Westfield High School (New Jersey)

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Westfield High School
Location
550 Dorian Road
Westfield, NJ, USA
Information
School district Westfield Public Schools
Principal Dennis Fyffe (Interim)
Vice principal Joan Carrion
Doug Sanford
Lynn Muir
Enrollment

1,789 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 141.6 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 12.6[1]
Type Public high school
Grades 9-12
Campus Suburban
Athletics conference Watchung Conference
Accreditation(s) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the New Jersey Department of Education
Team name Blue Devils
Color(s) Blue and White
Yearbook the Weather Vane
Newspaper Hi's Eye
Folio Literary Magazine
Established 1953
Information 908-789-4500
Homepage School website

Westfield Senior High School, or simply, Westfield High School (abbreviated as WHS) is the only public high school located in Westfield, in Union County, New Jersey and is part of the Westfield Public Schools. It was established in the early 1900s at its original location on Elm Street until 1953 when it was moved to its current location on Dorian Road. The new wing designated for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and other sciences was completed in 2003. Westfield High School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the New Jersey Department of Education. This high school publishes New Jersey's only weekly uncensored student newspaper, one of the few uncensored school publications in the entire country.[2]

Contents

[edit] Awards and recognition

Westfield High School was the 22nd-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.[3]

The school was listed in 691st place nationwide in Newsweek's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States.[4]

[edit] Courses

Westfield High School offers a comprehensive program of some 165 different courses and 17 Advanced Placement Programs (AP) classes. Some of these classes include business, fine arts, music, and practical arts. Advanced Placement classes are available in AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP Spanish Literature, AP French Language, AP Latin Literature, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science AB, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, AP European History, and AP Psychology. 86% of the AP Exams taken in 2004 yielded a grade of "3" or higher. More than 75% of the students study one or more of the five languages available. In 2005, eight students were National Merit Scholarship Program Semi-Finalists and 18 students received Letters of Commendation.

[edit] Student body

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,789 students and 141.6 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 12.6.[1]

The ethnic breakdown of the school is 86.3% Caucasian, 4.9% Black, 3.3% Hispanic, and 5.4% Asian or Pacific Islanders. 80% of the students participate in co-curricular activities, including 60 different co-curricular activities and 27 varsity athletic teams. The average SAT scores are a 560 on the Verbal/Critical Reading section and a 577 on the Math section. 11 students received a perfect score. 93.7% of the graduating class of 2004 went on to receive a more advanced education, with 83.7% at four-year colleges and 8.3% at two-year colleges.

[edit] Teachers and classes

Classes can be small, with class sizes averaging at 15-20 students, but as one moves to honors and Advanced Placement courses, class size increases, sometimes with up to 30 students. Teachers offer online help such as activities, notes and PowerPoint presentations, all organized by the Technology Department. Some teachers' websites have received more than 800,000 pageviews.[5]

[edit] Student publications

The Westfield High School students produce a number of different publications, including the weekly Hi's Eye student newspaper (and monthly Iris Entertainment section), which has gained national recognition for more than thirty years. It is the only non-censored, self-funded high school newspaper in New Jersey.[2] Hi's Eye is run by three tri-editors and an editor for the Iris Entertainment section. The newspaper maintains its independence through subscriptions, community sponsors, independent fundraising and advertising. The Iris Section is a monthly insert. Since 1983, Westfield High School students have operated a local access cable television station producing award-winning live and single-camera productions. In addition, the literary magazine Folio, the Weather Vane yearbook, and original theatre scripts are also produced by the students.

[edit] Varsity sports

Westfield High School has 27 varsity athletic teams, including baseball, boys and girls' basketball, boys and girls' cross-country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, boys and girls' lacrosse, boy's and girls' soccer, boys and girls' swimming, boys and girls' tennis, softball, spring track & field, volleyball, wrestling, and winter track, among others.

Westfield High School participates in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference consists of eleven public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County.

The Girls Swimming Team won the 2007 NJSIAA Group IV State Championship.

The boys tennis team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship with three successive 5-0 wins over Phillipsburg High School, J. P. Stevens High School and ultimately Bridgewater-Raritan High School in the tournament final.[6] The team won the 2007 NJSIAA Group IV State Championship, defeating West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South 3-2 in the final match.[7] The team moved on to win the Tournament of Champions, defeating Tenafly High School and Newark Academy 4-1 each in the semifinals and finals, respectively. The win gave the team its fifth Tournament of Champions (or equivalent) victory, with previous wins in 1957, 1978, 1986 and 1987.[8]

The boys swimming team won the 2007 North II - A state sectional championship, topping Bridgewater-Raritan High School 93-77 in the tournament final.[9] The girls swim team duplicated the feat with a 113-57 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.[10] In 2008, for the first time in school history, both teams won the NJSIAA Public A State Championships in the same year, with the boys defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School 109-61[11] and the girls defeating Bridgewater-Raritan 102-68.[12]

The 2004 softball team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a 1-0 victory over J. P. Stevens High School in the tournament final.[13]

Westfield is a traditional power house in boys and girls swimming. The boys have won 21 State Championships and 51 Union County Titles.

