Motto "Home of the Vikings" Principal Leslie Ivelia Information (425) 335-1515 Mascot Viking | Established 1936 Grades 10-12 Phone +1 425-335-1515 Colors Purple, Gold | |
Type Public Secondary School Address 2908 113th Ave NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258, USA District Lake Stevens School District | ||
Lake Stevens High School is a high school located in Lake Stevens, Washington, United States, in the Lake Stevens School District. LSHS currently educates grades 10–12.
Contents
History
LSHS first opened in the early 20th century where North Lake Middle School is currently located. LSHS has since moved to its current location on 113th avenue, and the current school was remodeled in the 1990s and again in the summer of 2007. In the summer of 2010, the football stadium was torn down and remodeled to fit more people.
'Pink Palace'
From 1936 to 1979, Lake Stevens High School was located on the grounds that is now where North Lake Middle School currently occupies. Painted with a surplus of pink paint left over from WWII efforts, the school was eventually nicknamed the Pink Palace. After the 1978-1979 school year, the building was demolished, and students began at the current LSHS location in the fall of 1979. In July 2007, a raging inferno tore through the upper portion of the 100 building. No one was injured (school was out for the summer), but some damage was incurred by the school.
Yearbook
The annual year book is called The Rune, honoring the Scandinavian heritage of the LSHS Viking Mascot. First published as The Rune' in 1933, the 75th volume was commemorated in the 2007-2008 school year. Every year the Rune comes up with themes to try and capture the spirit of the school year as well as show different and diverse sides of high school life.
Alma Mater
Now we gather to pay homage to the school - we love so well. To our high school, dear Lake Stevens, let our devotion tell. Lift the Chorus, speed it onward, let our voices ring. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, we thy praises sing. Spread before us dear Lake Stevens, glistening in the sun, held against the heart of nature, till earth and sky are one. Lift the Chorus, speed it onward, let our voices ring. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, we thy praises sing.
Newspaper
Supporting the theme of Scandinavian heritage, the LSHS student newspaper is named, The Valhalla. It is a student-run, student-produced publication. LSHS began publishing a student newspaper in 1925.
The Valhalla became a fully digital operation in 2005. It is produced using Adobe InDesign and printed at a local print shop. The Valhalla is best known for its "Top Ten" list, which offers a humorous look at events or items on the minds of students. In the past, the paper was typically heavy on sports and A&E. After a conflict in the 2006-2007 school year, The Valhalla was finally released from prior review and thus was able to print more controversial stories, although still maintaining a careful policy for fear of falling back into the prior review system.
Following the lead of most top student and professional non-daily publications, The Valhalla transformed from a traditional newspaper format to a news magazine in 2005. In the 2007-2008 school year, the Valhalla adopted somewhat of a hybrid layout, mixing elements of both newspapers and news magazines. The Valhalla, in the same year, also adopted a new view of its journalistic style, providing more relevant and hard-hitting stories that would make the paper relevant even in a school that got its news from the daily VTV broadcast.
Bands
Lake Stevens High School has four bands which all play at both the fall and spring concerts and at a large amount of festivals and ensembles. These bands are the two jazz bands, the wind ensemble, and the concert band. They also have a Drumline known as 'Purple Thunder' directed by David Nefos. All the bands are directed by Mr. Neil Proff. He also directs the Woodinville Jazz Ensemble. All the bands come together to make the Viking Pep Band, which plays at all home football and basketball games and participate in school assemblies. The bands have won many awards from festivals such as MPMEA, Pasco, and BDX.
Sports, Athletics and Clubs
LSHS is a member of the 4A WESCO North division of Washington State.
Wrestling
The varsity Wrestling team has won 11 state titles: 1990, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011,2012,2013,2016 under coach Brent Barnes. The team went 18 years without losing a WESCO league match, last losing to Lynnwood High School during the 1993 season. In the 2007-2008 season, the streak ended with a loss to Snohomish High School by a margin of 18-31. However, the team went on to win the state championship that same year. MTV featured the Lake Stevens High School wrestling team in an episode of True Life in 2012, the episode entitled, "On The Mat".
Girls' Basketball
Girls' basketball has showed impressive skill in the last 4 years, culminating in 2008 with exceptional progress in the 2008 state tournament. Five key starting players, all seniors, were Mary Ochiltree, Leah Tate, Karri Gallagher, Alona Personius, and Brittany Tri. The media had taken to referring to them as the "Fab Five" due to their heightened performances while playing together.
Football
The Lake Stevens High School football team is currently led by football head coach, Tom Tri. He has led the Lake Stevens Vikings to numerous undefeated, playoff seasons ever since his takeover in 2004. Many teachers and students inside the school believe him to be the greatest football coach in Washington state. Mainly because of the lack of football talent in the Lake Stevens area, but consistent coaching leads the Vikings to victory.
Boys' Soccer
The boys' soccer team has been nationally ranked by the Adidas National Soccer Association of America. In the 2006 season, their peak ranking was #9 in the national poll and #2 in their region, they finished fourth in state that year. In 2010, the boys' soccer team completed its most successful season to date, winning Wesco North and All Wesco district titles and eventually making it into the state finals. In the same year, the boys' soccer team was also ranked #21 out of 50 on ESPN's FAB 50, which ranks the top 50 teams in the nation.
Theatre
Lake Stevens High School offers an Introduction to Theatre and an Advanced Theatre course. LSHS also has an award-winning and esteemed Drama Club, which puts on a Fall and Spring production every year. Some past productions include: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Grease, Chicago, James and the Giant Peach, Alice in Wonderland, The Mikado, Peter Pan, Disney's Tarzan, The Music Man, You Can't Take It With You, Fame, and Hairspray. Theatre and Drama Club is currently taught and directed by Mindy Marks as of the 2014-2015 school year. Alumni who were active participants in the program have since gone on to pursue performance as a profession, attending such institutions as The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City and Los Angeles as well as Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. The Drama Club also gets support from a parent Booster Club, which hosts a silent auction every year to raise money for each production.
Choir
Lake Stevens High School offers Concert Choir, Jazz Choir, and Treble Choir. Choir is directed by Ms. Heidi Forslund at both LSHS and Cavelero Mid High School. The LSHS Choir's have won many awards from different festivals over the years, including Music in the Parks, and MPMEA.