Northwood High School (Irvine, California)
Northwood High School is a public high school located in the northernmost part of Irvine, CA, United States. It opened in 1999, and its first graduating class graduated in 2002. In 2016, Northwood was ranked 25 nationally in Newsweeks list of top public high schools.[2]
| Northwood High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
4515 Portola Parkway , 92620 United States | |
| Coordinates | 33°44′02″N 117°45′02″W |
| Information | |
| School type | Secondary |
| Motto | For the Good of the Pack |
| Founded | 1999 |
| School district | Irvine Unified |
| Superintendent | Terry Walker |
| Principal | Leslie Roach |
| Staff | 82.42 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,195 (2018–19)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 26.63[1] |
| Area | Northwood |
| Color(s) | White, Silver, Navy Blue |
| Athletics conference | Pacific Coast League |
| Mascot | Timberwolf |
| Team name | Timberwolves |
| Rival | Woodbridge High School Irvine High School University High School Portola High School Beckman High School Tustin USD |
| Newspaper | The Howler |
| Yearbook | The Element |
| Website | northwoodhigh |
Academics
The school operates on an alternating block schedule, in which students attend odd-period classes (1, 3, 5, and 7) on one day, and even-period classes (2, 4, 6, and 8) the following day. Classes are 90 minutes long, and meet for either 18 weeks (semester) or 36 weeks (year-long). On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students attend a tutorial session, which lasts for 40 minutes between the first and second classes of the day, and can be used at the students' discretion. Every Wednesday is designated a "late-start," in which classes start an hour later than the regular schedule. All students, with the exception of seniors, are required to take a minimum of six classes per semester.[3] Seniors are required to enroll in a minimum of five classes for the fall semester and four for the spring.
In 2005, 2009, and 2012, the school was recognized as a California Distinguished School[4] and in 2006 was also named a Blue Ribbon School.[5]
Location and layout
Northwood High School sits in a narrow valley in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, and was surrounded by working avocado groves at its founding. Currently, the surrounding land is now Orchard Hills, a residential community extending north from the existing community of Northwood Pointe. Northwood High School's site had been designated for a high school from the very beginning as part of the Irvine Company's master plan, which was drafted in 1960.
Student activities
The music program has received the Grammy Signature School award multiple times, the latest in 2015.[6]
In 2006, the Northwood Marching Band won 1st in 5A division at The Huntington Beach High School Surf City Open. In 2008, the band placed 1st in 5A division at the Newport Beach Open.
Northwood's Speech and Debate team has won the title of #1 Speech and Debate Team in Orange County. In 2018, Northwood students won the title of State Runner-Up Champions at the California High School Speech Association Championships.
Also in 2018, Northwood's Boys Swim Team won the title of CIF and State Champions.
Notable alumni
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- Steve Birnbaum, Major League Soccer player
- Benny Feilhaber, U.S. Men's National Soccer Team midfielder
- Bethan Knights, British-American long-distance runner
- CJ Stretch, professional hockey player
- Zack Weiss (born 1992), American-Israeli Major League Baseball player
- Tabitha Yim, U.S. Women's National Gymnastics team member
- Young the Giant, rock band
References
- "Northwood High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- "America's Top High Schools 2016". Newsweek. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
- Northwood High School (NHS) opened in the fall of 1999
- Distinguished School Awards - California School Recognition Program (CA Dept of Education)
- Microsoft Word - list-2003.doc
- "Announcing The 2015 GRAMMY Signature Schools". Grammy in the Schools. July 20, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2020.