Alameda High School
Encyclopedia
Alameda High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California
and is part of the Alameda Unified School District
.
Boehmer's Hall was only temporary. Already a new building was being built on a site on Santa Clara at Chestnut, completed and occupied in 1875. The high school shared space with the Grammar Department in what became known as ‘Haight School', a site still occupied by this school today. The class of 1878, totalling nine students, was the first to graduate from Alameda High School.
It wasn't long before the number of students enrolled in the high school outgrew the space available at Haight. Temporary quarters were located at the Porter school, located on Alameda Avenue, by 1900. A campaign was started for a new separate high school building.
With the help of the high school student body, a bond was passed in the city for the new school. The cornerstone was laid in 1902 on the new site at Central and Walnut. The building was dedicated in 1903 and occupied in time for the December 1903 term.
Continued growth in enrollment required an even larger campus. In 1925 a new bond issue was voted on. The new school, dedicated in 1926, comprised three connected buildings, including the original 1903 structure which was refurbished to blend with the architectural style of the other two. The architecture, designed by local architect Carl Werner
, is early-twentieth-century Neo-Classical Revival
in nature, evoking images of ancient Greek temples
with Ionic
columns in front of the Kofman Auditorium, a facility known throughout the Bay Area as one of the best of the local playhouses.
By 1955, the ‘old building' had outlived its usefulness and was replaced with what became known as the ‘new building' by subsequent students until 1977.
Campaigns to replace old public buildings with newer earthquake-safe structures led to the construction of the newest high school building, across the street from the established campus, on Encinal at Walnut.
Original plans involved tearing down the 1926 buildings and replacing them with a sports complex, the only building to be kept being the ‘new building' of 1955. A dedicated group of alumni and citizens saved the venerable buildings and the planned new construction was scaled back to what exists today.
The newest building was first occupied in 1978 and included the site of the former Porter school. At present, the office of the Alameda Unified School District
reside in the Kofman Buildings. The west wing now houses Language and Fine Arts, as well as the Frederick L. Chacon Little Theater. The school was made an Alameda Historical Monument in 1976 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977.
The school has received National Blue Ribbon recognition and California Distinguished School
and Digital High School awards. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
, offering more than a dozen Advanced Placement
courses. The school also has a very strong journalism course, which produces the monthly student newspaper publication "The Oak Leaf."
Its Academic Performance Index
index is 9/10, also the highest on the island, with a similar schools rank of 2/10. Alameda is also currently ranked #483 in the top 1200 high schools in the US.
(CIF). The athletic programs are generally well-regarded.
The track and field, cross country, tennis, golf, swim and badminton teams, in particular, have enjoyed recent success. Likewise, the baseball program has historically been competitive at AHS. Led by coach Ken Arnerich, the 2006 Varsity baseball team recorded four consecutive upset wins in the playoffs to bring Alameda High its first ever North Coast Section
title in baseball. Also, the women's varsity swim team, led by head coach Leslie Cortez, has won 13 consecutive ACCAL championships as of 2009.
Alameda was a perennial regional football power back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and won a state championship back in 1918, but the program struggled through the 80s and 90s. The football program saw marked improvement in the 2000s, however, with six consecutive winning seasons, one ACCAL Championship, five consecutive Island Bowl wins (2002–2006) http://www.hornetfootball.org/documents/trophy.htm against crosstown rivals Encinal High and five playoff appearances (2003, 2005–2007, 2009). This improvement began under head coach Kevin Hennessee, who departed in 2006. Former Hornet assistant—and alumnus—Kemp Moyer assumed the head coaching duties in 2011.
Encinal High, Alameda High, and St. Joseph Notre Dame High School
collectively field men's and women's Rugby union
teams.
Other Varsity sports include:
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
and is part of the Alameda Unified School District
Alameda Unified School District
The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda, California USA.The school district is a "unified" district , meaning that it includes K-8 schools and high schools in the same jurisdiction. As with all California school districts, it is not a part of the city government of Alameda...
.
History
It was at the Alameda Board of Education meeting held on March 6, 1874, that the suggestion to open a ‘Preparatory Department of a High School' was first presented. On April 17, 1874, C. Y. Johns was elected the first principal. Classes began with 52 students, in July 1874, in a rented room over a drugstore on Park Street known as "Boehmer's Hall". The building still exists today as the China House restaurant.Boehmer's Hall was only temporary. Already a new building was being built on a site on Santa Clara at Chestnut, completed and occupied in 1875. The high school shared space with the Grammar Department in what became known as ‘Haight School', a site still occupied by this school today. The class of 1878, totalling nine students, was the first to graduate from Alameda High School.
It wasn't long before the number of students enrolled in the high school outgrew the space available at Haight. Temporary quarters were located at the Porter school, located on Alameda Avenue, by 1900. A campaign was started for a new separate high school building.
With the help of the high school student body, a bond was passed in the city for the new school. The cornerstone was laid in 1902 on the new site at Central and Walnut. The building was dedicated in 1903 and occupied in time for the December 1903 term.
Continued growth in enrollment required an even larger campus. In 1925 a new bond issue was voted on. The new school, dedicated in 1926, comprised three connected buildings, including the original 1903 structure which was refurbished to blend with the architectural style of the other two. The architecture, designed by local architect Carl Werner
Carl Werner
Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner was a German watercolor painter.-Biography:Born in Weimar, Werner studied painting under Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld in Leipzig. He switched to studying architecture in Munich from 1829 to 1831, but thereafter returned to painting...
, is early-twentieth-century Neo-Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
in nature, evoking images of ancient Greek temples
Architecture of Ancient Greece
The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...
with Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns in front of the Kofman Auditorium, a facility known throughout the Bay Area as one of the best of the local playhouses.
