Overbrook High School (New Jersey)

Overbrook High School
Location
1200 Turnersville Road Pine Hill, NJ 08021
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Pine Hill Schools
Principal	Paul Harmelin
Asst. Principal	Doug Endee Evelyn Simpson
Faculty	73 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	830 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	11.37[1]
Color(s)	Burnt Orange      Navy Blue
Athletics conference	Colonial Conference
Nickname	Rams
Website	School website

Overbrook High School is an American comprehensive community four-year public high school located in Pine Hill, in Camden County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Pine Hill Schools. The high school also serves the communities of Berlin Township and Clementon through sending/receiving relationships. with their respective school districts^[2] Its colors are burnt orange and navy. The current principal of Overbrook is Paul Harmelin.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 830 students and 73 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.37.^[1]

The school was the 300th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 276th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[3] The school was ranked 278th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.^[4]

History

The school was originally founded as Lower Camden County Regional High School in 1939, in Lindenwold. It served students from up to ten municipalities at one point. The population soon began to grow, however, and Edgewood Regional High School (now Winslow Township High School) was founded in Winslow Township. The school took the name Overbrook Regional Senior High School in the 1950s, and joined its sister school Edgewood as part of Lower Camden County Regional High School District #1.

Soon, the student population became too large for the now 60+ year old building to handle, and the current building was erected in 1969 in Pine Hill. The former building became known as Overbrook Regional Junior High School.

Overcrowding again became an issue in the late 90s, as Overbrook Junior High School was serving Berlin Township, Clementon, Lindenwold, Pine Hill, and portions of Winslow Township.

In 1999, each of the individual school boards voted to dissolve LCCRHSD. Lindenwold would build its own high school and take over the old junior high building to make it the district's middle school. Edgewood Regional Junior High became Winslow Township Middle School, and Edgewood Senior High became Winslow Township High School. Pine Hill would build Pine Hill Middle School in the forested area next to the school.

Athletics

Overbrook High School is a member school in the Colonial Conference, which is composed of small schools whose enrollments generally do not exceed between 750-800 students for grades 9-12.

• The Overbrook Rams were undefeated in football in 1998, winning the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) New Jersey State Group IV title, defeating Shawnee High School 21-14 in a game played at Rutgers Stadium and ending the season with a perfect 12-0 record.^[5] The win marked the program's first stae sectional title since they won in Group III in 1990.^[6]
• As of September 9, 2006, the Overbrook High School Varsity Football Field became the Larry Mauriello Varsity Football Complex.^[7]

Extracurricular activities

The clubs offered at Overbrook are African American Culture Club, Audio/Visual Aids, Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Choir and Select Choir, Academic Challenge, Interact Club, International Affairs Club, Leo Club, Multi-Culture Club, National Honor Society, Newspaper Advisors, Overbrook Business Leaders, SADD, Science League, Student Government, Drama Club, Stage Crew, Yearbook Committee, Youth In Government, Book Club.

• The Overbrook Jazz Band has won the NJIAJE State Championship in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2004.
• The Overbrook Jazz Band has been accepted into the NJIAJE State Finals for nearly all of the past 24 years.
• The Overbrook Jazz Band won their division in the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival in 1999, 2004, 2005, 2008 and was one of the top high school jazz bands nationally in 1996.
• The Overbrook Marching Band Percussion Group Won the Tri-State Title of Best Percussion in the season 2004-05 with a score of 19.4/20.0, and won the State Best Percussion Title October 28, 2006 with a score of 19.4/20.0

Alma mater

Dear Senior High, Our thanks we give to you; To friendships we have made while here, We'll fore'er be true

Memories of thee, we will have now, old and new. We sing to thee, our Overbrook: To the Rams, the orange, and blue!

