Redwood High School (Larkspur, California)
Coordinates: 37°56′17″N 122°31′27″W / 37.93806°N 122.52417°W[1]
| Redwood High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, California United States | |
| Coordinates | 37°56′17″N 122°31′27″W / 37.93806°N 122.52417°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school |
| Established | 1958 |
| School district | Tamalpais Union High School District |
| School code | CEEB 051-361 |
| Principal | David Sondheim |
| Faculty | 86 teachers; 9.3 FTE counselors & support staff (2011–2012)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 1456 (2011–2012)[2] |
| • Grade 9 | 359 |
| • Grade 10 | 391 |
| • Grade 11 | 380 |
| • Grade 12 | 326 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red & Grey |
| Athletics conference | North Coast Section (NCS), Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) |
| Mascot | "Big Red" (Giant) |
| Team name | Giants |
| Rival | Marin Catholic High School |
| Newspaper | Redwood Bark |
| Yearbook | The Log |
| Feeder schools |
Del Mar Middle School Hall Middle School Kent Middle School Ross Middle School |
| Website | www.redwood.org |
Redwood High School is a public secondary school located in the city of Larkspur, Marin County, California, approximately 11 miles north of San Francisco. Redwood High is part of the Tamalpais Union High School District. The school serves the cities of Belvedere, Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur, Ross, and Tiburon.
History
By 1957, the school age population of the Tamalpais Union High School District had grown too large for Tamalpais High School and Sir Francis Drake High School to accommodate. With the pressure of students coming in from elementary schools from Sausalito to Belvedere to Ross, voters chose to create a new school, and chosen for its site was the marshy area that extended east from the centrally located town of Larkspur to U.S. Route 101, an area that townspeople had called "the slough" since Larkspur was settled. The importance of wetlands was under-appreciated, and the land was seen as "waste." Beginning in early 1957, a large section of the marsh was flattened and filled, two roads were cut through from Magnolia Avenue out to the new school, and a playing field and parking lot were included. The first students who were to attend the new high school chose the name of the newspaper and sports teams: the Giants became their mascot in reference to the nearby redwood trees. School publications followed the tree theme: the Bark became the school's newspaper, and the Log the school's year book. The colors red and gray were a source of much contention, but were finally accepted. The school opened its doors in 1958.
Redwood in the news
On September 11, 2008, Redwood was recognized by the federal Blue Ribbon Schools Program.[3] The school has received the California Distinguished School award three times (1990, 1996, and 2003).[4]
On May 24, 2006, Redwood gained notoriety for a prank gone wrong. Seven chickens were found dead in a school hallway. Apparently, certain seniors, intending to release 32 chickens purchased at a live market in San Francisco's Chinatown, had left them in the trunk of a hot car. A student tip led the administration and Marin's Humane Society to the "pranksters." The four students most directly involved were not allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies. The incident made it into the local newspaper, as well as several major newspapers around the country.[5]
Campus
Redwood High School is set at the foot of Mount Tamalpais on a 63.88 acre campus which has 81 classrooms, a library, theater, swimming pool, and athletics fields. The original campus was opened in 1958, with additions to the main building made over the next few years. Redwood's main school building (an original; see above) contains approximately 69 classrooms, the Bessie Chin Library, four labs, and the theater. Other buildings on the campus contain industrial technology areas; photography, ceramics, and graphic arts studios; band room; and a cafeteria. Other sports and performance facilities include a large gymnasium and smaller gyms, a 40-meter swimming pool, tennis courts, a track, athletic fields, and an outdoor amphitheater.
Between 2002 and 2006, Redwood High School undertook major modernization as part of a $121 million facilities bond measure approved by the Tam District voters. Approximately $40 million was spent to remodel classrooms, refurbish the gymnasium, tennis courts, and theater, and install new athletics fields. In 2007–2008 Redwood again rebuilt the often flooded parking lot. During the 2008–2009 school year, a new small gymnasium was constructed, the 40-meter pool was built, and new tennis courts laid. During the summer of 2011, an experimental classroom space was created to allow teachers the opportunity to explore new technologies, classroom management, and instructional strategies.
