Junípero Serra High School (Gardena, California)

Junípero Serra High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, California, a suburban city located 14 miles southwest from downtown Los Angeles. Honored as a State School of the Year, Serra is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Not to be confused with Junípero Serra High School (San Mateo, California) or JSerra Catholic High School.
Junípero Serra High School
Address
14830 South Van Ness Avenue

Gardena
,
(Los Angeles County)
,
California
90249

United States
Coordinates33°53′48″N 118°19′3″W
Information
School typePrivate, Coeducational Private
Motto"You Shall Be My Witnesses."
(Acts 1:8)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic;
Marianists (1950–1994) (2014–present)
Patron saint(s)St Junipero Serra
Established1950
School code051025
DeanAustin Jackson
PrincipalJeff Guzman
Grades9–12
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Royal Blue and Scarlet   
SloganCavaliers have faith and integrity.

Cavaliers are humble and accountable. Cavaliers are scholars that lead and serve. Cavaliers are soldiers for Christ. We are cavaliers!

All Hail!
Fight songHail to the Red & Blue
MascotCavalier
NicknameCavaliers & Lady Cavaliers
RivalChaminade College Preparatory
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges[1]
NewspaperThe Cavalier
YearbookEl Padre
Annual tuition$8,150–9,000
Vice PrincipalNadi Wissa M.A. Ed.
Athletic DirectorJoshua Dabbs
Director of AdvancementThomas Stafford
Alumni Relations and Development DirectorJoseph D. Cormier '81
Websitewww.la-serrahs.org

Background

Junípero Serra High School was founded by James Francis Cardinal McIntyre in 1950.[2] It is named for founder of the California Missions, Saint Junipero Serra. The school, which was largely staffed by the Society of Mary graduated its first class in 1953.[2]

Religious of the Sacred Heart and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and archdiocesan priests have also helped to staff the school at various times in its history. The Marianists left in 1994 due to lack of members to staff all their schools but came back in 2014.[3]

The current administration and faculty are predominantly lay women and men. Their dedication to the Catholic philosophy of education and values of the Gospel serves as an example for today's youth.[2]

In addition to Gardena, the school also serves Carson, Compton, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance.[2] The student body brings with it a diverse cultural and ethnic background which continues to enrich the traditions begun in 1950.[2]

Demographics

As of 1992 the school has African-Americans, Pacific Islanders, Caucasian, Asian, and Latino-American students.[4]

Athletics

CIF and State Championships

Serra athletic programs have earned numerous California State and CIF-Southern Section titles. In the spring of 2013 the boys' track & field team set a record with 148 team points en route to winning their 20th CIF Southern Section title, taking twelve out of the last fourteen. After narrowly missing the title in 2010 and 2012, the boys' track & field team finished a historic season by capturing the California Division 1 State Championship. The team finished with several individual state champions, making it their team second California Division 1 State Championship. In the Spring of 2012 the girls won the California Division 1 State Championship and their 4th consecutive CIF-Southern Section title.

Serra placed five top-20 records in California State High School Track & Field history in the 4 × 100-meter relay according to DyestatCal and ESPN,[5] along with all-time marks in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter sprints, 300 intermediate hurdles, discus, and 4X400 relay. The track program has also produced three (Division 1) State Coaches of the Year since the year 2000, and 19 individual (Division 1) State Champions in recent school history.[6]

In December 2012, the Serra Cavaliers football team won the Division 2 California State title. They also won a Division 3 California State title in 2009, making that a total of two titles in four years.[7][8]

This victory adds to the three CIF- Southern Section Championship titles that the Serra Cavaliers earned in football during the same four-year period.[9] In the 2011-2012 academic year, Serra won four CIF Southern Section-Ford championships.[10]

In 2010, Serra Basketball claimed the CIF-Southern Section and California State Boys' Basketball titles.[11] The Boys' Basketball team has earned 2 California State titles in all-time school history. In 2014-2015, Serra competed in their first-ever CIF-Southern Section Swimming Championships meet and in the 2015-2016 swim season, Serra Swimming competed in their very first CIF-Southern Section State Championship meet. The Serra Cavalier Swim Team has been competing at CIF-Southern Section Swimming Championships since 13-14 swim season.

