Newark Memorial High School
Encyclopedia
Newark Memorial High School (NMHS) is a comprehensive high school
in Newark, California
. It is located to the southeast of Newark's business district, between I-880 and San Francisco Bay
.
In 1983, both M. D. Silva and John I. MacGregor were closed and the former Newark High School was converted into Newark’s only junior high school, Newark Junior High School. Memorial High School was then renamed Newark Memorial High School and became the sole high school in Newark. The mascots of both Newark High School (Knights) and Memorial High School (Patriots) were abandoned in favor of the Cougars.
On September 30, 2009, the school was put into lockdown for the first time in nearly fifteen years due to a Union City 16-year-old having a loaded handgun near the campus who entered the campus in order to evade police officers. During the lockdown that lasted from 11:15 to 5:00, the police detained him along with a few other suspects
, Newark Unified School District has eight elementary schools for grades K-6 (Bunker, Graham, Kennedy, Lincoln, Milani, Musick, Schilling and Snow), a continuation high school (Bridgepoint), two alternative schools (Community Day Schools, for grades 7-12, and Crossroads, for K-12), a pre-school (Whiteford), and an adult school.
NUSD is governed by a five-member Board of Education, elected at-large to four-year overlapping terms.
In June 2003, a five-year parcel tax placed on the ballot by the district, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, failed to win a majority, losing 49.3% to 50.7%.
The Student Commons was dedicated in 2004, as part of a project that included renovation and expansion of the cafeteria. The design supports both school and community functions.
Sustainable
design was incorporated in both the Tech Center and the Student Commons, including the use of durable materials (e.g., porcelain and pre-cast concrete panels), which will reduce the long-term impacts and cost of maintenance, and natural light and ventilation (clerestory
windows provide energy savings and a more comfortable environment).
The designs for the Student Commons and the Tech Center earned awards for Deems Lewis McKinley in 2004 from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing / American Institute of Architects
California Council (CASH / AIA CC).
.
The NMHS theater is used by the local Stage 1 Community Theatre for their five-production season.
, in the Bay Shore Conference, North Coast Section
, of the California Interscholastic Federation
(CIF). The six other schools in the MVAL are James Logan High School
, in Union City
, and the five public high schools in Fremont
: American
, John F. Kennedy, Irvington
, Mission San Jose
, and Washington..
Since 1983, five Newark Memorial coaches have received NCS Honor Coach Awards: Sheri Boots, 1983, softball; Dennis Frese, 1986, girls' basketball; Jay Guerin, 1987, golf; Vance Wahlberg, 1989, and Paul Weiss, 2001, badminton.
The High School also has very successful Drama and Choir programs. In recent years, the school has staged such productions as Les Misérables
, Chicago
, Aida
, Urinetown
, Beauty and the Beast
, Assassins
, Jesus Christ Superstar
, Rent
, and The Wiz
. The successful Choir (Cougar Chords) has come in first place in various competitions across the country over the past 10 years. They also have the all women's show choir, The Memorial Melodies, which is quite new, but successful as well.
In addition to a the choir program, Newark Memorial's band program, Audie Tatum. The Newark Memorial symphonic band has performed during the Newark Days parade in Newark, the Double-Ten Parade in San Francisco, and the in the Oracle Arena for a Newark Cougars game.
Newark Memorial also holds an annual cultural program known as HATS, which stands for Hands Across Time & Space (originally stood for Have A Tolerant Spirit), and is conducted in March. It aims to allow students to display their culture in a creative way and learn about others. HATS is characterized by a series of cultural dances, performed by various clubs such as: Afghan Club, ASL, BSU, FSU, Indo-American, MECHA, Polynesian, PSA and Cougar Fusion. At the beginning of each HATS assembly, students in a "Language Line" recite a specific phrase in their native language. The meaning of the phrase usually urges others to accept all the cultures of the world. Gail Stevens, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at Newark Memorial, hosts the program. Newark Memorial also has a Ballet Folklorico that has been in existence for over 10 years.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
in Newark, California
Newark, California
Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in September 1955. Newark is an enclave, completely surrounded by the city of Fremont. Its population was 42,573 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. It is located to the southeast of Newark's business district, between I-880 and San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
History
Newark Memorial High School was formed in 1983 as part of a school consolidation program instituted by the Newark Unified School District. Prior to the consolidation program, Newark had two high schools (Newark High School on Lafayette Avenue, and Memorial High School on Cedar Boulevard) and two "Intermediate Schools" for grades 7-8, (M. D. Silva Intermediate School on Thornton Avenue and John I. MacGregor Intermediate School on Cedar Boulevard)In 1983, both M. D. Silva and John I. MacGregor were closed and the former Newark High School was converted into Newark’s only junior high school, Newark Junior High School. Memorial High School was then renamed Newark Memorial High School and became the sole high school in Newark. The mascots of both Newark High School (Knights) and Memorial High School (Patriots) were abandoned in favor of the Cougars.
