Sequoia High School (Redwood City, California)
Encyclopedia
Sequoia High School is a high school in downtown
Redwood City
, California
, United States
. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in the San Francisco Bay Area
between San Francisco
and San Jose
. It was founded as a preparatory school for Stanford University
. Today, it is one of the few schools to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme within the Bay Area.
The present-day campus is located on the grounds of the former estate of Horace Hawes, author of the legislative bill that created San Mateo County. The grounds include a Japanese tea garden
and is surrounded by a number of historical trees; the Giant Sequoia, Monkey-puzzle tree, Australian Tea tree, Ginkgo biloba trees, Cork Oak
tree and many others.
Sequoia High School is part of the Sequoia Union High School District
.
On September 13, 2007 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Sequoia High School to sign bill SB 33, which prohibits persons who are under the age of 18 years from using a wireless telephone or other mobile service device while operating a motor vehicle.
Sequoia Union High API Scores
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
Redwood City
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
between San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. It was founded as a preparatory school for Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Today, it is one of the few schools to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme within the Bay Area.
The present-day campus is located on the grounds of the former estate of Horace Hawes, author of the legislative bill that created San Mateo County. The grounds include a Japanese tea garden
Japanese Tea Garden
Japanese Tea Garden may refer to:*Fort Worth Japanese Garden*Portland Japanese Garden*San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens*Japanese Tea Garden *Seattle Japanese Garden...
and is surrounded by a number of historical trees; the Giant Sequoia, Monkey-puzzle tree, Australian Tea tree, Ginkgo biloba trees, Cork Oak
Cork Oak
Quercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
tree and many others.
Sequoia High School is part of the Sequoia Union High School District
Sequoia Union High School District
The Sequoia Union High School District is a public school district in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily serving the communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Ladera, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, and Woodside....
.
On September 13, 2007 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Sequoia High School to sign bill SB 33, which prohibits persons who are under the age of 18 years from using a wireless telephone or other mobile service device while operating a motor vehicle.
Specialized programs
- "Business/Information Technology Program": Sequoia's Business/Information Technology program consists of core business and technology courses designed to prepare students for exciting careers in business and information technology. These courses are available to all students and may be combined so that the program matches students' interests and goals. Business/IT provides students with advanced training that can lead toward industry recognized certification and community college credit. The program also provides students with marketable skills that can be applied immediately in the high tech workforce or built upon through higher education.
- "Electronic Arts Academy": The Academy is a small school-within-a-school at Sequoia High School. The program is a School to Career Partnership Academy funded through a grant from the State of California that is matched by the district and industry partners. This grant is used to keep class sizes small, infuse curriculum with technology, provide extra support to students, and support hands on learning. Teachers in the Academy have time to meet and collaborate. This gives them the opportunity to plan cross-curricular technology rich projects to enhance learning. It also gives teachers an opportunity to identify students who need an extra push to take themselves to the next level and pool our resources to push them. The Academy provides a rigorous academic experience that focuses on helping students complete the A-G requirements to transfer to a four university. Students take four classes per year within the Academy: English, Science, Social Studies, and a Technology elective. The elective varies each year depending on the student’s pathway. Students have the opportunity to enroll in an SAT preparation course at no cost. Students can earn college credit through Cañada CollegeCañada CollegeCañada College is a community college located at 4200 Farm Hill Boulevard in an unincorporated area of Redwood City, California, just off Highway 280. Cañada College opened in 1968 as part of the three-school San Mateo County Community College District. It is one of the smallest community...
for all technology classes in the Academy. - "Personalized Learning Communities (PLC)": Personalized Learning Communities at Sequoia High School provide a more personalized atmosphere for students and to ensure that all students receive the education they need. The movement toward personalized learning communities at Sequoia began in 2002. A team of teachers, administrators, and parents looked at three possible models for a house system. The Sequoia community ultimately chose the horizontal model, which is the model in place today. A team visited Nathan Hale High SchoolNathan Hale High SchoolNathan Hale High School is a public high school in Seattle, Washington. Nathan Hale is part of the Coalition of Essential Schools.-Early years:...
, a school in Washington State that had already implemented the horizontal house system. They came back to Sequoia with observations, ideas, resources, and inspiration. During the 2003-2004 school year, the 9th grade houses task force met monthly at first, and gradually increased meeting time to almost weekly in order to plan everything necessary to implement 9th grade houses in the fall of 2004.
