Newark Memorial High School

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Newark Memorial High School
?
Logo Needed
Established 1983
School type Public
Principal Bill Morones
Faculty approx. 150
Students approx. 2100
Colors
Mascot		 Blue and Yellow
Cougars
Location 39375 Cedar Blvd.
Newark, CA 94560
Information (510) 818-4300
Website http://www.nmhs.nusd.k12.ca.us/

Newark Memorial High School is a comprehensive high school in Newark, California. It is located to the southeast of Newark's business district, between I-880 and the diked tidelands of San Francisco Bay. NMHS has been an International Baccalaureate Organization World School since July 2001, offering the IB Diploma Programme.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Newark Memorial High School was formed in 1983 as part of a school consolidation program instituted by the Newark Unified School District. Prior to the consolidation program, Newark had two high schools (Newark High School on Lafayette Avenue, and Memorial High School on Cedar Boulevard) and two "Intermediate Schools" for grades 7-8, (M. D. Silva Intermediate School on Thornton Avenue and John I. MacGregor Intermediate School on Cedar Boulevard)

In 1983, both M. D. Silva and John I. MacGregor were closed and the former Newark High School was converted into Newark’s only junior high school, Newark Junior High School. Memorial High School was then renamed Newark Memorial High School and became the sole high school in Newark. The mascots of both Newark High School (Knights) and Memorial High School (Patriots) were abandoned in favor of the Cougars.

[edit] Newark Unified School District

In addition to Newark Memorial High School and Newark Junior High School, Newark Unified School District has eight elementary schools for grades K-6 (Bunker, Graham, Kennedy, Lincoln, Milani, Musick, Schilling and Snow), a continuation high school (Bridgepoint), two alternative schools (Community Day Schools, for grades 7-12, and Crossroads, for K-12), a pre-school (Whiteford), and an adult school.[2]

NUSD is governed by a five-member Board of Education, elected at-large to four-year overlapping terms. The 2006 membership and their occupations and terms follow:[3]

  • Charlie Mensinger, President, engineering manager, 2nd term ends 2010 (unopposed in 2006];[4]
  • Ray J. Rodriguez, Vice President, business owner, 3rd term ends 2008;[5]
  • Jan Crocker, retired teacher, 2nd term ends 2008;[6]
  • Janice Schaefer, teacher, 4th term ends 2008;[7]
  • Nancy Thomas, engineer, 2nd term ends 2010 (unopposed in 2006);[8]

Nicole Hui is the Student Member. The Board holds public meetings twice monthly.[9]

In June 2003, a five-year parcel tax placed on the ballot by the district, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, failed to win a majority, losing 49.3% to 50.7%.[10]

[edit] Campus

The Technology Center was opened in 2002. The 25,000 square foot facility integrates technology, science, mathematics and engineering in its curriculum, with a Science, Technology, Art & Research (STAR) Lab and the infrastructure for more than 1000 computers. The Technology Center includes a television production center with six edit labs, audio/video production rooms, a television studio with a 25' electronic screen, two project rooms for desktop publishing, four classrooms designated for digital photography, robots, engineering and communications, and specialty math and science labs. High-tech fims with local offices, including Sun Microsystems and AT&T/Comcast were involved in the planning.[11]

The Student Commons was dedicated in 2004,[12] as part of a project that included renovation and expansion of the cafeteria. The design supports both school and community functions.[13]

Sustainable design was incorporated in both the Tech Center and the Student Commons, including the use of durable materials (e.g., porcelain and pre-cast concrete panels), which will reduce the long-term impacts and cost of maintenance, and natural light and ventilation (clerestory windows provide energy savings and a more comfortable environment).[14]

The designs for the Student Commons and the Tech Center earned awards for Deems Lewis McKinley in 2004 from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing / American Institute of Architects California Council (CASH / AIA CC). .[15]

The NMHS theater is used by the local Stage 1 Community Theatre for their five-production season.

