East Brunswick High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other schools named Brunswick High School see Brunswick High School (disambiguation).

East Brunswick High School
Location
East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Information
School district East Brunswick Public Schools
Principal Robert T. Murphy
Enrollment

2,298 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 163.3 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 14.1[1]
Type Public high school
Grades 10-12
Motto "Justi, Fideles, Elati"
Accreditation(s) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Mascot "Grizzly" the Bear
Color(s) Green and White
Yearbook Emerald
Newspaper The Clarion
Established 1958
Average SAT Scores (2006-07) 581 Math
537 Verbal
544 Essay[2]
National Merit Scholars (2005) 12 Finalists, 34 Commended
Athletics 25 Teams
Homepage School website

East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It is part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school has been recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program. It consists of grades 10 through 12 and has received accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school motto is "Justi, Fideles, Elati." (Justice, Faith and Joy.)

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,298 students and 163.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 14.1.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

East Brunswick High School opened for the 1958-59 school year. Previously, students living in the Township attended South River High School in neighboring South River. In that first year, the school housed grades six through nine. When the first class graduated in June 1962, the school housed grades eight through twelve. The next year, it became a nine-through-twelve school. Because the school exceeded its intended capacity of 1,700 students, freshmen were dropped into the town's two junior high schools in 1967. Enrollment reached a peak of about 2,600 in 1973 before dropping. By 1990, the school had less than 2,000 students, falling to around 1,700 by 1997. At that point, the enrollment began rising again, to its present total.

Additions to the school were built in 1965, 1971 and 2001, in efforts to ease overcrowding. The 2001 expansion included a second level of classrooms, over the administrative offices; a corridor connecting three "buildings" that had previously been connected only by a covered outdoor walkway; and expanded facilities for the cafeteria, library, arts and athletic departments.

[edit] School day

The school day at East Brunswick High School begins at exactly 7:26 AM and ends at 2:12 PM. It operates its daily bell schedule on a 12 period system. Periods 1, 3, 4, and 12 are 42 minutes long. The 47-minute long Period 2 is homeroom, when attendance is taken and daily announcements are broadcasted. Lunch periods are 5, 7, 9, and 11. These periods are 25 minutes long. Periods 6, 8, and 10 are 17 minutes long and are lunch preparation periods for cafeteria staff. Classes that are in session during these periods are still 42 minutes long. For example, a student with period seven lunch would have classes periods five and six, then go to lunch period seven, head to another class periods eight and nine, and finally class periods ten and eleven. All students get eight blocks to take classes and yet have room for a quite short lunch.

[edit] Academic excellence

First Floor Lobby Of EBHS
First Floor Lobby Of EBHS

East Brunswick High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, during the 1990-91 school year.[3]

In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, East Brunswick High School was listed in 997th place, the 30th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[4] The school was ranked 886th in Newsweek's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the "Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States".[5]

For the 1996-97 school year, East Brunswick 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]

In the April 1996 issue, the high school was cited as best in the state by Redbook Magazine.[7]

During the 2001-02 school year, East Brunswick High School's Intergenerational Program was honored by the Best Practices Program in the state of New Jersey.[8]

East Brunswick High School was the 60th-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.[9]

[edit] Curriculum

In addition to regular, honors, and Advanced Placement classes, the curriculum also includes numerous electives in Humanities, Business, Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Family and Consumer Science, and Technology Education. Two Cooperative Education programs are available, as well as a shared time program at the East Brunswick campus of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High School. Students are encouraged to elect courses outside their major interests. Students may receive credit for private music lessons.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

East Brunswick High School offers a full range of clubs and events. Clubs include Model United Nations, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Key Club, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Math Team, Programming Team, Fencing Club, Women's Club, Clarion (The School Newspaper), Emerald (The Yearbook), Drama Club, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Band, African American Club, Asian American Club, Spanish Club, French Club, German Club, Amnesty International Club, and various honor societies. East Brunswick High School is also one of the growing number of schools in the country that has various religious clubs such as According to Jesus (A2J, formerly known as Bible Club), Islamic Club, Coptic Orthodox Club, and the Jewish Student Union.[10] East Brunswick High school also has a well-received Drama Club. This year they put on the production of The Pirates of Penzance.

[edit] Pay2Play

In the 2006-2007 school year, a Pay2Play policy was implemented for all extracurricular activities. This was due to the situation of the school budget. The cost to participate in a club is $15. For an athletic activity, or an activity needing regular school transportation, the cost is $50. This program has continued into the 2007-2008 school year.[11] However, some clubs have returned to being free. This is likely to continue as long as the annual school budget continues to pass.

