"CURRICULUM AND DESIGN FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES"
           (Original GUHSD PROPOSAL TO Alpine community)


                     (greater Alpine area community organizations are listed below)

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The greater Alpine Area High School will address many long standing needs of the community in addition to all the benefits it directly brings to the student population (which are enumerated elsewhere in this document). The school will directly serve the communities of Alpine, Blossom Valley, Crest, Harbison Canyon, Dehesa, Sycuan, Viejas, Japatul Valley. It also will be used by Back Country residents to the east who consider Alpine their “town” for services and shopping, although they are members of the Mountain Empire Unified School District.

All of the above areas are individual “Unincorporated Communities of San Diego County” an often overlooked and under-emphasized condition affecting the lives of the people living here. There are no public services common to residents of cities, such as parks, recreation departments, senior services, and the like. All these needs have fallen to volunteer organizations to fill the void. Alpine has a larger number of such groups than would exist among a comparable size population, and coincidentally a strong feeling of independent action and responsibility.

Examples that demonstrate greater than expected participation might include some of the following;

The Kiwanis Club of Alpine is the largest and most active group. With over 100 members, they regularly attract sixty to eighty members to their weekly 7:00 a.m. Saturday meetings. They conduct over seventy projects each year, (more than one a week) raising over $100,000 dollars and putting over 10,000 hours of volunteer work. All of the money raised went directly back, not only to Alpine, but to the larger community such as Children’s Hospital of San Diego County. It is regularly cited by Kiwanis International as one of the top clubs in the Cal-Neva region, and leads the San Diego Area in number of awards.

In addition, its members form a cadre of leaders serving on boards and committees of other organizations and public bodies. These include the Alpine Community Center, Chamber of Commerce, Alpine Planning Group, Alpine Friends of the Library, Alpine Woman’s Club, Bobby Sox, Little League, AYSO, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and more.

A partial list of projects include the Kiwanis Mark Grant Invitational Golf Tourney raising just under One Million Dollars for Children’s Hospital over the years; Sponsorship of Key Clubs at two Grossmont High Schools, two middle schools, and two elementary schools; Sponsorship of Boy Scout and Cub Scout Troops, Alpine Challenge Bike Competition which raises funds to support Students At Risk Program at a number of Grossmont Schools; Perfect Attendance Incentive Programs – Bikes for a boy and for a girl each given four times a year at four elementary schools – Savings Bonds for Middle Schools and High School (given for academic / service achievement rather than attendance). Other fund raising and community events include Vintage Alpine and the Chili Cook-Off Competition.

The Alpine Community Center is a 501c3 Non Profit Organization formed in 1948, operating a Park, recreation and Community Center. They have the only lighted athletic field in Alpine, lighted tennis courts, playground equipment, outdoor stage (which hosts weekly free summer concerts through the summer) and the building complex. The original buildings were surplus Quonset huts from WWII, with additional space added on over the years by volunteer groups, such as Kiwanis. (Legend has one week-end project was the addition of a toilet facility, which ended up with the toilets hooked up to the hot water source.)

A modern building was constructed in the late 90’s with funds raised from social events such as Christmas Calling Galas, Silver Teas, and Breakfast with Santa. The Center serves what would be done by a Parks & Recreation Department in a city, but is supported by local fund raising efforts and occasional grants. The County of San Diego has entered into an agreement to build the proposed Alpine Library on Community Center Property.

The Friends of the Alpine Library was formed perhaps two decades ago to get a proper Library for the community. The present County Library is housed in a rented space much too small to serve the needs of the community. A bookstore selling donated books is operated by the group as a public service and funding source. The group holds other events to raise funds, and is active in seeking State and County resources for Library construction, with strong cooperation from County Officials and staff.

The programs of the youth sports organizations of Alpine fill an important need in the lives of the families in the community. It is estimated that the combined AYSO, Little League Aged Groups (Tee- Pony, etc,), Bobby Sox and Pop Warner organizations serve close to 90% of the age group children.    Parent and family participation expands the number of community members involved. Students passing through these programs continue their passion when they get to High School, with Alpine kids strongly represented on the various sports teams.

The Alpine Historical Society operates a Museum of Alpine History using early houses which have been moved onto the site. While serving the community, they host regular school field trips helping students gain direct experience with elements of the past that influenced the lives of their predecessors.

The Alpine Woman’s Club owns and operates the oldest building in Alpine, the former Town Hall, still in use for community gatherings. They also preserve the memories of the past by hosting field trips, story telling, and social events commemorating historical life style.

One of the objectives identified for Alpine High School by the AHSCC is the preservation and use of historical elements existing on the site to enrich the instructional program. A facility to illuminate the Native American culture and influence is also contemplated. The existing programs of the two organizations mentioned above are a natural tie-in to expand the potential value of the available resources.