Redwood High School (Visalia)

Infobox School

name=Redwood High School
type=Public
location=1001 West Main St.
Visalia, CA
established=1955
grades=9-12
principal=Todd Oto
students = 2048
mascot=Mr. Ranger
tag line=""
colors=Blue and White
contact=[phone]
district=Visalia Unified School District
website= [http://www2.visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/ www2.visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood]

About Redwood

Redwood High School in Visalia, California is one of four traditional, comprehensive high schools in the Visalia Unified School District and serves students from the northern, northwestern, and southwestern sections of the city. Redwood draws most of its students from Green Acres Middle School, which is the middle school in the northern and northwestern part of the city. Three private schools in the city, Visalia Christian Academy, St. Paul’s, and George McCann Catholic School also supply students to Redwood High School.

Redwood currently offers a curriculum that prepares its students for post-secondary goals as well as for direct entry into the workplace. The school utilizes a six period day format with a 220-unit requirement for graduation that includes school board education mandates of required classes as well as electives. The school program includes a strong honors and advanced placement program as well as safety-net classes of sheltered instruction, AVID, assistance classes, and remediation classes. The curricular program is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of postsecondary options, ranging from vocational job placement to admission to some of the most highly esteemed Universities in the country.

Redwood High School's Principal is Todd Oto (As of 2006), its mascot is "Mr. Ranger", its tag line is "Even the Sky is Ranger Blue" and its colors are Blue and White. The Ranger Marching Band also uses gold on its uniforms and silver is added in some sporting apparel.

History

Redwood High School is located on the site of what was once Visalia Union High School. When the Mt. Whitney High School campus was constructed in 1955, Redwood was established on the old Visalia Union High School campus. In October 29, 1965, the Spanish mission style administration building burned and was considered a total loss, although classes were held in portions of the building throughout the year. Indeed, many students took a short-cut through dangerous, burned out portions of the building for the rest of the 1965 school year. The original academic building survives to this day, although alterations to the windows and corridors were necessary. The administration wing was later rebuilt along with a larger library (the original library is now room 32). The original "Senior Court" was moved, from where the present library and memory lane are now located, to the quad area.
Redwood High School celebrated Its 50th Birthday in the 2004-2005 school year. In that same year the 50th Cowhide game against its cross town rival, Mount Whitney High School, was celebrated at the Mineral King Bowl and televised throughout the California Central Valley.

Campus

The campus contains a number of buildings that have history in the city of Visalia.

Sierra Vista

The "Sierra Vista" campus is separated from the main campus by Giddings Street, however it is connected by a bridge built in 1996. Sierra Vista is mostly made up of math and foreign languages classes, it also includes visual and performing arts, architecture classes and a baseball diamond.

Sierra Vista's main building was originally an elementary School built during the depression and commissioned as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal". The elementary school was later absorbed by Redwood High School and given it's current name. The Rotary Theater is directly connected to the sierra vista building and is the home for the Green Acres Little Theater musicals.

Annie R. Mitchell Library & Media Center

The Library was named in honor of Annie Rosalind Mitchell in 1989. Annie Mitchell was recognized by her great interest in tracing the Valley’s roots, her books and projects traced Visalia, Tulare County and Valley history. Annie was a respected member of the community, and served as teacher, counselor and Dean of Girls at Visalia Union High School. [cite web|url=http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/mc/|title=Annie R. Mitchell Library & Media Center]

Today, the Annie R. Mitchell library houses over 25,000 books for the over 2,100 students that use the facility. The library is decorated with 35 flags from around the world, photographs of students dating back to 1900, and a preserved Golden Eagle.

L.J. Williams Theater

L.J. Williams Theater was constructed in the 1930's, and has hosted many artistic events, including concerts and plays. The theater also plays host to the C.M.E.A. award concert. The theater was named for L.J. (Lawrence J) Williams a Visalia Community Activist before the term became popular. Mr. Williams was the founding Chairman of the Board of Kaweah Delta District Hospital, the first President of College of the Sequoias (initiating California's earliest Tech School Programs) and before that the Dean of Boys, a mathmatics teacher and ultimately Principal of Visalia Union High School (later to become Redwood HS). Mr. Williams also served as Rotary District Governor and was a Founding Owner and Board Member of Visalia Citrus Association (located at the corner of Race and Sante Fe) and now the home of Visalia Citrus Packing Group and the new Buckman Mitchell Building. As a young man LJ helped his father, a mechanical engineer, in the design and layout of the Trans-Alaskan Railroad for a number of the sections including White's Pass. Today four generations of his decendents still live and serve in farming, citrus packing, education, nursing and law enforcement in and around Visalia.

