| Redwood Middle School | |
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Respect, Responsibility, Redwood!
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| Address | |
| 13925 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, California, 95070 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public School |
| Principal | Kelly Green |
| Number of students | 956 approximately(2010-2011 SARC data) |
| Campus | Saratoga, California |
| Color(s) | Blue, white |
| Website | Official Site |
Redwood Middle School is located in Saratoga, California, and is a part of the Saratoga Union School District (Saratoga Union School District). The current SUSD superintendent is Lane Weiss. Redwood Middle School educates students in grades 6â8 and has an average annual enrollment of 950 students. The school mascot is the Griffin and the school colors are blue and white.
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Originally called Fruitvale School, it was renamed Redwood Intermediate in 1965, when the 7th and 8th grades were consolidated from the five Kâ8 schools in the district (Saratoga, Foothill, Fruitvale, Argonaut and Congress Springs). Many people know it as Redwood Jr. High. It became Redwood Middle School in 1989 with the transfer of 6th grade from the remaining elementary schools (Saratoga, Foothill, and Argonaut).
The required classes of Redwood Middle School include a three-period core (containing the required courses Language Arts, Literature, and Social Studies) for sixth and seventh graders and two periods for eighth grade. The courses of Mathematics, Science, and P.E. are also required. In seventh grade, students are able to take one elective, such as the world languages Spanish and French, as well as Advanced Band, Visual Arts, Computers, Multimedia, and Study Hall. When in eighth grade, additional courses are offered, such as Spanish, French, Leadership, Yearbook, Algebra Lab, or Teacher Assistant.
After completing 8th grade at Redwood, students transfer to high schools in other districts, as the Saratoga Union School District is Kâ8 only. Most students continue on to Saratoga High School or Los Gatos High School (both are part of the Saratoga-Los Gatos Unified High School District), with some opting to attend private college preparatory schools in the area.
Redwood students offers social activities such as activity nights, the yearly spirit bash, and the eighth grade field trip to the east coast. The school hosts lunchtime activities, organized by the school's Leadership class, in order to promote school spirit and identity, as well as keep students socially active.
The students are separated into two teams, the blue team and the white team. Students are placed into classes according to their team. This effectively divides the school into two smaller schools, so teachers can offer more personalized education, and to help students make friends that are in most of their classes.
The school provides a program called WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) that aims to help incoming 6th grade students adapt to the differences between elementary and middle school. All 6th graders are enrolled in the program automatically, and are mentored by volunteer 8th grade students throughout the year.
Students' standardized test scores are often in the upper 99th percentile for the STAR and CAT-6.
According to the 2008-2009 School Accountability Report Card (SARC) data[1], approximately 49% of the student body is Asian, and approximately 8% are of mixed race (or failed to answer).
The school's music department is sponsored by SMB (Saratoga Music Boosters), a parent/volunteer-run group. Redwood students participate in a diverse array of music groups including concert bands, marching band, choir, string orchestras, percussion ensembles, jazz band, and the color guard/dance team.
The Marching Band and Color Guard performs and competes annually in the Newark Days Parade, Santa Cruz Band Review, Foothill Band Review in Pleasanton, San Jose Veterans' Day Parade, and Los Gatos Holiday Parade. The Redwood Marching Band and Color Guard was selected to represent the state of California in the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade of President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2009.
Every year, the music program also participates in state large group and solo/small ensemble festivals hosted by CMEA, the California Association for Music Education. Music students are also given the opportunity to travel to Southern California to perform and compete with their groups at the Heritage Festival in Anaheim/Disneyland. At the community level, the music department hosts two concert series: the Winter Holiday Concerts, and the Spring Concerts & Awards.
Many Redwood students also participate in the Fall play and in the Spring musical. Recent Spring musicals have included Seussical, The Wiz, Honk!, The Music Man, Annie, and Beauty and the Beast.