Sonoma Academy
Sonoma Academy is a nonprofit, private coed college preparatory high school located in Santa Rosa, California in the United States. It is the only independent high school in Sonoma County. Founding Head of School Janet Durgin won a 2015 "North Bay Business Journal" Nonprofit Leadership Award. Academics. In 2016, 85% of teachers had an advanced degree. Sonoma Academy has a very robust STEM program, with 5 math and science related AP courses. Sonoma Academy also has a strong humanities division. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors take classes which combine literature, writing and history. Students of all grade levels have  the opportunity to select from a diverse and constantly changing catalog of humanities electives. Students are required to take one of three foreign languages: Spanish, French or Mandarin. They must also take at least one class in the visual, musical or performing arts. Extra-Curriculars. Sonoma Academy has 10 varsity athletic teams which compete in the NCS (North Coast Sectionals) League including soccer, baseball, basketball & tennis, as well as 4 junior varsity athletic teams. 57% of the student body participated in an organized sport during the 2015–16 school year. The Sonoma Academy baseball team made national news in the spring  of 2016 when the team tossed a national record 6 consecutive no hitters. Students have the opportunity to participate in two main artistic performances each year: typically a musical in the fall and a theatrical performance in the spring. Past fall performances have included Urinetown, Much Ado About Nothing and American Idiot. In addition, many theatre and music classes put on showcases at the end of each semester. Parliamentary debate, Policy debate, and over half a dozen speech events are available to students at Sonoma Academy. Debaters from SA won the 2014 Jon Schamber Invitational Tournament at the University of  the Pacific, and 4 teams have gone to the Tournament of Champions. In 2016, the varsity parliamentary team was ranked third in the nation. Both the speech and debate teams are affiliated with the Golden Gate Speech Association. Campus Dogs. Sonoma Academy has many "campus dogs" that can be found throughout the day. There is Reba, a black Labrador retriever who is an emotional therapy dog; Josie, a yellow Labrador retriever; Bento, a fawn pug; Jojo, a mixed-breed terrier; Freckles, a Pomeranian; Maggie, a goldendoodle; Jasper, a Havanese mix; Panxho, a miniature poodle; Moby, a Boston terrier; Charlotte, a  miniature poodle mix; and Champ, the unofficial "Head of School." Notable alumni. Emma Cline