By 1955, the ‘old building' had outlived its usefulness and was replaced with what became known as the ‘new building' by subsequent students until 1977.
Campaigns to replace old public buildings with newer earthquake-safe structures led to the construction of the newest high school building, across the street from the established campus, on Encinal at Walnut.
Original plans involved tearing down the 1926 buildings and replacing them with a sports complex, the only building to be kept being the ‘new building' of 1955. A dedicated group of alumni and citizens saved the venerable buildings and the planned new construction was scaled back to what exists today.
The newest building was first occupied in 1978 and included the site of the former Porter school. At present, the office of the Alameda Unified School District
Alameda Unified School District
The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda, California USA.The school district is a "unified" district , meaning that it includes K-8 schools and high schools in the same jurisdiction. As with all California school districts, it is not a part of the city government of Alameda...
reside in the Kofman Buildings. The west wing now houses Language and Fine Arts, as well as the Frederick L. Chacon Little Theater. The school was made an Alameda Historical Monument in 1976 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977.
Enrollment and Academics
Alameda High School is an ethnically diverse school, reporting, for the 2004-2005 academic year, a composition that is 41% Asian, 33% non-Hispanic White, 10% Hispanic/Latino, 8% African-American, 6% Filipino, less than 1% American Indian/Native Alaskan, and less than 1% Mixed/Not Reporting.The school has received National Blue Ribbon recognition and California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
and Digital High School awards. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
, offering more than a dozen Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
courses. The school also has a very strong journalism course, which produces the monthly student newspaper publication "The Oak Leaf."
Its 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...
index is 9/10, also the highest on the island, with a similar schools rank of 2/10. Alameda is also currently ranked #483 in the top 1200 high schools in the US.
Athletics
AHS competes in the Alameda/Contra Costa Athletic League (ACCAL) and is part of the Northern Coastal Section (NCS) of the California Interscholastic FederationCalifornia 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 athletic programs are generally well-regarded.
The track and field, cross country, tennis, golf, swim and badminton teams, in particular, have enjoyed recent success. Likewise, the baseball program has historically been competitive at AHS. Led by coach Ken Arnerich, the 2006 Varsity baseball team recorded four consecutive upset wins in the playoffs to bring Alameda High its first ever 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...
title in baseball. Also, the women's varsity swim team, led by head coach Leslie Cortez, has won 13 consecutive ACCAL championships as of 2009.
Alameda was a perennial regional football power back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and won a state championship back in 1918, but the program struggled through the 80s and 90s. The football program saw marked improvement in the 2000s, however, with six consecutive winning seasons, one ACCAL Championship, five consecutive Island Bowl wins (2002–2006) http://www.hornetfootball.org/documents/trophy.htm against crosstown rivals Encinal High and five playoff appearances (2003, 2005–2007, 2009). This improvement began under head coach Kevin Hennessee, who departed in 2006. Former Hornet assistant—and alumnus—Kemp Moyer assumed the head coaching duties in 2011.
St. Joseph Notre Dame High School
St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California is a coeducational Roman Catholic high school. It is one of the few Catholic high schools in the world to possess an on-campus minor basilica, the Basilica of St. Joseph, Alameda. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and...
collectively field men's and women's Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby 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...
teams.
Other Varsity sports include:
- Badminton
- Baseball
- Basketball (Men's and Women's)
- Football
- Diving
- Golf
- Cheerleading
- Cross Country
- Soccer (Men's and Women's)
- Softball
- Swimming (Men's and Women's)
- Water Polo (Men's and Woman's)
- Tennis (Men's and Women's)
- Track & Field
- Volleyball (Men's and Women's)
- Water Polo (Men's and Women's)
Notable alumni
- Debbi FieldsDebbi FieldsDebbi Fields is the founder and current spokesperson of Mrs. Fields Bakeries. Additionally, she has written several cookbooks. She currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband, former Holiday Inn and Harrah's CEO, Michael Rose...
, creator of Mrs. FieldsMrs. FieldsMrs. Fields Famous Brands is a franchisor in the snack food industry, with Mrs. Fields and TCBY as its core brands. Through its franchisees’ retail stores, it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the US and the largest retailer of...
bakery - Simon RexSimon RexSimon Rex is an American actor, comedian, television host and recording artist. He is known for starring as Jeff Campbell in What I Like About You, during the first season.-Early life:...
(class of 1992), actor - Stephen StuckerStephen StuckerStephen Stucker was an American actor, known for portrayals of larger-than-life flamboyant characters, notably the insane control-room worker Johnny Henshaw-Jacobs in the Airplane! movies and the cross-dressing, rubber-penis-waving stenographer in the courtroom sequence in 1977's The Kentucky...
, actor - Chris SpeierChris SpeierChristopher Edward Speier is a former Major League Baseball player and current bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He was drafted second overall in the January secondary 1970 Major League Baseball Draft.-Playing career:...
, professional baseball player, 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.... - Dick BartellDick BartellRichard William Bartell , nicknamed "Rowdy Richard," was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. One of the most ferocious competitors of his era, he won both admirers and critics at each stop during a career which saw him traded every few seasons, often under acrimonious circumstances...
, professional baseball player, New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... - William F. KnowlandWilliam F. KnowlandWilliam Fife Knowland was a United States politician, newspaperman, and Republican Party leader. He was a U.S. Senator representing California from 1945 to 1959. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1953-1955, and as Minority Leader from 1955-1959. He was defeated in his 1958 run for...
(class of 1925), United States Senator - Sharon TateSharon TateSharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
(class of 1961), actress, Manson family victim - Jim MorrisonJim MorrisonJames Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
(attended starting 1958, did not graduate), songwriter, lead singer for The DoorsThe DoorsThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...