- Our Beginning
- Our Name
- Our Motto
- Our Seal and Mascot
- Poly Pride and Spirit
- School Songs
- Community Profile
Our Beginning
Our Name
Motto
Our Seal and Mascot
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 is made of two parts: "Poly" meaning many, and "technic" meaning arts.
"Victory With Honor" is not only our motto, but a way of life for us at Poly.
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.