| Governor Livingston High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 175 Watchung Boulevard Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Explore, Excel, Engage |
| Established | 1960 |
| School district | Berkeley Heights Public Schools |
| Principal | Scott McKinney |
| Asst. Principal | Mary Ann McAdam Scott Neigel |
| Faculty | 80 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,043 (as of 2009-10)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 13.04[1] |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red and Navy Blue |
| Nickname | Highlanders |
| Newspaper | 'The Highlander' |
| Yearbook | 'The Claymore' |
| Website | School website |
Governor Livingston High School, known informally as GL, is a comprehensive four-year co-educational public high school located in Berkeley Heights, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1965.[2]
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,043 students and 80 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.04.[1]
The school was built in 1960 on the site of a former Nike Missile Control Station in the Murray Hill section of Berkeley Heights. It is the sole secondary school for students from Berkeley Heights and Mountainside for grades 9-12, who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mountainside School District.[3] The high school's namesake is William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey and a signatory of the United States Constitution. The Royal Stewart tartan of the Stewart Clan (of whom Livingston was a member) is a symbol of the school and the tartan's red and blue colors are the high school's colors, as well.
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In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 32nd in New Jersey and 1,112th nationwide.[4] The school was ranked 416th in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was ranked 8th in New Jersey, with 2.293 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 48% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam; The school was ranked 707th nationwide in 2008.[5] In Newsweek's 2007 rankings of the country's top 1,200 high schools, Governor Livingston High School was listed in 776th place, the 17th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[6] With the rankings calculated by Jay Mathews shifted to The Washington Post in 2011, the school was ranked 31st in New Jersey and 1,071st nationwide.[7]
The school was the 24th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 15th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[8] The school was ranked 21st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 74th out of 367 public high schools statewide in its 2009-10 rankings which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[10]
In 1937, the first regional high school district in New Jersey (Union County Regional School District No. 1) was established by the state for the towns of Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside, and Springfield. At that time, all students residing in the district attended Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield. As the district began to grow, additional schools were built, and, in September 1960, Governor Livingston Regional High School opened its doors to 800 students from Berkeley Heights and Mountainside. The regional district's superintendent at the time was Dr. Warren Davis and Frederick Aho was the first principal of the high school.
| Principal | Term |
|---|---|
| Frederick Aho | 1960–1973 |
| Peter Festante | 1973–1990 |
| Dr. Rosalie Lamonte | 1990–1997 |
| Benjamin Jones | 1997–2003 |
| John Farinella | 2003–2006 |
| Gregory Meissner | 2006–2008 |
| Scott McKinney | 2008–present |
The "Highlander" was chosen the school's mascot by student body vote in 1960, combining the tradition of the town's first baseball team and the location of the school at the highest point in Union County. William Livingston, for whom the school is named, was of Scottish Highland descent.
In 1960, the yearbook adopted the name Claymore, which has continued to the present day.
Project Graduation, held the night of graduation and run entirely by volunteers, debuted in 1989, and provides a safe all-night celebration of each graduating class.
In 1997, the vote to de-regionalize the school district passed and the incoming freshmen in the fall of 1997 were the first to enter Governor Livingston High School, part of the Berkeley Heights School District.
Governor Livingston's academic program has been very highly rated, with the high school finishing in the top 40 secondary schools in New Jersey in a recent survey. The school offers a wide variety of classes including Advanced Placement (AP) courses for college credit.
The school has offers a wide variety of courses. There is a language requirement, in which a student must take at least two years of a non-English language. It is highly recommended to take four years of a single language. Languages Offered: Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, and American Sign Language.
Governor Livingston was the winner of the 1994, 1995, and 1996 New Jersey Science Olympiad Division C Championship, 1997 Division 5 National Champions for the Junior Engineering Technical Society's TEAMS competition and winners of the 1997 New Jersey State Science Bowl.
Governor Livingston has an extensive Deaf and Hard of Hearing program for students around Union County. Our American Sign Language (ASL) and Junior National Association for the Deaf (JrNAD) clubs promote the cultural aspects of deafness that support a strong deaf peer group.
This program offers the following services to our students who are deaf and hard of hearing:
• Self-contained, resource center, general education classes on all academic levels.
• Elective classes in a wide variety of subject areas.
• Shared program available with Union County Vocational Technical School.
• Teachers of the Deaf who instruct using Total Communication (voice and sign).
• Educational interpreters on staff.
• A speech and language specialist who is responsible for enhancing communication skills. Our program includes two sessions per week.
• Clubs, sports and after school activities in an inclusive setting.
• Strong auditory component to support students with Cochlear Implants.
• Interpreters are available for non-curricular activities including guidance appointments, assemblies and GLHS theatrical performances.
The JrNAD (Junior National Association for the Deaf) is a club consisting of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students, that promotes leadership, socialization and community service. Under the guidance of the advisors, students not only plan trips and social events, but also engage in fundraising activities to benefit causes outside the organization. Past trips have included interpreted Broadway performances and special D/HH events across New Jersey.
