Rancho San Joaquin Middle School
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| Rancho San Joaquin Middle School | |
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| Established | 1973 |
| Type | Middle School |
| Principal | Scott Bowman |
| Students | 815 |
| Grades | 7th - 8th |
| Location | 4861 Michelson Drive, Irvine, California, United States |
| Accreditation | California Distinguished School |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Conquistadors |
| Vice Principal | Shannon Van Dam |
| Website | http://ranchoms.org |
Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, commonly referred to as Rancho, is a middle school in Irvine, California, serving the southern part of Irvine, including the neighborhoods of University Park, Turtle Rock, Turtle Ridge, Quail Hill, Shady Canyon, and University Hills. It is part of the Irvine Unified School District. Its school mascot is the Conquistador, which was symbolized after the previous land owner who used to ride around in a horse. It was named a California Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in the 1990s.
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[edit] History
Rancho's campus was established in 1967 (though it is not certain when it was built) as a temporary facility for Irvine High School; at the time, it was Irvine's only school. Rancho San Joaquin Middle School was established on the Rancho campus in 1971 and was modernized in 2001. Its first principal was Mr. Adams. When the school was founded, the Irvine Unified School District, formerly the Rancho San Joaquin School District, had its offices on the site. As a result, Rancho San Joaquin is laid out in the style of a high school.
The school was named a California Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in the 1990s.[when?][citation needed] There are two plated signs in the front of the school to recognize it.
In 2006 Kay Gee, a humanities teacher, received an award for excellence in teaching from the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University along with 21 other teachers nationwide.[1]
[edit] Academics
In 2005, Rancho's students tested at a Proficient or Advanced level 79% in language arts, 80% in math, and 71% in history. This is more than twice the state average for the same year. In the API in 2004, the school's score was 880, on a score of 200 to 1000.[2]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Will Ferrell, Hollywood Actor (1979–1981)
- Mark McGrath, lead singer of Sugar Ray, current host of Extra (TV series) (1980–1982)
- Zach De La Rocha, from Rage Against the Machine (1982–1984)
- Martin Leung, known as the VideoGame Pianist online (1998–2000)
- Nasim Pedrad, actor from Saturday Night Live
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
