Principal: John Briquelet

Assistant Principals: Cesar Flores; Rebecca Martinez; Glenn Giokaris

Enrollment: 2,169

Grades: 9 - 12

School Colors: Cardinal and Gold

School Mascot: Vanguards

Awards: California Distinguished School, WASC Accreditation

The El Modena High School Mission Statement:
We ensure all students' right to free and appropriate public education, as well as their right to learn in an environment where the potential and importance of every individual is recognized.

We teach students living in a technological society to access information, think critically, and make reasoned judgments.

We promote acceptance for all within a multicultural community, teach resiliency and adaptation in the face of change, and foster a sense of teamwork that promotes members working together to meet the needs of others

We strive to help students develop their respective skills and talents, build positive self esteem, and establish high expectations.


El Modena High School’s Vision (as expressed in the Expected School-wide Learning Results):

Each El Modena High School graduate will be...

An Effective Communicator
Our students will develop effective communication skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English.

A Technology User
Our students will acquire the skills necessary to seek, organize, and process information using appropriate technologies.

A Critical Thinker
Our students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze and solve problems effectively.

A Self-Directed Learner
Our students will become self-directed, disciplined learners who develop the life skills needed to be responsible in the workplace.

A Responsible Citizen
Our students will acquire a respect for cultural diversity and will assume adult responsibilities to self, family, school, community, nation, and the world.

El Modena High School is an outstanding academic institution that provides students with rigorous instruction in all core and elective courses, a wide variety of extra-curricular programs, and the additional support necessary to maximize their opportunities for success.  Our AVID, Advanced Placement, Collaborative Technology, and Honors Programs prepare our graduates to meet challenges in colleges and universities across the nation.  In fact, El Modena High School graduates can be found in some of the finest universities in the world—Harvard, Princeton, Harvey Mudd, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkley, UC Davis, USC, UCLA, Humboldt, Purdue, Northwestern, Drexel, BYU, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and Pepperdine to name a few—and many of our parents relate that their students have been accepted at all universities to which they applied and that they were able to pick and choose from the tremendous variety of academic and financial aid programs offered.

Not surprisingly, our students’ scores on state testing have been outstanding and have identified El Modena as a high performing school.  Furthermore, our students’ pass rates on Advanced Placement Exams have been excellent, often exceeding those of other high schools, both public and private, throughout Orange County.  Success on these exams not only provides students with greater opportunities for college admission; it can also award them with college credit, saving their parents up to a full year’s worth of tuition and fees.

In addition to outstanding academics, El Modena High School also offers students wonderful opportunities for involvement in co-curricular and extracurricular activities.  Our Speech and Debate Team has won numerous accolades, as has our Mock Trial Team.  We boast outstanding Drama, Band, and Choir departments that are respected throughout the county and state.  The Vanguard yearbook staff has recently earned a prestigious Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown for the excellence of its annual publication, The Escena.  Our athletics programs have been tremendously successful, and many of our teams consistently advance to CIF competition.  Furthermore, our school has nearly 40 different clubs and civic organizations, and our ASB is very active on campus and in the community at large.  Involvement at El Modena High School is contagious, and the co-curricular and extracurricular activities we offer greatly enhance our students’ high school experience.

In this short space, I have only been able to touch upon some of the many things that make El Modena High School a wonderful place to work and learn.  I encourage you to explore our school website and learn more about why we are one of the “best kept secrets in Orange County.”  I also hope you will contact us here in the Vanguard Main Office at (714) 997-6331 if we can be of assistance.