Miramonte High School
Encyclopedia
Miramonte High School is a public high school
located in Orinda, California
. It is part of the Acalanes Union High School District
, which has a college preparatory program, with 15 Advanced Placement courses offered. Over 98% of its graduates go on to college. 320 students graduated in 2005, with 75% attending a four year college. 35% are attending out-of-state colleges. Miramonte High School ranks 89th of all high schools in the nation as of Autumn 2009, according to Newsweek
' s Challenge Index
. On September 4, Miramonte High School was ranked first in the 2008 Academic Performance Index
(API) released by the California Department of Education
(CDE). One of its principals was Jason Sedaikas.
Miramonte High School once participated in the Virtual High School Consortium, a response to the problems of distance education
which allowed courses to be taught over the internet. The high school students could participate in these virtual classes from on-site internet access, or from a home connection. No classes are currently being provided as virtual classes. Miramonte has incorporated the Blackboard Learning System
into its curricula; many teachers now post assignments and course documents on this system.
Miramonte High School offers its seniors the choice of a WISE project their senior year. WISE replaces the senior's second semester of English with an independent inquiry into a topic of the student's choice. The choices of subject matter are varied; although photography and theatre work are consistently popular, project subjects have included astrophysics, choral conducting, and interning at Chez Panisse.
Miramonte is well known around the country for its astounding water polo program, which has won produced numerous all Americans and Olympic athletes. The Men's Water Polo Team has been name North Coast Section Fall Team Champions 11 times in the last 15 years. Miramonte continues a "high school rivalry
" with nearby Lamorinda
high schools (notably Campolindo High School
). Miramonte's school mascot is a matador
. Students often wear shirts that say "Beat Campo".
Miramonte High School and the 1984 murder of cheerleader Kirsten Costas
by less popular classmate Bernadette Protti were the basis for an article in Rolling Stone
magazine entitled "Death of a Cheerleader" and the TV movie A Friend to Die For
starring Tori Spelling
.
In 1984 the Miramonte Matadors, known as the Mats, were voted State Champions in N.C.S. 2A American football
after defeating Cardinal Newman H.S. on December 3, 1983 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in the F.A.L. Championship game. The Mats were also North Coast Champions, South Area Champions and F.A.L. Champions.
In 1997 the Mats again won the N.C.S. 2A Championship after defeating Granada High School in the F.A.L. Championship game at the Oakland Coliseum.
In 2008-2009 Miramonte's Water Polo team was named "2008-09 ESPN RISE Magazine Boys' Team of the Year" (includes all sports). Since 1967 Miramonte's Water Polo team has won 15 NOR CAL championships and 26 League Championships. It also featured bio's on several of the players.
In 2009, US News & World Report ranks Miramonte High School as the 89th Best Public High School in the United States.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Orinda, California
Orinda, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Orinda had a population of 17,643. The population density was 1,389.5 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Orinda was 14,533 White, 149 African American, 22 Native American, 2,016 Asian, 24 Pacific Islander, 122 from other races, and...
. It is part of the Acalanes Union High School District
Acalanes Union High School District
Acalanes Union High School District is a public high school district in southwest/central Contra Costa County in California. It currently has four schools: Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Campolindo High School in Moraga, Las Lomas High School in...
, which has a college preparatory program, with 15 Advanced Placement courses offered. Over 98% of its graduates go on to college. 320 students graduated in 2005, with 75% attending a four year college. 35% are attending out-of-state colleges. Miramonte High School ranks 89th of all high schools in the nation as of Autumn 2009, according to Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
Challenge Index
The Challenge Index is a method for the statistical ranking of top public high schools in the United States by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews...
. On September 4, Miramonte High School was ranked first in the 2008 Academic Performance Index
Academic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
(API) released by the California Department of Education
California Department of Education
The California Department of Education is a California agency that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement...
(CDE). One of its principals was Jason Sedaikas.
Miramonte High School once participated in the Virtual High School Consortium, a response to the problems of distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
which allowed courses to be taught over the internet. The high school students could participate in these virtual classes from on-site internet access, or from a home connection. No classes are currently being provided as virtual classes. Miramonte has incorporated the Blackboard Learning System
Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise software company with its corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is primarily known as a developer of education software, in particular learning management systems. Blackboard was founded by CEO Michael Chasen and chairman Matthew Pittinsky in 1997 and...
into its curricula; many teachers now post assignments and course documents on this system.
Miramonte High School offers its seniors the choice of a WISE project their senior year. WISE replaces the senior's second semester of English with an independent inquiry into a topic of the student's choice. The choices of subject matter are varied; although photography and theatre work are consistently popular, project subjects have included astrophysics, choral conducting, and interning at Chez Panisse.
