Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan
Location
100 Central Avenue Old Tappan, NJ 07675
Information
Type	Public high school
Motto	We strive for the best!
School district	Northern Valley Regional High School District
Principal	Fred Hessler
Asst. Principal	Richard Orso Javier Rabelo
Faculty	90 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	1,348 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	14.98[1]
Color(s)	Blue      and Gold
Athletics conference	Big North Conference
Nickname	Golden Knights, NVOT
Newspaper	'The Lance'
Website	School website

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan is a comprehensive four-year regional public high school serving students from several municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the suburban communities of Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan.^[2] Students from Rockleigh attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.^[3] The school is one of two high schools that are part of the Northern Valley Regional High School District.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,348 students and 90 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.98.^[1]

The high school is overseen 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 1965.^[4]

Awards and recognition

For the 1994-96 school years, Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education^[5], the highest award an American school can receive.^[6][7]

The school was the 30th-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 18th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[8] The school was ranked 25th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.^[9]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 29th in New Jersey and 1,051st nationwide.^[10] The school was ranked 829th, the 23rd-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools.^[11]

Extracurricular activities

The school offers a variety of sports, social and academic club activities.

Athletics

The school offers 60 co-curricular and intramural activities as well as over 23 sports, which include participation at the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity level (46 teams) and 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] The school had previously competed in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League.

The Boys' Basketball team won the 2006 North I, Group III tournament, defeating West Milford High School by a final score of 56-54.^[13]

The 2007 Girls' Basketball team won the North I, Group III sectional championship, topping Teaneck High School 56-48 in the final game.^[14]

The 2007 Girls' Volleyball team won the NBIL league title ending with a record of 21-3.^[15] The 2010 Girls Volleyball team won the Tournament of Champions, having already won the county, sectional and Group III titles, earning recognition from The Record as having "proved that they're the best team in New Jersey."^[16]

The 2008 Baseball team won the North I, Group III sectional title over Montville High School^[17] before winning the school's first ever New Jersey Group III State Championship with a 16-4 victory over Wall Township.^[18][19] The team repeated as North I, Group III sectional champions in 2009.

The 2010 Boy's Basketball team won the North I, Group III tournament, defeating Teaneck High School by a final score of 49-47.^[20]

The 2010 Wrestling team won the Bergen County Championship, with senior Mike Shannon, at 285 lbs., becoming the school's first county champion in 20 years.^[21]

The Old Tappan girls volleyball team finished the 2010-11 season with a record of 26-1, winning the Bergen County championship and the Group III state tile, on their way to winning the program's first Tournament of Champions with a two-game sweep of Ramapo High School in the tournament final, 25-20 and 25-12.^[22]

The Old Tappan Boys Track and Field Team Won The 2011 NJSIAA Group 3 Championship 4x400 Meter Relay, and continued onto finish 3rd At the NJSIAA State Meet Of Champions

Music department

The Music Department faculty is made up of Curt Ebersole, Director of Instrumental Music, and Janine Nehila, Director of Vocal Music. The department presents six public concerts per academic year: The Fall Instrumental Concert, The Fall Vocal Concert, The Holiday Concert, The Prism Concert, The Spring Choral Concert, and The Awards Concert. The Supervisor of History and Music is Mr. Ron Romano.

The Instrumental Department is composed of Concert Band, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Jazz Band, and String Ensemble as well as select small ensembles. The Vocal Department is composed of Freshman Chorus, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers (a select mixed group), and the All-School Glee Club (run by a student choir council). All vocal ensembles are directed by Janine Nehila.

Clubs

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan prides itself on offering a wide variety of 50 extracurricular clubs, that are run by students and have faculty advisers. The most popular clubs are Model United Nations, National Honor Society, and Ski Club. The Model United Nations club is the high school's fastest growing club since 2007. The National Honor Society hosts various events during the year and also offers peer to peer tutoring. The Ski Club offers students trips to various ski locations to learn how to ski and snowboard. In order to create a new club, a petition must be created and submitted to the principal, Fred Hessler.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include:^[23]

• Fred Hessler - Principal
• Richard Orso - Assistant Principal
• Javier M. Rabelo - Assistant Principal
• Thomas Kaechele - Athletic Director

Noted alumni

• Craig Beardsley (born 1961), American & World Record Holder, who held both the World and American Record for the 200m Butterfly in swimming. He is also a nine-time US National Champion, two-time NCAA Champion, and two-time Pan-American Games Champion who never swam at the Olympic level due to the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.^[24][25][26]
• Cory Booker (born 1969), elected Mayor of Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2006.^[27]
• Rob Debrino (1974), minor league pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.^[28]
• Jeffrey Maier (born 1984), best known for deflecting a ball in play during Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles.^[29]
• Frank Messina (born c. 1968), poet and author.^[30]
• Dan Pasqua (born 1961), All-American OF at William Paterson University and former professional baseball player for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.^[31]
• Rob Segedin (born 1988), drafted in the third round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees.^[32]

