City Honors School
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| City Honors | |
 |
|
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 186 East North Street Buffalo, NY 14204 |
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| Information | |
| School district | Buffalo Public Schools |
| Principal | Dr. William Kresse |
| Enrollment |
885 |
| Type | Public Exam School |
| Grades | 5-12 |
| Established | 1975 |
| Mascot Colors |
Centaur Cardinal Red and Silver |
| Newspapers | Quærere and Quest (Previous student newspapers have included Silent Noise, Dimensions, and Triumph, along with the unofficial publications Schism, Seditious Libel and The Liberator) |
| Homepage | Link |
City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park (City Honors, or CHS) is a rigorous college preparatory school in Buffalo, New York. City Honors is part of the Buffalo Public Schools system. The school was founded in 1975 by three faculty members from Bennett High School and Clinton Junior High for academically gifted and talented high school students. In 1975, it was born as an a school-within-a-school program and in one year it became a school of its own.
Today, the school thrives as the 11th best school in Newsweek's 2008 list of "America's Best High Schools." It was ranked 9th in the Newsweek's 2007 list of "America's Best High Schools".[1] Its curriculum includes Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate courses as well as Regents courses required by New York State Education Department. Currently 885 students from grades 5-12 attend the school.
Contents |
[edit] Academics
City Honors School currently offers Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate courses to its high school students. The IB program began in 1989 and graduated its first class in 1991. The IB courses that are offered at City Honors include English A1 HL (Higher Level), Language B (French or Spanish), Economics SL (Standard Level), History of the Americas HL (Higher Level), Biology HL (Higher Level), Physics HL (Higher Level), Mathematics SL (Standard Level), Mathematics Studies SL (Standard Level), and Theory of Knowledge (ToK). The school is currently implementing the Middle Years Program (MYP), which would bring the IB program to grades 5-10 as well.
AP Exams offered at City Honors include: English Language and Composition, English Literature (taken by all sophomores), World History (taken by all sophomores), U.S. History (taken by all juniors), Psychology, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Calculus, Statistics, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, French, Spanish, Music Theory and Studio Art.
Along with these courses, students are required to fulfill all requirements made by the New York State Education Department. At City Honors School, achieving a Regents Diploma is the minimum expectation. It is encouraged that each student acquire at least an 85 on each Regents examination to exhibit mastery.
[edit] Sports
City Honors students participate in a wide variety of varsity and club sports. The list of sports at CHS includes Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Men's and Women's Crew, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's Hockey, Men's and Women's Soccer, Women's Softball, Men's and Women's Swim Team, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, and Men's and Women's Rugby.
City Honors teams are nicknamed the "Centaurs" after Chiron the Centaur, a figure in Greek mythology. The team colors are cardinal red and silver.
City Honors has a long tradition of athletic success:
- The Men's Basketball team won the New York State Class C Championship in 2003, defeating Cooperstown 66-59. In 2002, the team went to the title game but lost to Blind Brook 57-49. [1]
- The Men's Soccer team has won the city championship multiple times, most recently in 2006 and 2007, both penalty shootout victories over rival Grover Cleveland High.
- From 1990 to 1993, the Women's Volleyball team won four straight New York State Class C Championships. [2]
- City Honors is the only public high school in Western New York with its own rowing program. Founded in 1996, the Men's and Women's Crew team has consistently been one of the top teams in the nation, winning several state championships and even a national championship over the last few years. The team has also won medals in several regional regattas, and has participated in the prestigious Stotesbury Cup. Independently of City Honors Crew, members of the team have had success in the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, USRowing Nationals, and one member even made it to the Junior National team. [3]
- The City Honors men's hockey team won the Super Sunday High School Club Hockey Championship in 1990. They were the runners-up in 2007. In addition, they were NYS Small School semifinalists in 2005, and qualified for the NYS Small School Championships in 2006 and 2007. They were West Sectional Quarterfinalists in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
- The men's baseball team has won the Cornell Cup numerous times, most recently in 2003, 2004, and 2005. They were runners-up in 2006, and semifinalists in 2007.
- Former City Honors physical education teacher Drake Francescone--who coached Men's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Men's and Women's Cross Country and Men's and Women's Tennis--is one of only 25 members of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2006. [4]
- City Honors was one of the first high schools in Western New York to have a rugby team[5]. The Men's team won the Division II state title in 2004-05. The Women's team placed well in a national tournament in 2005-06. In January of 2006, Women's Rugby Team alumna Carretta Reese was named to the USA Rugby National Women's Team. [6]
- The Men's Varsity Soccer team won the Buffalo Public Schools city championship in 2007.
- The Women's Varsity Soccer Team has won the Buffalo Public Schools city championship every year.
In September 2005, CHS men's hockey coach Fred Korey, who was also the executive director of Hasek's Heroes, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Korey was forced to stop coaching in February 2006 due to his declining health, but remains the official head coach of the team.
[edit] Clubs and extra-curricular activities
City Honors School has over 35 extra curricular activities and clubs, as seen below.