[code-first learned] 8-1/ 0-1/9-2/1-2/6-3/3-1/3-2 1-2 5-3/9-1/7-3/5-3 8-1/6-3 5-1/6-2/3-1 1-1/7-1/1-2/3-2. [code-normal] good luck.bye

Giant Chevrolet/Cadillac Mineral King Bowl

The Mineral King Bowl, also called the Giant Chevrolet/Cadillac stadium due to the company's sponsorship, is located on Giddings St. and is most frequently used for Redwood High School and Mount Whitney High School home games. The stadium is under the ownership of Visalia Unified School District and College of the Sequoias. Many of Visalia's largest events have been held at Mineral King Bowl.

Mission & Vision

Mission Statement

Through a supportive and safe environment, Redwood High School’s mission is to offer an educational program that focuses on learning, achievement, character, and honor for every individual.

As a result, Redwood Graduates will:
communicate effectively
demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
be respectful of self and others
be life-long learners
be effective problem solvers and decision makers
be effective goal setters
demonstrate personal, civic, and global responsibility

Vision Statement

Redwood High School, recognizing the unique and varied needs of its student body, strives to empower all of its students to reach their fullest potential as positive, contributing members of the communities in which they will live and work.

Athletics

Redwood High School competes in the West Yosemite League (WYL) in Women's Softball, Women's Volleyball, Men's Baseball, Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Diving, Men's and Women's Swimming, Men's and Women's Water Polo,Wrestling, Men's and Women's Track and Field, and Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Basketball. Redwood's direct rival is Mount Whitney High School.

The Cowhide Game
The Cowhide is a cross-town rivalry football game held annually against Mt. Whitney High School during November. Every year the two football teams duke it out on the field for the Cowhide trophy, which is an actual cow's hide. It has been a tradition between the two schools since 1955, and is the biggest sporting event in Visalia. Even people who were never students at either of the rival high schools show up to this game at the Mineral King Bowl every year, and the event is usually well covered in local newspapers as well as radio and television news programs.

Publications

* "The Log" is Redwood's annual year book, produced by the yearbook class.
* "The Gigantea" is Redwood's student newspaper, published by the Journalism class.

Clubs

* [http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/german/ German Club]
* Future Business Leaders of America
* Future Farmers of America
* [http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/french French Club]
* [http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/Science_club/index.html Science Club]
* [http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/band/Wind_Ensemble.htm Wind Ensemble]
* [http://visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/band/Band.htm Ranger Band]
* Jazz Band
* Black Student Union

Academic Departments

* Agriculture Department
* Architecture and Industry Academy
* Business Department
* Consumer Home Economics Department
* ELD Department
* English Department
* Foreign Language Department
* Industrial Education Department
* Mathematics Department
* Physical Education Department
* Science Department
* Social Science Department
* Visual & Performing Arts Department
* Special Education Department
* AVID Department
* Work Experience Department

Fight Song

The Redwood High School fight song is "Hail to the Victors", which was written by University of Michigan student Louis Elbel in 1898. Redwood shares the fight song with University of Michigan, with slightly different lyrics:

Hail to our victor’s valiant,
Hail to our team so gallant
Hail Hail to Redwood High School,
Victors of them all.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Onward for Blue and White
We rush in and fight, fight, fight,
Win glory for Redwood High School
Victors of them all.
Rah! Rah! Rah! [cite web|url=http://www2.visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/resources/fight_song.pdf|title="Hail to the Victors" - The Redwood High School fight song]

Alma Mater

Hail Alma Mater
We sing praise to thee
Our Love is worthy
of our loyalty
Home of Redwood High School
beneath the sun’s warm glow
In the heart of San Joaquin
The finest place we know
Our love shall never fail
Hail, Redwood, Hail! [cite web|url=http://www2.visalia.k12.ca.us/redwood/resources/Alma_Mater.pdf|title= The Redwood High School Alma Mater]

Alumni

Class of 2000 - Aaron Hill (baseball player)
Class of 1976 - Bob Ojeda (MLB Pitcher)

Demographics

Students by grade

* Grade 9 - 447 students
* Grade 10 - 471 students
* Grade 11 - 611 students
* Grade 12 - 519 students

Students by ethnicity

* American Indian 1%
* Asian 14%
* Hispanic 48%
* Black 3%
* White 34%Information from [http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/13113 Public School Review]

References

"The Log" Contemporary Authors. 1967 Vol. 12. Redwood High School