Redwood High School is a public secondary school located in the city of Larkspur, Marin County, California, approximately 11 miles north of San Francisco. Redwood High is part of the Tamalpais Union High School District. The school serves the cities of Belvedere, Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur, Ross, and Tiburon.
| Redwood High School | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public school |
| Established | 1958 |
| Principal | Nancy Neu |
| Faculty | 140 |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Number of students | 1508 |
| Color(s) | Red & Grey |
| Mascot | Giant |
| Newspaper | Redwood Bark |
| Website | www.redwood.org |
- For other "Redwood High Schools" , see Redwood High School (disambiguation).
History
Redwood High School was established in 1958; a modernization project was completed in 2005. Since 1996, Redwood has been designated as a California Distinguished School.
Campus
Redwood High School occupies 64 acres, with views of Mount Tamalpais in the distance. The main school building contains approximately 80 classrooms, four computer labs, the Bessie Chin Library, and a theater. Other buildings on the campus contain industrial technology areas, art and photography rooms, and the cafeteria (known as the CEA--Covered Eating Area). The campus also contains a large gymnasium with two weight rooms, a swimming pool, a diving pool, tennis courts, a track, athletic fields, and an outdoor amphitheatre. Marin Community Fields, which are located adjacent to the high school, are available for student recreation.
The original Redwood High School campus was opened in 1958; additions to the main building were made over the next few years. Between 2002 and 2006, Redwood embarked on a major modernization process financed through a bond measure passed by district voters. Approximately forty million dollars were spent to remodel classrooms, refurbish the gymnasium and theater, and add new athletic fields. The modernization process included upgrades to the technology networking system in most classrooms. In the spring of 2006, Redwood art students created a 40-foot mural of the Marin County countryside. The mural was created on an exterior wall of the school district offices.
Daily Bell Schedule
There are seven class periods, although students may take as few as six periods. All seven periods meet for 50 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays only the odd periods meet (for 90 minutes), and on Thursdays only the even periods meet (also for 90 minutes), followed by 40-minute office hours. Classes start each day at 8:00 a.m., and school lets out at 3:11 p.m. (3:20 p.m. on Mondays and 1:36 p.m. on most Thursdays).
Students
The following breakdown of students based on ethnicity is from 2004 enrollment data.
| Student Ethnicity | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| African American | 29 | 2.1 |
| Asian American | 95 | 6.4 |
| Hispanic | 60 | 4.1 |
| Native American | 9 | .6 |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | .2 |
| White, non-Hispanic | 1,211 | 82.5 |
| Multiple or no response | 60 | 4.1 |
Faculty & Staff
Extracurricular Activities
Fall Sports
Football, Cheer and Dance, Water Polo, Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Girls Golf, Girls Volleyball
Winter Sports
Wrestling, Basketball
Spring Sports
Baseball, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, Boys Golf, Girls Soccer, Lacrosse, Boys Volleyball Boys Tennis Girls Lacrosse
Notable Club Sports
Rugby (Spring), Crew (Year-round)
Other Extracurriculars
Redwood High has a notable drama program. The student-run theatre company, EPiC, which stands for Ensemble Theatre Company (the i is in your imagination), holds year round productions. Entries from EPiC in theatre festivals like the Motherload Drama Festival contiuously get top marks.
Noteworthy Events
In the spring of 2006, Redwood gained notoriety for a "dead chicken" prank. On May 24, 2006, seven chickens some seniors had purchased at a live market in Chinatown were found dead. The pranksters had intended to release a total of 32 chickens in the halls between class periods. However, the 32 chickens came with bound feet and were left in a cardboard box in a hot car before the prank. Officials were called and the humane society responded. A student tip-off led the administration to the pranksters and caused their capture. Those involved faced possible criminal charges. The four students most directly involved were not allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies. The incident made it into the local newspaper, as well as several major newspapers around the country.[1]
Notable Alumni
- Robin Williams, comedian and actor [1]
- Pete Carroll, current USC head football coach, [2] (He was a 3-sport (football, basketball and baseball) standout at Redwood High, earning the school's Athlete of the Year award as a senior.)
- John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban
- Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco[3]
- Gabrielle Carteris, actress
- David Strathairn, actor most notably for his roles in Sneakers and Good Night and Good Luck
- Ned Overend, world class cycling legend
- Gary Fisher, mountain bike inventor
- Zack Vank, centerfielder for the Omaha Royals (Kansas City Royals AAA affiliate).
- Eric Schmitt, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist for the New York Times.