West Essex High School

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West Essex High School
"Dedicated to Academic Excellence and Social Responsibility."
Location
West Greenbrook Road
North Caldwell, NJ 07006
Information
Principal Barbara Longo
Enrollment

727 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 62.0 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 11.7[1]
Type Public high school
Athletics conference Iron Hills Conference
Nickname Knights
Color(s) Black and red
Newspaper Wessex Wire
Established 1951
Information 973-228-1200
Homepage School website

West Essex High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in North Caldwell, New Jersey in the United States. The high school is part of the West Essex Regional School District, which serves students from four municipalities in western Essex County. Communities served by the district's schools are Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland.[2]

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 727 students and 62.0 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 11.7.[1]

Contents

[edit] Awards and recognition

West Essex High School was the 34th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[3]

[edit] School history

The history of the West Essex Regional School District began in the fall of 1951 while students from the District – Caldwell Township (present day Fairfield), Essex Fells, North Caldwell, Roseland – were accepted by Caldwell High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Soon it became apparent that the present and future educational needs of the area needed to be determined as scientifically as possible, and the four school boards in the District joined with that of Caldwell-West Caldwell to retain the Rutgers University Extension Service for that purpose. Their survey predicted 1,200 junior-senior high school students in the District by 1961.

The first comprehensive study was submitted in 1956. It recommended the consolidation of the five school districts and all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade. The communities, however, were reluctant to carry the recommendation into effect. Then the Rutgers educators suggested the formation of a regional school district for grades 7-12 for Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and Roseland.

Subsequently, in June 1957, each of the four towns appointed two citizens to serve on a study committee. With the assistance of the Essex County Superintendent of Schools, and other officials, the committee completed a report by the following September.

The study committee recommended that a referendum be held in the four towns to seek the approval of voters concerning the formation of a regional school district. The New Jersey Department of Education approved the move, and by December 1957 the referendum was passed by the voters.

Shortly thereafter, the first Regional District school board of nine members – two each from Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and three from Roseland.

In February 1958, the Regional Board of Education was elected by the voters, with Wallace S. Jones of Essex Fells as its first president.

At about this time a Citizens School Curriculum Advisory Committee was established to determine the educational needs of the District and make curriculum recommendations to the Board of Education. Dr. Ulrich V. Solmssen was chairman of the 15-member committee.

On March 26, 1958, this Curriculum Committee issued a progress report which was superseded by its final report submitted on April 15, 1958.

The latter report contained several “basic principles” which the committee desired to see adopted for the new high school. Among these principles were “education for all, excellence of performance though self-discipline, independent thinking, and a sense of ‘true values”. Also stressed were a staff of high quality, adequate guidance, the grouping of students, availability of electives, insistence on effective English, and a broad extracurricular program.

The report also recommended that three types of curricula be offered: College Preparatory, General Academic, and Commercial.

In July 1958 voters authorized $290,000 for a 73-acre site, of which 60 acres lay in North Caldwell and 13 in Caldwell Township. The site is located between Grandview and Passaic Avenues, directly north of Greenbrook Road, about 25 miles outside of New York City (West Essex Yearbook 1961).

[edit] Bomb Scare Era

During 2006 – 2007 there was a rash of nine bomb scares at the Senior High School as well as an anthrax scare on September 11th 2006 all of which went unsolved. On March 11th, 2008 at 11:45 A.M. note was found in the men's bathroom at the Senior High School. As a result police from North Caldwell, Fairfield, West Caldwell, Caldwell, Essex Fells, Roseland, Livingston, the Essex County Sheriff's Department, and the New Jersey State Police were summoned to the school. The school remained in lockdown till 3:25 P.M.

About a week later on March 20th the suspect a 15 year old juvenile from North Caldwell was detained by authorities in Roseland, NJ while walking along the side of a road. He was transferred into the custody of the North Caldwell police department and charged with "causing a false public alarm, causing the risk of widespread injury, unlawful possession of a weapon, criminal mischief and marijuana possession. He was arrested after a police search of his room turned up pellet guns and ammunition" according to Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow. It was also claimed his room was securley locked, and under his desk there where notes written of violence and Satan.[4][5]

[edit] Extracurricular activities

West Essex Regional High School provides many opportunities for students, from theater, to numerous clubs, to athletic programs.

