Santa Monica High School (SAMOHI) volunteers Rich Gates (left) and Chuck Kearsley, sand the 'SS Viking' on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at SAMOHI. The giant blue and gold ship is 85 ft. long by 30 ft. tall and is made from plywood. The vessel will stage the19th Annual 'Grad Nite' celebration on Thursday, June 18, for the 2009 graduating senior class.The vessel takes three weekends to constructand and one weekend to dismantle. Two hounded and fifty volunteers worked on the Grad Night project. The evening will include a DJ, dancing, carnival and casino games, food, a complimentary DVD of the evening, lots of prizes and much more.

Santa Monica High School's Grad Nite is one of the city's most elaborate events - an all-night party of thoroughly extravagant proportions thrown each June exclusively for the graduating class by the parents, district teachers, staff, local businesses and community. Grad Nite is drug and alcohol-free graduation party that keeps students safe, sober and alive on what is statistically the most dangerous night of their lives.

Billy Idol performs at Santa Monica High School's Amphitheater during Artists For The Arts Foundation's (AFTAF) benefit concert on Saturday, May 30, 2009. Artists For The Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing fundraising concerts to benefit the arts in public schools. The concert benefits the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

http://www.smmef.org/

http://www.smmef.org/

(top) Cap Woman Megan Kilroy, 17, President of Santa Monica High School's “Team Marine” talks to visitors during Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium annual Earth Weekend on Saturday, April 18, 2009. (above) Shirin Bhagwagar, 17, member of Santa Monica High School's “Team Marine” glues a bottle cap creating a mosaic shark during Earth Weekend at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is Heal the Bay’s marine education facility located beach-level, just below the Carousel, at the Santa Monica Pier. The Aquarium is open to the general public and attracts more than 85,000 visitors per year. Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. They use research, education, community action and advocacy to pursue their mission.

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Guest conductor Dr. Tony Mazzaferro, who was born and raised in San Francisco and is completing his eleventh year as Principal Conductor of the Claremont Winds, leads Middle and High School student musicians during the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's 60th Annual 'Stairway of the Stars' concert at the Santa Monica Convention Center on Thursday, March 25, 2009. The event spotlights the talents of the district's music students, teachers, and music curriculum.Twenty-six bands, orchestras, and choirs dazzled the audience. The ensembles that performed are the All-District Elementary Honor Orchestra, Choir, and Band; High School Jazz Ensemble; as well as the Middle and High School orchestras, choirs, and bands. Some of the musical selections included: “Pineapple Poll,” “He’ll Make a Way,” and “Cruisin’ For a Bluesin.”sin”.

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(top) Second grader, Alberto Arrazola, 7, tells Santa Claus that he wants  a pair of sneakers for Christmas during the Salvation Army's 24th Annual Holiday Shopping Spree at Sears on Tuesday, November 11, 2008. Alberto bought the brand new sneakers during the shopping spree on Tuesday. (center) Santa Monica Police Lieutenant, Dan Salerno helps third-grader Alejandro Gonzalez, 8, buy shoes during the shopping spree. (above) The SAMOHI Holiday Carolers sing at the event. Each child received $100 to spend on brand new clothes during the shopping spree at the Sears in Santa Monica. Volunteers from The Salvation Army Santa Monica Corps Community Center's Advisory Board, service clubs, businesses, and near-by schoolsl escorted and assist each child as they made their selections and purchases.Santa Claus, though not shopping, visited with the children while the SAMOHI (Santa Monica High School) Madrigal singers fill the air with the sounds of holiday music.

(1) Chock, 36, performs a sacred prayer dance, "The Old One," at Santa Monica High School's Roberts Art Gallery during the 'Dia de los Muertos,' (Day of the Dead) art opening on Thursday, October 30, 2008, 2008. On the drums is Erick Kidd, 32. (2) Artists (left to right) Tinia Fischer, Luis "Wicho" Brizuela and Jose Lopez discuss the altar during the opening. Students' calaveras, retablos, and other traditional images and projects were displayed. Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life. Día de los Muertos dates back 3000 years.

Santa Monica High School Junior and star actress of the student film, "Send or Delete," Briana Miller discusses cyberbullying at Barnum Hall after the screening of their student film on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. The cyberbullying educational program was produced in partnership with the Santa Monica Police Department and the Santa Monica High School film students. "Send or Delete" is an educational video dramatization written, produced, and directed by students for students addressing the issue of cyberbullying; a growing problem in our society. Panelists left to right are: Founder of Safety Ever After, Pattie Fitzgerald; Santa Monica High School Junior and star actress, Briana Miller; Santa Monica Police Officer, David Rynski; and Beverly Hills Police Department Sergeant and Cyber Crime Expert, Mark Miner

Santa Monica High School Senior  Greg Fiala, performs "Yellow After The Rain," on the Marimba during  the 59th Annual Santa Monica Kiwanis Music Scholarship Awards Luncheon at the Santa Monica Family YMCA on Wednesday June 18, 2008. Fiala received first Place in  the High School  Instrumental  division and won a Kiwanis scholarship. Kiwanis International is an organization of service clubs headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Members of Kiwanis place special emphasis on service to children and youth, both through international initiatives intended to improve the quality of life of children around the world, and through their Service Leadership Programs, made up of about 7,000 youth clubs with about 320,000 youth members. Today, Kiwanis International has more than 600,000 members in more than 13,000 clubs, located in more than 90 countries around the world.