Bridgewater-Raritan High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bridgewater-Raritan High School | |
 |
|
| Pursuing Excellence in Education | |
| Established | 1995 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public high school |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Principal | James Riccobono |
| Location | Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, United States |
| Students | 2,452 |
| Athletics | tennis, football, baseball, boys lacrosse, girls basketball Etc... |
| Colors | black and silver, with red serving as an accent color |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Website | http://brrsd.k12.nj.us/brhs/hsindex.html |
Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the single high school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students from Bridgewater Township and Raritan in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Because of its wide breadth of service, it is one of the larger schools in the state.
In 2004-2005, the most recent year for which data[1] is available, 2,452 students attended BRHS.
Contents |
[edit] History and symbols
Until the 1950s, high school students from the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District attended Somerville High School. In the late 1950s, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was constructed. Increasing enrollments in the early 1960s led to the construction of a second high school, which was named Bridgewater-Raritan High School East, while the original high school was renamed Bridgewater-Raritan High School West. The schools operated separately until the early 1990s, when a downward cycle in enrollments led to their consolidation into a single high school. High School West was expanded and updated over a period of several years, during which all of the district's high school students attended what had been High School East. In 1995, the former High School West reopened as the new consolidated Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and High School East became the district's Middle School. The elementary schools surrounding BRHS are all designed the same. From a birds eye view they are all in the shape of an E. Now the high school has added an electronic sign that some feel is unnecessary and a new building.
The mascot of BRHS is the panther. BRHS's school colors are black and silver, with red serving as an accent color. Recently there has been much debate over this matter among the student body and sports fans. The red in uniforms of the past has been mostly replaced by black, white and silver. The football, baseball, boys lacrosse, girls basketball, and various other teams have eliminated red from their uniforms. A minority of teams, including boys basketball and boys cross country, have continued use of red as an accent color.
The high school's football field is named "Basilone Field", named for John Basilone, a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor who grew up in Raritan. On the wall of the field house next to the field is a mural honoring Basilone.[2]
The high school currently has many ongoing clubs and activities, including a Forensics Speech and Debate Team. In the past, they have had students qualify for the National Championship, as well as students win the State Championship.
The high school offers a plethora of classes ranging from AP European history to Introduction to Culinary Arts I. With all the classes that Bridgewater-Raritan offers it's no wonder that their students graduate with a well rounded education.
The athletic department at Bridgewater offers many different activities for boys and girls which makes it very easy to get involved there.
[edit] Awards and recognition
During the 1999-2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education[3], the highest award an American school can receive.[4][5]
For the 1997-1998 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve[6].
BRHS is one of only three high schools in the state of New Jersey to have received both awards.[7]
Bridgewater-Raritan High School was the 83rd-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.[8] In previous years, the school had been ranked in the 20's in the same ranking. Following publication of the 2006 New Jersey Monthly article, the school's principal issued a public statement explaining changes in the magazine's ranking methods that altered the school's standing, and generally criticizing the ranking methodology.[9].
[edit] Administration
Core members of the school's administration include:[10]
- Dr. James Riccobono - Principal
- Dr. Mark Morrell - Assistant Principal, 9th Grade
- Mr. Roy Dragon - Assistant Principal, 10th Grade
- Mr. Joseph Sicola - Assistant Principal, 11th Grade
- Mr. James Argondizzo - Assistant Principal, 12th Grade
[edit] References
- ^ 2004-2005 School Report Card (see link under "External links")
- ^ Marines join together to honor one of their own, The Reporter, September 6, 2004
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006
- ^ 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."
- ^ 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."
- ^ BRHS' entry in the Star School winners' database, accessed May 23, 2006
- ^ About Bridgewater-Raritan High School, accessed May 23, 2006
- ^ Top Public High Schools in New Jersey: 51-100, New Jersey Monthly, September 2006
- ^ Memo from James C. Riccobono, Principal, accessed October 26, 2006
- ^ Administrators at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, accessed February 6, 2007
