For schools with a similar name, see Harrison High School.
| Harrison High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 255 Union Ave Harrison, New York, 10528 USA |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Public High School |
| School board | Harrison Board of Education |
| School district | Harrison Central School District |
| Superintendent | Louis N. Wool |
| Principal | Dr. J. Ruck |
| Vice principal | Mr. L Mastrota Mr. J. Elder |
| Faculty | Harrison Association Of Teachers (HAT) |
| Teaching staff | 98[1] |
| Grades | 9 – 12 |
| Gender | Co-ed |
| Number of students | 975[1] |
| Average class size | 22 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 12[2] |
| Classes offered | Regents, Advanced Placement (AP), Pending International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program |
| School Color(s) | Maroon and White |
| Fight song | Huskies Fight Song |
| Mascot | Husky |
| Team name | Huskies |
| Rival | Rye, NY |
| Average SAT scores | Reading: 516 Math: 549 Writing: 504 |
| Average ACT scores | 25 |
| Newspaper | 'Husky Herald[3] |
| Yearbook | 'Reminiscence' |
| Guidance Spv | Christopher D. Miller |
| Asst. Spv. for Curriculum | Michael Greenfield |
| Asst. Spv. for Human Resources | Dr. Brian Ladewig |
| Asst. Spv. for Business | Robert Salierno |
| Business Manager / Treasurer | Nora McAvoy |
| Director of Health and Athletics | Pat Seligman |
| Website | http://www.harrisoncsd.org/hhs/ |
Harrison High School (HHS) is a public high school located in Harrison, Westchester County, New York. The school is approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of New York City. It is the only high school operated by the Harrison Central School District. As one of the geographically largest school districts in Westchester, Harrison encompasses several micro-communities comprising a socioeconomically and culturally diverse student population.
Nearly 1,000 students are enrolled in the school (2010–2011), with 103 teaching faculty members. 98 percent of the Class of 2010 went on to post-secondary education, with 89 percent attending four-year colleges.[1]
The student body is predominantly white (77.7 percent), with 11.6 percent Hispanic, 9.68 percent Asian/Pacific Islander and 1 percent African-American.
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The Harrison community is home to several world corporate headquarters including PepsiCo, Morgan Stanley, MasterCard and the World Tennis Federation. Harrison hosts the State University of New York’s Purchase College, Manhattanville College, a small private liberal arts college, and satellite campuses for Fordham University and Long Island University. It is also contains nine country clubs and large multimillion dollar estates. This contrasts starkly with the village of Harrison and hamlets of West Harrison with working-class families on traditional quarter acre lots and multi-family housing. The district is experiencing significant growth in its English as a second language population and ethnic diversity. Harrison embraces and celebrates its diverse student body and the Board of Education has proudly and consistently pursued a mission of excellence and equity for all students. The Harrison Central School District is committed to four core values: Equity, Access, Rigor, and Adaptability.
The following accomplishments and points of pride are attributable to Harrison’s commitment to its mission of equity, access, rigor, and adaptability for all students, which serve as the foundation for all decisions made on behalf of our students:
Harrison High School embraces the College Board’s mission of promoting equity and access by encouraging students to enroll in a rigorous educational program. More students are now taking AP courses than at any time in the history of the school. The number of students scoring 3, 4, or 5 has increased by nearly 300% and the number of AP Scholars has increased by over 500% since 2000—ranging from 23 students in 2002 to 121 in 2010.[1]
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Superintendent of Schools -- Mr. Louis N. Wool•
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum -- Mr. Michael Greenfield•
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources -- Dr. Brian Ladewig•
Assistant Superintendent for Business -- Mr. Robert Salierno•
Business Manager / Treasurer -- Ms. Nora McAvoy•
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Director of Special Education -- Ms. Susan Lockhart•
Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics -- Ms. Patricia Seligman•
Director of Facilities and Operations -- Mr. Lenny Purcell•
Director of Fine and Performing Arts -- Ms. Mary Ellis•
Director of LOTE/ ESL -- Brendan Gallivan•
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Supervisor of Guidance -- Mr. Christopher Miller•
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Supervisor of Secondary English -- TBA•
Supervisor of Secondary Mathematics and Computer Science -- Dr. Clifford Sweezy•
Supervisor of Secondary Social Studies and Business -- Ms. Jennifer Laden•
Supervisor of Secondary Science -- Ms. Joah O'Keefe•
Supervisor of Secondary Special Education -- TBA [5] •
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Supervisor of Elem. English and Social Studies -- Ms. Marina Moran•
Supervisor of Elem. Math and Science -- Mr. Dennis Kortright•
Elem. Special Education Chairperson -- Ms. Louann Andralliski •
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Purchasing/Transportation Agent -- Ms. Gene George•
Transportation Assistant -- Ms. Maria Poleski•
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Director of Cable Television Channel 74 -- Dir. Andrew Nicol•
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Corporate Direction of Food Services -- NutriKids •
Executive Director of the Harrison Youth Council -- Ms. Kathy Sommerich, CSW•
President of the Rotary Club of Harrison -- Mr. John Porco [6]•
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Chairperson for the HEF -- Ms. Laurie Fried•
Vice Chairperson for the HEF -- Ms. Renata Jacobson•
Treasurer for the HEF -- Ms. Susan Faxon•
Secretary for the HEF -- Ms. Michelle Schechter•
Grant Chair for the HEF -- Mr. Stephen Lichtenauer•
Director of Development for the HEF -- Mr. Terrill McDade [7]
Harrison High teams are named "Huskies." Their colors are maroon and white. Harrison High school has a long history of sports and continues to offer a vast variety of sports today. One of the oldest traditions is the Harrison Rye Game, a football game between the Harrison Huskies, and the Garnets, the football team from Rye High School, in the neighboring town of Rye, NY. each year the game is held at the field in the town opposite its location last year. For example, the Fall 2010 Rye-Harrison game was at the Rye High School Field, and the 2009 game was held at the Harrison field, and 2011 will be at Harrison again.
