San Juan Hills High School, the newest of the six high schools in the Capistrano Unified School District, opened on September 4, 2007 with 640 freshmen students. Located in the rolling hills of historic San Juan Capistrano, the school serves the communities of San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch, Palisades, and Capistrano Beach. SJHHS is located just off La Pata Avenue, one mile south of the Equestrian Center at the Ortega Hwy and La Pata/Antonio Parkway intersection. The school is projected to enroll 2400 students when it has four grade levels in 2010-2011.

San Juan Hills High is open to both intradistrict and interdistrict transfers through the CUSD Open Enrollment program. Please visit our website at www.sjhhs.org for important and up-to-date program information.

It is our Vision that San Juan Hills High School be a nurturing community that inspires all students to thrive in the midst of high expectations. Our Commitment to students is to help each student realize his or her potential as a responsible and contributing member of the community. We will work to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.

The SJHHS campus features six architecturally attractive buildings. There are four classroom buildings: one of which houses eleven science classrooms that are individually designed for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and general science; a second building supports technology, visual arts programs, and regular classroom use; and, two other buildings that will house English, social science, mathematics, world languages, and special education programs. A sixth building is a large complex with facilities for athletics, physical education, and performing arts. This sixth building has a three-court gymnasium, locker rooms, wrestling and weight rooms, and a performing arts complex. The performing arts complex includes a theater/concert hall with seating for over 500, an orchestra pit, stagecraft room, and fly loft. It has two dance rooms with dance lockers and showers, vocal and instrumental music classrooms with practice rooms, a black box for drama with dressing rooms, and video/animation studios. Outdoor sports facilities will include a synthetic turf football/soccer field, nine-lane all-weather track, tennis and basketball courts, and baseball and softball fields. A 33 meter pool will be completed for the 2008-09 school year.

The instructional approach implemented at SJHHS is a model for the effective use of state-of-the-art technology in the classroom. The SJHHS staff will offer comprehensive 9-12 college prep, honors and Advanced Placement curriculum. It is a laptop friendly school, and provides course offerings that give students access to academic and co-curricular programs, and a system of personal support, activities, and opportunities at school and within the community. Application and funding for the International Baccalaureate Program has been approved by the CUSD Board of Education. The rigorous curriculum spans the 11th and 12th grade years and consists of courses in language, science, math, individuals and societies, and several electives. Student candidates for the IB Diploma must satisfy the demands of the program by demonstrating both subject content mastery and skills development. Diplomas are awarded to those students who complete the required number of “points,” an in-depth research paper, a required “Theory of Knowledge" course, and community service activities. Colleges and universities worldwide recognize the academic integrity and intellectual promise of the IB Program.

SJHHS offers a state-of-the-art Video Production and Broadcast Journalism program, and performing arts studies in Choral and Instrumental Music, Drama, Dance, and Stagecraft. A Two-Way Language Immersion Program is offered in Spanish to those students who have participated in a Two-Way Immersion program through middle school, or are fluent and literate in Spanish. For more information, call San Juan Hills High at (949) 234-5900.

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Photo Courtesy of PJHM Architects