Chatham High School (New Jersey)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chatham High School
Location
255 Lafayette Avenue
Chatham Township, NJ, 07928
USA
Information
Principal Darren Groh and Michael LaSusa
Enrollment

880 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 66.0 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 13.3[1]
Type Public high school
Grades 9–12
Campus Suburban
Nickname Cougars
Color(s) Blue and White
Established July 1988
Homepage School website

Chatham High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school located at 255 Lafayette Avenue in Chatham Township, in Morris County, New Jersey. It is part of the School District of the Chathams. The school serves students in grades 9-12. The new regional high school, serving two municipalities, was dedicated at Lafayette Avenue after the creation of the School District of the Chathams on July 1, 1988, and joined the Lafayette Elementary School on its original site. The two schools share performing arts facilities.

The name of the new high school continues the tradition of its predecessor, which was located previously on Fairmount Avenue adjacent to the train station in Chatham in a historic early twentieth century Gothic Revival building that still bears the name on its façade. Secondary level students from Chatham Township were bussed to it and, later to a senior high school on Main Street, for many years under the auspices of the former, Chatham Board of Education.

From 1966 through 1988, Chatham Township students attended the newly constructed Chatham Township High School on Lafayette Avenue where Chatham High School is today. CTHS had as its mascot the Gladiator and CHS the Eskie. The two schools were strong rivals at Homecoming games for the twenty-two years they were separate high schools.

Today the school mascot for the combined Chatham High School is the Cougar.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 880 students and 66.0 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 13.3.[1]

The school will have two principals, beginning with the 2006-07 school year, a change approved by the Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams on June 5, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Awards and recognition

For the 2004-05 school year, the high school was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education[2], the highest award an American school can receive.[3][4]

Chatham High School was ranked 12th out of New Jersey's 316 public schools in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[5]

[edit] Organizations and extra-curricular activities

[edit] JSA

Junior State of America is the Chatham High School chapter of the national Junior State of America program, a club devoted to student political action. The club meets to debate political issues and encourage grassroots action in the political process.

[edit] PAWS

Peers Adjusting With Support is an organization of upperclassmen who help freshmen adjust to some of their new high school activities. Its members organize an annual field day, in which all freshman must participate. PAWS is a mandatory program for freshman but juniors and seniors are selected to be PAWS leaders.

[edit] TATU

Teens Aagainst Tobacco Use is an organization whose members are against any and all tobacco use in Chatham High School and the surrounding areas. They visit elementary and middle schools in the school district to discuss the dangers of tobacco use with younger students.

[edit] SADD

Students Against Destructive Decisions is an organization whose members help students cope with everyday problems and decisions.

[edit] Marching Band

Chatham High School has an award-winning marching band led by Brian Conti. With 62 Members, the CHS Marching Band falls into Group 3 Open in USSBA classification. In 2007, the band performed several songs composed by Danny Elfman, including themes from Batman, Beetlejuice, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, and the theme from a popular videogame titled Fable. The 2007 marching band is led by drum majors Beth Maliszewski and Vaughn Sulit.

In 2006, the marching band performed Invitation to a Wedding, a story-telling performance about the day of a wedding, from the ceremony through the reception. Songs played included Here Comes the Bride, YMCA, and Everlasting Love, among several others, led by Peter Evans, Haley White, and Greg Bukata. In 2005, the marching band performed Arabian Nights, including the songs Arabian Nights, 1,001 Stories, and Bacchanalle led by Frank Gulino and Ed Bradley.

Other songs performed by the Chatham High School Marching Band in previous years include Birdland, Touched by Fire, Rootbeer Rag (Composed by Billy Joel), Estancia, Joy,and America (from West Side Story).

[edit] Theatre

Chatham High School has an active theatre program. Next year they will be peforming "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the fall and TBA in the spring. This year they performed the 1930's comedy You Can't Take It With You in the fall and Disney's "High School Musical" in the spring. Directed by Michael Beckwith. During the 2006-07 season, they performed The Adding Machine in the fall and The Pajama Game in the spring. Directed by Kathleen Aiellos. In the 2005-06 season, they performed Twelfth Night in the fall, which was directed by Laura Russo and The Wizard of Oz in the spring. Directed by Jeff DePicciotto.

[edit] Athletics

The boys basketball team won the 2007 Group II NJSIAA State Championship, defeating Pascack Hills High School 67-53 in the semifinals and topping Haddonfield Memorial High School 48-42 in the finals.[6]

The boys tennis team won the North II, Group II state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over West Essex High School.[7]

The boys cross country team won the 2006 North II, Group II state sectional championship and the 2006 Morris County Championship.

The girls soccer team won the 2004 Group II NJSIAA State Championship, defeating Cinnaminson High School in the finals.

The 2008 Boys Tennis Team won the North II, Group II state sectional championship with a 4-1 win in the tournament final over Mountain Lakes High School.[8]

[edit] Administration

  • Darren Groh and Michael LaSusa, Co-principals
  • Lori Gironda, Dean of Students
  • Julie Patterson, Director of Student Personnel Services

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Craig Benson - Governor of New Hampshire from 2003-2005.[9]
  • Ben Bailey - Cash Cab Class of 1988 & current US Cash Cab host.[10]
  • Peter Fleming (1955-), former professional tennis player who won the New Jersey high school individual championship in 1972, during his junior year.[11]
  • Ben Massam - Distance runner, Nike Outdoor Nationals Champion in the 5,000m Run for the 2006 school year, Class of 2006.[12]
  • Matt Hart - Young Hockey Prodigy. Was drafted in 2004 by Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Youngest American to don a russian super league jersey at the age 20. Was killed in 2006 by the Russian Mofia while dinning in Moscow with Evegine Malkin[13]
  • James G. Madison - "Mad Hatter" bank robber, class of 1975.[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Chatham High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 27, 2007.
  2. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 Through 2005, accessed May 15, 2006.
  3. ^ 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."
  4. ^ 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."
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ 2007 Boys Basketball - Public Group Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed May 29, 2007.
  7. ^ 2007 Boys Tennis - North II, Group II, NJSIAA. Access June 1, 2007.
  8. ^ 2008 Boys Team Tennis - North II, Group II, NJSIAA. Accessed June 2, 2008.
  9. ^ Chatham NJ High School Reunions, accessed April 19, 2007.
  10. ^ [1], accessed June 22, 2007.
  11. ^ Best Boys Tennis Team of the Century, The Star-Ledger. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  12. ^ Underwood, Steve. "Ben Massam and Bona Jones are first two NON champs", Dyestat. Accessed July 10, 2007. "The boys race was larger and more competitive, with an equally impressive champion in Chatham NJ sr Ben Massam with his 14:48.73. Massam started in 9:34, but closed in 4:40 for his final 1600."
  13. ^ Chatham NJ High School Reunions, accessed April 19, 2007.
  14. ^ 'Mad Hatter' bank robber gets 10 years

[edit] External links