In addition, American Sign Language is offered as a language. The students enrolled in ASL classes have the opportunity to interact with the deaf and hard of hearing students. This enables the students to both practice and enhance their signing skills.
References: http://www.njdeafprogram.com Berkeley Heights Public Schools, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Presentation
The Governor Livingston High School Highlanders competes in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[11] Previously, the school had been part of the Mountain Valley Conference. The school fields teams in varsity, junior varsity, and freshman football, boys and girls soccer, cross country, cheerleading, wrestling, basketball, indoor and outdoor track, baseball, softball, golf, swimming, tennis, field hockey, bowling, lacrosse, fencing and ice hockey.
In 1965, the Governor Livingston Regional High School football team, coached by Jack Bicknell, won the school's first State Championship, Group II title for a team that was undefeated, untied and nearly unscored on.[12]
In 1977, the Boys Varsity Soccer team, led by Chaz Sutherland won the school's first State Championship, Group II title, defeating Lawrence High School. The team won the Group II title for a second time in 1979, defeating Freehold High School. In 1984, the Boys Varsity Soccer team won the State Championship, Group II title and was ranked by The Star-Ledger as high as number 4 in the State of New Jersey. In 1994, the Highlanders Boys' Soccer team won Mountain Valley Conference, Union County and the New Jersey Group II State Championships with a 2-0 win over Hopewell Valley Central High School.[13] The Star-Ledger ranked them as high as number 3 in the State of New Jersey.
In 1985, the Highlander Girls' Varsity Soccer team won the school's first girls' State Championship, Group II title over Delran High School.[14]
In 1989, the Highlander Football team, coached by Joe Hubert, won the Mountain Valley Conference and advanced to the North Jersey Section 2 Group I Championship Game.[15]
In 1993, Ricky Ortega won the state championship in wrestling at 130 lbs.[16]
The cheerleading squad has gained many awards in past competitions.
In 2004, Mike Carmody won the State Championship in the 800m.
In 2006, the tennis team placed 10th in the state of New Jersey.
In 2007, the women's Field Hockey team had a triumphant and victorious breakthrough as the Varsity team made States for the first time in 30 years. The 2007 record was also the highest it had been in the past decade. In the 2005 season, they carried a total of five wins and equal ties, after the 2004 season which had only one win. The girl's motto, "One Heart", has characterized the dedication and hard work that has changed the face, name and tradition of Governor Livingstons' field hockey team in most recent years,
In 2006, the school finished installing a FieldTurf on its football field. It is used primarily for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.
The Governor Livingston Boy's Cross Country team won the Mountain Valley Conference in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The 2006-07 Ice Hockey team qualified for the 2007 Kelley Cup playoffs, finishing fourth in the Central Blue division.
The 2007-08 Ice Hockey team qualified for the 2008 Kelley Cup playoffs, finishing third in the Central Blue division, also the Ice Hockey team qualified for the 2007-08 New Jersey Public High School State Championship
The softball team won the 2007 Central, Group II state sectional championship with a string of shutout wins over Roselle Park High School (10-0), Shore Regional High School (6-0) and Delaware Valley Regional High School (1-0) in the tournament final.[17] The team moved on to win the Group II State Championship with wins over James Caldwell High School (4-2) and Pascack Hills High School (2-0) in the final game.[18]
In 2008, the football team qualified for the playoffs and reached the state sectional final, where it lost to James Caldwell High School at Giants Stadium by a score of 22-7.[19]
In 2009, the girls fencing team won the state title, as well as the state sabre title, while the boys fencing team placed second in the state. The team also has several individuals who are now competing at national fencing events.
In 1999, the Highlander Baseball team won the Group II state championship. The program won its second title in 2011, winning the Group II State Championship against the West Essex High School Knights by a score of 8-2.[20]
In 2011, the track team won their fourth state sectional championship in the previous seven years.[21]
The Governor Livingston Highlander Band (http://highlanderband.org/) was under the direction of Dan Kopcha since the early 1970s. However, in 2007 Kopcha announced his retirement and the band has subsequently been under the direction of Nicholas O'Sullivan, himself a Governor Livingston alumnus and former Highlander Band member. The band is extremely competitive and has been recognized with many awards. One of the earliest competitive wins was the 1972 award of the Governor's Cup at the Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Florida. The band competes against other bands associated with an organization called Tournament of Bands (TOB). TOB is organized into regions called "chapters", with the Highlander Band being in Chapter X. The championship competition is known as the Atlantic Coast Championship held each November. The Highlander Band has won many awards in TOB such as 28 chapter championships. Every four years, most recently in 2010, the band travels to Scotland to perform in the summer street parade in Edinburgh.
The Governor Livingston Highlander Band is the winner of twelve Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships: 1980, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011 (1980 Group 4, 1993 Group 2, others Group 1). Governor Livingston is also the winner of seven USSBA (Formally CMBC) Championships: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1997 (1993 and 1997 Group 2-Open, others Group 1-Open).
The school has many clubs including foreign language clubs, drama, and various student outreach programs.
The government is a typical high school governing system. It consists of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and various representatives. The Student Council works to make changes in student policy and plan special events.
Core members of the school's administration are:[22]