in the Constitutional Rights Foundation's annual California Mock Trial competitions, fielding a prosecution and a defense team to "study a hypothetical case, conduct legal research, and learn about courtroom protocol and procedures". The school's Mock Trial team has won the Alameda County competition and advanced to the California Mock Trial Finals four times since 2007. Team members have received California Mock Trial Finals 1st place awards for Courtroom Artist and Courtroom Journalist. The national We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition takes place each spring in Washington, D.C. At the competition, students compete to "demonstrate their constitutional knowledge and understanding of federal government in mock congressional hearings". The Amador Valley "We the People" team was started as an advanced civics class in 1989, shortly after the national program started in 1987. The team consists of up to 30seniors selected by tryout, split into 6units which each prepare a brief presentation followed by question-and-answer sessions. The Amador Valley "We the People" team has represented the state of California at the national competition 20 times since 1992, earning the national title in 1995 and 2022. Multiple present and former members of the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
have congratulated the team. The
Judiciary of California The Judiciary of California or the Judicial Branch of California is defined under the California Constitution as holding the judicial power of the state of California which is vested in the Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal and the Superior Co ...
, as part of its Civic Learning Initiative, awarded the Civic Learning Award of Merit to Amador Valley in 2014, in part because of the "We the People" program. The East Bay Times called Amador Valley's "We The People" team "one of the top programs in the country".


Math and computer science

Math and computer science clubs at Amador Valley host outreach events and participate in competitions. The
Mathematical Association of America The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure a ...
placed Amador Valley High School on its School Honor Roll in 2019 (one of 26 nationwide), 2020 (one of 15 nationwide), and 2021 (one of 33 nationwide) for performance on the American Mathematics Competitions 12A series; multiple Amador Valley students qualified for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad in those same three years. The Math Team has ranked in the top10 teams seventimes in the nationwide Fall Startup Event since 2012, including a 2ndplace finish in 2018. The group placed second at mathleague.org's northern California tournament in 2009, and received an invitation to mathleague.org's national tournament in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
. The following year, the team placed second in the large school division at the national tournament. The Math Team hosts the Amador Valley Geometry Bee, modeled after the
Scripps National Spelling Bee The Scripps National Spelling Bee (formerly the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee and commonly called the National Spelling Bee) is an annual spelling bee held in the United States. The bee is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W. Scri ...
. This competition invites students from Amador Valley, Foothill, and the district's three middle schools to compete in timed rounds. The style of the competition consists of rounds of tenquestions each, deviating from the traditional spelling bee format. Computer science clubs on campus, such as ACE Coding and
Girls Who Code Girls Who Code (also known as GWC) is an international nonprofit organization that aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science. The organization works toward closing the gender employment difference in computing. They h ...
, host outreach events for local elementary, middle, and high school students. These events allowed students to attend coding workshops led by industry professionals and other students. The school received recognition from the AP Computer Science program and the California School Boards Association for efforts to engage young women in computer science. Multiple Amador Valley students have won the Congressional App Challenge for
California's 15th congressional district California's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by . Currently, the district includes most of San Mateo County and the southeast side of San Francisco. ...
for developing original, usable
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
s.


Music

Amador Valley's music program, initially an orchestra and glee club, was founded in 1928. In the early years of the program, students performed in parades and numerous school operettas. Since 1975, the band has hosted the annual Campana Jazz Festival, a multi-day event that invites local jazz bands to the school to perform and compete. Since 1995, the Amador music program has hosted an annual musical production at the Amador Theatre, with performers from both Amador Valley and Foothill. Amador Valley's music program consists of five concert bands, two orchestras, two choirs, and three jazz bands. The five concert bands are Wind EnsembleI, Wind EnsembleII, Symphonic Band Purple, Symphonic Band Gold, and Concert Band. As of 2017, the band program had 320students. The Amador Valley Wind Ensemble has performed twice at the
Midwest Clinic The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference is the world's largest instrumental music education conference, annually drawing approximately 17,000 attendees to Chicago from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. It is he ...
and once at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
. The symphony orchestra received positive attention from
Hongkongers Hongkongers (), also known as Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizens and Hong Kong people, typically refers to residents of the territory of Hong Kong; although may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the ...
for a virtual performance of Glory to Hong Kong as part of a concert series on " songs of protest". The
marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
and color guard compete in the Western Band Association (WBA) circuit. The band practices a competitive field show, performed at football halftime shows and competitions. The Marching Dons are classified into WBA Class AAAAA. The Amador Valley Marching Dons have received sweepstakes and first place awards and earned fourth place in 2014 at the WBA Grand Championships. The band and colorguard have been invited multiple times to perform at the annual London New Year's Day Parade and
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
National Band Championship.


