Novato High School

History

Built in 1955 and founded in 1957, it is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Novato Unified School District, the other being San Marin High School.

Demographics

Since the mid-1980s the school's student population has ranged from 1000-1200 students. As of 2012, the demographic distribution is Caucasian (58.1%), Latinos (26.4%), Asian/Other Asian (7.2%), African American (5.4%), and Pacific Islander (1.3%).

Campus

NHS rests on a thirty-eight acre site, with two gymnasiums, a Lecture Hall/Performing Arts Center, three computer centers, a library with a computer lab, dance studio, weight room, a wing for visual art classrooms, and a wing for music classrooms. Outdoor facilities include tennis courts, basketball courts, softball and baseball diamonds, a recently built turf football stadium with a track, soccer field, and a swimming pool.

One of the most exciting aspects of the climate and culture of the school is the dynamic Leadership class (ASB). Another student-led organization on campus is the Link Crew that will begin during the 2015-16 school year. Link Crew has 11 and 12 grade students act as mentors and role models for the incoming 9 grade class to help in the transition from middle to high school.

Curriculum

Novato High School has several comprehensive academic program including college preparatory courses, Honors and Advanced Placement classes, fine and performing arts classes, and industrial arts courses. Novato High School also provides support services such as the English Language Development (ELD) Programs for those students who require additional resources. Advanced Placement offerings include: AP Music Theory, AP Art History, AP Human Geography, AP European History, AP US History, AP Government, AP Economics, Calculus AB/BC, AP Biology, AP Physics, AP Stats, AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP Studio Art, and AP Spanish Language.

Novato High School is home to the Marin Design Center, which houses the Product Design and Programming classes. This innovative College and Career pathway program gives students the resources and opportunity to take their talent and ingenuity to the next level with guidance from Mr. Glenn Corey. NHS Product Design students will get the training necessary to advance on to Engineering, Robotics, Design, Physics, and Programming in college or eventually receiving certification for employment.

Performing and Visual Arts

Marin School of the Arts has many notable programs, including Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Film, and a music program that includes 4 jazz bands, a concert band, a symphonic band, and chamber and rock groups. MSA was founded in 2003 by Mark Peabody.

Athletics

Novato competes in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL). Novato is a member of the North Coast Section(NCS) of the California Interscholastic Federation.

Lacrosse

The girls' lacrosse program has won both MCAL and NCS (division 1) titles in 2015 and 2016. The team petitioned to play up in strongest division of the NCS (division 1) for both of those championships. The 2016 team was undefeated and rank #24 nationally.

The boys' lacrosse program has won three (MCAL) county championships, once in 2005 and again in 2011, and once more in 2013. In 2013, they went on to go to the North Coast Section (NCS), where they once again met Redwood, this time in the championship, where they lost.

Football

The Hornets football program won four California sectional (North Coast Section) titles in the last fifteen years (2002, 2005, 2006 & 2007). On Dec. 9th, 2007, the varsity football team was elected to play in California's Div. II State Championship in Carson, CA. Novato lost to Oceanside of San Diego, 28-14 after a significant loss of their quarterback due to leg injury. As of 2016, Novato's most recent notable season was 2014 as they were crowned MCAL champions.

Soccer

The boys' soccer team came in first in the North Coast Section tournament for the first time in school history in 2007 beating Marin Catholic 1-0.

Baseball

The baseball program has one four MCAL titles but most recently went on to the North Coast Section championship to win in the spring of 2007.

Basketball

The girls' basketball program won the California state Div. II championship in the 1986 season, in which they went undefeated, 35-0.

Water Polo

The Novato High School Varsity Water Polo team received third place at the county level (Marin County Athletic League) in 2005 and 2006..

Wrestling

The varsity wrestling team won the MCAL league title in 2012 and 2014, 2012 being the first MCAL title since 1993. The 1969 wrestling team, coached by the "Father of Marin wrestling", Ralph Cutler, won the NorCal championship tournament led by undefeated twin brothers, Ken & Kirt Donaldson. The Donaldson's were named Co-Outstanding Wrestlers, and subsequently attained NCAA Division I All-American status for the USAF Academy in 1971. Three-sport athlete Paul Robertson, was the 141 lbs. NorCal wrestling champion in 1970.

Notable Athletes

Competitive sailor and Olympian John Kostecki attended Novato H.S. Novato quarterback Mike Moroski went on to play at UC Davis and was their first quarterback to achieve active status in the NFL. He played for Atlanta (1979–84), Houston (1985) and San Francisco (1986), and coached at UC Davis from 1987-2012 before being named the head coach for College of Idaho on January 9, 2013. Additionally, Moroski was a star pitcher for the Novato and the UC Davis baseball teams, and was enshrined into the UC Davis Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.

Notable alumni