| Hopewell Valley Central High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 259 Pennington-Titusville Road Pennington, New Jersey 08534 |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1907 |
| School district | Hopewell Valley Regional School District |
| Principal | Michael Daher |
| Vice principal | Dr. Ida Chiaradia Lyndell Davis |
| Faculty | 85 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Enrollment | 1,233 (as of 2009-10)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.51[1] |
| Campus | Rural |
| Color(s) | Black and Gold |
| Athletics conference | Colonial Valley Conference |
| Team name | Bulldogs |
| Rivals | The Pennington Prep School, Montgomery HS, Steinert HS, Nottingham HS |
| Yearbook | Centralogue |
| Feeder schools | Timberlane Middle School |
| Website | School website |
Hopewell Valley Central High School is an American four-year comprehensive regional public high school, serving students from three communities in Mercer County, New Jersey, as part of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. The municipalities that are part of this district are Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough. Although the high school has a Pennington mailing address, it is located within the political boundaries of Hopewell Township, just outside Pennington Borough.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,233 students and 85 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.51.[1]
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The Hopewell Valley Central High School credo is that the school is a “high-performing, high-achieving school with a soul.” HVCHS encourages and fosters partnerships between teachers, students, parents, and the community. The Municipal Alliance and Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth play a key role in the “Culture of Respect.” Students are involved in service organizations with community outreach programs.[2]
Hopewell Valley Central High School provides a curriculum that is broad, diversified and comprehensive, allowing students to structure their own challenges. HVCHS encourages high expectations and achievement.[3]
The Class of 2004’s average SAT scores of Verbal 560 and Math 578 were significantly higher than state and national averages. The Class of 2004 SAT participation rate of 89% reflects an inclusive approach to testing. In 2002, SAT II subject area tests were taken in 8 subjects. Students performed exceptionally well in Physics (694 mean score) and Math IIC (682 mean score). On Advanced Placement (AP) exams, 121 students took 218 exams, with 89% of the exams receiving 3 or better (out of 5). The Class of 2004 had three National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists, twelve commended scholars, and one National Achievement Scholarship Qualifier.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 57th in New Jersey and 1,666th nationwide.[4] In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Hopewell Valley Central High School was listed in 1239th place, the 42nd-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[5]
The school was the 38th-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 39th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[6]
Hopewell Valley Central High School was first established in 1907 as a two-room addition to the Lincoln High School in Hopewell Borough. in 1912, the first building constructed to serve as a high school was built. It is now Hopewell Borough Hall.
In 1929, a new High School was built in Pennington Borough due to growing enrollment in the district. The building, designed by J. Osborne Hunt, now serves as the administrative offices for the Board of Education.[7] The architect, J. Osborne Hunt, also designed the original elementary school buildings in Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough. They are still in use today, and are well-preserved, historic buildings from another era.
The current High School was built along Pennington-Titusville road in 1958. There have been several additions since then to the building, including new classrooms, athletic fields, and a new science/technology wing built in 1997. In 2003, work was completed on a new 865-seat Performing Arts Center, a new gymnasium, as well as some classroom renovations as part of a referendum approved by voters in 2000.
The high school building, especially the wings with the classrooms, is over 50 years old, and is around capacity. The school was built for a small town, but as the student population steadily increases, there will be need to add new classrooms and other important facilities. Most likely, a completely new modern two-story wing will be built in the future to replace the oldest parts of the school (the 100 and/or 200 halls). More improvements to the school, such as a new front entrance, an addition to the cafeteria, and more science classrooms were put on hold by the school board in 2008, citing the weak economy.
• Science: The HVCHS Envirothon Team placed first in the 11th Annual New Jersey Envirothon Competition at the School of Conservation in Stokes State Forest. The team then represented the state of New Jersey and placed third in the National Envirothon held at West Virginia Wesleyan College. In addition, two Chemagination teams placed first in two different categories in the regional competition and are competing in the national competition.
• Language Arts: Several HVCHS students have won prestigious awards this year such as the Brown Book Award, the Bryn Mawr Book Award, the Williams Book Award, and one of two awards at the McCarter YouthInk! playwriting competition.
