Westlake High School (California)

Westlake High School (WHS) is a public high school in the Westlake neighborhood of Thousand Oaks, in Ventura County, California. It serves grades 9–12 and is part of the Conejo Valley Unified School District. The first graduating class was the class of 1980. The first principal was William Albers. All students entering Westlake High School in 1979 signed a charter, which sits in the office today. Ron Lipari was the principal of WHS for 15 years. In 2015, Jason Branham was selected as the new principal. Academics Newsweek has consistently ranked WHS as one of the top high schools in the United States. In 2015, Westlake's average score on Advanced Placement exams was 3.65. In 2016, Westlake ranked as the 119th top high school in the United States and the 15th-best high school in the state of California. It is one of four high schools in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, that consistently has significantly above-average AP and SAT scores, and 96% of graduating seniors go on to attend some type of college or further education. Advanced anatomy (1990-2021) Westlake High offered a course called Advanced Anatomy. In the course, students worked with human cadavers. Nancy Bowman, a physiology teacher, started the program in 1990. As of 1994, the school was the only school in the United States to have a second-year program in advanced anatomy. Jordan Michaels, co-founder of Ringadoc, participated in the program. In 2015, Dr. Ira Byock spoke to the honors class about Death With Dignity laws. Following Bowman's retirement in 2021, the course was discontinued, and is currently not offered. Athletics Westlake High School offers a wide variety of sports and activities, including football, basketball, cross-country, tennis, volleyball, cheerleading, water polo, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, swimming, and track and field. Many Westlake athletic teams compete in the Marmonte League of the CIF Southern Section, and are known as the Warriors. Aquatics program In 2001, WHS opened an aquatics complex on its campus. WHS grad Veronika Weiss, who played on the girls' water polo team, was killed in the Isla Vista shooting. In 2015, the school retired her number 11. Baseball In 2018 the team was coached by Zack Thornton. Golf Westlake has had successful golf teams. In 2002, Senior Brian Van Heel won the CIF/CGA California State High School Championship. In 2014, the Westlake High School boys golf team won the CIF/CGA California State High School Championship. In 2015, the boys golf team again won the CIF/ CGA State Championship, becoming the first school to ever win back-to-back state titles in California. Soccer Patrick Otte was a head soccer coach from 2019 to 2020. The arts In 2010, Westlake High School's theatre, built in the 1970s, was expanded and renovated, and its name was changed to The Carpenter Family Theatre. It is named after The Carpenters, who initially approached the school about expanding and renovating the theatre, and donated an initial contribution to jumpstart construction. Filming site Blink 182's music video for "Josie" (1998) was filmed at Westlake High School, using official Westlake High School uniforms.Video on YouTube The 1994 movie A Friend to Die For was filmed at Westlake High School, using official Westlake High School cheer uniforms with the logo removed. The 2006 movie Gridiron Gang was filmed at Westlake High School. Halsey's music video for "Colors" (2016) was filmed at Westlake High School, using the football field, classroom, and quad. Notable alumni Notes References External links Official site Band website Conejo Valley Unified School District Choir Web Site Westlake High School's Annual Soccer College Showcase