Mira Loma High School

Mira Loma High School
Address
4000 Edison Ave
Sacramento, CA, 95821
USA
Coordinates 38°37′59″N 121°22′16″W / 38.63306°N 121.37111°W / 38.63306; -121.37111Coordinates: 38°37′59″N 121°22′16″W / 38.63306°N 121.37111°W / 38.63306; -121.37111
Information
Established 1960
School district San Juan Unified School District
Superintendent Kent Kern
Principal Richard Nichols
Faculty 81
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1678 [1] (2014-2015)
Student to teacher ratio 22.4
Color(s) Columbia Blue, Scarlet Red & White             
Athletics conference Capital Athletic League
Mascot Matadors
Newspaper The Matador Capers
Yearbook Recuerdos
Website School website

Mira Loma High School is a public high school located in Sacramento, California, United States. It is the one of the most reputable and best high schools in Sacramento, consistently being ranked as the best school in the area.[2] It is a part of the San Juan Unified School District with a student body of approximately 1800 students. Mira Loma High School has been an IB World School since 1989, and is the largest International Baccalaureate program in Northern California.[3] Mira Loma also achieves consistently high pass rates for IB exams. According to Mira Loma, in 1996–1997 the school had a pass rate of 93%, with a 100% diploma attainment rate for students.[4] In 2007–2008 the pass rate was 93% with a 100% diploma attainment rate.[5] Both statistics are well above both the North American average (78%) and the world average (81%) for diploma attainment. Mira Loma has encouraged implementation of the International Baccalaureate program in other school districts with noted success.

Recognition

Mira Loma High School's national rank is #1,049 in U.S. News's 2015 ranking.[6]

Arcade Creek Project

The Mira Loma Arcade Creek Project is a highly recognized ongoing study of the riparian corridor of an urban watershed in Sacramento, California. It consists of eleven studies which measure the health of the Arcade Creek and is run entirely by students of Mira Loma High School and five faculty advisers.[7] The project has received many awards and recognitions including the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.[8] In 2010, the project was awarded with $10,000 from the National Sea World/ Busch Gardens' Environmental Excellence Award.

Academic competitions

Olympiads

Mira Loma participates in the International Science Olympiads including Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Biology.

Science Bowl

The Mira Loma National Science Bowl team (consisting of a group of students that answer gameshow-style questions on science and mathematics) won the national championship in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015. With five victories, the school has more than any other in the history of Science Bowl, and their current active 3-year win streak is the second-longest in the history of the competition.[9] Since 2008, only four teams have ever finished above Mira Loma at the national level.

Speech and debate

Mira Loma's Speech and Debate team was founded in 2005 by a small group of students.

National History Day

Mira Loma has developed a strong National History Day team, sending several teams to the state competition regularly as well as the national competition. In 2006, a Mira Loma team competed in the Senior Documentary category and won 3rd place in the nation. In 2007, two Mira Loma teams reached the California State Finals in the Senior Documentary category and one advanced to nationals. In 2008, Mira Loma sent 3 Senior Documentary teams to the state competition as well as a number of other teams from Senior Website, Senior Dramatic Performance, and Senior Historical Paper. The Senior Documentary team went on to win 11th in the nation.

Future Business Leaders of America

Mira Loma's FBLA club, which frequently ranks at local, state, and national levels. Recently, competitors placed first in Marketing, Business Law, Personal Finance, and Business Math in 2009, and ranked in Business Calculations, Business Communication, and in the Entrepreneurship Team event.

Mira Loma was awarded a $1000 grant from Business Journal in 1997. In the same year Mira Loma was also one of three schools in the country to pilot the National Retail Federation Retail Readiness Assessment.

English department

In addition to math and science awards, Mira Loma's English department has received both local and national recognition for outstanding creative ability. Individual students have placed 1st and 2nd in the Bill of Rights Essay Contest, the "Write Idea" contest sponsored by The Sacramento Bee, The Sacramento Bee Poetry competition, the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Award, and an award from the American Scholastic Press Association. Mira Loma's literary magazine, Prisms has received the prestigious Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Award as well.

Yearbook

Mira Loma's yearbook, Recuerdos received the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Award multiple times, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Award, and a writing contest award from The Sacramento Bee newspaper.

International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement

Mira Loma offers a large number of International Baccalaureate courses that prepare students for IB examinations every spring. The IB tests are either Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL) based on the amount of coursework prior to the examination. The following IB examinations were taken by Mira Loma students in 2010:

Additionally, AP Calculus is offered to eligible students. AP US History was taught by Bruce Lagomarsino, but it has since been discontinued in favor of a total IB campus. Classes previously offered at Mira Loma are AP Physics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Chinese, and AP Japanese. IB German B has been discontinued as well due to lack of student interest in the class.

Extracurriculars

Mira Loma offers a full range of athletic teams including football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, water polo, wrestling, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, golf and swimming. Mira Loma also offers a variety extracurricular clubs that meet both at lunch and after school. Some of these clubs include Science Bowl, Robotics Club, Astronomy Club, Mira Loma Programming Club, Speech and Debate, Young Republicans Club, Young Democrats Club, Math Contest Club, Economics Club, Youth Court, Mock Trial, Moot Court, International Relief Club, B Sharps, as well as ethnic organizations such as Latinos Unidos, Jewish Student Union, Black Students Union, Desi Plus Club, and Ping Pong Club. Religious organizations include the Slavic Christian Club and Muslim Students Association. Other extracurricular clubs include Matadors Against Cancer (American Cancer Society), Future Business Leaders of America, Climate Crisis Club, Habitat for Humanity Club, Key Club, and a chapter of the National Spanish Honor Society. French, Japanese, and Chinese clubs are also active on campus.

Athletics

Dance Team

Mira Loma's Dance Team holds national titles in the dance/drill division at the United Spirit Association Dance Nationals for 2011, 2012, and 2014. [11]

Swimming

Mira Loma's Men's Varsity Team is notable for being the Capital Athletic League Champions in 2014 alongside Rio Americano High. [12]

Tennis

Mira Loma's Men's Varsity Team was the Capital Athletic League Champion in 2012 and 2013 alongside Rio Americano High. [13] In 2014, Mira Loma was the runner-up in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. [14]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ School district (February 2013). "2014-2015 School Accountability Report Card" (.pdf). livesarc. axiomadvisors.net. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  2. ↑ http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/07/30/sacramento-smartest-high-schools-sat-sco.html?s=image_gallery&img_no=26
  3. ↑ "San Juan". Sanjuan.edu. December 2, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Awards – Mira Loma High School Parents". Miralomahigh.org. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  5. ↑ "San Juan". Sanjuan.edu. August 18, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  6. ↑ Mira Loma High | U.S. News
  7. ↑ "Arcade Creek Project". Arcade Creek Project. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Environmental and Economic Honors". Schwarzenegger.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  9. ↑ Past High School National Science Bowl Winners (1991 - 2012) | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)
  10. ↑ "Mira Loma High School". Ibo.org. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  11. ↑ name="Mira Loma High School Website">"Dance/Drill Team". Mira Loma High School. Retrieved 9/4/2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  12. ↑ http://www.capitalathleticleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/League-Champions.pdf
  13. ↑ http://www.capitalathleticleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/League-Champions.pdf
  14. ↑ http://www.cifsjs.org/sports_info/pastchamps/champssportpdfs/tennisboyssjschampions.pdf
  15. ↑ Richard Trenton Chase | Radford University

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