First Avenue Middle School (California)
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| First Avenue Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
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301 South First Avenue , 91006 | |
| Coordinates | 34°08′12″N 118°01′47″W / 34.136612°N 118.029641°W |
| Information | |
| Former names | First Avenue Jr. High School Arcadia Grammar School |
| Motto | Let's Go, Spartans! |
| Established | 1907 |
| Status | Operational |
| School district | Arcadia Unified School District |
| Principal | Adam Eslami |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 23:1 |
| Website | https://fa.ausd.net/ |
First Avenue Middle School is a three-year comprehensive intermediate public school located in the city of Arcadia, California.[1] The school holds grades 6 to 8, being a part of the Arcadia Unified School District along with two other middle schools.[2] Students who graduate from First Avenue Middle School are sent off to Arcadia High School.
First Avenue Middle School was the first ever learning center to be opened within the city of Arcadia, first opening in 1907 as a schoolhouse.[3]
The school has a staff of 50, with a principal, assistant principal, and over 30 full-time teachers.[4]
In 2024, First Avenue Middle School was recognized as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education.[5] First Avenue Middle School also has a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10.[6]
History
[edit]
In 1907, the original First Avenue schoolhouse, originally named as "Arcadia Grammar School", was built on the southwest corner of First Avenue and California Street. This schoolhouse had replaced temporary buildings, including a vacant saloon, which were used since Arcadia was incorporated in 1903. Originally, the schoolhouse consisted of two classrooms, each containing a teacher, which had grades 1-4 in one class, and 5-8 in another.[3]
With the increasing population of Arcadia, the school made major expansions in 1919, which consisted of a building with eight classrooms, a library, and an assembly hall. The original school also consisted of a swimming pool. Other major expansions of the school were made in 1921 and 1939.[3]
In 1933, in the aftermath of the Long Beach Earthquake, the school, now named, "First Avenue School", was severely damaged, and was in need of major reconstruction. Because the earthquake took place outside of school hours, no lives were recorded to be lost.[3]
1979 First Avenue Jr. High School Fire
[edit]On May 28, 1979, a catastrophic fire was set ablaze within First Avenue Middle School, thus destroying the entire complex. Since the fire taking place on Memorial Day, being a federal holiday, no deaths occurred from the incident.
Due to the fire, First Avenue Middle School suffered over $1 million in damages.[7] Students who attended First Avenue at the time were sent to finish off the school year at Foothills Middle School or Richard Henry Dana Middle School. Although plans were discussed to demolish the building, many citizens suggested for its total reconstruction, which went through.[3] The school would reopen on July 1, 1980, where it still remains in operation to this day.[8]
Suspicions hinted towards the actions of arsonists that caused the fire to start. After investigations were made on the incident, it was ultimately determined that the fire was caused by an act of arson.[7]
Academic overview
[edit]First Avenue Middle School has a total of 679 students, of who which 62% scored over the proficient level of mathematics, while 77% scored over the proficient level of reading. Although having a worse overall math score than other schools within its district, both math and reading scores are above the average percentile of students in California overall.[9]
First Avenue is ranked #2-3 in overall academic performance within the Arcadia Unified School District, while it ranks #122 in California Middle Schools academically.[9]
Population
[edit]The student population is close to half-and-half, with 48% of the students being female, while 52% are male. Majority of the student population are part of the minority group, making up 92% of the students who attend First Avenue. Over half of the students descend from Asian or Pacific Islander origin.[9]
Athletics
[edit]First Avenue Middle School has a multitude of seasonal sports within the 210 League Sports Program, a sports league based in San Gabriel Valley targeted towards middle schools.[10] Many of the sports teams include volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, flag football, softball, cross country, and track.[11]
Performing arts
[edit]The First Avenue Marching Band is a mixture of seventh and eighth graders who play and perform a variety of band instruments, typically at other schools or social events, with the band director being Seth Murphy.[12] The marching band also consists of a winter guard. A notable performance the First Avenue Marching Band has done was a concert located at the Dodgers Stadium, which was performed in the 1980s.[citation needed]
First Avenue Middle School houses the production studio for the theatrical production company, the "First Avenue Theatre Company", run by Brian Johnson.[13] For each school year, the company performs one play in the first semester, and a musical in the second semester. For the fall play, all actors are required to be eighth graders, and for the spring musical, seventh graders are eligible to apply if they have completed Theatre Experience, an elective course within First Avenue.[14]
Accomplishments
[edit]In 2019, Karalee Nakatsuka, a history teacher for First Avenue Middle School, was officially declared as the 2019 California History Teacher of the Year, who had taught within the Arcadia Unified School District for over 30 years.[15]
First Avenue Middle School has won four California Distinguished Schools awards from the California Department of Education; once in 1990, two more times in 1992 and 1996, and most recently in 2024.[5][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Spartan Day Registration 2024". sites.google.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Arcadia USD". www.ausd.net. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "First Avenue School Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Faculty & Staff Contact Information". fa.ausd.net. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "2024 California Distinguished Schools Announced - Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)". www.cde.ca.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Explore First Avenue Middle School in Arcadia, CA". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "City of Arcadia, CA". www.arcadiaca.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "First Avenue Middle - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education)". www.cde.ca.gov. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Overview of First Avenue Middle School". US News. 2025.
- ^ "First Avenue Athletics 24-25". sites.google.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "First Avenue Athletics 24-25 - Athletic Forms". sites.google.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Music". fa.ausd.net. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Our Instructors". First Avenue Theatre. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Classes". First Avenue Theatre. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Karalee Nakatsuka '89 Named California History Teacher of the Year". www.oxy.edu. September 14, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ "California Distinguished Schools Awardees - California Distinguished Schools Program (CA Dept of Education)". www.cde.ca.gov. Retrieved June 13, 2025.