Matthew Gage Middle School

Matthew Gage Middle School is a 7th & 8th grade school

Matthew Gage Middle School was recently named a California Distinguished School for 2011through 2015. This high honor is a result of a tremendous amount of hard work by our teachers, staff, students and families.
MISSION STATEMENT: To prepare adolescents for a future as productive citizens and leaders through a rigorous academic program. * To provide students with mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary for the highest success in high school and beyond. * To create an atmosphere of respect that nurtures a safe and secure learning environment. * To provide a physical and supportive environment that is conducive to the highest levels of student learning. * To develop positive student, teacher and family relationships that will enhance student learning and social-emotional development.

To teach and learn at a model school with a strong emphasis on academic achievement. * To focus on the learner and learning through the use of data (i.e. achievement, attendance, disciplinary, etc.), creating pathways to multidisciplinary success. * To promote school and classroom goals through working closely with parents and other community members. * To provide families with timely and useful information about school programs as well as their child’s progress. * To encourage parents and guardians to monitor student studies at home and to contact school personnel with any concerns and/or ideas. * That the community will value Gage as a neighborhood asset: a place where students learn successfully.

Matthew Gage was born in Ireland in 1844 and came to Riverside in 1881 from Canada. He purchased 29 acres and, under a federal program at the time, filed claim to an additional 640 acres of land, promising he could deliver water to irrigate the tract within three years. He decided to bring the water from the Santa Ana River in San Bernardino to Section 30, the tract he claimed, via a canal.

The first section of the Gage canal, from its head to the Tequisquite arroyo in Riverside, 11.91 miles, was begun October 1885 and completed in November 1886, although regular use for irrigation was not begun until the spring of 1887. Work was begun on the extension of the canal in February 1888 and completed in June 1888 for an additional distance of 8.22 miles, making the total length 20.13 miles.

The canal was important to Riverside's history because it simplified irrigation of large areas of orange groves, giving rise to Riverside's citrus industry. In addition to the Gage Canal, Matthew Gage planned and built the Victoria Bridge and Victoria Avenue. Some of the streets that cross Victoria Avenue -- Marguerita, Maude, Anna, Horace, Frances, Jane, Mary -- are named after members of his family.

Today, we know the majority of the area claimed as Section 30 by a more familiar name; The University of California, Riverside.

Matthew Gage Middle School is a true reflection of the greater community of the City of Riverside.  Our students come from the wealthiest and poorest areas of Riverside, but all share the common bond of the ìGage Familyî.   From our teachers and support staff to the students and families, we are committed to the spirit of pursuing excellence in all that we do.  This pride is translated into a staff that focuses on the whole child, students who are motivated and challenged to achieve and parents who give of their time and effort to support Gage.  Our history of pulling together has resulted in a school whose reputation of delivering a quality education is earned each day and whose heritage of excellence is established over years of proven performance.

Gage Facts and Highlights 

Gage was named a 2011 California Distinguished School!
Gage students continue to demonstrate yearly improvement on the California Standards Test (CST), surpassing the 800 API mark for the first time.
Over 25% of the 1080 Gage students are members of the Honor Society with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Gageís Science Olympiad Team is the four-time defending Regional Champions and has advanced to the State competitions the past five years.
The Gage Math Counts team has finished in the top-four places in the County Competition the past six years. The Gators took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Charles Dickens Writing Contest.
Our teaching staff collaborates in a Professional Learning Community, sharing instructional strategies, developing curriculum and evaluating student assessments.  Our teachers continue to touch the future.
Gageís performing arts (band, orchestra and choir) continue to compete, winning a variety of awards.  A comprehensive visual arts program is part of our curriculum.
Gage is the magnet school for the stringed orchestra program.
Gage offers Spanish, French, Woodshop, AVID and GATE Science courses.
Our athletic teams in volleyball, basketball and track year in, and year out, consistently place at the top of the standings in the Annual RUSD Tournaments.