Menlo-Atherton High School

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Menlo-Atherton High School
180px
Address
555 Middlefield Road
Atherton, California 94027
United States
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Information
Type public comprehensive
Established 1951
School district Sequoia Union High School District
Faculty 119 (2011–2012)
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 2,158[1] (2013–2014)
Color(s)      Maroon
     Gold
Nickname Bears
Website

Menlo-Atherton High School (known as M-A to locals[2]) is a four-year public comprehensive secondary school located in Atherton, California. Menlo-Atherton is part of the Sequoia Union High School District.[3]

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 selected as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education in 2007 and 2013.[4][5] In 2005, Newsweek ranked the school as the 259th best school in the United States.[6] Menlo-Atherton also offers the most Advanced Placement courses in the district with seventeen, ranging from Studio Art to US History.[3]

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".[7]

Academics

Typically, 97% of graduates continue their education. Of these, 37% opt for two-year colleges, 60% go to four-year colleges.[3]

M-A offers the following Advanced Placement courses: Art History; Biology; Calculus AB/BC; Computer Science; English Language/Composition; English Literature; Environmental Science; European History; French Language; Latin; Physics; Spanish Language; Spanish Literature (approximately every other year); Statistics; Studio Art; and US History. M-A has an 84% pass rate on AP exams, with just under 40% scoring a 5. It also has the Advanced Via Individual Determination program and the Computer Academy, programs for students seeking a smaller, supportive learning environment.[3]

Statistics

Demographics

2014–2015[1]

  • 2,158 students: 1,158 Male (53.7%), 975 Female (46.3%)
Hispanic White Asian Two or More Races African American Pacific Islander Filipino American Indian Not Reported
923 885 104 91 64 64 22 5 0
42.8% 41% 4.8% 4.2% 3% 3% 1% 0.2% 0%

Standardized testing

SAT Scores for 2013–2014 [8]
Critical Reading Average Math Average Writing Average
Menlo-Atherton High 586 601 585
District 540 564 543
Statewide 492 506 489


2013 Academic Performance Index
2009 Base API [9] 2013 Growth API [10] Growth in the API from 2009 to 2013
771 819 48

Athletics

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.[11] The student-run Ultimate frisbee team was founded in the fall of 2008. All athletics teams are supported by the Athletic Boosters,[12] which holds the annual Big Bear Run, a five kilometer race through the surrounding neighborhood.[13]

Fine arts

Menlo-Atherton is home to a professional-level 492-seat theater, the Menlo-Atherton Center for Performing Arts. It is home to the school play and musical; band, orchestra, guitar, and choir concerts; the Menlo Atherton Student Film Festival;[14] the Bear Arts Expo, a collaboration between all of M-A's arts classes;[15] the Senior Fashion Show; and many other school events. It also hosts events related to the City of Menlo Park, which partially financed its construction, and is one of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra's regular venues.[16]

The Advanced Jazz Ensemble regularly travels to festivals around the world, including the annual Reno Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. The band is supported by the Band Boosters.[17]

The Center is home to Menlo-Atherton's chapter of the International Thespian Society. Currently, they produce a play and a musical each year.

Other extracurricular activities

Menlo-Atherton is the home of KCEA, a radio station specializing in big band music and high school sports.[18]

Notable alumni

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See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. About M-A
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 School Profile
  4. 2007 Distinguished Middle and High Schools - California Distinguished Schools Program (CA Dept of Education)
  5. 2013 Distinguished Middle and High Schools - California Distinguished Schools Program (CA Dept of Education)
  6. The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - MSNBC.com
  7. Reid column: M-A's success comes on and off the field - San Jose Mercury News
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  11. http://www.bearsathletics.org/
  12. M-A Athletic Boosters
  13. Big Bear Run | M-A Boosters
  14. Death, Theft, Violence, and Catnip: The M-ASFF In Review
  15. Photos from M-A’s Art Expo
  16. Philharmonia Baroque | Venues
  17. M-A Band Boosters
  18. KCEA=89.1FM History
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links