In the spring of 2006, Redwood art students created a 40-foot mural of the Marin County countryside. The mural was created on an exterior wall of the cafeteria. The 100th anniversary of Larkspur, 2009, is also the 50th anniversary of Redwood High School.[6]
Students
The following breakdown of students based on ethnicity is from 2010–2011.[2]
| Student Ethnicity | Percent |
|---|---|
| African American | 1.9 |
| Asian American | 5.6 |
| Hispanic | 8.3 |
| Filipino | 0.3 |
| Native American | 0 |
| Pacific Islander American | 0.3 |
| White American, non-Hispanic | 76.2 |
| Multiple or no response | 6.5 |
Notable alumni
- Greg Behrendt, stand-up comedian, author, TV performer
- Buddy Biancalana, former shortstop for Kansas City Royals[7][8]
- Pete Carroll, current Seattle Seahawks head coach and former USC head coach;[9] a 3-sport (football, basketball and baseball) standout at Redwood High, earning the school's Athlete of the Year award as a senior[7]
- Gabrielle Carteris, actress, Beverly Hills, 90210
- Gunnar Carlsson,[10] Professor, Department of Mathematics, Stanford[11]
- Matt Doyle, actor[12]
- David Dukes, actor
- Mark Fainaru-Wada, investigative journalist, co-author of Game of Shadows[13][14]
- Gary Fisher, mountain bike innovator, promoter
- Ken Flax (1981), two-time Olympic athlete, holder of NCAA record in the hammer throw[7]
- Don Francis M.D.,[10] epidemiologist, pioneer in AIDS and HIV research[15]
- Erin Gray, actress, Silver Spoons
- Cooper Helfet, tight end for Seattle Seahawks
- JR Hildebrand, Indycar Series driver and 2011 Indianapolis 500 runner-up
- Peter Horton, actor and director
- Maz Jobrani, Iranian-American comedian
- China Kantner, former MTV VJ and actress
- Chad Kreuter, former University of Southern California baseball coach[7][8]
- Anne Lamott, author
- Richard Laymon, author
- Matthew Leutwyler, producer, director, owner Ambush Entertainment
- John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban[16]
- Ki Longfellow, aka Pamela Longfellow, novelist, author of The Secret Magdalene,[17] Flow Down Like Silver, Hypatia of Alexandria[18]
- Andy Luckey, producer of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Adventures from the Book of Virtues," author and illustrator
- Lon McEachern, host, World Seies of Poker (ESPN)
- Gavin Newsom,[10] lieutenant governor of California,[19] past mayor of San Francisco[15]
- Ned Overend, cyclist
- Eric Schmitt,[10] Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times[15][20]
- Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards
- David Strathairn,[10] Oscar-nominated actor, notable for his roles in Sneakers, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Lincoln
- Nicholas Suntzeff,[10] astronomer and cosmologist, Gruber Prize Laureate of 2007 for discovery of Dark Energy and Accelerating Universe[15]
- Dina Temple-Raston,[10] journalist for Bloomberg News and NPR
- Twinka Thiebaud, writer and model
- Russell Weiner, creator of Rockstar energy drink, son of Michael Savage
- Robin Williams, comedian and Oscar-winning actor[21]
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Redwood High School
- 1 2 3 "School Accountability Report Card Reported Using Data from the 2011–12 School Year" (PDF). Tamalpais Union High School District. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- ↑ Rob Rogers, Marin Independent Journal, "Redwood Recognized as Blue Ribbon School," 2008-09-11, accessed 2008-09-11
- ↑ "WASC Report 2006-2007" (PDF). Redwood High School. 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ↑ Joe Wolfcale, Marin Independent Journal, "Fowl prank at high school," 2006-05-27, accessed 2007-02-28
- ↑ Gollan, Jennifer (May 13, 2006). "Appreciating life in Marin: Redwood students create 40-foot mural of countryside". Marin Independent Journal.
- 1 2 3 4 Redwood Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame
- 1 2 Marin Athletic Foundation
- ↑ Player Bio: Pete Carroll :: Football
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Redwood High School Distinguished Alumni Avenue of the Giants
- ↑ Stanford University Department of Mathematics
- ↑ Doyle at IMDB
- ↑ SF Chronicle profile of Mark Fainaru-Wada
- ↑ Strupp, Joe (July 19, 2006). "The Brothers Fainaru: From Baseball to Baghdad". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 Act Locally SF
- ↑ "Feds to ease restrictions on 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh". MarinIJ.com. Associated Press. March 18, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ↑ The Secret Magdalene
- ↑ Amazon.com: Flow Down Like Silver (Hypatia of Alexandria) (9780975925591): Ki Longfellow: Books
- ↑ "About Gavin Newsom". Office of Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ↑ Eric Schmitt reports on Iraq
- ↑ Pittman, Travis. "Pete Carroll and Robin Williams were high school classmates". KING5.com. King Broadcasting Company, A Gannett Company. Retrieved 12 August 2014.