Brentwood High School (Brentwood, New York)

Brentwood High School is a secondary school in Brentwood, New York. It is one of the largest high schools in New York State, on the southern shore of Suffolk County, Long Island. Thomas O'Brien, formerly a science teacher [http://www.brentwood.k12.ny.us/HTMLpages/pow_wow_online/Nov_dec_PowWow.pdf Brentwood High School "Pow Wow", November/December 2006.] Accessed 01 January 2007.] , is the current principal.

History

1951-1980

The first class to graduate from Brentwood High School was the class of 1957. Prior to this, public school students in the district attended Bay Shore High School.

From 1974 to 1989, the student body was large enough that the two primary buildings, Ross and Sonderling, were treated as two distinct high schools. Students from North Junior High School and West Junior High School fed into Sonderling, while students from East Junior High School and South Junior High School fed into Ross. The graduating classes for the years 1980 through 1984 were around 700 each for Ross and Sonderling. By 1987, it had dropped to 450 each.

Brentwood High School was the site of the Maslow-Toffler School of Futuristic Education [ [http://www.maslowtoffler.com/ Maslow-Toffler School of Futuristic Education alumni website] ] , an alternative high school, from 1974 to 1983. [http://www.farmingdale.edu/~kramerpr/globaltech/GlobalTech-GIS/presenters.html Geographic Information Systems: a Tool for Success] ]

In 1975, WXBA-FM was founded at Brentwood High School. WXBA's first general manager was experienced Long Island radio personality Bob Ottone [Nash, Collin. "In Tune With Long Island High School Radio." "Newsday", 28 May 2000.] , now the public address announcer for the Long Island Ducks. The initial output of WXBA was ten watts (which means that the signal barely made it to the Brentwood/Central Islip border three miles east of the school under some conditions), then was upgraded in the summer of 1981 to 180 watts. Students would undergo a training program, usually during the summer between ninth and tenth grade, as DJ's, news readers, and engineers.

Brentwood High School established an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC) in 1977. As of the fall of 2006, it was one of only two Long Island high schools to offer the program. [http://www.bufsd.org/BdofEd/Bulletin/BBulletinOCT_06.pdf "Brentwood Bulletin", October 2006.] Accessed 01 January 2007.]

The Associated Press reported in 1980 that, a week after the principal, Stanley P. Yankowski, instructed homeroom teachers to take down the names of students who do not stand for the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the practice was stopped after a teacher complained to the New York Civil Liberties Union"Principal to Stop Listing Those Sitting for Pledge." Associated Press, 10 October 1980.]

1981-1990

In May 1983, Robert Wickes, a 1977 graduate of Brentwood High School who had become a teachers' aide at East Junior High School, took several students hostage, wounded the EJHS principal, Stephen Howland, and then fatally shot himself.McFadden, Robert D. "Hostages at L.I. School Are Freed, and Gunman Then Kills Himself." "The New York Times", 17 May 1983.] Barron, James. "Last Hostage Recounts the Violent End of Siege at L.I. School." "The New York Times", 19 May 1983.] Toufexis, Anastasia. "Delving into Deep Pockets." "Time", 13 June 1983.]

WXBA moved to expanded facilities in the newly-built G. Guy DiPietro Learning Center"School Roundup." "Newsday", 28 October 1987] during the 1988-89 school year.

The Brentwood Science Olympiad team competed in the New York State Science Olympiad tournament held at West Point on April 16, 1988. According to "Newsday", " [t] he team finished second in Suffolk County, third on Long Island and 13th out of 147 schools in the State of New York.""School Roundup." "Newsday", 27 April 1988.]

In 1988, Brentwood's AFJROTC unit was named honor unit by the U.S. Air Force. "Only the top 20 percent of all units in the nation are considered for recognition as honor unit. In addition, Lt. Col. Arthur Bennett and Master Sgt. James Waide have been named outstanding instructors," according to a "Newsday" report."School Roundup." "Newsday", 21 December 1988.]

"Newsday", the mainstay Long Island newspaper, awarded Brentwood High School the High School of the Year Award in 1989.

1991-2000

In 1991, Katti Gray wrote in "Newsday":

"A 4-by-8-foot wooden plaque, painted white and festooned with a painted yellow bow, hangs in a foyer of Brentwood High School. It lists the names of 313 who serve in Operation Desert Storm -- most of them men and women who grew up or live in the Brentwood and North Bay Shore areas.
The plaque carries the names of reservists and full-time soldiers, first-class privates and colonels, a West Point graduate or two, soldiers with a family history of military service and poor people for whom enlistment was the only way to earn a living."Gray, Katti. "The Americans Who Went to War: Brentwood Community Is Filled With Prayers and Pride For Its Hundreds in the Gulf." "Newsday", 3 March 1991.]

In January 1993, John T. McQuiston reported in "The New York Times" that Matthew Hunter, a former student, had been shot and wounded during a basketball game between Brentwood and arch-rivals Sachem.

"Anthony Felicio, president of the Brentwood School Board, said he planned to take steps to assure that 'nothing like this would ever happen again.'
Mr. Felicio and other officials decided at a meeting [January 6] that they would require students to show their school identification cards before entering sporting events." [McQuiston, John T. "School Upset By Shooting Of Teen-Ager During Game." "The New York Times," 7 January 1993.]

