| Menlo-Atherton High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 555 Middlefield Road Atherton, California, USA |
|
| Information | |
| Type | public comprehensive |
| Established | 1951 |
| School district | Sequoia Union High School District |
| Staff | 125 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 2,090 (2005) |
| Color(s) | Maroon, Gold |
| Mascot | Bear |
| Website | www.mabears.org |
Menlo-Atherton High School (known as M-A to locals) is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located in Atherton, California which was established in 1951. Menlo-Atherton is part of the Sequoia Union High School District.
When the school first opened on September 24, 1951, it had an initial enrollment of 1,015 students. As of 2005, the school has 2,090 students enrolled. The school mascot is the bear and the school colors are maroon and gold.
Menlo-Atherton has been named one of the top secondary schools in the nation by the United States Department of Education as part of its National School Recognition Program. It was also selected as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education. In 2005, Newsweek ranked the school as the 259th best school in the United States.[1] Menlo-Atherton also offers the most Advanced Placement courses in the district with sixteen, ranging from Studio Art to US History.
Since the closure of Ravenswood High School, Menlo-Atherton has been racially diverse, drawing from Atherton, Menlo Park, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, and Portola Valley. The school's motto is "Strength in Diversity."
Contents |
Typically, 96% of graduates continue their education. Of these, 33% opt for two-year colleges, 61% go to four-year colleges, 2% go to vocational schools and 4% take a job.
MA offers the following Advanced Placement courses: Biology, Calculus AB/BC, English Composition/Language, English Literature, European History, French Language/Literature, Latin, Physics, Spanish Language/Literature, Statistics, Studio Art, and US History. It also has the Advanced Via Individual Determination program and the Computer Academy, both programs for students seeking a smaller, supportive learning environment.
Art, business, journalism, Russian literature, web design, child development, gender studies, industrial arts, computer science, piano, choir, concert band, three jazz bands, orchestra, guitar, living skills, psychology, and work experience are among the offered electives. In the Technology Wing, there are classes in computer science, networking, and integrated science. Students who enroll in journalism as an elective can either be a part of the Bear News, which runs the M-A Bear News website [1], or The MArk, the school's printed magazine, first released in 2010.[2]
With teacher supervision and administrative approval, a student may undertake independent study in one course. Through concurrent enrollment in local community colleges juniors and seniors take advanced and special-interest courses.[3][4]
Students taking six periods begin school at 8:45 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:25 on Wednesdays, and 9:40 on Thursdays. Students taking seven periods begin at 7:50 on all days except for Wednesday, when they begin at 9:25. Release everyday is at 3:15.
Menlo-Atherton offers a wide array of varsity and junior varsity level sports, including badminton, tennis, basketball, baseball, wrestling, water polo, swimming, lacrosse, soccer, cross country running, track and field, softball and volleyball.
Menlo-Atherton won the Central Coast Section title for football in 2002 and 2008.[5]
The student-run Ultimate frisbee team was founded in the fall of 2008. The team placed 3rd in the 2010 state finals.
All divisions of water polo and swimming are Peninsula Athletic League champions. The girls' water polo team is the Northern California champion.
The soccer team tied for first place in the Peninsula Athletic League with Burlingame High School in the 2010-2011 season.
The band program flourished under the band director, Frank Moura, who retired in 2010 after forty-two years of teaching. The Advanced Jazz Ensemble regularly travels to festivals around the world, including the annual Reno Jazz Festival (where it placed first in 2010) and the Montreux Jazz Festival. The band consistently places highly in competitions. With the completion of the Center for the Performing Arts in October 2009, the band now has a state-of-the-art venue to perform in.[6] The guitar and choir classes also perform in the Center.
The Center is also home to Menlo-Atherton's chapter of the International Thespian Society. Currently, they put a play and a musical each year, as well as producing a Spring Arts Festival with the visual and performing arts classes. In the 2010-2011 school year, they put on Pride and Prejudice and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The latter earned them nominations for the San Jose Top Honors awards. This fall, they produced Stage Door and will produce Once Upon a Mattress in the spring.
The theater tech club helps to runs all school productions, as well as many outside performances.
The school is home to nationally competitive FIRST robotics team 766. Founded in 2002, this team placed third in the 2005 nation-wide championships in Atlanta, Georgia and generally competes at the Silicon Valley Regional, the Sacramento Regional, and CalGames each year.[7]
The Menlo-Atherton Speech and Debate team competes regularly in policy and public forum debate at local and national levels.
Menlo-Atherton is the home of KCEA, a radio station specializing in big band music and high school sports.