The Quarry Lane School
Encyclopedia
The Quarry Lane School is a private college preparatory
and International Baccalaureate school in Dublin
, Alameda County, California
, that currently offers education for students from preschool to their junior year in high school
. It is owned by Dr. Sabri Arac, who presides over the school as Head of School. Ms. Gabrielle Denton currently resides as Lower School (Pre-K through 5th) Director
, with Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore and Dr. Tom Keating as Upper School (Middle and High School) Co-Directors.
at its original Pleasanton, California
campus. In 2000, Dr. Arac opened a campus in Dublin, California
to accommodate the elementary school that was rapidly growing. The Pleasanton campus was open only to preschool students, while elementary students studied at the Dublin campus. In 2004, Dr. Arac opened the second Pleasanton preschool campus, the Pleasanton West campus. After repeated plans to build an additional building on the Dublin campus to support a high school, the ground was finally broken
for the construction of the high school in 2005. Though not finished for the next year because of construction issues, in 2007 the newly facilities were opened. The newest facilities include an indoor gym, three science labs, a computer lab, Art studio, Library, outdoor sports field, tennis court and 33 additional instructional classrooms. Unfortunately, this expansion has placed legal and financial burdens upon the school. In late 2008, a civil lawsuit in which a general contractor claimed The Quarry Lane School did not pay for almost $5 million in work was settled. Details of this settlement were not publicly released. Quarry Lane School currently offers college preparatory, honors and AP classes. The School is an International Baccalaureate School, and offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
and WASC
and was also voted to be the "family favorite" in the Bay Area Parent magazine
Hall of Fame. Students have won awards in the Exploravision
contest, the Optimist Speech Contest
, and the Reader's Digest
National Word Power Challenge. Over 75% of students qualify as gifted and talented, and over one half of the middle and high school students were on the honor roll
, with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher.
, and leadership
is a required class for the Upper School.
, chess
, drama
, economics, environmental and leadership; other clubs are formed based on student interest.
s NXT robotics system. They plan to compete in a future FIRST LEGO League
(FLL) competition. For middle school and high school students, they enhance and challenge their robotics invention skills using the more challenging VEX robotics kit. In their first year, 2007, Quarry Lane Robotics Team 212 competed in the FIRST Tech Challenge
in the Northern California Region. Team 212 placed 4th in the qualifiers with a record of 4-1-0, and finished as NorCal Championship Semi-Finalists.
, for the Upper School. Leadership, especially for the high school, is focused on improving one's self and college admissions. Students draft a version of their college application essay in this class, learn vocabulary for the SAT
or ACT
tests, and also learn about what colleges look for in an application. In grades 6-8 the goal is to develop critical thinking, teach organizational skills, and instill social and moral values. Leadership class also focuses on practicing leadership skills by requiring every student to plan and run an event during the year, such as a school sponsored social event or a community service project.
is a central element to the Quarry Lane Upper School. The student council was designed by students to bring up issues that are bothering them to the faculty. Both the Middle School Student Council and the High School Student Council are headed by Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore, Dean of Students Emeritus.
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
and International Baccalaureate school in Dublin
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly east of Hayward, west of Livermore and north of San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in...
, Alameda County, 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...
, that currently offers education for students from preschool to their junior year in high school
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....
. It is owned by Dr. Sabri Arac, who presides over the school as Head of School. Ms. Gabrielle Denton currently resides as Lower School (Pre-K through 5th) Director
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, with Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore and Dr. Tom Keating as Upper School (Middle and High School) Co-Directors.
Mission statement
The mission statement of the Quarry Lane School is:History
The Quarry Lane School was founded in 1991 by Dr. Sabri Arac as an infant/toddler preschool and was expanded into an elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
at its original Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about east of Oakland, and west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in...
campus. In 2000, Dr. Arac opened a campus in Dublin, California
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly east of Hayward, west of Livermore and north of San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in...