The incident is cited in Todd Stasser's book "Give a Boy a Gun".Stasser, Todd. "Give a Boy a Gun." New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2000. ISBN-10 0689811128 ISBN-13 978-0689811128]

In 1999, 56 solar panels were installed on the Ross Building [ [http://www.nypa.gov/services/profiles/rosssolar.htm New York Power Authority website] ] .

2001-present

In 2004, "The New York Times" reported that Brentwood would be one of four Long Island school districts (the others being Hempstead, Lawrence and Manhasset) that would be audited by the state comptroller in the wake of charges of theft made against school administration officials in Roslyn. [O'Donnell, Michelle. "Scrutiny Born of Roslyn Scandal Turns to District High in Need and Low on Capital." "The New York Times", 20 September 2004.]

On Veterans' Day in 2005, "Newsday" covered the dedication of a memorial to 15 graduates of the high school who had died during the Vietnam War.Tabatchnick, Cara. "Brentwood Honors Brothers in Arms." "Newsday", 13 November 2005.] From top to bottom, the names and graduation years are: Richard P. Lancaster, Jr. (1960); Jose Vazquez (1963); Edward LaBarr (1964); James Seidensticker (1965); Peter Colicchio (1966); Frank Sardina (1965); Nicholas Fritz (1965); Michael Cacciuttolo (1966); Gary Guasp (1964); Daniel Hommel (1965); Joseph Funk (1964); Lawrence Soltan (1966); David Scolnick (1966); John Rosa (1968); and Thomas Wynne (1967).

In October 2006, Brentwood High School's Green Machine won in the category of "Large School III" at the New York State Field Band Conference in Syracuse, New York. With a score of 83.75 they defeated their rivals Walt Whitman Wildcats, and the Sachem Flaming Arrows.fact|date=December 2007

On October 28, 2007, the Green Machine completed an undefeated season by defending its New York State Championship in Large School III at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. For 2 consecutive years the Brentwood Green Machine has won the NYSFBC Governors Cup. In 2007, they went undefeated at 9 competitions across the island and at Arlington H.S. They won once again at the Carrier Dome with a score of 86.10.fact|date=December 2007

General knowledge

chool Information

Brentwood High School is among the nineteen elementary and secondary schools in the Brentwood Union Free School District In Suffolk, NY. Brentwood High School educates students from grades 10-12 (9th graders attend the Brentwood Freshman Center) and also has an adult continuing education programs. According to city-data.com, the school has a total of 3532 students attending: 1371 from 10th grade, 991 from 11th grade, 806 from 12th grade, and 275 from adult continuing education. The high school has two auditoriums, two gymnasiums, and six cafeterias. The school is divided into 3 centers, Ross center, Sonderling center, Dipietro learning center. Students that came from East or South middle schools go to the Ross center and students who came from West and North middle schools go to the Sonderling center. The Dipietro learning center holds art and music classes. It also has a weight room and a gym, as well as a lecture center, where students go to attend lecture.

Notable alumni

1961-1980

* Leonard H. Tower Jr., a founder of the Free Software Foundation (graduated in 1967) [ [http://www.art.net/Studios/Hackers/Tower/bio.html Home web site of Leonard (Len) H. Tower Jr.] ]
* Jack Scalia, actor (graduated in 1969) [Ketcham, Diane. "About Long Island: At the Repository of High School Memories." "The New York Times," 12 February 1995.]
* Mitch Kupchak, former basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers (graduated in 1972)"Nets Have Kupchak on List." "The New York Times," 6 May 2000.] [http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/kupchak_feature_010510.html More than just Luck] ]
* Frank Urso, member, Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Hall of Fame and National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Forbes, John B. "At Johns Hopkins, Lacrosse Is No.1." "The New York Times", 10 April 1983.] [http://www.uslacrosse.org/museum/halloffame/view_profile.php?prof_id=218 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame website] ] [Ungrady, David. "Tales from the Maryland Terrapins." Sports Publishing, 2003. ISBN-10: 1582616884 ISBN-13: 978-1582616889 ] (graduated in 1972)

1981-2000

* Rahadyan Sastrowardoyo, staff editor, "The New York Times" (graduated in 1981)
* James "Buddy" McGirt, boxer (graduated in 1982)
* Parrish Smith, rapper; also performed as part of the group EPMDKaufman, Bill. "Girding Students Against Violence at Brentwood HS." "Newsday", 25 February 2001.] (graduated in 1986)
* Hartriono B. Sastrowardoyo, journalist [http://app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/COMMUNITY/701200317/1065/COMMUNITY Sastrowardoyo, Hartriono B. "Autistic Students Benefit From Riding Program." "The Asbury Park Press", 20 January 2007.] Accessed 23 January 2007.] (graduated in 1987)
* Craig Mack, rapper (graduated in 1988) [Samuels, Anita M. "Icon of Rap World at Home on the South Shore." "The New York Times," 29 January 1995.]
* Jai Rodriguez, member of Queer Eye (graduated in 1997)
* James McGirt Jr., boxer (graduated in 2000)
* Justin Fehntrich, guitarist of acclaimed Long Island rock band Idle Vice.(Graduated 2001)

External links

* [http://www.brentwood.k12.ny.us/HTMLpages/HighSchool/hsindex.html Official site.]
* [http://www.brentwoodalumni.net/brentwoodalumni/ Brentwood Alumni Student Association]
* [http://www.lischoolrant.com Long Island School Rant Forums]

Notes