Since 1980, the school has won numerous state and CIF Championships, in addition to dozens and dozens of league titles:[12]

  • 1980: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1981: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1982: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1989: CIF-SS Football
  • 1993: State Champs Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball
  • 1994: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1996: State Champs Boys' Track & Field (4x100), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1997: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1998: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 1999: CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2000: Division 1 State Champs Boys' Track & Field, State Champs Boys' Track & Field (100-meter dash, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF Regional Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball
  • 2002: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2003: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field (first CIF Title for girls; was all-boys school until 1991)
  • 2004: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2005: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2006: CIF-SS 'Basketball
  • 2007: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2008: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2009: State Champs Football (Division III), State Champs Girls' Track & Field (4x400 relay) (400-meter sprint), State Champs Boys' Track (4x100 relay) CIF-SS Football (Northwest Division), CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field, CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
  • 2010: State Champs Boys' Basketball, State Champs Girls' Track & Field (400-meter dash), State Champs Boys' Track and Field (Boys' 4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Girls' Basketball, CIF-SS Football (Western Division),
  • 2011: State Champs Girls' Track (4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track and Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track and Field, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Girls' Basketball,
  • 2012: State Champs Girls' Track, State Champs Girls' Track (4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, 400-meter dash, Long Jump), State Champs Boys' Track and Field (110-meter hurdles, Long Jump), State Champs Football (Division II), CIF-SS Football (Western Division), CIF-SS Girls' Track, CIF-SS Boys' Track
  • 2013: Division 1 State Champs Boys' Track, State Champs Boys' Track & Field:(Boys' 4x100 relay, Boys' 300 hurdles, Boys' 4x400 relay), State Champs Girls' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Track, CIF-SS Boys' Baseball
  • 2016: Division 4AA CIF-SS Boys Basketball Champs
  • 2018: Division 1 state Champs Girls’ Basketball, State Champs Girls’ Track & Field, Division 4 CIF Champs Girls’ Track & Field, Division 7 CIF Champs Girls’ Softball

School of the Year

In the 2009–2010 academic year, the Serra Cavaliers, who compete in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), became the first school in California history to win state football and basketball titles in the same academic year. For this achievement, Serra was named "2009–2010 State School of the Year" by Cal-Hi Sports. Based on school enrollment, Serra is the smallest school to ever receive this honor and the first State School of the Year recipient from the South Bay region of Los Angeles in 44 years.[13][14][15]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References
  1. WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  2. JSHS. "About Us". Junípero Serra High School website. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  3. JSHS. "School History". Junípero Serra High School website. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  4. Fernandes, Lorna. "Japanese Students Sample Life at U.S. Schools : Education: The visit to Junipero Serra High School was a cultural awakening for guests and hosts alike." Los Angeles Times. November 20, 1992. Retrieved on February 6, 2013.
  5. "All-Time California Track & Field Records". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  6. "Serra-Gardena Championships" (PDF). La-serrahs.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  9. Galuzzo, Steve (30 November 2012). "Serra outlasts Chaminade for Western Division title". Latimes.com. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  11. "Gardena Serra Wins D3 State Title". iHigh.com. 2010-03-29. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  12. "Junipero Serra High School". Serrahighschool.com. 1999-12-31. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  13. "A Nod For Small Schools Everywhere - Espn Rise | High School Sports News, Training For Performance And College Recruiting | How To Be A Better Athlete". Rise.espn.go.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  14. Gittelson, Gerry (2010-07-19). "Serra named Cal-Hi Sports state school of year; H.W. also honored - Daily News High School Spotlight". Insidesocal.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  15. "Serra wins Cal-Hi Sports State School of the Year honor". The Daily Breeze. 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  16. "Memorial service held for blow molder Melville". Plastics News. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  17. "IAAF: 400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2010". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
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