Rumor has it that the origin of the Rye-Harrison game was from a dispute in the 1920s about the Parsons Memorial School. When it was established, there was one school district covering both Rye and Harrison, the Rye-Harrison School District (Union Free School District No. 0006 in New York State). In the 1920s as both towns began to boom, the school district split up, into the current Rye School District, and Harrison central School District. Rye kept the high school because it was in rye's territory, and Harrison built a new High School. Rye kept the 4 elementary schools that had been in their town, and Harrison kept the 5 that were in their town, and there was one left. The Parsons Memorial Elementary School. The Parsons school is in the town of Harrison, but if kept by rye, both districts would have an equal number of elementary schools. Others argued that it did not matter because the town of Harrison is geographically larger than the town of Rye. To complicate the matter, Parsons was the oldest building of any of the schools, built in 1898, and opening in September 1899. Supposedly, to settle the argument, there was a football game held, and the winner kept Parsons.
There is another story, born out of the feuds that sometimes grow between the downtown parsons kids and kids from other Harrison elementary schools, that says the loser of the game got to keep parsons. The winner of the original Harrison-Rye game is not known, however it is known that it took place in 1928. (Coincidentally the same year Playland opened in Rye.) The Athletic Department is under the supervision of the Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics, Ms. Patricia Selligman.
Students participate in a variety of several clubs and organizations, including:[3]
In 2006, students exceeded the state average in 6 of 7 New York State Regents Examinations subject areas. In 2006-2007, students took AP examinations in 24 of the possible 37 Advanced Placement course areas.[2]
The current building of the Harrison High School was built in 1973 and 1974, and opened for September 1974. The building was built as a solution to the lack in size of the Harrison Junior Senior High School, serving grades 6 to 12, established in 1957 in the building built to be the Harrison High School in 1939. The building is currently used as the middle school. Harrison High school demonstrates a circular design, with a hallway spanning one quarter of a circle, and a hallway that is a full circle radially centered inside the first hallway, connected by two other hallways, the Main Hallway, and the Senior Hallway. The building is two stories tall and has two gyms, a cafeteria, a theater, and 213 classrooms.
The building is home to the Harrison Performing Arts Center, renovated in 2007, by a $1,250,000 grant received from the New York State Education Department in collaboration with the Harrison Educational Foundation (HEF). The Harrison Performing Arts Center (HPAC) features 825 seats, two balconies, a separate Light Booth,an extra high stage bow as well as state-of-the-art lighting systems by Electronic Theatre Controls and audio systems by Allen and Heath. The nicest high school performing arts facility in New York State, the HPAC, is entirely managed by students. The Harrison Technical Crew has been recognized by the Hellen Hays Youth Theatre Foundation for Outstanding Achievement in Musicals and Drama; notable alumni have continued careers at well respected design/technology schools such as Emerson College and Purchase College. The HPAC and Sirius Black Box Theatre are under the supervisor of the Director of Fine and Performing Arts, Ms. Mary Ellis.
The building was originally home to a then-state-of-the-art planetarium complete with 25 ft. diameter dome, and a projector that could recede into an underground tunnel when not used, as well as built in theater-style seating and offset lighting. Unfortunately, due to the building lacking space, when a dance studio was needed for the school to be able to apply for the International Bachelorate (IB) program, the planetarium was the space that was decided to be renovated. It is now a dance studio/planetarium, with a movable star projector, mirrors mounted on the walls, a wooden floor and folding seating. In addition to being a dance studio, it is also a black-box theater, named the Sirius Black Box Theater, the word 'Sirius' pertaining to the star, Sirius, because it is a planetarium. Despite the room having 4 identities, (planetarium, dance studio, Sirius black box theater, and its room number (A101)), it is known by students simply as the planetarium, no matter what purpose they be travelling there for, star watching, dancing, or watching a show.