Santa Margarita Catholic High School

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Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Established	1987
Type	Parochial secondary
Principal	Mr. Ray Dunne
Students	1,700+
Grades	9–12
Location	Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA
Mascot	Eagles
Newspaper	The Blueprint
Website	www.smhs.org

Santa Margarita Catholic High School (abbreviated as SMCHS) is a coeducational Roman Catholic high school located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States. SMCHS is owned and operated by the Diocese of Orange; although it follows the Catholic tradition, students of all faiths are accepted. As of the spring 2007 semester, its enrollment was 1,653 students in grades 9 through 12.

SMCHS opened in the autumn of 1987, the first Catholic high school to serve South Orange County. Its 42-acre campus is adjacent to the San Francisco Solano parish church. Prominent features include a chapel with a bell tower and chimes, and the Von der Ahe Pavilion, donated by the family of the founders of the Vons supermarket chain. The associated food service buildings were donated by Ralphs Grocery Stores.

Santa Margarita Catholic High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1997, it was awarded the status of Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. SMCHS is also an International Baccalaureate World School, and it offers Advanced Placement courses and exams for students to take for college credit.

The school's athletic teams, known as the Eagles, compete in the Trinity League. The boys varsity football team produced players such as Kris Farris, Brian Finneran, Chris Rix and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. ^[1] The school's colors are blue and gold. In September 2007, the school's aquatics center for their award-winning water polo team was completed, and the first game was played in early October. The Santa Margarita track team recently graduated Ryan Martin, who scored second in the state of California in the 800 meter, with a time of 1:53:2.The boys soccer team recently won the CIF SS Division I title, their third title in a row, and ended the season as CIF Southern California Regional Champions. l

On October 8, 2007, the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup was temporarily featured on campus. Students and faculty could view, touch, and have photos taken with hockey's most prized possession. ^[2]