Martin Luther King Middle School (Berkeley)
Encyclopedia
Martin Luther King Middle School (commonly MLK or King) is a public school in Berkeley, California
serving grades 6-8. Its address is 1781 Rose Street.
until the 1970s. The site and buildings are today occupied by the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center.
King was originally a junior high school serving grades 7-9. In the 1990s, following multiple school closures and relocations caused by damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
, the Berkeley Unified School District's grade structure was reorganized. The ninth grade was moved to Berkeley High School, then the sixth grade classes were gradually moved from the intermediate schools to the junior high schools. At King, a new building was constructed to house the sixth grade classes, as well as a new library. The name was changed from "Martin Luther King Jr. Jr. High School" to "Martin Luther King Middle School" in the mid-to-late 1990s.
In the early 2000s, the main building of the school was completely renovated and made more earthquake-resistant. Following a long legal struggle, a new cafeteria (the Dining Commons) was opened for use in the fall of 2008. Prior to its opening food was cooked in a small room in the "Science Building" at the West end of campus.
In 1995, a garden project called the Edible Schoolyard
was started on the grounds of King Jr. High, a project sponsored in part by noted restaurateuse Alice Waters
and the Chez Panisse Foundation, in which students at King learn about growing organic food through tending a vegetable garden. The Edible Schoolyard has been integrated into the King curriculum, and involves students in growing, harvesting, and cooking the food from the garden. More recently, the Edible Schoolyard has become a key part of the King school lunch program, which now features fresh, seasonal foods instead of processed foods. In the late 1990s, the garden was visited by Mister Rogers
, longtime host of a PBS television program for children, and both the garden and school were visited by Prince Charles in 2005. The school includes a middle school Newspaper known as The King Cobra.
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
serving grades 6-8. Its address is 1781 Rose Street.
History
MLK was originally named Garfield Junior High School after U.S. President James A. Garfield. It was re-named for the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a few years after his assassination in 1968. Garfield was established in the early 1900s at 1414 Walnut Street, just south of Rose Street. Garfield was moved into new buildings at the present site of MLK in 1922. The original site on Walnut Street was subsequently used for an elementary school (University Elementary School), and later, as the headquarters of the Berkeley Unified School DistrictBerkeley Unified School District
Berkeley Unified School District is the public school district for the city of Berkeley, California. Its administrative offices are located in Berkeley's old city hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Way between Center Street and Allston Way...
until the 1970s. The site and buildings are today occupied by the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center.
King was originally a junior high school serving grades 7-9. In the 1990s, following multiple school closures and relocations caused by damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
, the Berkeley Unified School District's grade structure was reorganized. The ninth grade was moved to Berkeley High School, then the sixth grade classes were gradually moved from the intermediate schools to the junior high schools. At King, a new building was constructed to house the sixth grade classes, as well as a new library. The name was changed from "Martin Luther King Jr. Jr. High School" to "Martin Luther King Middle School" in the mid-to-late 1990s.
In the early 2000s, the main building of the school was completely renovated and made more earthquake-resistant. Following a long legal struggle, a new cafeteria (the Dining Commons) was opened for use in the fall of 2008. Prior to its opening food was cooked in a small room in the "Science Building" at the West end of campus.
In 1995, a garden project called the Edible Schoolyard
Edible schoolyard
The Edible Schoolyard is a garden at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. The Edible Schoolyard was established by chef and activist Alice Waters through the Chez Panisse Foundation...
was started on the grounds of King Jr. High, a project sponsored in part by noted restaurateuse Alice Waters
Alice Waters
Alice Louise Waters is an American chef, restaurateur, activist, and author. She is the owner of Chez Panisse, a Berkeley, California restaurant famous for its organic, locally-grown ingredients and for pioneering California cuisine.Waters opened the restaurant in 1971. It has consistently ranked...
and the Chez Panisse Foundation, in which students at King learn about growing organic food through tending a vegetable garden. The Edible Schoolyard has been integrated into the King curriculum, and involves students in growing, harvesting, and cooking the food from the garden. More recently, the Edible Schoolyard has become a key part of the King school lunch program, which now features fresh, seasonal foods instead of processed foods. In the late 1990s, the garden was visited by Mister Rogers
Mister Rogers
Fred McFeely Rogers was an American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, and television host...
, longtime host of a PBS television program for children, and both the garden and school were visited by Prince Charles in 2005. The school includes a middle school Newspaper known as The King Cobra.