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:^[8]

• Paul Harmelin, Principal
• Doug Endee, Assistant Principal
• Evelyn Simpson, Assistant Principal

Notable alumni

• Henry Joseph Boye, Jr. (Class of 1967), killed in action in the Vietnam War.^[9]
• Matt Cappy, a trumpeter and fixture of recording artist Jill Scott's band.^[10]
• Damien Covington (1972–2002), linebacker who played for three seasons for the Buffalo Bills.^[11]
• Ron Dayne (born 1978), Class of 1996, Division I all-time rushing yards leader (6,397) and 1999 Heisman Trophy winner; NFL Houston Texans running back.^[12][13][14]
• Eric Lewis (born 1973), jazz piano player, who has worked with the likes of Wynton Marsalis.^[15]
• Tim Lenahan (Class of 1977), head men's soccer coach at Northwestern University and member of the South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame.^[16]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Overbrook High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 14, 2011.
2. ^ Superintendent's Message, Pine Hill Schools, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 3, 2009. Accessed March 3, 2011. "Our facilities consist of the Overbrook High School (with the attendance area encompassing the communities of Pine Hill, Clementon, and Berlin Township), Pine Hill Middle School, Dr. Albert Bean Elementary School, and John Glenn Elementary School."
3. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 3, 2011.
4. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
5. ^ Brown, Scott. "Brown Directs Overbrook To Title Td Pass Lifts Rams In Group 4", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 7, 1998. Accessed July 15, 2011. "The play that netted a Group 4 South Jersey football title for Overbrook and capped the school's first perfect season since 1966 was all improvisation. In other words, it was vintage Byron Brown. Brown threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jon Scialabba with 27 seconds remaining yesterday as Overbrook beat resilient Shawnee, 21-14, in a spine-tingling game at Rutgers Stadium. The Rams' sectional title was the first by a Camden County school since Overbrook won a Group 4 title in 1990."
6. ^ Narducci, Marc. "Overbrook's Group 4 Title A Boost For Camden County The Rams Own The County's Only Two Crowns This Decade. Gloucester County Has Won 12 In That Time.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 1998. Accessed July 15, 2011. "Overbrook's thrilling 21-14 victory over Shawnee in the South Jersey Group 4 final not only clinched The Inquirer's No. 1 ranking for the Rams, but it also brought some long-due redemption for Camden County football. Overbrook is the only Camden County public school to win a sectional title this decade. In addition to winning this year's Group 4 crown, the Rams won the 1990 Group 3 title."
7. ^ Davis, G. "Pine Hill Schools District Dedicates the Overbrook High School Football Field to the Larry Mauriello Varsity Football Complex", SouthJerseySports.com, September 9, 2006. Accessed July 15, 2011. "On Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9, the Pine Hill Board of Education and Overbrook Varsity Club held a Dinner and Dedication Ceremony in honor of Coach Larry Mauriello. As of September 9th, the Overbrook High School Varsity Football Field will become the Larry Mauriello Varsity Football Complex."
8. ^ Staff, Overbrook High School. Accessed July 15, 2011.
9. ^ Henry Joseph Boye, Jr., New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial
10. ^ Staff. "SJ Faces: Matt Cappy", Courier-Post, August 15, 2004. Accessed March 3, 2011. "Cappy grew up in Berlin Township and graduated from Overbrook High School."
11. ^ Damien Covington, Database Football. Accessed February 9, 2009.
12. ^ Rose Bowl Legends: Ron Dayne. Accessed December 25, 2006.
13. ^ "Catching up with All-USA Class of 1995", USA Today. Accessed July 25, 2007.
14. ^ All-Time players listing at NFL.com
15. ^ Staff. "TWO NATIVE-SON JAZZMEN SET FOR RETURN ENGAGEMENTS \ PIANIST ERIC LEWIS IS A YOUNG LION ON RISE", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 24, 1997. Accessed March 3, 2011. ""Lewis grew up a loner. Slightly overweight and with few close friends he was often the last to be picked in sports. From seventh grade on he traveled almost 35 miles a day to attend Overbrook Senior High School in Pine Hill where the music instruction was better."
16. ^ Staff. "LENAHAN READY FOR NEW CHALLENGE AT NORTHWESTERN", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 18, 2001. Accessed March 3, 2011. "As far as builders go, Tim Lenahan has earned the reputation as the Bob Vila of men's college soccer. A 1977 graduate of Overbrook High School, Lenahan has turned struggling programs at Richard Stockton and Lafayette into big winners. He's now about to take on his biggest challenge."

External links

• Overbrook High School
• Pine Hill Schools's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Pine Hill Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• South Jersey Sports: Overbrook HS

Coordinates: 39°46′36″N 74°57′57″W / 39.776712°N 74.965858°W / 39.776712; -74.965858