Mahwah High School

Mahwah High School
Location
50 Ridge Road Mahwah, NJ 07430
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1959
School district	Mahwah Township Public Schools
Principal	John P. Pascale
Asst. Principal	Linda Bohny
Faculty	76 (on FTE basis)[1]
Enrollment	1,019 (as of 2009-10)
Student to teacher ratio	13.41[1]
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Columbia Blue      Black
Athletics conference	Big North Conference
Nickname	Thunderbirds
Website	School website

Mahwah High School (MHS) is the four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Mahwah, Bergen County, New Jersey, operating as the only high school of the Mahwah Township Public Schools. The school is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1962.^[2]

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,019 students and 76 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.41.^[1]

Awards and recognition

The school was the 56th-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 68th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[3] The school was ranked 46th in the magazine's 2006 rankings.^[4]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 70th in New Jersey and 2,033rd nationwide.^[5]

History

Construction on the $3.25 million campus-style facility began in August 1958, with 13 buildings spread out over 20 acres of the 62 acre property to accommodate 600 students from Mahwah and Allendale. Delays in starting the work meant that the initial set of classrooms would not be available until November 1958, with completion of the 1,200-student capacity facility due for February 1959. Before the buildings opened, the district rented space from Ramsey High School, with Allendale and Mahwah students who had already started in the Ramsey district remaining there until graduation. With the opening of the high school, the Mahwah district's elementary schools were changed from K-8 to K-6, with the new high school serving students in grades 7-12.^[6]

In May 1963, voters in Allendale and Upper Saddle River approved a referendum to create Northern Highlands Regional High School, with the expenditure of $3.65 million to build a facility on a 40-acre site, with plans to complete the building in time to start classes in September 1965.^[7] The Northern Highland school building, completed at a cost of $4 million, was dedicated in February 1966.^[8]

The first all-Mahwah graduating class was in 1967.

The present school building was constructed in 1984 with three floors on the site of the original school, with an addition completed in "March 2005" (along with the expansion of Ramapo Ridge Middle School), according to a plaque in the new wing.^[9]

In Fall 2009, the Freshman Advisory, a full year freshman transition program, was implemented. Freshman Advisory is a required course for all freshman students, and it is taught by upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) and supervised by the high school faculty. The following topics are addressed: study and organizational skills, time management, coping skills, peer pressure, Habits of Mind, and college/post-secondary planning.^[10]

Advanced Placement offerings

Mahwah High School offers 18 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which include AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science, AP Economics (includes one semester of macroeconomics and one semester of microeconomics), AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP European History, AP French, AP Music Theory, AP Physics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art, AP Psychology and AP US History. In the 2009-10 school year, 128 students participated in Mahwah High School's AP course offerings, taking a total of 258 examinations that year of which 87% achieved a grade of 3 or higher.^[11]

Schedule

In September 2007, Mahwah High School instituted a "rotating-drop schedule." Under the "rotating-drop schedule," students attend three 55-minute classes before and after lunch, for a total of six classes per day. The "rotating-drop schedule" has created a "unit lunch" - a 43-minute period in which all students eat lunch.

Athletics

Mahwah's athletic and other teams are called the "Thunderbirds". Mahwah High School now competes in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.^[12] Prior to the 2010 realignment, Mahwah was one of the member schools of the Bergen County Scholastic League, competing in the American Division.

Sports listed with an asterisk (*), although they are technically two teams that compete and score separately, usually practice and have their events with each other.

• Fall sports: Cross country (boys)*, Cross country (girls)*, Football (boys), Soccer (boys), Soccer (boys), Soccer (girls), Tennis (girls), Volleyball (girls), Marching Band and Fall Cheerleading.
• Winter sports: Basketball (boys), Basketball (girls), Bowling (boys)*, Bowling (girls)*, Ice hockey (boys), Track (boys)*, Track (girls)*, Wrestling (boys) and Winter Cheerleading
• Spring sports: Baseball (boys), Golf (boys)*, Golf (girls)*, Softball (girls), Tennis (boys), Track (boys)*, Track (girls)*, Lacrosse (boys) and Lacrosse (girls)

Boy's lacrosse

On May 9, 2010, the boys varsity lacrosse team defeated Bergen Catholic High School in the BCCA Lacrosse Championship 10-6 to win a county title in only its second year of varsity existence.^[13]

Girl's soccer

On November 20, 2010, the girls varsity soccer team defeated Arthur L. Johnson High School in the NJSIAA Group II state finals, with a final score of 3-1.^[14] The team had made it to the 2009 NJSIAA Group II State Finals, before losing 2-1 in overtime to Haddonfield Memorial High School.^[15]

Extra-curricular activities

The following are some of the extra-curricular activities offered at Mahwah High School:

• Ani-Pals
• Art Club
• Athletes in Action
• Audio-Visual Club
• Calliope (literary magazine)
• Current Events Club
• Environmental Club
• Executive Student Council
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• French National Honor Society
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Junior Classical League
• Marching Band
• Mock Trial
• Model United Nations
• Multi-Cultural Club
• National Honor Society
• Omni Club
• Philosophy Club
• Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies (REBEL)
• Robotics Club FIRST Robotics Competition
• Science National Honor Society
• Spanish National Honor Society
• Stage Crew
• Ski Club
• Step Dance
• Student Council
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
• Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE)
• Thunderbird (yearbook)
• Tom-Tom (school paper)
• Ultimate Frisbee Club
• Interact
• Wood Tech Club
• Young Politicians Club

Additionally, freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior class activities are offered.