Miramonte is well known around the country for its astounding water polo program, which has won produced numerous all Americans and Olympic athletes. The Men's Water Polo Team has been name North Coast Section Fall Team Champions 11 times in the last 15 years. Miramonte continues a "high school rivalry
Sports rivalry
A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
" with nearby Lamorinda
Lamorinda
Lamorinda refers an area within Contra Costa County, California in the United States. The name is a portmanteau from the names of the three cities that make up the region: Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda....
high schools (notably Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School is a public high school located in Moraga, California, and is in the Acalanes Union High School District. Campolindo offers an advanced education system in the Acalanes School District, with particular emphasis on its participation in the Advanced Placement Program.In 2003,...
). Miramonte's school mascot is a matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
. Students often wear shirts that say "Beat Campo".
Demographics
- Total students: 1352
- Students by Gender:
- 55% Female
- 45% Male
- Students by Ethnicity
- Less than 1% Black/African American
- 1% Hispanic
- 8% Asian
- 90% White/Caucasian
- Student to Teacher ratio: 21:1
- Miramonte is listed as the 89th best high school in the United States, but NOT on the Newsweek Challenge Index as stated earlier in this article. U.S. News & World Report posted "America's Best High Schools: Gold Medal List" to their website on December 12, 2009 and Miramonte is 89th on that list.
History
Miramonte was founded in 1955.Miramonte High School and the 1984 murder of cheerleader Kirsten Costas
Kirsten Costas
Kirsten Marina Costas was an American high school student who was murdered by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984...
by less popular classmate Bernadette Protti were the basis for an article in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine entitled "Death of a Cheerleader" and the TV movie A Friend to Die For
A Friend to Die For
A Friend to Die For is a 1994 American TV movie directed by William A. Graham. Written by Randall Sullivan, the film is based on Sullivan's Rolling Stone magazine article concerning the real-life murder of a high school girl by her jealous classmate...
starring Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
.
In 1984 the Miramonte Matadors, known as the Mats, were voted State Champions in N.C.S. 2A American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
after defeating Cardinal Newman H.S. on December 3, 1983 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in the F.A.L. Championship game. The Mats were also North Coast Champions, South Area Champions and F.A.L. Champions.
In 1997 the Mats again won the N.C.S. 2A Championship after defeating Granada High School in the F.A.L. Championship game at the Oakland Coliseum.
In 2008-2009 Miramonte's Water Polo team was named "2008-09 ESPN RISE Magazine Boys' Team of the Year" (includes all sports). Since 1967 Miramonte's Water Polo team has won 15 NOR CAL championships and 26 League Championships. It also featured bio's on several of the players.
In 2009, US News & World Report ranks Miramonte High School as the 89th Best Public High School in the United States.
Notable alumni
- Ashley English, Women's World Cup of Rugby Team Captain, 2008. Player, 2004
- Nicolle Devenish Wallace, former White House Communications Director and spokesperson for John McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
for President. - Mike MacDonaldMike MacDonald (rugby)Mike MacDonald is a rugby union footballer for Leeds Carnegie in National Division One. He plays for the USA National side and his usual position is at prop....
, member of four National Championship winning teams in rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at UC Berkeley, member of the United States national rugby union teamUnited States national rugby union teamUSA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
, and currently a player for Leeds Carnegie of the Guinness PremiershipGuinness PremiershipThe English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
http://www.leedscarnegie.co.uk/index_teamprofile_mike_macdonald.htm - Luke SassanoLuke SassanoLuke Sassano is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. Sassano has played at various positions including as a holding midfielder, right back and central defender.-Youth and College:Sassano began his career at Lamorinda Soccer Club...
, midfielder for the New York Red Bulls of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. - Dana SparksDana SparksDana Sparks is an American television actress.-Biography:Sparks is most well-known for her work as JAG lawyer Lt Commander Carolyn Imes in JAG. She is also noted for her roles as Vicki Giobertti in Falcon Crest and as Grace Bennett/Faith Standish in Passions. Sparks reprised the role of Grace in...
, actress/spokesperson for Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
, PassionsPassionsPassions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
, L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
, L'OréalL'OréalThe L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, Mercedes Benz, etc. - Bryan BarkerBryan BarkerBryan Christopher Barker is a retired American football punter in the National Football League.Barker last played for the St. Louis Rams in 2005...
, NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Drew BennettDrew BennettAndrew Russell "Drew" Bennett is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at UCLA....