The West Essex High School Knights compete in the Iron Hills Conference, an athletic conference made up of high schools located in Essex County, Morris County and Union County in New Jersey. The Iron division is often regarded as one of the most competitive in the state.

  • Football - 1980 North Jersey Section II, Group IV Conference Champions and State Champions, and Ranked 1 in State of New Jersey , North Jersey Section II, Group II State Champions 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
  • Boys lacrosse- 2004 Appearance in State Championship, 2004 Waterman Division Champions, 2004 Essex County Tournament Finalists, Ranked number 4 in New Jersey in 2004. 4 consecutive New Jersey State Tournament appearances, 2005 State Championship appearance, (2nd Straight)
  • Girls lacrosse- 2003 Group 2 State Champions, appeared in Overall State Title Game, Ranked 7th in The nation[citation needed], 2004 Ranked Number 5 in New Jersey, Essex County Champions.
  • Field hockey- 16 Shut-out Victories, Ranked #1 in Essex County, Ranked #2 in New Jersey, Iron Hills Conference Champions, Essex County Champions, Section 1 Group 2 State Champions (2005-2007). On November 19, 2006, The West Essex field hockey team lost the 2006 Tournament of Champions, falling to Eastern High School by a 2-1 score.[8] In 2007, the team won the North I, Group II state sectional championship with a 4-1 win over Newton High School in the tournament final.[9] The team moved on to win the Group II State Championship with a 4-0 win over Madison High School in the semis and a 3-1 win against Camden Catholic High School in the finals.[10]
  • Baseball- In 2006, the team was seeded # 15 in the 74th Greater Newark Tournament, the West Essex Knights defeated #2 Nutley High School, #10 Montclair Kimberley Academy, #3, East Side High School, and #1 Seton Hall Preparatory School (Championship Game), en route to the school's first ever GNT Championship.
  • Softball
  • Fencing
  • Track
  • Boys basketball
  • Girls basketball
  • Wrestling- First Place in Garfield Tournament.
  • Ice hockey- 2004 NJSIAA Public School State Champions.
  • Boys soccer- 2000 State Champions and Essex County Champions, 2004 Iron Hills Conference Champions 17-2-2 record.
  • Girls soccer 2005 North I, Group II State Sectional Championships, Essex County Champions Ranked 20 overall in New Jersey.
  • Boys Tennis Back to back Group II State champions in 2000 and 2001. 2006 Ranked 10th in New Jersey.
  • Girls Tennis
  • Golf - Complied an 88-0 dual match record from 1980 through 1983. 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2007 Iron Hills Conference Champions, 2007 Group II State Sectional 2nd Place, 1983 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions 6th Place Overall, 2007 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions 8th Place Overall
  • Boys Volleyball
  • Girls Volleyball
  • Swimming- Completed 2007-2008 season with new coach Jake Taylor, with an improved record from previous years.
  • Marching Band In 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 the West Essex Marching Knights have been ranked by TOB as one of the top 25 Bands on the East Coast.2007 They were also the TOB chapter X champions in 2004 and 2005. The 2007 Marching Band placed 9th place in the Atlantic Coast Championships. Never in West Essex History has the Marching Band placed top 10 in ACCs.
  • Roundtable literary magazine has won multiple awards from Columbia Scholastic Press Association and other literary organizations
  • Milestone yearbook

Additionally, there are many academic-based clubs (i.e. Italian Club, Robotics Team) and service-oriented clubs such as WE CARE (environment), WE HELP (community service), and WE STOP (peer leadership)

[edit] Administration

  • Principal - Barbara Longo
  • Vice Principal Juliann Hoebee and Ray Rotella
  • Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
  • Director of Guidance and Student Services - Jayne Bembridge
  • Director of Special Services - Judith Ulchinsky

[edit] Alma Mater

Knights of West Essex, Proudly We Stand
 Striving for glory; honor we demand.
 Fighting for victory, we'll always be
 True to West Essex with Strength and Loyalty
 Hail to West Essex, long may you reign;
 Our Alma Mater, we uphold your name.
 Schools have their banners, some dull or bright,
 But we'll always show our pride for the
 Wessex RED and WHITE.

