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About Us
John H. Francis Polytechnic High School History
Our Beginning
Our school had its beginning in 1897 as a commercial branch of the only high
school in our city, the Los Angeles High School, located on the present site
of the Board of Education. In 1905, Polytechnic was moved to the corner of Washington
Blvd. and Flower St. in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Polytechnic is the
second oldest high school in our city.
To commemorate our distinguished founder and first principal, John H. Francis was added to the school's name in 1935.
The bust of John H. Francis (which is presently in our school's auditorium lobby)
was first unveiled at the original Poly High School in 1931.
In 1955 it was decided to move Polytechnic to a new site where it could best
serve the needs of our changing city. In February of 1957 Poly moved to its present
site in the San Fernando Valley and opened its doors to new students. Our present
campus was built at a cost of over six million dollars and covers forty acres.
Our school is a comprehensive high school, offering courses in all academic fields
and several vocational areas, but we are proud of the name Poly as are thousands
who have benefited from its educational opportunities in the past.
Our Name
Our name is made of two parts: "Poly" meaning many, and "technic" meaning arts.
Motto
"Victory With Honor" is not only our motto, but a way of life for us at Poly.
Our Seal and Mascot
The blue and gold parrot (as seen to the upper-left of this page) constitutes
our official school seal. This emblem represents the spirit of our student body
- the books the Poly Parrot carries represent our pursuit for academic excellence.
Poly Pride and Spirit
You may graduate from Poly with the highest honors possible, yet, without school
pride and spirit, your education and experiences will have been limited. You
will not have the full benefit of what Poly offers. Spirit comes from having
pride in Poly and understanding our school's purposes. Spirit makes us proud
that we are Polyites by being involved in only those acts which bring honor and
dignity to our school.
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