See also

• Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, which serves students from Closter, Demarest and Haworth.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 7, 2011.
2. ^ Home Page, Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan. Accessed July 29, 2011. "Welcome to Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, home of the Golden Knights. Old Tappan is one of two high schools in the Northern Valley District. Our students reside in the towns of Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan."
3. ^ Rockleigh Public Services, Rockleigh, New Jersey. Accessed November 7, 2009.
4. ^ Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed July 7, 2011.
5. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
6. ^ "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
7. ^ "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
8. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 3, 2011.
9. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
10. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan", The Washington Post. Accessed August 4, 2011.
11. ^ Staff. "America's Best High Schools: The List", Newsweek, June 13, 2010. Accessed March 26, 2011.
12. ^ League Memberships – 2010-2011, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 4, 2011.
13. ^ 2006 Boys Basketball - North I, Group III, NJSIAA, accessed March 19, 2007.
14. ^ 2007 Girls Basketball - North I, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed April 28, 2007.
15. ^ Old Tappan Volleyball. Accessed July 7, 2011.
16. ^ Vasquez, Andy. "Volleyball Team of the Year: Old Tappan", The Record (Bergen County), December 8, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Old Tappan accomplished every one of its goals this season, winning the Bergen County, North Group 3, State Group 3 and Tournament of Champions titles. It’s an impressive run that makes Old Tappan the North Jersey Girls Volleyball Team of the Year. And along the way, the Knights also proved that they’re the best team in New Jersey."
17. ^ 2008 Baseball Tournament - North I, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed August 18, 2008.
18. ^ Baumiller, J. C. "Golden Knights cop first state title", Northern Valley Suburbanite, June 18, 2008. Accessed August 18, 2008. "Under Coach Tim Byron, the NVOT Knights have become a prestigious athletic team in baseball. Key Players: Eric Katzman (Michigan) Ali Caravella (Junior) and Tim Fougere (Senior)."
19. ^ 2008 Baseball Tournament - Public Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed August 14, 2008.
20. ^ Staff. "Old Tappan 49, Teaneck 47", The Star-Ledger, March 8, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Thomas Messina scored 19 points and Sammy Elias added 11 as Old Tappan edged Teaneck, 49-47, for the NJSIAA/ShopRite, North Jersey, Group 3 title last night in Old Tappan.The victory puts Old Tappan in tomorrow's Group 3 state semifinal against Mendham at 7:30 p.m. at East Orange. It also avenged its one-point loss to Teaneck in last year's sectional semifinal round."
21. ^ 2010 All-Bergen Wrestling, Bergen County Coaches Association, March 25, 2010. Accessed August 23, 2011. "Michael won the District 8, Region 2, and BCCA championships, becoming Old Tappan’s first county champion since 1991 and helping the school to its first overall title."
22. ^ Vasquez, Andy. "Old Tappan captures Tournament of Champions volleyball title", The Record (Bergen County), November 21, 2010. Accessed August 23, 2011. "Old Tappan won its first Tournament of Champions title on Sunday, beating Ramapo, 25-20, 25-12, at William Paterson."
23. ^ Contact Us, Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan. Accessed August 4, 2011.
24. ^ USA Swimming - History/Coaching Legends
25. ^ Swim Across America.
26. ^ Glimpsing the Divine through Sports
27. ^ Home Is Where the Heart Is, Education Next, 2006 No. 4, accessed December 6, 2006.
28. ^ Czerwinski, Kevin T. "DEBRINO SETTLES INTO THE PRO LIFE", The Record (Bergen County), November 24, 1993. Accessed July 7, 2011. "It isn't "Bull Durham," but Rob DeBrino is happy just the same. The former Northern Valley at Old Tappan baseball star just finished his first full season in pro ball with an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and his progress has been remarkable."
29. ^ 2006 Baseball Media Guide, p. 7. Wesleyan University, accessed March 19, 2007.
30. ^ Poetry Night At Jimmy's Cafe, Harlem Live. Accessed October 7, 2007. "He is an Italian American, from New Jersey who attended Northern Valley Regional High School and St. Thomas Aquinas College."
31. ^ "ANOTHER CHANCE WHITE SOX GAMBLE BY PLAYING PASQUA", [[The Record (Bergen County)|]], October 6, 1993. "You might remember Dan Pasqua, star for Northern Valley at Old Tappan, Division III All-American for two years at William Paterson College, third-round draft pick of the Yankees."
32. ^ Rowe, John. "Old Tappan's Rob Segedin signs with Yankees", The Record (Bergen County), August 13, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Rob Segedin always has dreamed of playing for the Yankees. He just might in the near future. A third-round pick in the June draft, Segedin, the Tulane third baseman from Old Tappan, has signed with the Yankees for a $377,500 bonus."

External links

• Northern Valley Regional High School District
• Northern Valley Regional High School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Northern Valley Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics

Coordinates: 41°00′36″N 73°58′28″W / 41.01001°N 73.974414°W / 41.01001; -73.974414