Sequoia Union High API Scores
- Carlmont High 753
- Menlo Atherton 762
- Sequoia High 699
- Summit Prep 841
- Woodside High 743
Notable alumni
- Gary BebanGary BebanGary Joseph Beban is a former American football player. Son of an Italian-born mother and a first generation Croatian-American father, Beban won the 1967 Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football, and the Maxwell Award, while playing quarterback for the University of...
: 1967 Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, briefly played professional football for the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. - Kristin Billerbeck: 1984 Christian "Chick Lit" author
- Ray DolbyRay DolbyRay Dolby is the American engineer and inventor of the noise reduction system known as Dolby NR. He was also a co-inventor of video tape recording while at Ampex. He is the founder of Dolby Laboratories.-Biography:...
: 1951 Founder of Dolby Laboratories, producer of Dolby Sound used in nearly every movie. - Spencer FolauSpencer FolauSpencer Sione Folau was an American football offensive lineman in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens 1997-2000, Miami Dolphins 2001, New Orleans Saints 2002-2004, and Washington Redskins 2005...
: 1991 Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
Championship Team with the Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. - Tim GenisTim GenisTim Genis is timpanist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. Genis holds an undergraduate degree from the Juilliard School where he studied with Roland Kohloff...
: 1984 Boston Symphony Lead Timpanist - Roger Dennis "Denny" Hansen: Rhodes Scholar All American Swimmer @ Sequoia, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Subject of Calvin TrillinCalvin TrillinCalvin Marshall Trillin is an American journalist, humorist, food writer, poet, memoirist and novelist.-Biography:Trillin attended public schools in Kansas City and went on to Yale University, where he served as chairman of the Yale Daily News and was a member of Scroll and Key before graduating...
's Remembering Denny (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1993; the true story of a golden boy's rise and fall), - Charles JohnsonCharles Johnson (basketball)Charles "Charlie" Johnson was an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association...
: professional basketball player for the Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. - Paul McClellanPaul McClellanPaul William McClellan, born February 3, 1966, in San Mateo, California, was a Major League baseball player for the San Francisco Giants.McClellan, a graduate of Sequoia High School and the College of San Mateo. He was a first round draft pick by the Giants in 1986. He played his last game with...
: Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) player for the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. - Gordon MooreGordon MooreGordon Earle Moore is the co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of Intel Corporation and the author of Moore's Law .-Life and career:...
: 1946 Co-founder of Intel CorporationIntel CorporationIntel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...
, best known for Moore's LawMoore's LawMoore's law describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware: the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years....
. - Paul NocePaul NocePaul David Noce is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds. He debuted on June 1, 1987 against the Houston Astros. He played in 70 games that year at second base, shortstop and third base. He didn't appear in the majors again until 1990 with the...
: former MLB player with 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...
. - Kenny OrtegaKenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
: 1968 Emmy Award winner and Director and Coreographer for the High School MusicalHigh School MusicalHigh School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
franchise. - Eric DaneEric DaneEric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
(in school as Eric Feldman): Former Student 1987–1990 — Actor on Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and Marley & MeMarley & Me (film)Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
. - Dick SharonDick SharonRichard Louis Sharon was a professional Major League Baseball player.Sharon graduated Kennedy Middle School and Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California.-Baseball career:...
: former MLB player. - Dick StuartDick StuartRichard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
: former MLB player with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. - Bob SvihusBob SvihusRobert Craig Svihus is a former American football offensive tackle who played professionally in the American Football League and the National Football League .-High school career:...
: 1961 Played with the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1965–1973. - Tim TwietmeyerTim TwietmeyerTim Twietmeyer is an Auburn, California based ultramarathon runner and an engineering manager at Hewlett Packard, in Roseville, California. Twietmeyer is also an accomplished mountain biker, road cyclist, and retired almost-scratch golfer and swimmer...
: Ultramarathon runner, best known for his completing the Western States Endurance RunWestern States Endurance RunThe Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100-mile ultramarathon that takes place on trails in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains annually on the last full weekend of June. The race starts at the base of the Squaw Valley ski resort and finishes at the...
more than 25 times in under 24 hours.
See also
- San Mateo County high schools