Hillsdale High School (San Mateo, California)

History

Hillsdale High School has received a number of awards and honors:

Campus

The original 1955 campus is noted for the model it set for area schools, in particular the use of natural lighting, landscaping, and a combination of exterior and interior passages. SMUHSD residents approved Measure D in 2000 and Measure M in 2006, which directly funded the repair and modernization of District schools, including Hillsdale.

In 2003, the city of San Mateo approved funding for Hillsdale to put in Small Learning Communities (SLCs). Hillsdale is divided into six SLCs, also known as "Houses," each of which are named after important historical cities: Florence, Kyoto, and Marrakech in the 9th and 10th grades, and Cusco, Jakarta, and Timbuktu in the 11th and 12th grades. The Houses are designed to be individual small schools of 200-280 students each. Hillsdale's academic performance, as measured by the Academic Performance Index (API), has increased from a score of 662 in pre-SLC school year 2002-03 to 818 in 2012-13, exceeding the statewide API performance target of 800 for all schools.

In 2008, Hillsdale put in new batting cages for the boys baseball and girls softball teams and received a new turf field. The track field was re-done as a turf field in 2008 so that football games could be played at "home" and other sports could have access to the field as well. There are two gyms [Big (Homer P. Zugelder) and Small], and two theaters [Little Theater and Auditorium]. There are three levels of the high school, which all have accessibility ramps, and an elevator is right beside the main office.

Academic reputation

Hillsdale High School has been recognized nationally for its academic excellence. In 2013, it was ranked 711th in Newsweek's Top 2,000 Public High Schools and 999th nationally by The Washington Post's ranking of "America's Most Challenging High Schools."

Demographics

2015-2016 1,375 students: 712 Male (51.8%), 663 Female (48.2%)

Theatre

Hillsdale was the birthplace of Broadway by the Bay, a community theater organization originally known as the San Mateo Community Theatre. Beginning in the summer of 1963, high school and college students from throughout the Bay Area gathered at the school to perform in musical productions, presented in the school's little theater. The first three productions were Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. In 1966, rehearsals were held at the school for the theater group's first musical comedy, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, which was performed at the College of San Mateo. Beginning in 1967, performances were moved to San Mateo High School's auditorium, where they have been ever since.

At the school today there is a theatre department run by drama teacher and director Allison Gamlen who has been keeping traditions alive. Each year there is a fall musical following a spring play. Recent plays include Gypsy (fall 2008), Romeo and Juliet (spring 2009), Urinetown (fall 2009), Laramie Project (spring 2010), Fiddler on the Roof (fall 2010), Princess Bride (spring 2011), Little Shop Of Horrors (fall 2011) A Midsummer Night's Dream (spring 2012), and Cabaret (fall 2012). Those performances were directed by Gamlen, and students have an opportunity to direct a one-act in the late winter where emerging actors have opportunities to act and direct.

The school has an improv team known as the H.I.T. (Hillsdale Improvisational Theatre) Squad, led by Lisa Rowland. More info can be found at http://www.hhs.schoolloop.com/drama

Student life

There are many extracurricular activities. The school has a variety of clubs which are all student run and very active. Clubs include:

Along with clubs is an array of sports. Hillsdale participates in the Peninsula Athletics League (PAL) in the following sports:

Hillsdale has a competitive Spirit Squad (tryouts in May of the previous year).

Notable alumni