Walton High School (New York City)

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Walton High School

Established 1923
School type Public
Principal John Tornifolio
Location Bronx, NY 10468
Enrollment 1191
Colors Blue & White
Homepage www.waltonhs.com

Walton High School is a large comprehensive secondary school located in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx borough in. New York.

Walton's colors are sky blue and white. Its motto Semper Fidelis means "always faithful".[citation needed] The school seal is an open book supported by the torch of learning, and the school crest contains the head of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. The wildcat is the mascot used by the Walton's sports teams.

The school is in the same neighborhood as the Bronx High School of Science and DeWitt Clinton High School. It is one of the lower-performing high schools in the city. Walton is operated by the New York City Department of Education.

Contents

[edit] History

Walton High School is named after Mary Walton, whom many considered to have been one of the most beautiful and astounding women of her day. She was the wife of General Lewis Morris, who was a member of the continental congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, as well as one of the first members of New York State's Board of Regents, Mary Walton was the mother of ten children, four of whom fought in the American Revolution. The Walton and the Morris families owned land in the west Bronx from the 1600s until the 1800s. Mary Walton was not just a wife and mother but also ran a "dame school," educating little girls of the colonial period how to read, write, do basic mathematics, and keep a house. Mary Walton was buried next to Saint Ann's Church in the South Bronx.

Mary A. Conlon, an elementary school principal of P.S. 30 (located next to Mary Walton's burial place), founded Walton as one of the first all-girl schools in New York City. The New York City Board of Education accredited Walton as an all-girl high school on April 19, 1923. The first graduation took place in January of 1926 with 126 girls.

In 1930 the current building on Jerome Avenue and West 195th Street was constructed as Walton's new home, using the same structural design as Abraham Lincoln High School and Samuel J. Tilden High School, both in Brooklyn. The school moved to its new home in1932. Conlon continued as principal until her death in 1936, when Marion Cahil Heffernan took over.

Walton was a prestigious all-girl institution throughout much of its history, with a high graduation rate. Its students were often inducted into the Arista honor society. Many of Walton's graduates went on to Ivy League colleges and universities. For many years the school's yearbook was named the Periwinkle, a small blue flower.

In 1966 the school appointed its first male principal, Daniel Feins, and continued as an all-girl school until 1979 when boys were first admitted.

In 1980 Dr. Marjorie Kipp was appointed as the new principal. In 1983 the school's pool was closed due to leaks in the sewer system. In 1984 Phyllis Opochinsky founded the "Pre-Teaching Academy" (students work with other peers with classwork and homework, assist teachers in classrooms, write term papers on their experience in pre-teaching, and earn college credit through Lehman College).

In 1990, Kipp retired and a new principal, Mrs. Nicola Genco was appointed. During her tenure she addressed security issues, employed more than twenty school safety officers and helped gain funds for the school to be renovated. In 1994 the school's $54 million modernization was officially launched and completed in 1998. Genco also oversaw faculty turnover by terminating some teachers and hiring others she deemed more qualified. Programs such as the Pre-Teaching Academy and Humanities aided Walton's a good reputation. Principal Genco and her administration implemented the Walton Plan to target lateness and loitering around campus, and to encourage the faculty to show interest in every student's progress.

In 1998 the School Construction Authority had declared the completion of Walton's renovation. Principal Genco was concerned that not all of the building's modernization were complete. She and the SCA held a meeting and the agency threatened to close the school down. Genco consulted the news media, such as WABC-TV, WNBC-TV, the New York Daily News, etc. She addressed issues like the peeling paint around the building, lack of heat, poor architecture, and the mismanagement of the pool. In 1999, the SCA agreed with Genco shortly before her retirement to repair the school's roof. In 2002 Principal Vallade persuaded the agency to modernize the exterior of the building which was completed in 2005. However, the swimming pool, with mini-coloumns and beautifully tiled, was never repaired despite of the SCA contract. Today the pool is used as a dumping ground for broken or outdated computer monitors and hard drives.

On April 19, 1998 Walton celebrated its 75th anniversary by throwing a birthday party inside the lunchroom and holding a luncheon at Maestro's Restaurant for all the graduating classes throughout the school's history. The Periwinkle (yearbook) also acknowledged the anniversary.

In 1999, Valerie Vallade, an alumna of Walton, was appointed as the sixth principal and increased the graduation rate. She retired in 2002, when Patricia Friedman (former Assistant Principal of English) was appointed as Interim Acting Principal. However, truancy and unlawful activity increased. Allegedly, some faculty members berated Friedman for this and called for her resignation. A new principal, John Tornifolio, took over in 2004. In that year, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department of Education labeled Walton as an "Impact School." More than twenty School Safety Officers were assigned and surveillance cameras around campus.

Walton High School faced a phase-out in 2005 because of overcrowding and criminal activity. Numerous advocates, such as the Walton High School Alumni Association, have failed to persuade the New York City Department of Education to keep the school running. The school will graduate its' final class in 2008.

The school was scheduled to have an all-alumni reunion banquet on April 20, 2007, one day after the school's 84th birthday.


[edit] Organizational houses

In order to provide personal and academic support, Walton is divided into eight theme houses.

  • Apollo House
  • Hercules House
  • Jupiter House
  • Mercury House
  • Orion House (Special Education)
  • Pre-Teaching House
  • Ulysses House
  • Welcome House (for incoming freshmen)

[edit] Demographics

When Walton opened in 1923 the school was 100% White. When Mary A. Conlon died in 1936 the school was 80% White and 20% Black. In the mid-1960s Hispanics started to enroll in sizable numbers, and by the end of the 1960s Walton's ethnic makeup was 40% White, 40% Black and 20% Hispanic.