, NFL player - Ken DorseyKen DorseyKenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
, NFL player - Sanjay LalSanjay LalSanjay Lal is an american football coach. He currently serves as wide receivers coach under head coach Hue Jackson for the Oakland Raiders....
, UC Berkeley Coach, NFL Oakland Raiders Coach - Heather PetriHeather PetriHeather Petri is an American water polo player, who won the silver medal with the US women's national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics and also won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics...
, 2000, 2004, 2008 US water poloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
Olympic medalist - Jennifer Howitt, Rhodes Scholar, gold-medal-winning Paralympic wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
player http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/01/SPGKT80K9C1.DTLhttp://www.veteransforamerica.org/programs/sports/jennifer-howitt-bio.html - Nikhil Jassawalla, Hollywood and Bollywood screenwriter, producer, and film financier.
- Rawson Marshall ThurberRawson Marshall ThurberRawson Marshall Thurber is an American writer and director of films and commercials.In 2002, he wrote and directed the original Terry Tate: Office Linebacker commercials for Reebok. In 2004, he wrote and directed the hit comedy film, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.In January 2006, he signed on...
, Writer and Director of Dodgeball: A True Underdog StoryDodgeball: A True Underdog StoryDodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, commonly referred to as simply DodgeBall, is a 2004 American sports comedy film produced by 20th Century Fox and Red Hour Productions, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and starring Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, and Rip Torn...
, "Terry Tate: Office LinebackerTerry Tate: Office LinebackerTerry Tate: Office Linebacker was a series of short comedy television commercials created by Rawson Marshall Thurber, for Reebok, based on a short film pilot he created in 2000; Tate was first shown at Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003...
" - Chris BauerChris BauerMark Christopher "Chris" Bauer is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Bauer was born in Los Angeles, California and attended high school at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. He played on Miramonte Championship football team his senior year, 1984...
, film, TV and stage actor. Graduated 1984. - Kirsten CostasKirsten CostasKirsten Marina Costas was an American high school student who was murdered by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984...
, famous murder victim and subject of 1994 TV film A Friend to Die ForA Friend to Die ForA Friend to Die For is a 1994 American TV movie directed by William A. Graham. Written by Randall Sullivan, the film is based on Sullivan's Rolling Stone magazine article concerning the real-life murder of a high school girl by her jealous classmate...
who was killed by classmate Bernadette Protti - David CallahamDavid CallahamDavid Callaham is an American film writer.-Personal life:Callaham was born in Fresno, California on October 24, 1977. He is married to Bree Tichy. They were married in 2009.-Criticism:...
, screenwriter of DoomDoom (film)Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
, The Expendables and the upcoming Godzilla reboot - Derek Santos OlsonDerek Santos OlsonDerek Santos Olson is an American television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama Friday Night Lights and has been nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award.-Biography:...
, TV Writer Friday Night LightsFriday Night Lights (TV series)Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team... - Kirk Everist, U.S. water polo player in the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
and 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, three-time All-American, member of back-to-back NCAA championships (1987–88) at University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, named 1988 Collegiate Player of the Year and NCAA Tournament MVP, currently men's water polo coach at Cal. - Doug Robbins, played catcher on two-time champion Stanford CardinalStanford CardinalThe Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
baseball team (1987–88), won gold medal as member of U.S. Baseball Team at the 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.http://web.usabaseball.com/events/events.jsp?ymd=20080724&content_id=34633&vkey=event_usab - Nicole BranaghNicole BranaghNicole Branagh is an American volleyball player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently playing beach volleyball professionally....
, 2008 Beach Volleyball Olympian - Alex Feinberg, Drafted by the Colorado RockiesColorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in 2008. - Christine ChenChristine ChenChristine L. Chen is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for several U.S. television news networks. She is an Emmy Award winner, and is presently the managing partner of Chen Communications,a marketing communications consulting group based in Seattle, Washington, and creator...
, an Emmy award winning journalist - Brett JacksonBrett JacksonBrett Jackson is a outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization. Before the 2011 season, Jackson was considered the Cubs second best prospect according to Baseball America...
, Drafted by the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 2009. - Alex Fagan Jr., one of the San Francisco police officers at the center of the FajitagateFajitagateFajitagate was a series of legal and political incidents in San Francisco which began with a street fight on November 20, 2002. The fight involved three off-duty San Francisco Police officers, Alex Fagan Jr., David Lee, and Matt Tonsing, and two San Francisco residents, Adam Snyder and Jade...
scandal - Yurii Hanley Sr., 4 time NCAA champion in water polo (University of California, Berkley) and co-founder of Lamorinda Water Polo Club