Carlmont High School
Encyclopedia
Carlmont High School is an American public high school located in Belmont
, California
, United States
serving grades 9–12 as part of the Sequoia Union High School District
. Carlmont is a California Distinguished School
.
, East Palo Alto
, Redwood City
, and San Mateo
. Its name derives from the campus straddling the two adjacent cities of San Carlos and Belmont (thus the portmanteau of San Carlos + Belmont). Because this hilly area is also referred to as "the highlands", the school team was named "The Scots", and the mascot is a kilted Scottish highland warrior. The Carlmont campus was built on 42 acres (17 ha) at a cost of about $2.5 million.
Carlmont was originally founded in the year 1952 as "a school within a school" at Sequoia High School
, with four hundred fifty freshman and sophomore students. On April 19, 1953, the school was dedicated to Truth- Liberty- Toleration. The morning after, the students arrived by bus caravan from Sequoia high school to occupy the newly built high school facility.
Today, Carlmont has a student body of 2,160. The school offers many sports and extracurricular activities that promote student involvement and creativity.
During the mid-summer of 2007, Carlmont began the construction of a theater for Choir, Band etc. The construction has since been completed, and the first public use of the building will be in March when the theater had a gala opening showcasing the school's musical Oklahoma!
.
As of Mid-2009, Carlmont is building new choir and orchestra rooms to house the ever growing music program. In May 2010, Carlmont finished the construction of the choir and orchestra rooms, which is next to the performing arts building.
and subsequent movie Dangerous Minds
were loosely based upon her experience as a teacher at Carlmont in the 1990s. Most of her students were African-Americans and Hispanics bused in to Carlmont from East Palo Alto, a then-unincorporated town at the opposite end of the school district from Carlmont. With the closure of Ravenswood High School
in East Palo Alto in the early 1970s, much of its predominantly African-American and Hispanic student body was bused to other high schools in the Sequoia High School District, including Carlmont, which had an equally predominantly Caucasian population at the time. A subsequent 'Open Enrollment' policy in the school district permitted East Palo Alto students to attend high schools closer to home, space permitting.
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, 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...
serving grades 9–12 as 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....
. Carlmont is a 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...
.
History
Carlmont has a student body with a variety of students from many different cities including Belmont, San CarlosSan Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
, East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto, California
East Palo Alto is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States.-Overview:As of the 2010 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 28,155. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of San Francisco and San Jose...
, 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...
, and San Mateo
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
. Its name derives from the campus straddling the two adjacent cities of San Carlos and Belmont (thus the portmanteau of San Carlos + Belmont). Because this hilly area is also referred to as "the highlands", the school team was named "The Scots", and the mascot is a kilted Scottish highland warrior. The Carlmont campus was built on 42 acres (17 ha) at a cost of about $2.5 million.
Carlmont was originally founded in the year 1952 as "a school within a school" at Sequoia High School
Sequoia High School
Sequoia High School can refer to:*Sequoia High School *Sequoia High School *Sequoia High School...
, with four hundred fifty freshman and sophomore students. On April 19, 1953, the school was dedicated to Truth- Liberty- Toleration. The morning after, the students arrived by bus caravan from Sequoia high school to occupy the newly built high school facility.
Today, Carlmont has a student body of 2,160. The school offers many sports and extracurricular activities that promote student involvement and creativity.
During the mid-summer of 2007, Carlmont began the construction of a theater for Choir, Band etc. The construction has since been completed, and the first public use of the building will be in March when the theater had a gala opening showcasing the school's musical Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
.
As of Mid-2009, Carlmont is building new choir and orchestra rooms to house the ever growing music program. In May 2010, Carlmont finished the construction of the choir and orchestra rooms, which is next to the performing arts building.
Demographics
Today's Carlmont enrollment is made up of a diverse ethnic population which lives in the communities of Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood Shores (a subdivision of Redwood City), and East Palo Alto.Alumni
- Michelle McLaughlin — Playboy Playmate
- Dana CarveyDana CarveyDana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
— actor - Bill RingBill RingWilliam Thomas Ring is a former NFL running back who played six seasons in the National Football League from . He was a reserve and special teams player for the San Francisco 49ers during the early success of the Bill Walsh era...
— National Football League - David NelsonDavid Nelson (musician)David Nelson is an American guitarist and musician.Although he started his musical career playing folk and bluegrass music Nelson is probably best known as one of the original members of psychedelic country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage...
- musician
Dangerous Minds
The novel My Posse Don't Do Homework by LouAnne JohnsonLouAnne Johnson
LouAnne Johnson is an American writer, teacher and former United States Marine. She is best known for the book My Posse Don't Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds in 1995.Johnson grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania...
and subsequent movie Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds is an American drama film based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, where most of her students were African-American and Hispanic teenagers from East...
were loosely based upon her experience as a teacher at Carlmont in the 1990s. Most of her students were African-Americans and Hispanics bused in to Carlmont from East Palo Alto, a then-unincorporated town at the opposite end of the school district from Carlmont. With the closure of Ravenswood High School
Ravenswood High School
Created in 1958, Ravenswood High School served the East Palo Alto area of San Mateo County California until its closure in 1976. During its lifetime, East Palo Alto was the low income area in the shadow of its more affluent neighbors Menlo Park, Atherton and Palo Alto...
in East Palo Alto in the early 1970s, much of its predominantly African-American and Hispanic student body was bused to other high schools in the Sequoia High School District, including Carlmont, which had an equally predominantly Caucasian population at the time. A subsequent 'Open Enrollment' policy in the school district permitted East Palo Alto students to attend high schools closer to home, space permitting.
See also
- San Mateo County high schools