Foothills Middle School
| Foothills Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
171 E. Sycamore Ave. Arcadia, CA 91006 , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Middle School |
| Motto | "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."-Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Established | 1954 |
| School district | Arcadia Unified School District |
| Principal | Dr. Patricia Hartline |
| Faculty | 33 |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Number of students | 843 for 2005-2006 |
| Mascot | Highlander Warrior |
| Website | http://www.ausd.k12.ca.us/foothills/ |
Foothills Middle School is a part of the Arcadia Unified School District and is a three-year comprehensive middle school for students in grades 6 through 8, located within the city of Arcadia, California. Feeder elementary schools to this student body population of 843 (2005-2006 census) are Highland Oaks Elementary and Hugo Ried Elementary. Foothills Middle School feeds into Arcadia High School.
Academic Performance
On the California school report card for 2005-2006, Foothills attained an API of 932, up 30 points from the previous year, as compared to the average middle school score of 725 for 2005-2006. More than 50% of students scored in the advanced proficient category for English and Language Arts, Math, and Science.
Honors Math Program
Foothills has a honors mathematics program that for some students starts as early as 7th grade. All 6th grade students are tested for readiness in the Spring of 6th grade and selected based on their readiness test scores, history of math grades, and teacher recommendation. If they are selected at the end of 6th grade, students skip pre-algebra which is normal math course for 7th graders, and proceed directly to an Honors (i.e. extra content) Algebra class in 7th grade (taught by Mr. Scott McCulley). Students who are not selected for the Honors math program that starts in 7th grade have another chance to start the program as Honors Geometry students in eighth grade (taught by Mrs. Traci Moore). All students on the Honors math track are evaluated again at the end of Honors Geometry to determine which students continue to Honors Algebra II vs. regular Algebra II, courses offered only at the high school. The down-select for Honors Algebra II is about 50% and is based on teacher recommendation, grades in the prior two math classes (Honors Algebra I grades are most heavily weighted), and an Algebra I concepts test. Students who do not participate in the Honors program starting in 7th grade can still accelerate their progress through the high school's math curriculum by taking a math class offered by the Arcadia Educational Foundation sponsored summer school.
Performing Arts Programs and Extra Curricular Activities
Foothills has a music program with two bands, one of which marches and competes as the Foothills Highlander Band, two orchestra groups, a choral group, and drill team. About 50% of students participate in one of these performing arts groups. Extra-curricular clubs include: dance, help club, honor society, KFX - 7, movie club, tangrams, drama, ecology, robotics, sudoku, artist trading card, ultimate frisbee, scrapbooking club, yearbook and running club. An after school tutoring program is run by the students, and the district runs a Gifted and Talented program on three saturdays in the Spring term. The school also has a boys/girls basketball team, boys/girls soccer team, boys/girls volleyball team, boys football team, and a girls softball team, all associated with the 210 league. They also have a 6th/7th/8th grade football team, 6th/7th/8th grade basketball team, and 6th/7th/8th grade volleyball team all associated with the Arcadia Intramurals League
Demographics
According to 2006-2007 census, the student population is majority Asian (439), followed by White (265), then Hispanic/Latino (85), Flipino (14), African American (11), and Greek (2). Student to teacher ratio for 2005-2006 was 26, with teachers having an average of 12 years of teaching experience.
News
In the Fall of 2006, a $218 school bond measure passed in Arcadia. A portion of the collected revenues will fund improvements at Foothills Middle School including converting six classrooms to science labs, expansion of the music building, upgrades to the multipurpose room, library and computer lab facilities, construction of a joint use gymnasium with the City of Arcadia, and various other infrastructure improvements.