Mock Trial

The Mock Trial Team is one of the most successful public schools in the county winning two Bergen County titles, in both 2008 and 2011.^[16] They also made an appearance in a third final, when they lost to Bergen Catholic High School in 2010.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:^[17]

• Principal - John P. Pascale
• Vice Principal - Linda Bohny

Notable alumni

• Curt Blefary (1943-2001), American League Rookie of the Year, 1965.^[18][19]
• Frank Chamberlin (born 1978), NFL linebacker with the Houston Texans.^[20]
• Brad Fischetti (born 1975), member of the pop band Lyte Funky Ones.^[21]
• Kevin Haslam (born 1986), NFL offensive tackle with the Jacksonville Jaguars.^[22]
• John Hollinger (born 1971), basketball analyst and writer for ESPN.com.^{[citation needed]}
• Bob Kratch (born 1966), former guard for the New York Giants and New England Patriots.^[23]
• Gregg Lalka (born 1975), Emmy Award-nominated reporter / weather anchor for ABC affiliate, KXTV, in Sacramento, California.^[24]
• Chris Wragge (born 1970), news anchor for WCBS-TV.^[25]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Mahwah High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 10, 2011.
2. ^ Mahwah High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed June 10, 2011.
3. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2011.
4. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
5. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Mahwah High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 11, 2011.
6. ^ Staff. "MAHWAH BUILDING A CAMPUS SCHOOL; 13 Buildings of Junior-Senior High Will Occupy Only 20 of Site's 62 Acres", The New York Times, August 3, 1958. Accessed August 21, 2011.
7. ^ Staff. "2 Jersey Towns Approve New Regional High School", The New York Times, May 26, 1963. Accessed August 21, 2011.
8. ^ Robbins, William. "Jersey School Is Equipped for Space Age Library Has Glass Walls", The New York Times, March 27, 1966. Accessed August 21, 2011.
9. ^ Mission and Belief Statement: Profile, Mahwah High School. Accessed July 30, 2008.
10. ^ Freshman Advisory Curriculum, Mahwah Board of Education approved, February 2009
11. ^ Profile 2010-2011, Mahwah High School. Accessed March 7, 2011.
12. ^ League Memberships – 2011-2012, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 21, 2011.
13. ^ Staff. "Mahwah 10, Bergen Catholic 6", The Star-Ledger, May 9, 2010. Accessed June 10, 2011. "Mark Glicini scored three goals and assisted on two others and Ryan Magner sank three goals and had one assist to power top-seeded and undefeated Mahwah to the Bergen County Tournament championship on Sunday in Franklin Lakes. Mahwah (15-0) is only in its second varsity season and first with head coach Ernie Yenco."
14. ^ Chapman, Brian. "Mahwah 3, Johnson 1 (High school Girls Soccer scores and results), The Star-Ledger, November 20, 2010. Accessed August 21, 2011. "Truglio, with a little help from classmate Jordyn Davis, scored her second goal of the game with just under four minutes remaining to propel Mahwah, No. 15 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a 3-1 victory over upstart Johnson in the NJSIAA/The Sports Authority Stores Group 2 championship match yesterday at The College of New Jersey in Ewing."
15. ^ Staff. "Girls Soccer - 2009 NJSIAA Tournament - Group 2, Public Semis/Finals - Round 2 - Game 1 - Girls Soccer ", The Star-Ledger, November 21, 2009. Accessed August 21, 2011. "After the slick forward gathered a rebound of her initial shot, her delicate cross to the far post found an unmarked Johnston, who calmly scored from six yards with just over four minutes elapsed in the first overtime to lift Haddonfield to a 2-1 victory over Mahwah, No. 19 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, yesterday in the NJSIAA/Investors Savings Bank Group 2 final before 600 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing."
16. ^ Boucicaut, Barbara. "Mock trial team keeps eyes on the prize", Mahwah Suburban News, March 3, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2011.
17. ^ Welcome Page, Mahwah High School. Accessed June 10, 2011.
18. ^ Curt Blefary biography page, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed July 16, 2010.
19. ^ Goldstein, Richard. "Curt Blefary, 57, Outfielder And A.L. Rookie of the Year", The New York Times, January 30, 2001. Accessed June 14, 2011."A native of Brooklyn, Blefary was a high school baseball and football star in Mahwah, N.J., and signed with the Yankees in 1962 for a reported $40,000 out of Wagner College on Staten Island."
20. ^ Frank Chamberlin player profile, NFL Players Association, accessed April 11, 2007. "Attended Mahwah High School, where, as a senior, two-way football star he rushed for 900 yards and 14 TDs while logging 114 tackles with 6 forced fumbles … Also as a senior, won state shot put championship."
21. ^ Ivry, Bob. "LFO, A K A VIPS -- BOY BAND DU JOUR HITS THE ROAD WITH BRITNEY SPEARS", The Record (Bergen County), February 26, 2000. Accessed March 23, 2008. "Brad Fischetti, 1993 graduate of Mahwah High School and one-third of the platinum-selling singing combo LFO, is not too proud to admit that he thinks the teen vixen is 'really cute.'"
22. ^ Sargeant, Keith. "Kevin Haslam thinks versatility helped him make Jaguars roster", Home News Tribune, September 7, 2010. Accessed January 25, 2011.
23. ^ Bob Kratch, database Football. Accessed January 25, 2011.
24. ^ Bio for Gregg Lalka, KXTV News10. Accessed April 23, 2008.
25. ^ Chris Wragge profile, WCBS-TV, accessed April 11, 2007. "Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Wragge attended Mahwah High School in Bergen County."

External links

• Mahwah High School
• Mahwah High School's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Mahwah High School, National Center for Education Statistics
• The Mahwah Schools Foundation
• The Mahwah 10k Race

Coordinates: 41°05′28″N 74°09′24″W / 41.091033°N 74.156778°W / 41.091033; -74.156778