Robotics

Amador Valley features at least two separate robotics teams, both competing in different international and collegiate-level
autonomous vehicle Vehicular automation involves the use of mechatronics, artificial intelligence, and multi-agent systems to assist the operator of a vehicle (car, aircraft, watercraft, or otherwise).Hu, J.; Bhowmick, P.; Lanzon, A.,Group Coordinated Control o ...
competitions hosted by the
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, also known as AUVSI, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the unmanned systems and robotics industry through communication, education and lea ...
. The Amador Valley Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) team, founded in 2018, participates in the annual AUVSI Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) Competition. The UAV team develops a drone to compete aerial missions, including autonomous flight,
remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth ...
, obstacle avoidance,
robotic mapping Robotic mapping is a discipline related to computer vision and cartography. The goal for an autonomous robot is to be able to construct (or use) a map (outdoor use) or floor plan (indoor use) and to localize itself and its recharging bases or be ...
, and air delivery. In 2022, the Amador Valley UAV team placed second among collegiate teams in its inaugural competition. The team's drone, ''Boreas'', is a coaxial
octocopter A multirotor or multicopter is a rotorcraft with more than two lift-generating rotors. An advantage of multirotor aircraft is the simpler rotor mechanics required for flight control. Unlike single- and double-rotor helicopters which use complex ...
able to fly at a full speed of for up to 30 minutes. Since 1997, the
Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...
and RoboNation (previously the AUVSI Foundation) has sponsored an annual, international Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) competition called RoboSub. The Amador Valley AUV team, founded in 1999, participates annually in this competition. Amador's AUV team was the "first high school team at the competition", and each year develops an autonomous submarine that can maneuver an underwater obstacle course. In 2001 and 2022, the Amador Valley AUV team placed second among collegiate teams in the main competition.