The school currently has large Dominican, Puerto Rican and African American populations. In recent years there have been ethnic tensions between Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. It's current ethnic makeup is Asian - 3%, Black - 20%, Hispanic - 78%, and White - 2%.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Programs for students

  • Pre-Teaching Academy - Founded in 1984 by Phyllis Opochinsky, students work with other peers with classwork and homework, assist teachers in classrooms, write term papers on their experience in Pre-teaching, and earn college credit through Lehman College. All students must earn a grade of 80 (B) and above.
  • Humanities - Students study in interdisciplinary studies in the arts, history and participate in cultural trips.
  • Business - Computer training, accounting, resume preparation, pre co-op Program, etc.
  • Cooperative Education - Students work one week and attend school the next. It is often a paid internship, and students earn college credit.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

  • Yearbook (Periwinkle) - Founded in 1926 when the first graduating class graduated from the school, the Periwinkle is one of the most unusual and distinct yearbooks in the United States.
  • Performing Arts - Only available to students assigned to Walton. It includes drama, vocal and instrumental music, and art.
  • Cheerleading - Many students (male and female) are in the cheerleading squad. It has won six awards for six consecutive years.
  • Football - Reinstated in 2001, it is not a major city PSAL sport like the other sports in Walton.
  • Step-Team
  • Cross Country - running track
  • Tennis - One of the popular PSAL sport in Walton throughout history.
  • Basketball - Many male and female students participate in this PSAL sport and has won many championships.
  • Baseball - One of the most astounding baseball teams in New York City.
  • Softball - The most outstanding softball team in the United States.

[edit] Student support services

  • SPARK - A citywide drug-sex prevention program open to students from all grade levels.
  • PIUS XII/Good Shepperd Student Services - A community-based program designed for drop-out intervention. The program is conducted by Antonia Campopiano-Ferrara and has been active in Walton since 1991.
  • College Advisory - Provides resources for students who plan to enroll in a college or university.
  • SBST (School-Based Support Team) - Provides personal and academic support to regular and special education students.

[edit] Poems and songs

Revised Version

[edit] Walton, Alma Mater

Walton, Alma Mater dear
Thy sons and daughters rise to bless thee
Voices ringing far and near
The best of mothers fair confess thee
We will ever love thy name
To thee our grateful praise we render
Help us to increase thy fame 
Oh Walton, Alma mater dear.

Original Version

Walton, Alma Mater dear
Thy loyal daughters rise to bless thee
Voices ringing far and near
The best of mothers fair confess thee
We will ever love thy name
To thee our grateful praise we render
Keep us spotless as thy fame 
Oh Walton, Alma mater dear.

[edit] The Loyal Pledge

With gratitude to my parents and school; with interest in my city and with concern for my country, I pledge: As a graduate, to build on my education at Walton High School; as a citizen, to work both alone and with many to improve my city and country; and as an American , to respect my country's hopes and ideals and to support, defend and improve its' constitution.

[edit] Mini-Schools inside the Walton Campus

Official Website

Inside Schools Profile

Inside Schools profile

  • The Kingsbridge International High School - Founded in September 2005 with only four classrooms in Walton, is the sister school of the successful International School in Queens. Like its other sister schools, Manhattan International and Bronx International, Kingsbridge was implemented to help new immigrants in New York learn English through various projects. Most of the students are new to this country and many have had their educational opportunity derailed due to poverty and lack of resources.

[edit] Principals

  • Mary A. Conlon (1923-1936)
  • Marion Cahil Heffernan (1936-1966)
  • Daniel M. Feins (1966-1980)
  • Marjorie J. Kipp (1980-1990)
  • Nicola Provenzano-Genco (1990-1999)
  • Valerie J. Vallade (1999-2002)
  • Patricia Friedman (2002-2004)
  • John Tornifolio (2004-present)

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] External links

v • d • e
New York City Department of Education
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | Region 5 | Region 6 | Region 7 | Region 8 | Region 9 | Region 10
High schools Bronx HS of Science | DeWitt Clinton | HS of American Studies at Lehman College | Walton | West Bronx School of the Future (Theodore Roosevelt Campus) | Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy (BETA, JFK Campus) | Bronx Expeditionary Learning High School (Taft Campus) | Bronx High School of Business (Taft Campus) | Bronx High School for Medical Science (Taft Campus) | Jonathan Levin High School for Media and Communications (Taft Campus) | Belmont Preparatory High School (Theodore Roosevelt Campus) | Fordham High School for the Arts (Theodore Roosevelt Campus) | Fordham Leadership Academy for Business and Technology (Theodore Roosevelt Campus) | Bronx High School for Law and Community Service (Roosevelt Campus) | Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music (Walton Campus) | John F Kennedy High School | Grace Dodge Career and Technical Education High School


Empowerment High schools located in the geographic boundaries of Region 1 Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy | International School of Liberal Arts (ISLA, Walton Campus) | In-Tech Academy | Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice | Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School | Kingsbridge International High School (Walton Campus) | Univeristy Heights Secondary School at Bronx Community College | High School for Teaching and the Professions (Walton Campus) | Marble Hill High School for International Studies (JFK Campus) | Bronx Leadership Academy High School | Bronx Theater High School (JFK Campus) | The Marie Curie High School for Nursing, Medicine, and Allied Health Professions | The Urban Assembly Academy for History and Citizensip for Young Men (Taft Campus) | Explorations Academy | Mott Hall Bronx High School | Validus Preparatory Academy: An Expeditionary Learning School | Bronx School of Law and Finance (JFK Campus) | Dreamyard Preparatory School (Taft Campus) | Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics | Discovery High School (Walton Campus) | Grace Dodge Career and Technical Education High School | Grace Dodge Career and Technical Education High School