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Lowell High School, is a prestigious public magnet school in San Francisco, California.
Lowell High School
LHSseal2.jpg
Seal of Lowell High School(Trademark of SFUSD)
| Motto | Fiat Scientia
(Latin, "Let there be knowledge") |
|---|
| Established |
1856 |
|---|
| School type |
Public |
|---|
| Principal |
Paul Cheng |
|---|
| Location |
San Francisco, California |
|---|
Faculty |
~150 |
| Campus |
Urban |
| Sports teams |
Cardinals |
History
Lowell High School is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi and traces its beginnings to 1856 as the Union Grammar School. In 1894, the school was renamed to honor the distinguished poet, James Russell Lowell. The school relocated in January 1913 to an entire city block on Hayes Street between Ashbury and Masonic. Lowell was to remain there a half century, during which time Lowell's position as the city's college preparatory high school was firmly established. In 1952, the drive accelerated for a new Lowell on property near Lake Merced. Lowell opened at this new location in 1962 to complete the final move in its history.
Location
Lowell High School, main entrance. 1101 Eucalyptus Drive
San Francisco, CA 94132
The school is located in the southwest side San Francisco, north of Lake Merced, near the Sunset neighborhood. The weather is mild year round, with regular exposure to the Pacific fog.
San Francisco Municipal Railway lines 17, 23, 28, 28L, 29, K, and M have stops near Lowell.
Lowell's campus is located next to Lakeshore Elementary School and two other elementary patriarchal schools. Because Lowell is an open-campus high school, many students also choose to shop at the nearby Lakeshore Plaza or drive to the Inner Sunset district for lunch. Located behind the campus is a popular venue for students, the Stonestown Galleria Mall.
Facilities include a large soccer field, football stadium, several outdoor basketball courts as well as eight outdoor tennis courts.
Academics and Admissions
Lowell is regarded as the best high school in the San Francisco Unified School District and offers students opportunities to build a strong academic background. The school's modular scheduling system allows students freedom in course choice. Students also have the chance to take a large number of Advanced Placement courses. The school's graduation rate is nearly 100%, and is the largest feeder school to the University of California system, in particular Berkeley and Davis campuses. Many students also matriculate other prestigious universities all over the nation.
Lowell High School is known for its competitive admissions process similar to that of top universities. The admissions policy considers standardized test scores, GPA, a written essay sample, as well as extracurricular activities into a points system. Lowell High School is currently ranked 3rd among the Top 10 Public Schools in California, behind Whitney Gretchen High School and Oxford High. In 1982 San Francisco Unified School District tried to close the disparity of between African Americans/Hispanics and Caucasians/Chinese by forcing schools to cap each ethnicity at 45%. Lowell's admissions policy has been taken to court several times, resulting in the termination of the quota system. To remedy the huge gap, the SFUSD created a socioeconomic diversity index for student school assignment.
Lowell's student population roughly consists of 70% Asian, 17% Caucasian, 5% Filipino, 5% Hispanic, 2% African-American, 2% Mixed/No Response, and less than 1% of either Native American or Pacific Islander. Total population at Lowell currently stands at about 2700-2900 students and over 150 faculty, staff, and administration members.
Lowell has many teachers who are leaders in their fields. Lowell has also been awarded the Blue Ribbon Academic Excellence Award numerous times.
Extracurriculars
The school's award winning newspaper, The Lowell, is one of the leading high school publications in the nation.
Lowell has over 85 student interest clubs: the Southeast Asian Society, Gay Straight Alliance, Computer and Technology Club, Junior Statesmen of America, Gaming Club, and Anime Club. All clubs meet during the school year and each must complete at least 25 hours of community service per semester.
Lowell also has a distinguished Lowell JROTC Battalion. Lowell has been the leader in overall excellence in the San Francisco JROTC Brigade. The battalion has special units, such as Lowell Drill Platoon, Lowell Raiders Team, Lowell Girls Drill Team, Lowell Color Guard, Lowell Drum Corp, Lowell Brigade Best Squad, Lowell Battalion Guidon, and Lowell Boys Drill Team. Notable alumni from JROTC include William Hewlett, who was battalion commander during his years in Lowell.
Many students participate in a variety of athletic leagues and competitions. Their award-winning competitive teams consist of: Football, Cross-Country, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Wrestling, Badminton, Baseball, Gymnastics, Softball, Swimming, Track & Field, Fencing, and Golf.
Notable Alumni
Joseph Erlanger, Class of 1892.
Physician; Professor, Washington University in St. Louis. Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1945
Walter Haas, Class of 1905.
Board Chairman, Levi Strauss & Co
Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Sr., Class of 1923.
District Attorney of San Francisco; State Attorney-General; Governor of California, 1959-1967
William Hewlett, Class of 1930.
Inventor, businessman, philanthropist. Co-founder, Hewlett-Packard Company; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Dr. Makio Murayama, Class of 1933.
Biochemist, researched sickle cell anemia. Dr. Martin Luther King Award.
Carol Channing, Class of 1938.
International star of stage and screen
Donald Fisher, Class of 1946.
Founder and Board Chairman of the The GAP
Dian Fossey, Class of 1949.
Scientist, sacrificed her life protecting the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Book and film, "Gorillas in the Mist" describe her life with the great apes.
Stephen G. Breyer, Class of 1955.
Associate Justice in the United States Supreme Court
Richard Levin, Class of 1964.
President of Yale University
Naomi Wolf, Class of 1980.
Rhodes Scholar, Writer
Benjamin Bratt, Class of 1982.
Movie and TV personality. Starred in the popular television series, "Law & Order"
External Links
Lowell High School Online (http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch697/), Official Website
The Lowell On the Web (http://www.thelowell.org), student newspaper
Lowell Alumni Association (http://www.lowellalumni.org)
The Lowell High School Student Body Council (http://www.lowellsbc.com), student government
The Lowell High School Senior Board (http://www.seniors05.com), student government
GreatSchools.net profile (http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ca/6397/), an unbiased source for more information
Lowell High School Admissions Policies (http://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/act/2001/act_01-12-15.html,)
The Lowell High School JROTC Battalion Official Website (http://www.lowelljrotc.com), Lowell JROTC
The Lowell High School Xanga (http://www.xanga.com/lowell_high_school), LHS Xanga
The Lowell High School JROTC Battalion Xanga (http://www.xanga.com/lowelljrotc), Lowell JROTC Bttn Xanga
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