On September 30, 2009, the school was put into lockdown for the first time in nearly fifteen years due to a Union City 16-year-old having a loaded handgun near the campus who entered the campus in order to evade police officers. During the lockdown that lasted from 11:15 to 5:00, the police detained him along with a few other suspects
Newark Unified School District
In addition to Newark Memorial High School and Newark Junior High SchoolNewark Junior High School
Newark Junior High School is the only junior high school in Newark, California. It was once Newark High, but was consolidated when the city made changes to the district layout. The school's layout and design still reflect its original purpose, with large fields and a stadium that were used at one...
, Newark Unified School District has eight elementary schools for grades K-6 (Bunker, Graham, Kennedy, Lincoln, Milani, Musick, Schilling and Snow), a continuation high school (Bridgepoint), two alternative schools (Community Day Schools, for grades 7-12, and Crossroads, for K-12), a pre-school (Whiteford), and an adult school.
NUSD is governed by a five-member Board of Education, elected at-large to four-year overlapping terms.
In June 2003, a five-year parcel tax placed on the ballot by the district, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, failed to win a majority, losing 49.3% to 50.7%.
Campus
The Technology Center was opened in 2002. The 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) facility integrates technology, science, mathematics and engineering in its curriculum, with a student testing and reporting (STAR) Lab and the infrastructure for more than 1000 computers. The Technology Center includes a television production center with six edit labs, audio/video production rooms, a television studio with a 25' electronic screen, two project rooms for desktop publishing, four classrooms designated for digital photography, robots, engineering and communications, and specialty math and science labs. High-tech fims with local offices, including Sun Microsystems and AT&T/Comcast were involved in the planning. The Technology Center is currently not fully utilized by any classes.The Student Commons was dedicated in 2004, as part of a project that included renovation and expansion of the cafeteria. The design supports both school and community functions.
Sustainable
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world...
design was incorporated in both the Tech Center and the Student Commons, including the use of durable materials (e.g., porcelain and pre-cast concrete panels), which will reduce the long-term impacts and cost of maintenance, and natural light and ventilation (clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows provide energy savings and a more comfortable environment).
The designs for the Student Commons and the Tech Center earned awards for Deems Lewis McKinley in 2004 from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing / American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
California Council (CASH / AIA CC).
.
The NMHS theater is used by the local Stage 1 Community Theatre for their five-production season.
Students
As of 2005, there were 2127 students enrolled. Racial and ethnic makeup was 34.5% Hispanic, 30.8% non-Hispanic white, 13.4% Asian, 10.8% Filipino, 8.1% African-American, 1.9% Pacific Islander, and 0.5% Native American. During the year, there were 454 suspensions and 19 expulsions. The average class sizes were 25 students for English and mathematics classes and 29 students for science and social science. Of the students graduating, 27.2% had completed the course requirements for admission to the University of California or the California State University systems. The average scores on the SAT Reasoning Test were 470 for verbal and 493 for math, compared to Statewide averages of 499 and 521, respectively.Faculty
As of 2005, there were 97 teachers, of whom 81 had full credentials, 7 were in internships or pre-internships, 8 had emergency credentials, and 2 had waivers. Twenty-four of the faculty had graduate degrees. There were four academic counselors, responsible for an average of 532 students each, and 1.2 librarians.Notable faculty
- Barbara Williams - taught English and drama in the Newark Unified School District from 1965 to 2004; best known for her 2002 production of The Laramie ProjectThe Laramie ProjectThe Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie,...
, which details the 1998 murder of a gay college student, Matthew Shephard--the production, planned following an earlier attack on a gay student, was staged soon after the murder of local transgendered teen and former pupil of the high school, Gwen AraujoGwen AraujoGwen Amber Rose Araujo , born Edward Araujo, Jr., an American teenage pre-operative transgender woman, was murdered in Newark, California, in October 2002. She was killed by four men, with two of whom she had been sexually intimate, who beat and strangled her after discovering she was transgender...
, drawing a protest by the Westboro Baptist ChurchWestboro Baptist ChurchThe Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
on opening night of the play ; 2003 recipient (along with the student cast and crew of The Laramie Project) of the National Education AssociationNational Education AssociationThe National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
's SuAnne Big Crow Memorial Award; 2004 recipient of the Alameda County Human Rights Commission's first Distinguished Citizen Award;
Extracurricular activities
Newark Memorial competes 12 or more boys' sports and 10 or more for girls. The school is in the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL)Mission Valley Athletic League
The Mission Valley Athletic League is a collaboration of 7 schools in the Tri-Cities area of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California. The MVAL is part of the Bay Shore Conference in the North Coast Section ....
, in the Bay Shore Conference, North Coast Section
North Coast Section
The North Coast Section is a part of the California Interscholastic Federation, governing the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, up along the northern coast of the state of California, from Fremont in the south to Crescent City in the north. It also governs the private schools in the...