[edit] Students

As of 2005, there were 2127 students enrolled. Racial and ethnic makeup was 34.5% Hispanic, 30.8% non-Hispanic white, 13.4% Asian, 10.8% Filipino, 8.1% African-American, 1.9% Pacific Islander, and 0.5% Native American. During the year, there were 454 suspensions and 19 expulsions. The average class sizes were 25 students for English and mathematics classes and 29 students for science and social science. Of the students graduating, 27.2% had completed the course requirements for admission to the University of California or the California State University systems. The average scores on the SAT Reasoning Test were 470 for verbal and 493 for math, compared to Statewide averages of 499 and 521, respectively.[16]

[edit] Faculty

As of 2005, there were 97 teachers, of whom 81 had full credentials, 7 were in internships or pre-internships, 8 had emergency credentials, and 2 had waivers. Twenty-four of the faculty had graduate degrees. There were four academic counselors, responsible for an average of 532 students each, and 1.2 librarians.[16]

[edit] Notable faculty

  • Barbara Williams - taught English and drama in the Newark Unified School District from 1965 to 2004; best known for her 2002 production of The Laramie Project, which details the 1998 murder of a gay college student, Matthew Shephard--the production, planned following an earlier attack on a gay student, was staged soon after the murder of local transgendered teen Gwen Araujo, drawing a protest by Fred Phelps at NMHS; 2003 recipient (along with the student cast and crew of The Laramie Project) of the National Education Association's SuAnne Big Crow Memorial Award;[17] 2004 recipient of the Alameda County Human Rights Commission's first Distinguished Citizen Award; [18]

[edit] Extracurricular activities

Newark Memorial competes 12 or more boys' sports and 10 or more for girls.[19] The school is in the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL), in the Bay Shore Conference, North Coast Section, of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The six other schools in the MVAL are James Logan High School, in Union City, and the five public high schools in Fremont: American, John F. Kennedy, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Washington.[20]

Since 1983, five Newark Memorial coaches have received NCS Honor Coach Awards: Sheri Boots, 1983, softball; Dennis Frese, 1986, girls' basketball; Jay Guerin, 1987, golf; and Vance Wahlberg, 1989, and Paul Weiss, 2001, badminton.[21]

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ International Baccalaureate Organization, accessed 2006-11-17
  2. ^ NUSD List of Newark Schools, accessed 2006-11-12
  3. ^ League of Women Voters, Voter Information, 2004-11-02 election
  4. ^ LWV, Charlie Mensinger candidate information, 2002
  5. ^ LWV, Ray J. Rodriguez candidate information, 2004
  6. ^ LWV, candidate's biography for Jan Crocker, 2004
  7. ^ LWV, Janice Schaefer candidate information, 2004
  8. ^ LWV, Nancy Thomas candidate information, 2002
  9. ^ http://www.nusd.k12.ca.us/pdf/parentguide_english.pdf NUSD, Guide for Parents and Students]
  10. ^ LWV, 2003 election information
  11. ^ NMHS, Home of the Cougars, accessed 2006-11-13
  12. ^ Tri-City Voice, 2004-02-03
  13. ^ NMHS Student Commons Cafeteria Renovation & Expansion, Deems Lewis McKinley website, accessed 2006-11-13
  14. ^ NMHS Technology Center, DLM website, accessed 2006-11-13
  15. ^ DLM website, accessed 2006-11-13
  16. ^ a b Newark Unified School District, NMHS School Accountability Report Card 2004-2005,accessed 2006-11-15; note that faculty numbers do nat add correctly in the source document
  17. ^ NEA Announces Human & Civil Rights Award Winners for 2003, 2003-06-17, accessed 2006-11-13
  18. ^ Fremont-Newark Argus, 2004-09-22
  19. ^ North Coast Section, School and Section Information
  20. ^ North Coast Section, Conferences 2004 - 2008
  21. ^ North Coast Section, Honor Coaches
  22. ^ Linda Stone, Tri-City Voice, Local legend brews the blues, 2006-04-04
  23. ^ Ron Thompson official site
  24. ^ Perfect Pitch Online, 2003-04-22
  25. ^ Time Magazine, 2005-05-22
  26. ^ Oakland Tribune, 2005-05-24

[edit] External links

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