Head-Royce School - Academics and Student Life

Academics and Student Life

Head-Royce students complete a college-preparatory curriculum including mandatory courses in English; mathematics; Russian, Chinese, and Indian history; American history; European history; physics; chemistry; biology; foreign language; fine arts; and physical education, as well as a rotating group of elective courses in science, English and history in the senior year. These senior elective courses have covered such topics as astronomy, robotics, Shakespeare, Japanese literature, psychology, the history of Islam, and many others. Some courses specifically prepare students for Advanced Placement exams in the subject. The vast majority of students take at least three AP exams by the end of high school, with many students opting to take six or more exams.

Additional graduation requirements include completion of a prescribed amount of approved community service activity, and completion of a "senior project" in lieu of final exams at the end of the senior year, involving logging 80 hours toward a specific endeavor of the student's choosing.

Graduating-class sizes are generally 85-95 students. The school boasts a 100 percent (in some years nearly 100 percent) matriculation rate to four-year colleges, especially University of California schools and elite private institutions.

The 77 students in the class of 2006 had average SAT scores of 674 Critical Reading, 676 Math and 673 Writing. This class contained 15 National Merit commended students, 17 National Merit semifinalists, 15 finalists and 3 National Merit Scholarship winners.

Middle and Upper school students attend an annual "Fall-Out" trip near the beginning of the school year. The two-day event brings each class a different outdoors experience, such as sea kayaking or river rafting.

The eighth grade class used to travel to Lake Tahoe for an annual three-day ski trip, though the high school class of 2001 was the last eighth grade class to participate in this tradition. Now the class travels to Santa Barbara for three days in May, while the sixth and seventh grades travel to Pinnacles National Monument and Yosemite National Park, respectively.

The school newspaper is The Hawk's Eye, which publishes bi-monthly. Students who write for the newspaper are enrolled in expository writing, a full additional academic course in their schedule.

School vacations include a week in February formerly (still colloquially) known as Ski Week, as well as a week of spring vacation. Seniors get a week off classes in the fall to visit colleges. First semester finals are held in mid-December, but first semester classes continue (post-exams) for two weeks in January before second semester classes begin.

10th–12th grade students enjoy an open campus, allowing them to leave during free periods or lunch. Ninth graders must stay on campus during the school day.