, of the California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
(CIF). The six other schools in the MVAL are James Logan High School
James Logan High School
James Logan High School is a public secondary school in Union City, California, United States. The school is administrated by the New Haven Unified School District and has an enrollment of more than 4000 students.-Demographics:...
, in Union City
Union City, California
Union City is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated in 1959, combining the communities of Alvarado and Decoto. Alvarado was the original county seat of Alameda County, and the site of the first county courthouse is a California Historical Landmark . The city...
, and the five public high schools in Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
: American
American High School (Fremont, California)
American High School is a public secondary school located in Fremont, California. It is one of five public high schools within the Fremont Unified School District. The school receives its students through the American High School attendance area boundary set by the district...
, John F. Kennedy, Irvington
Irvington High School (Fremont, California)
Irvington High School is an American public high school located in Fremont, California. It is one of five public high schools in the Fremont Unified School District.-Campus:...
, Mission San Jose
Mission San Jose High School
Mission San Jose High School , is a public, co-educational, four-year secondary school founded in 1964 and located in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont, California, United States...
, and Washington..
Since 1983, five Newark Memorial coaches have received NCS Honor Coach Awards: Sheri Boots, 1983, softball; Dennis Frese, 1986, girls' basketball; Jay Guerin, 1987, golf; Vance Wahlberg, 1989, and Paul Weiss, 2001, badminton.
The High School also has very successful Drama and Choir programs. In recent years, the school has staged such productions as Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
, Aida
Aida (musical)
Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical....
, Urinetown
Urinetown
Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...
, Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, Assassins
Assassins (musical)
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
, Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
, and The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
. The successful Choir (Cougar Chords) has come in first place in various competitions across the country over the past 10 years. They also have the all women's show choir, The Memorial Melodies, which is quite new, but successful as well.
In addition to a the choir program, Newark Memorial's band program, Audie Tatum. The Newark Memorial symphonic band has performed during the Newark Days parade in Newark, the Double-Ten Parade in San Francisco, and the in the Oracle Arena for a Newark Cougars game.
Newark Memorial also holds an annual cultural program known as HATS, which stands for Hands Across Time & Space (originally stood for Have A Tolerant Spirit), and is conducted in March. It aims to allow students to display their culture in a creative way and learn about others. HATS is characterized by a series of cultural dances, performed by various clubs such as: Afghan Club, ASL, BSU, FSU, Indo-American, MECHA, Polynesian, PSA and Cougar Fusion. At the beginning of each HATS assembly, students in a "Language Line" recite a specific phrase in their native language. The meaning of the phrase usually urges others to accept all the cultures of the world. Gail Stevens, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at Newark Memorial, hosts the program. Newark Memorial also has a Ballet Folklorico that has been in existence for over 10 years.
Notable alumni
- Christopher TitusChristopher TitusChristopher Todd Titus is an American comedian and actor. He grew up in Newark, California. Titus came to national attention with the eponymous FOX show Titus, of which he was the star, executive producer and co-creator...
, stand-up comedian, and star of Fox TV sitcom "TitusTitus (TV series)Titus is an American dark comedy sitcom that debuted on Fox in 2000. The series was created by its star, Christopher Titus, Jack Kenny, and Brian Hargrove...
" - Ron ThompsonRon Thompson (blues guitarist)Ron Thompson is an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Thompson has released seven albums since 1983 on labels including Blind Pig...
, 1971, bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and keyboardistKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
; founder of The Resistors. - Paul BostaphPaul BostaphPaul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
, c. 1983, drummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
with ForbiddenForbidden (band)Forbidden is a thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, the group was founded by Russ Anderson and Craig Locicero, who are both permanent members. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes...
, SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, TestamentTestament (band)Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, ExodusExodus (band)Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
and Systematic - Tom Pae, 2001, former West Point cadet
- Monica "Danger" Leon, 2004, was a contestant on the first season of the VH1's reality TV series For the Love of Ray J. Several months after the show wrapped, Leon claimed she was pregnant with the singer's child.
- Jose A. Martinez Sr, 1988, was one of the primary San Jose Police Detectives involved in the infamous 2005 Wendy's Chili Finger case which made international headlines.
- Gwen AraujoGwen AraujoGwen Amber Rose Araujo , born Edward Araujo, Jr., an American teenage pre-operative transgender woman, was murdered in Newark, California, in October 2002. She was killed by four men, with two of whom she had been sexually intimate, who beat and strangled her after discovering she was transgender...
, local transgender teen who was killed in October 2002.
External links
- Newark Unified School District
- Google Map of Newark Memorial High School
- Newark High School, Class of 1976 Alumni Site
- http://www.nowpublic.com/world/newark-memorial-high-school-lockdown-teen-had-loaded-gun
- We're Halla Nass! - early 70s NHS band
- Scott M. Greenly (NMHS 1984) Memorial Freeway