to accommodate the elementary school that was rapidly growing. The Pleasanton campus was open only to preschool students, while elementary students studied at the Dublin campus. In 2004, Dr. Arac opened the second Pleasanton preschool campus, the Pleasanton West campus. After repeated plans to build an additional building on the Dublin campus to support a high school, the ground was finally broken
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
for the construction of the high school in 2005. Though not finished for the next year because of construction issues, in 2007 the newly facilities were opened. The newest facilities include an indoor gym, three science labs, a computer lab, Art studio, Library, outdoor sports field, tennis court and 33 additional instructional classrooms. Unfortunately, this expansion has placed legal and financial burdens upon the school. In late 2008, a civil lawsuit in which a general contractor claimed The Quarry Lane School did not pay for almost $5 million in work was settled. Details of this settlement were not publicly released. Quarry Lane School currently offers college preparatory, honors and AP classes. The School is an International Baccalaureate School, and offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
Awards and recognition
The Quarry Lane School has been accredited by NIPSANIPSA
NIPSA or the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance is a trade union based in Northern Ireland. It is the largest white collar trade union in Northern Ireland. It is organised into two distinct groupings, the Civil Service Group and the Public Officers Group...
and WASC
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...
and was also voted to be the "family favorite" in the Bay Area Parent magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Hall of Fame. Students have won awards in the Exploravision
Exploravision
ExploraVision is a scientific national contest held in the United States and Canada, a joint project by Toshiba Corporation and the National Science Teachers Association. Designed for K–12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels, ExploraVision encourages its participants to create and...
contest, the Optimist Speech Contest
Optimist International
Optimist International is an international service club organization with 3,200 clubs and almost 100,000 members in more than 35 nations throughout the world. The international headquarters is located in St...
, and the Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
National Word Power Challenge. Over 75% of students qualify as gifted and talented, and over one half of the middle and high school students were on the honor roll
Honor Roll
Honor Roll may refer to: HIGH GRADE STUDENT* Grade Point Average over 3.5* A list of honors students.* A similar academic honor, such as a Dean's List.* Honor Rolls of Baseball* Honour Roll Clasp of the Army – A decoration of Nazi Germany...
, with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher.
Student involvement
The Quarry Lane School has a lot of student involvement in the Upper School (grades 6-10). Both the middle school and high school have their own student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
is a required class for the Upper School.
Clubs and activities
Current clubs include bandSchool band
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
, chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, economics, environmental and leadership; other clubs are formed based on student interest.
Robotics
Quarry Lane Robotics offered after school for elementary through high school students. Elementary and middle school students discover robotics and develop their engineering skills using the LEGOLego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
s NXT robotics system. They plan to compete in a future FIRST LEGO League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
(FLL) competition. For middle school and high school students, they enhance and challenge their robotics invention skills using the more challenging VEX robotics kit. In their first year, 2007, Quarry Lane Robotics Team 212 competed in the FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
in the Northern California Region. Team 212 placed 4th in the qualifiers with a record of 4-1-0, and finished as NorCal Championship Semi-Finalists.
Competitive sports
As of the 2008-2009 school year, basketball, golf and soccer were offered to the middle school, but only men's basketball is offered to the high school students. No high school women's sports are foreseen in the near future, as the female student population is still too small to support a sports team.Leadership
Leadership is optional for all Upper School students. Leadership class is currently headed by Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore, Dean of Students EmeritusEmeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
, for the Upper School. Leadership, especially for the high school, is focused on improving one's self and college admissions. Students draft a version of their college application essay in this class, learn vocabulary for the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
or ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
tests, and also learn about what colleges look for in an application. In grades 6-8 the goal is to develop critical thinking, teach organizational skills, and instill social and moral values. Leadership class also focuses on practicing leadership skills by requiring every student to plan and run an event during the year, such as a school sponsored social event or a community service project.
Student council
Student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
is a central element to the Quarry Lane Upper School. The student council was designed by students to bring up issues that are bothering them to the faculty. Both the Middle School Student Council and the High School Student Council are headed by Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore, Dean of Students Emeritus.
Past Directors and Administrators
- Mrs. Meredith Olson, Director of the Lower School, '07-'08
- Mr. Samuel Beltran, Director of the Upper School, '07-'08
- Ms. Amy Golden, Director of the Upper School, '08-'09
- Mrs. Suzanne Miskel, Director of the Upper School, '09-'10
- Mrs. Liz Paz-Rumore, Dean of Students, '07-'08