[edit] Clubs and organizations

The school has numerous clubs and organizations, including: Project 79, Academic Challenge Team, Anime Club, Art Club, Asian Awareness Club, Astronomy Club, Awareness Club, Chess Club, Christian Awareness Club, Cooking Club, Crafty Creations, Creative Writing Group, Debate Club, Drama Club, Euterpe, Fed Challenge Team, French Club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA), German Club, Girl's Learn International Club, Habitat for Humanity, Health and Fitness Club, Historical Miniature Gaming Club, Homeless Pet Advocacy Club, Iraq Survey Group, Italian Club, Junior Optimist Club, Key Club, Knitting Club, Knowledge Master Team, Latin Club, Latino Heat Dance Team, Living Poets Society, Math League, Mock Trial Team, Model UN, Music Service Club, Objectivist Club, Photography Club, Physics Club, Psychology Club, RadioWHS, Roller Hockey Club, Rotary Interact Club, Science Olympiad Team, Spanish Club, Stage Design Club, Student Council, Video Club, Tolkien Order, Transition Project, Triathlon Club, Ultimate Club, Variety Show Club, Weather Club, Young Democrats, Young Independents, Young Republicans, Troupe, Marching Band, Jazz Band and Youth and Government Club.

Westfield High School also has a renowned drama and music department. They have performed shows in the past like Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, 42nd Street, Big The Musical, Children of Eden, The Pirates of Penzance, Plain and Fancy, Jesus Christ Superstar,How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and most recently Anything Goes. Two shows are put on a year, a fall drama and a spring musical.

[edit] Westfield High School Television

Westfield High School Television (or WHS TV) broadcasts 3 1/2 days a week on Channel 36. WHS TV operates out of Room 135 at the high school and provides Westfield school-related programming including: Board of Education meetings and informational programs, high school sports and concerts, original student projects from Westfield High's TV Production classes, as well as other programs from the school district. The principal of WHS exercises prior review of students' newscasts.[citation needed]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Westfield High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 7, 2007.
  2. ^ a b News 12 crew puts focus on the Hi's Eye, Record-Press, March 8, 2007. "Hi's Eye is one of the few high school newspapers in the country and the only one in New Jersey that produces a weekly uncensored issue".
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ The Complete List: 1,200 Top U.S. Schools, Newsweek May 8, 2006, accessed April 14, 2007.
  5. ^ Ms. Molly Phelan's website, which has more than 800,000 hits.
  6. ^ 2007 Boys Tennis - North II, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed June 7, 2007.
  7. ^ 2007 Boys Tennis - Public Group Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed May 27, 2007.
  8. ^ Karn, Jeff. "No. 1 Westfield captures T of C championship, 4-1", The Star-Ledger, June 1, 2007. Accessed June 1, 2007. "Chu's 6-1, 7-5 victory at third singles against Greg Holtzman helped Westfield (30-0), No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, finish a perfect season with a 4-1 victory over No. 8 Newark Academy yesterday at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.... Westfield, which became just the fifth program to win the T of C since its inception in 1992, won All-Groups titles, the equivalent of the T of C, in 1978, 1986 and 1987 and an overall state title in 1957."
  9. ^ 2007 Boys Team Swimming - North II - A, NJSIAA. Accessed June 4, 2007.
  10. ^ 2007 Girls Team Swimming - North II - A, NJSIAA. June 4, 2007.
  11. ^ 2008 Boys Team Swimming - Public North II - A, NJSIAA. Accessed May 22, 2008.
  12. ^ 2008 Girls Team Swimming - Public North II - A, NJSIAA. Accessed May 22, 2008.
  13. ^ 2004 Softball - North II, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed July 16, 2007.
  14. ^ Charles Addams - Cartoonist, Bbc.co.uk, May 7, 2002.
  15. ^ The Virginia Apgar Papers: Biographical Information, accessed December 31, 2006.
  16. ^ George, Thomas. "FOOTBALL; Giants Sign Dave Brown", The New York Times, August 13, 1992. Accessed March 4, 2008. "Brown, who starred at Westfield High School in New Jersey, initially planned to play another season at Duke, but changed his mind after the regular N.F.L. draft in April and decided to enter his name in the supplemental draft."
  17. ^ Chiefs Sign P Steve Cheek, Kansas City Chiefs press release dated October 13, 2004.
  18. ^ Goldblatt, Jennifer. "IN PERSON; Trapped In the 30's, On the Radio", The New York Times, January 11, 2004. Accessed January 16, 2008.
  19. ^ Kevin Kelly -- Chronology, accessed April 14, 2007. "Graduated from Westfield High School, Westfield NJ."
  20. ^ Durbach, Elaine. "From bar mitzva boy to Wedding Singer: A composer gets his big Broadway break", New Jersey Jewish News, July 6, 2006. "In summer workshops, working with a number of extraordinary teachers, including Westfield High School theater director Joe Nierle, he got to explore all facets of musical theater."
  21. ^ Litsky, Frank. "TWO SWIFT RUNNERS SELECTED BY GIANTS", The New York Times, April 28, 1982. Accessed June 4, 2007. "In a matter of seconds, the Giants complied and took the 6-foot- 1/4-inch, 204-pound Woolfolk, a former schoolboy sprint champion at Westfield (N.J.) High."

[edit] External links