Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest

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Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
Location
150 Knickerbocker Road
Demarest, NJ 07627
Information
School district Northern Valley Regional High School District
Principal Dr. Bruce Sabatini
Enrollment

1,149 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 84.9 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 13.5[1]
Type Public high school
Grades 9 - 12
Athletics conference North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League
Nickname Norsemen
Information 201-768-3200
Homepage School website

Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest is a comprehensive four-year regional public high school serving students from several municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the suburban communities of Closter (559 students), Demarest (343 students) and Haworth (218 students). The school is one of two high schools that are part of the Northern Valley Regional High School District.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,149 students and 84.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 13.5.[1]

The high school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Contents

[edit] Awards and recognition

During the 1994-95 school year, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was awarded 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]

Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was the 16th-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.[5] In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was listed in 1045th place, the 32nd-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[6] Northern Valley is known for implementing a new AP policy in which taking the AP exam is mandatory for anyone enrolled in an AP course. If the student does not take the exam, the student will receive an F for the course.[7] The BOE requires that the students pay the $84/exam, sometimes adding up to $504 when taking six AP exams. The school does not have "honors" equivalent courses in place of these AP courses and students who have consistently taken honors courses are forced into AP courses to keep up their GPA. Furthermore, when taking numerous AP exams, students are not able to focus on two or three and get a 5 on each, but instead must study for six four-hour exams that may cause a lot of stress and a score of a 2 or 3. Ironically, College Board denounces this policy. The controversy has sparked numerous articles and editorials in "The New York Times" and "The Bergen Record".[8]

[edit] Athletics

The Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest Norsemen compete in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, an athletic conference of high schools located in the northern part of Bergen County.

The school offers over 23 sports, which include participation at the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity level (46 teams) in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, as well as 60 co-curricular activities.

The 2000 girls volleyball won the state Group III championship, topping Paramus Catholic High School, 15-8 and 15-7.[9] The 2001 team repeated, defeating Ramapo High School in the finals.[10] The girls took the title again in 2003, over cross-district rival Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.[11] The team took the 2006 Group II title over Chatham High School (25-17, 25-15).[12]

Both swim teams won their respective North I - B state titles, the girls defeating Kinnelon High School 103-67 in the finals and the boys topping Ramapo High School 104-66.[13][14]

The boys basketball team won the 2004 North I, Group III title, edging Teaneck High School, 53-50.[15]

In 2007, the field hockey team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 1-0 win over West Morris Central High School in the tournament final.[16][17]

[edit] Music Department

The Music Department faculty is made up of Mr. Jonathan Harris, Director of Instrumental Music, and Leslie Mac Pherson, Director of Vocal Music. The Music Department presents five public concerts per academic year: The Fall Concert (October), The Holiday Concert (December), The Winter Instrumental Concert (March), The Spring Choral Concert (April), and The Awards Concert (June). The Supervisor of Related Arts is Mr. Evan Cooper.

The Instrumental Department is composed of Concert Band, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Jazz Band, String Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Pit Orchestra as well as select small ensembles. All instrumental ensembles are directed by Mr. Jonathan Harris. The Vocal Department is composed of Freshman Chorus, Sophomore Choir, Concert Choir, Beauty and Barbershop, Bel Canto (a select women's ensemble) and Oriana Singers (a select mixed ensemble.) All vocal ensembles are directed by Mrs. Leslie Mac Pherson.

The ensembles as Northern Valley Demarest have consistently won top honors and awards at yearly festival trips. Recent trips have been to Washington D.C., Virginia Beach, Boston, Orlando, and Philadelphia.

The Marching Band has also won such awards as "Best Music" and "Best Marching" at recent competitions in Northern NJ.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] Administration

  • Dr. Bruce Sabatini - Principal
  • James Santana - Assistant Principal
  • Aixa Abreu - Assistant Principal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 26, 2007.
  2. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 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. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
  7. ^ AP students can't bypass exam, The Bergen Record accessed May 11, 2008.
  8. ^ Mandatory AP Exams Stir Student and Parent Outcry, The New York Times accessed May 11, 2008.
  9. ^ 2000 - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  10. ^ 2001 NJSIAA Girls Volleyball - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  11. ^ 2003 Girls Volleyball - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  12. ^ 2006 Girls Volleyball - Group II, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  13. ^ 2007 Girls Team Swimming - North I - B, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  14. ^ 2007 Boys Team Swimming - North I - B, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  15. ^ 2004 Boys Basketball - North I, Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
  16. ^ "Demarest wins sectional title", The Record (Bergen County), November 4, 2007. Accessed November 12, 2007.
  17. ^ 2007 Field Hockey - North I, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed November 12, 2007.
  18. ^ Biographical Data: Gregory T. Linteris, NASA. Accessed December 26, 2007.

[edit] External links