Desert Ridge High School
Encyclopedia
Desert Ridge High School (DRHS) was founded in 2002 in Mesa, Arizona
and is part of Gilbert Public Schools
.
In 2005 chemistry and engineering teacher Sylvia Grace was honored with a $25,000 Milken National Educator Award. Through her involvement with Project Lead the Way, which she brought to Desert Ridge, Grace distinguished herself as a teacher who is intelligent, patient, and has a sense of humor, all of the qualities needed to win such an award. She was the only Arizona recipient of the award among the 100 educators honored nationwide.
In 2007 the DRHS Drama Department's production of The Odd Couple
was selected to go the Arizona Thespian Society's Annual State Conference as a main stage performance, to be performed in front of the estimated 1,900 thespians attending the event in November. In spring 2007 they had a production of the musical Footloose
, and their production of Romeo and Juliet
debuted on April 3, 2008.
Desert Ridge's marching band is ranked among the top 5 Division III bands in the state, scoring a 69.6 at the 2009 State Marching Festival, and a 68.00 at the 2010 State Marching Festival.
Desert Ridge High School's football team made history in 2010, competing against high schools from all over Arizona to reach the state championships, which is the farthest the team has gotten in the history of the school, a great accomplishment. The Jaguars played in the state championship game which was held at University of Phoenix Stadium
on December 13, 2010 against Hamilton High School
, where it lost 13-21.
Desert Ridge also holds 2 baseball state championship titles.
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
and is part of Gilbert Public Schools
Gilbert Public Schools
Gilbert Public Schools , previously known as Gilbert Unified School District , is a school district based in Gilbert, Arizona, United States...
.
Overview
For the 2004-05 school year Desert Ridge High School received an "Excelling" from the Arizona Department of Education and has met all No Child Left Behind requirements since the school opened.In 2005 chemistry and engineering teacher Sylvia Grace was honored with a $25,000 Milken National Educator Award. Through her involvement with Project Lead the Way, which she brought to Desert Ridge, Grace distinguished herself as a teacher who is intelligent, patient, and has a sense of humor, all of the qualities needed to win such an award. She was the only Arizona recipient of the award among the 100 educators honored nationwide.
In 2007 the DRHS Drama Department's production of The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
was selected to go the Arizona Thespian Society's Annual State Conference as a main stage performance, to be performed in front of the estimated 1,900 thespians attending the event in November. In spring 2007 they had a production of the musical Footloose
Footloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
, and their production of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
debuted on April 3, 2008.
Desert Ridge's marching band is ranked among the top 5 Division III bands in the state, scoring a 69.6 at the 2009 State Marching Festival, and a 68.00 at the 2010 State Marching Festival.
Desert Ridge High School's football team made history in 2010, competing against high schools from all over Arizona to reach the state championships, which is the farthest the team has gotten in the history of the school, a great accomplishment. The Jaguars played in the state championship game which was held at University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
on December 13, 2010 against Hamilton High School
Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona)
Hamilton High School is the second public high school built in Chandler, Arizona. It was the first high school in Chandler to have a branch of the Chandler Public Library integrated into the school.-Name:...
, where it lost 13-21.
Desert Ridge also holds 2 baseball state championship titles.