[edit] West Essex in popular culture

West Essex is mentioned in the HBO hit series The Sopranos. North Caldwell, the town where Tony Soprano and his family reside in the show, is also where West Essex is located. The line "I went to high school at West Essex" is muttered prior to some one being whacked.[citation needed]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Notable faculty

  • Lynn Bailey (Credited Poet, Studied with Poet Laureate Billy Collins)
  • Jeff Boyd (Nationally renowned History Teacher/Specializing in Genocide)
  • Jill Cosse (Nationally recognized Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach)
  • Timothy Glenn, 2004 New Jersey boys lacrosse coach of the year.[18]
  • Tom Kenny (NJ Girls' Basketball Coach of the Year)
  • Rod Trafford (NFL Player St. Louis Rams)
  • Bill Wosilius (NFL Player, St. Louis Cardinals)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d West Essex High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 30, 2007.
  2. ^ West Essex Regional High School 2007 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2008. "West Essex High School is located in North Caldwell and serves the four area sending districts of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland."
  3. ^ "Top Public High Schools in New Jersey", New Jersey Monthly, September 2006, backed up by Internet Archive as of April 29, 2007. Accessed March 5, 2008.
  4. ^ Moore, Elizabeth. "West Essex schools locked down after threat of violence.", The Star-Ledger, March 11, 2008. 24 Mar. 2008
  5. ^ Moore, Elizabeth. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/arrest_made_in_west_essex_hs_l.html "15-year-old arrested after West Essex school lockdown." The Star-Ledger, March 24, 2008. 24 Mar. 2008
  6. ^ Reilly, Sean. "Hayek, Agrifolio power West Essex's repeat", The Star-Ledger, December 3, 2007. Accessed December 3, 2007. "And last night, he completed his career in supreme fashion, by rushing for two touchdowns in the first quarter as his team, ranked 15th in The Star-Ledger Top 20, defeated No. 18 Morris Hills, 27-6, for the NJSIAA/Gatorade North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 championship at Giants Stadium."
  7. ^ 2007 Football - North II, Group II, NJSIAA. Accessed December 3, 2007.
  8. ^ 2006 Field Hockey Tournament - Tournament of Champions, accessed November 26, 2006
  9. ^ 2007 Field Hockey - North I, Group II, NJSIAA. Accessed November 12, 2007.
  10. ^ 2007 Field Hockey - Group Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed November 13, 2007.
  11. ^ Lewis, Michael. "Just one of the guys: to MetroStars coach Bob Bradley, success comes from creating a positive, friendly environment—something his new club sorely needs", Soccer Digest, March 2003, accessed April 28, 2007. "Born in Montclair, NJ., Bradley's interest in the game began when an assistant soccer coach asked him to try out for the varsity team at West Essex High School."
  12. ^ Strauss, Robert. " ON TELEVISION; It's Not a Back Lot, It's Northvale", The New York Times, October 1, 2000, accessed April 28, 2007. "Ed provides for a sort of homecoming for Mr. Burnett, who grew up in North Caldwell and attended West Essex High School."
  13. ^ Courting fame, The Record (Bergen County), April 23, 2006
  14. ^ Christian Ferrara, DT, Syracuse, USA Today, accessed April 28, 2007. "Attended West Essex (N.J.) High, playing football for coach Dave Drozjock"
  15. ^ So Jersey, He Deserves His Own Rest Area, reprint of article from the New York Times, August 7, 2005
  16. ^ Pace, Eric. "Michelle Thomas, 30, Actress On TV Soap Opera and Sitcoms", The New York Times, December 28, 1998. Accessed October 30, 2007. "She was born in Boston, Mass., grew up in Montclair, N.J., and graduated from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J."
  17. ^ The Century's Best -- Field Hockey, The Star-Ledger, October 3, 1999. "In 1991, Vizzuso became only the fifth freshman at West Essex to start on varsity in Alimi's 32 years of coaching."
  18. ^ Kinney, Mike. "Boys lacrosse -- COACH OF THE YEAR: W. Essex prospers under Glenn", The Star-Ledger, June 20, 2004. Accessed June 11, 2008.

[edit] External links