Marin Academy
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| Marin Academy | |
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"Think, question, create."
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| Location | |
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| San Rafael, CA, USA | |
| Information | |
| Religion | None |
| Head of School | Richard Drew |
| Enrollment |
400 |
| Faculty | 56 |
| Average class size | 15 students |
| Student:teacher ratio | 9:1 |
| Average SAT scores (2006) | Unreported |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Athletics | 25 teams |
| Mascot | Wildcat |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Established | 1971 |
| Homepage | http://www.ma.org/ |
Marin Academy (familiarly known as MA) is a private college preparatory high school of approximately 400 students situated at 1600 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, California. Located on the campus that for decades housed the San Rafael Military Academy prior to its closure, MA was founded in 1971 with 16 faculty and a student body of 59.[1]
The Marin Academy mascot is the Wildcat and the school colors are black and red.
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[edit] Mission Statement
"Marin Academy asks every individual to think, question, and create in an environment of encouragement and compassion, and challenges each person to accept the responsibilities posed by education in a democratic society."[2]
[edit] Changes at Marin Academy
Marin Academy is in a transitional period between its more historic standing as a creative-arts school to a more rigorous college preparatory school, facilitated in part by a new Admissions Director and pressure from the board of trustees. This is partially due to increasing pressure on MA to compete with other private, college preparatory schools in the area, specifically The Branson School, Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco University High School, and The Urban School of San Francisco.[citation needed]
Another agent of change is the recent departure of Bodie Brizendine. Following a career of twelve years, she announced her departure scheduled for summer of 2007 in assembly on January 24, 2006. After leaving MA, Bodie has taken up work as Head of School at Spence School, an all-girls school in the Upper East Side, Manhattan[3]. During the school year of 2006-2007, a recruitment search was performed to find a new Head of School, but none of the final three candidates were selected. During the 2007-2008 school year, Dick Drew is serving as interim head of school. On October 31, 2007, Anne Travis Brownley was selected to become the next head of school[4].
The school is also changing physically, having begun a spate of building projects in the late 1990s[5]. A new library has been built beside the newly-renovated administration building, one of the few remaining structures that date back to the campuses days as a military academy. Other physical additions in the recent building period include Founders Hall which features classrooms as well as teachers' offices and a computer lab, a new Performing Arts Center comprised of a theater, dance studio, music studio and practice rooms, a new Fine Arts Center including a darkroom and outdoor gallery, a new Gymnasium, and a new parking lot which replaced a pair of tennis courts. The soccer field was also retrofitted, replacing the natural grass with artificial turf.[6]
[edit] Athletics
Marin Academy has developed a strong athletics program, highlighted by recent successes in boys' soccer and girls' volleyball. The school competes in The Bay Counties League (BCL) within the North Coast Section (NCS).
Marin Academy won back-to-back North Coast Section championships in boys' soccer in 2000 and 2001, and is a regular contender for regional championships. In 2006, the boys' soccer team won their third NCS championship in a match against University High School. Tied 1-1 through overtime, the NCS championship game was decided by penalty kicks, in which MA won 5-4.[7]. MA also defeated University in the BCL finals that year. In 2007, MA and University again matched up in the BCL and NCS championships, with UHS winning BCL and MA winning NCS 2-0.
Marin Academy's varsity soccer team, which was ranked as high as fourth in the country among schools of all sizes [8], is coached by Josh Kalkstein.
The girls' volleyball team won the state and NCS division V championships in 2004, after losing to University High School in both the NCS and Northern California championship games the year before.[9]
Marin Academy Boys Varsity basketball is off to a strong start in pre-season and league play.
[edit] Notable alumni
The following people attended Marin Academy (the year shown is their year of graduation or, for non-graduates, the year that their class graduated):
- Ruth Parasol ('84)- Co-founder PartyGaming
- Nancy Juvonen ('85)- Co-founder Flower Films
- Carré Otis ('87) - Actress and model
- Peter Som ('89) – Fashion designer[1]
- Luke Esterkyn ('90), Greg Gueldner ('90), John McDermott ('90) - Members of the band Stroke 9
- Christopher Ford ('99) - Co-founder Waverly Films
- Nic Sheff ('00) - Author [2]
- Alexandra McCullagh ('05) - Member of San Francisco Ballet[3] (Company artist headshot)
[edit] Notes
- ^ New York Magazine, Fashion Shows, Designer Bios, "Peter Som", accessed June 30, 2007
- ^ Los Angeles Times, Mirror images of meth's destructive power, Feb 24, 2008, accessed May 18, 2008
- ^ San Francisco Ballet, "San Francisco Ballet Announces Dancer Promotions and New Company Members for 2007 Repertory Season," July 11, 2006, accessed June 30, 2007