Notable alumni

Notable Amador Valley alumni include former
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
players
Nate Boyer Nate Boyer (born January 9, 1981) is a United States Army Green Beret. He is also an occasional actor. After serving six years and multiple tours for the Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Boyer played college football as a walk-on at the Univer ...
, Mike Burke, Chris Geile,
Rick Kane Richard James Kane (November 12, 1954 – December 25, 2009) was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions in 1977-1983 and 1985-1986. Kane rushed for 1,486 yards during his NFL career. Biography ...
,
Greg Kragen Gregory John Kragen (born March 4, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played in three Super Bowls and five championship games. He was selected for the Pro Bowl ...
, Scott Peters, and Joe Terry. Other athletes that graduated from Amador include soccer player Jacob Akanyirige, soccer player
Jason Annicchero Jason Annicchero is a retired American soccer defender who spent six seasons in A-League. In 1993, Annicchero graduated from Amador Valley High School. He attended Santa Clara University where he was a 1996 Second Team All American. On Februar ...
, tennis player
Matt Anger Matt Anger (born June 20, 1963) is an American former professional tennis player. He is now the head men's tennis coach at the University of Washington. Professional tennis career Anger grew up in Pleasanton, California, and played at Amador Val ...
, soccer player
Kevin Crow Kevin Troy Crow (born September 17, 1961) is an American former soccer defender. He played two seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in the Major Indoor Soccer League and four in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, all with th ...
, soccer player
Thomas Janjigian Thomas Janjigian (born November 10, 1994) is an American soccer player. He is of Armenian descent. Career Amateur and college Janjigian played high school soccer from 2009 to 2011 at Amador Valley High School. He spent four years playing coll ...
, golfer
Joel Kribel Joel Kribel (born January 27, 1977) is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Canada, and Gateway Tour. Amateur career Kribel was born in Pleasanton, California. As a junior golfer, Kribel was a m ...
, basketball player
Kevin Laue Kevin Atlas (formerly Kevin Clinton Laue; born April 13, 1990) is an American former college student and basketball player at Manhattan College. He is tall. He was born missing half of one arm and has been recognized for his skills and success in ...
, baseball player
Stephen Piscotty Stephen Edward Piscotty (born January 14, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics. Piscotty played college baseball for Stanfo ...
, hockey player
Matt Tennyson Matthew Thomas Tennyson (born April 23, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey Defenseman (ice hockey), defenseman for HC Lugano of the National League (ice hockey), National League (NL). Early life Tennyson is the son of Tom and Ann Tennys ...
, and softball player
Danielle Williams Danielle Gracia Williams (born 14th September 1992) is a Jamaican track and field athlete specialising in the sprint hurdles. She is best known for winning the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships. In addition, she won two medals at Summe ...
. Several alumni are known as entertainers and actors, including filmmaker and actor
Paul Korver Paul Korver (born November 18, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, filmmaker, and producer, who currently resides in Los Angeles. With early turns as an actor in his twenties, in 2002 he returned to his early love of cinematography, founding Fi ...
, American-Canadian game show host Jim Perry, Broadway singer and actress
Donna Theodore Donna Glory Theodore (born July 25, 1941) is an American actress and singer who first came to attention as a headliner at many famous nightclubs during the 1960s including the Copacabana, The Fountainebleau Hotel, the Fairmont Hotel, and the El ...
, and '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' actor
David Yost David Harold Yost (; born January 7, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for portraying Billy Cranston in ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'', ''Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers'' an ...
. Musicians who attended Amador Valley include punk musician
Craig Billmeier Craig "Craigums" Martin Billmeier (born October 18, 1973), also known as Hot Lixx Hulahan, is an American punk musician, multi-instrumentalist, two-time US National Air Guitar Champion (2006 and 2008), and the 2008 World Air Guitar Champion. In ...
, drummer Joe Plummer, and
Jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...
rock band duo
Andy Sturmer Marvin Andrew Sturmer (born March 11, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and composer who co-founded the rock band Jellyfish in 1989. He was the group's lead vocalist, drummer, and primary songwriter. Following their break-up in 1 ...
and
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (born May 27, 1966) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the bands Jellyfish, the Moog Cookbook, and Imperial Drag. He has also spent several years as a member of Beck's backing band, contri ...
Other notable alumni include
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
commander Cary C. Chun,
health advocate Health Advocate, Inc. is a US national health advocacy, patient advocacy and assistance company. The privately held company was founded in 2001 by former Aetna executives and is headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, currently run by ...
for ethnic minorities Janet Liang, journalist and community activist
Abby Martin Abigail Suzanne Martin (born September 6, 1984) is an American journalist, TV presenter, and activist. She helped found the citizen journalism website ''Media Roots'' and serves on the board of directors for the Media Freedom Foundation which ...
, Alameda County district attorney
Tom Orloff Thomas Jensen Orloff is an American lawyer. He is the former district attorney for Alameda County, California. Orloff began work in the DA's office after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley for law in 1970, trying 25 murder ca ...
, novelist
Francine Rivers Francine Sandra Rivers (born 1947) is an American author of Christian novel, fiction with Christianity, Christian themes, including inspirational romance novels. Prior to becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Rivers wrote historical romance no ...
, and shooting victim
Kate Steinle Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...
.


References


Notes


Bibliography

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Online sources

* * * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 1922 establishments in California Education in Pleasanton, California Educational institutions established in 1922 High schools in Alameda County, California Pleasanton Unified School District Public high schools in California