[edit] Athletics

The boys volleyball team won the NJSIAA South state sectional championship with a 25-19, 31-29 victory against Southern Regional High School.[12] The team moved on to win the 2007 State Championship, defeating St. Peter's Preparatory School, 25-21, 25-22.[13]

The Lady Bears Bowling Team won the title of Group IV Champions in their 2007-2008, after bowling a 1077 in their last game.

[edit] Grades and Parent Connect

The school district currently has all its staff input their students' grades into a computer program called InteGrade Pro. Students' grades in classes are calculated using this program. At the end of a quarter, the grades are exported by teachers to administration, where they are formally presented to the parents/guardians of students through a formal report card.

Grade Point Average Calculations are weighted three different ways: Standard scale, Honors Scale, and AP scale.

Standard GPA Scale[14]

Grade GPA Value
A+ 4.3
A 4.0
A- 3.7
B+ 3.3
B 3.0
B- 2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1.0
D- .7
F 0

The Honors Scale transposes GPA values to their respective letter grades by a factor of 1.15, while the AP scale transposes by a factor of 1.25.[14]

At any point during the school year, class assignment scores and averages are viewable from home through an internet gateway known as Parent Connect. Each student has his/her designated username and password for this utility. As teachers enter grades from assignments into InteGrade Pro in school, students may view them from home.[14]

[edit] SAT mean scores and National Merit semifinalists

 This section does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Verbal Math Semifinalist Commended
2001 541 583 5 41
2002 546 590 12 40
2003 549 593 9 44
2004 551 586 12 34
2005 543 583 9 30

[edit] 50th Anniversary

In the 2008-2009 school year, EBHS will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. In celebration, the name "Grizzly" was selected for its mascot, the Bear. The school stadium, Jay Doyle Field, has been renovated with artificial turf, a new track, and other minor enhancements.

[edit] School prayer controversy

East Brunswick High School was briefly involved in a controversy involving school prayer, in which football coach Marcus Borden conducted team prayers at pre-game meals and before opening kickoffs. These team prayers were held during Borden's 22 years as coach and are said to have started before his tenure. Although the issue has been resolved, it was given much attention by the district as well as the state for a few weeks. Borden has subsequently filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.[15]

In April 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that Bowden could not bend his knee or bow his head with the team, overturning a July 2006 District Court verdict that allowed him to do so while team captains were leading prayers, noting that observers would be endorsing religion by bowing or kneeling during student-led pre-game prayers.[16]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d East Brunswick High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 13, 2007.
  2. ^ East Brunswick High School 2006-07 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 4, 2008.
  3. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  4. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
  5. ^ Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States, Newsweek May 8, 2006.
  6. ^ New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 1996-97 school year, East Brunswick High School, accessed May 26, 2006.
  7. ^ A Message from the Principal, accessed January 13, 2007.
  8. ^ Intergenerational Studies: Linking Senior Citizens and High School Students, New Jersey Department of Education, accessed January 13, 2007.
  9. ^ "Top Public High Schools in New Jersey" (Schools 51-100), New Jersey Monthly, September 2006, backed up by Internet Archive as of March 10, 2007. Accessed March 5, 2008.
  10. ^ East Brunswick High School: Clubs and Organizations, accessed July 6, 2006.
  11. ^ Maine Center for Sport and Coaching, accessed October 9, 2007.
  12. ^ 2007 Boys Volleyball - South, NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.
  13. ^ 2007 Boys Volleyball - State Final, NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.
  14. ^ a b c EBHS Student Handbook 2007-2008. Accessed October 9, 2007.
  15. ^ Borden May Pursue Legal Remedy on Team Prayer: Grid coach returns, agrees to obey law, Home News Tribune, October 18, 2005.
  16. ^ Kelley, Tina. "Coach in New Jersey Cannot Pray With Players", The New York Times, April 16, 2008. Accessed April 17, 2008.
  17. ^ Dedrick Dodge, database Football. Accessed December 8, 2007.
  18. ^ Ross, Mary Anne. "‘Same sweet kid,’ but now he’s a movie star: Jesse Eisenberg, 23, tells local audience about his roles in major films", Old Bridge Suburban, December 14, 2006. Accessed December 9, 2007. "Growing up in East Brunswick, Eisenberg attended the Frost and Hammarskjold schools and Churchill Junior High School. He went to East Brunswick High School for one year before switching to a performing arts school in New York."
  19. ^ Josh Miller player profile, New England Patriots, accessed April 7, 2007. "Lettered in football, basketball and track at East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, N.J."
  20. ^ Heather O"Reilly profile, United States Olympic Committee, accessed April 7, 2007. "Three-time All-American at East Brunswick (N.J.) H.S. and National Player of the Year as a senior"
  21. ^ Aaron Yoo profile, Flixster. Accessed April 1, [[2008].

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Torrey Pines High School		 National Academic Championship champion
1994		 Succeeded by
Governor's School