Hillsdale High School (San Mateo, California)

Hillsdale High School
Address
3115 Del Monte Street
San Mateo, California, 94403
 United States
Information
Type Public Secondary
Established 1955
Principal Jeff Gilbert
Faculty 74 [1] (2008–09)
Number of students 1,321 (2010-2011) [2]
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Columbia Blue, Scarlet Red
         
Mascot Fighting Knight
Rival Aragon High School
Website

Hillsdale High School is a public high school in San Mateo, California serving grades 9–12 as part of the San Mateo Union High School District. Hillsdale generally serves the residents of San Mateo and Foster City. Feeder Schools include: Abbott, Borel, Bowditch, and Bayside Middle School.

Contents

History

Hillsdale High School has received a number of notable awards and honors:

Theatre

Hillsdale was the birthplace of Broadway by the Bay, a community theater organization originally known as the San Mateo Community Theatre. Beginning in the summer of 1963, high school and college students from throughout the Bay Area gathered at the school to perform in a series of musical productions, presented in the school's little theater. The first three productions were Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. In 1966, rehearsals were held at the school for the theater group's first musical comedy, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, which was performed at the College of San Mateo. Beginning in 1967, performances were moved to San Mateo High School's auditorium, where they have been ever since. But if you go to the school today there is a theatre department run by the school's drama teacher and director Allison Gamlen who has been keeping traditions alive. Each school year there is a fall musical following a spring play. Recent plays include Gypsy Fall 2008, Romeo and Juliet Spring 2009, Urinetown Fall 2009, Laramie Project Spring 2010, Fiddler on the Roof Fall 2010, and Princess Bride Spring 2011. Those performances have been directed by Gamlen but students have an opportunity to direct a One-Act in the late winter where emerging actors have opportunities to act and direct. The school also has an improv team known as H.I.T. (Hillsdale Improvisational Theatre ) led by Lisa Rowland.[5]

Campus

The original 1955 campus is noted for the model it set for other area schools. In particular the use of natural lighting, landscaping, and a combination of exterior and interior passages. In 2000, SMUHSD residents approved Measure D [2] which directly funded the repair and modernization of schools including Hillsdale. In 2003, the city of San Mateo approved funding for Hillsdale to put in Smaller Learning Communities[SLC's]. This program establishes smaller class sizes, so individual students can be given more attention. In 2008, Hillsdale put in new batting cages for the boys baseball and girls softball teams and received a new turf field. Also, the track field was re-done as a turf field in 2008 so that football games could be played at "Home" and other sports could have access to the field as well. There are two gyms [Big (Homer P. Zugelder) and Small], and two theaters [Little Theater and Auditorium]. There are three levels of the high school, which all have accessibility ramps, and there is an elevator right beside the main office. There are two main hallways which are inspired by famous locations the hallways are divided into three freshman and sophomore "houses", Florence ,Kyoto , and Marrakech , and two junior and senior "houses," which are Cusco and Jakarta . Between these houses there are competitions and a bloody rivalry amongst staff and students, which has led to many unfortunate casualties among the student body, especially during the annual "House Cup Battle Royale."

Student Life

Among the students there are many extra curricular activities to vastly participate in for instance the school has a variety of clubs which are all student run and are all very active in the school's community. Clubs include:

Along with Clubs is an array of sports. Hillsdale participates in the Peninsula Athletics League (PAL) in the following sports:[6]

Hillsdale also has a competitive Spirit Squad (tryouts in May of the previous year.)

Notable Alumni

See also

References

External links