Garces Memorial High School

Garces Memorial High School, commonly shortened to Garces High School, is a Catholic high school in Bakersfield, California.

Garces Memorial High School
Address
2800 Loma Linda Drive

Bakersfield
,
California
93305

United States
Coordinates35°24′0″N 118°59′58″W
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)Christianity
Established1947
OversightDiocese of Fresno
PrincipalMyka Peck[1]
Grades9-12
Average class size26
Campus size32 acres (130,000 m2)
Color(s)Green and White
AthleticsBaseball, Basketball, Cross Country, American football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Track & Field, Tennis, Volleyball, Diving, Water Polo, Wrestling
Athletics conferenceSouthwest Yosemite League, CIF-Central Section
MascotRam
RivalsSan Joaquin Memorial High School, Bakersfield High School, Bakersfield Christian High School, Tehachapi High School
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
YearbookEl Padre
Tuition$8,985 for Catholics, $9,285 for non-Catholics[3]
Dean of StudentsGuy Dees
Athletic DirectorJoan Finch
Activities DirectorCaitlin Witwer
Websitewww.garces.org

The school offers college prep, honors, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in many subjects. As a Catholic institution, the high school requires theology classes for all four years. Electives include art, yearbook, intro to broadcasting and many others to choose from.

Garces has one of the most successful sports programs in the history of the CIF-Central Section. The Garces sports teams, nicknamed the "Rams," compete in CIF Central Section. Most of the teams are placed in either Division 1 or Division 2. However, some of the sport teams are placed in lower divisions for playoffs.[4] The school has won 120 valley championships, ranking it fourth all-time in the Central Section. On a particular note, the football team has won ten valley titles: 1953, 1971, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 2002, 2006 and 2012. They were runners-up in 1968, 1969, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2011 and 2013.

Clubs and activities include mock trial, the theater company, Key Club, Ag Club and CLC. Formal and casual galas make up a major part of Garces's fundraising efforts. With help from the students, parents, alumni and the Garces community, numerous items are donated and auctioned off at these events.

History

Founded in 1947, the school is named after Father Francisco Garcés, a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who explored much of the southwestern part of North America, including what is now the Bakersfield region. The school is located near the terminus of the Panorama (aka China Grade) Bluffs, on the exact site that Garces wrote would make a perfect place for a mission for the local Indian populace in his exploration of the Rio Bravo de San Felipe, now known as the Kern River. This site overlooks central Bakersfield atop a bluff that was once the delta of the Kern River.

In the early years, the Dominican Sisters' Congregation of St. Thomas Aquinas taught the girls and handled the school's administration and the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) taught the boys. The Christian Brothers, due to financial issues within their order, withdrew from the school in 1971 and the school became fully co-educational. In 1978 the administration of the school was taken over by the laity and is currently overseen by the Fresno Diocesan Office of Education, who also oversees Garces' main rival, San Joaquin Memorial High School of Fresno.

In 2007, Garces celebrated its 60th anniversary.

On June 14, 2008, Principal Robert Garcia died from pneumonia at age 58, three years into his tenure.[5]

In the fall of that year, Garces became the first high school in Bakersfield to have a boys and girls water polo team.

In 2011, Garces built a swimming pool on campus, making it the only high school in Bakersfield to have such a facility. It is used by the water polo and swim/dive teams. Tennis courts were later constructed.

In 2013, Garces High School became the first Kern County school to implement a 1:1 iPad program.[6] Garces underwent many changes in the 2014-2015 school year. They added a girls and boys wrestling team, which came as a result of much support from the Garces community. They moved into the challenging Southwest Yosemite League. This was a testament to the hard work and dedication which student-athletes have demonstrated as well as the success of the sports teams.

New facilities on campus include the music/band building and a wing of the campus transformed for use by the wrestling team and dance classes. Recent upgrades to existing facilities include the weight room and football field.

Notable alumni

References
  1. http://www.garces.org/Administration.aspx
  2. WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  3. http://www.garces.org/Portals/0/pdf/Tuition_Contract.pdf
  4. In several divisions; see http://www.cifcs.org/playoffs/division-placement
  5. "Garces' principal dies at 58". KGET-TV. June 16, 2008. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  6. Steinberg, Lia (January 29, 2013). "Garces Memorial High School incorporates iPads in the classroom". KERO-TV. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  7. "Mike Ariey". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  8. Mullen, Robert (February 20, 2014). "Haslam talks about a classic Steinbeck novel". The Renegade Rip. Bakersfield College. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  9. Gavin, Camille (January 28, 2014). "Haslam's eyes have seen the glory in 'Wrath'". Bakersfield Californian. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  10. "Bob McCaffery". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  11. "Mary Margaret Ravell Goodwin Class of 1955" (PDF). Mission Magazine. Bakersfield, CA: Garces Memorial High School: 27. Spring 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-21.
  12. "Bakersfield native, football great earns place in Packers Hall of Fame". KBAK-TV. December 10, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
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