African Dance, American Field Service (AFS), Amnesty International, Anime Club, AP Chemistry Club, Bible Club, Book Club, Chess Club, Color Guard, Debate, Donate Life, French Film Club, GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance, Gospel Chorus, Helicon Literary Magazine, High School and Middle School Ski Club, J8, Jazz Combo, Junior Chorus, Marching Band, Masterminds, Media Club, NYS Math League, Middle School Chorus, Middle School Orchestra, Middle School Swim Club, Mock Trial, Model U.N., Multi-Cultural Club, Music Coach, Orchestra, Quaerere (School newspaper), Public Speaking, Richmond Speaking, Salsa Dancing Club, Science Olympiad, Select Chorus - High School, SODA/Donate Life, Student Council, Writer's Circle, Yearbook.
On May 18, 2008 City Honors Player's musical "Children of Eden" won several Kenny awards. The show, which was performed in November, won best choral performance, best actor in a leading role (West Richter, Jr. as Father), and best overall production. Winning best overall production includes a $5000 monetary award for the musical theatre department.
[edit] Additional Facts
- The building that houses City Honors is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [7]
- City Honors School has been named top public high school and middle school in Western New York by Business First in every year since the publication began its rankings in 1997.
- The school was named one of the top 50 public feeder high schools in the United States by Worth Magazine.
- In 1951 long time City Honors staff member [she moved with the school when it relocated from School 17 to the new Fosdick Masten location in 1980] Irene McVay was involved in a student-led strike protesting racial segregation in the school system in Prince Edward county, Virginia. The two week strike led to a lawsuit, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became part of the famous Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision.
- Buffalo native and Canisius High School graduate, Tim Russert of NBC's Meet The Press was named an honorary City Honors graduate by Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. James A. Williams on May 22, 2007
- City Honors High School was ranked #4 on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's Top Public High Schools[2] for 2006.
- City Honors High School was named #9 Newsweek Magazine's list of America's Top Public High Schools[2] for 2007.
- City Honors was ranked #11 on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's Top Public High Schools in 2008.
- City Honors began as a program at Benett High School, moved to School 17 and then to its current location in 1980. Fosdick-Masten had been closed for several years when City Honors arrived.
- Mary V. Kiefer was coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program from 1999-2007. She grew the program from an average of 16 IB Diploma Candidates to 48. She was also instrumental in implementing the policy that all juniors and seniors take IB English A1 HL. Sadly, Mary's family, friends, and the City Honors Community lost her to cancer on October 10, 2007.
- The City Honors Foundation was started in the mid 1990s. It is a 401(c)(3) non-profit organization and its purpose is to raise money to benefit the City Honors community. It merged with the City Honors Alumni Association and the Fosdick-Masten Park Alumni Association in 2007.
- The Mary V. Kiefer International Baccalaureate Endowment Fund was created in March 2008. The purpose of the fund is to help the IB program grow and insulate it from possible budget cuts.
[edit] Alumni
Notable alumni from City Honors and Fosdick-Masten Park High School include:[3]
- Distinguished poet Lucille Clifton, Class of '53
- Olympic athlete Bridget Finn, Class of '94, a member of the Women's Synchronized Swimming team that won the gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Buffalo, NY news anchor Mylous Hairston, Class of '83
- Author Jake Halpern, of the critically acclaimed Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truth Behind America's Favorite Addiction, Class of '93
- Richard Hofstadter, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who was often cited as one of the leading public intellectuals of the 20th century, Class of '33
- Kit Klein, Class of '28, a figure skater who won gold medals in the 1932 and 1936 Winter Olympics
- Steve Mesler (bobsleigh), a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team, Class of '96
- Author Connie Porter, Class of '77
- Entertainer Buffalo Bob Smith, the host of the popular 1950s children's show Howdy Doody, Class of '33
- Rexford G. Tugwell, a member of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "Brain Trust" who served as under-secretary of agriculture, Class of '11
- Daniel Ehrenreich, Decorated New York City Police Officer, Class Of '93 see link http://www.nycpba.org/releases/pr061205-finest.html
- William Burton, Class of 1995, Barack Obama's National Press Secretary
- Megan Smith Class of 1982, director of new-business development at Google http://alum.mit.edu/ne/noteworthy/profiles/megan-smith.html
- Diana Mitsu Klos class of 1981, ASNE Senior Project Director http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?ID=6363
[edit] 2007 Human Remains Found
In anticipation of the school reconstruction project, workers dug exploratory shafts in December 2007. This was done because the school building had been built on the site of an old potter's field and there was concern that not all remains had been moved when the school was originally built. Crews did find the skeletal remains of three adults and one infant. It is now believed that, when the 1897 building was built, only the remains directly under the foundation of the building were removed. At the time, those remains were moved to Forest Lawn Cemetery. In May 2008, digging resumed and many human remains were found. Some were stacked on top of each other. They are all being removed in a respectful manner and moved to Forest Lawn for re-interment. [4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Kantrowitz, Barbara and Wingert, Pat. "The Top of the Class", Newsweek, 22 May 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
- ^ a b America's Top Public High Schools, Newsweek Magazine, 2006, 2007
- ^ Notable Alumni from City Honors and Fosdick-Masten Park High School
- ^ Buckley, Eileen. "Remains from 19th Century Discovered at City Honors School", 2007-12-06. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