The high school music program is on an upward trend. It has been twice named a finalist in the Grammy Foundation's Grammy Signature Schools program. In 2004, the program was named to the American Music Conference's list of the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America".[8] The NAMM organization has also repeatably recognized the school's superior music program in the past.
In regional and national competitions, the band, choir, and orchestra have been recognized for excellence. Most notably, the choir program has received top ratings at these festivals since 2002 and was selected for the 2006 National Choral Invitational Festival of Gold in New York City. Recently, the choirs were treated to a one-week workshop with renowned choral composer Stephen Hatfield.
The recently established marching band, The Marching Black and Gold, has achieved top ratings in many area competitions. This includes placing 3rd in 2011 at the NJ State Championships in group IIA competition. The band performs at varsity football games, participates in memorial day parades and other celebrations in Hopewell, and travel to locations across the eastern United States (such as Florida) to perform.
Other famous musicians and bands, such as the renowned Dallas Brass and composer Micheal Story, have worked with students at the high school in recent years.
There is a four-year, sequential, curricular program in theater arts offered at the high school. A new, 865-seat Performing Arts Center opened at the High School in 2003, and is now widely used by the community and music programs in the district.[9]
Graduates of Hopewell's Performing Arts programs have gone on to major in the various performing arts fields at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, St. Olaf College, New York University's Steinhardt Conservatory of Music and Tisch School of the Arts, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music, Indiana University, Berklee College of Music, Westminster Choir College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, McGill University's Schulich School of Music, Rutgers University and Mason Gross School of the Arts.
The Visual Arts Department is comprehensive and sequential and its curriculum culminates in the various AP art courses. Student artists have received accolades for works in various local, state, and national art shows as they successfully placed first, second, and third in these juried art show competitions.
The Hopewell Valley Central High School Bulldogs compete in the Colonial Valley Conference, which consists of public and private high schools located in Mercer County, Monmouth County and Middlesex County, New Jersey, under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[10]Hopewell's athletic program offers 22 sports. Over half of the students at HVCHS compete in sports or clubs, and the Bulldogs have enjoyed many successful seasons.
In 2003-04 Hopewell Valley Central High School teams won six Patriot Division Championships, two Mercer County Championships, and the Group II Winter Track Relay State Championship. Championship teams included Boys Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Girls Tennis, Girls Basketball and Girls Track and Field. In addition, the CHS 4X4 relay team won the championship at the 2003 Penn Relays. The 2006 Girls' softball team won the Mercer County Tournament.
The 2005 Varsity Soccer Team went were co-champions of Mercer County, went undefeated in the CVC, won their division, won the Group III Sectional Title with a 2-1 win over Monroe Township High School[11] and lost 3-2 in overtime to Ocean City High School in the State Semi-Finals.[12] They were ranked 13th in the state at the end of the year. Matt Lanouette and Andrew Juiliano received Second Team All-State recognition.
The 2001 Varsity Soccer Team was the State Runner-up Team, with a record of 21-2-1.
The Men's Cross Country Team went undefeated in Mercer County, won the Mercer County Championship, won the Central Jersey State Championship, and placed second at the Group III State Meet. The Women's Cross Country Team also went undefeated in the county, placed second in the Mercer County Championship, and was first at the Central Jersey State Championship.
The 2007 girls lacrosse team South, Group II state sectional championship with a 15-7 win over Camden Catholic High School.[13]
In 1997 the Hopewell Valley Central High golf team won the Group II state title, and defeated rival West Windsor in a one hole playoff for the Tournament of Champions over all State Championship. Along with the team honors, senior David Schmutz won the individual State Title by three shots. David Schmutz received First Team All-County, First Team All-State Group II, First Team, All-State, and State Player of the Year honors.
The recently re-established football program's first victory, since 1932, came on October 17, 2005, against West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. The final score was 28-6. For over 70 years Hopewell had no football team, however the Bulldogs were able to successfully start their first season in 2004. later, the 2006 season had the Bulldogs going 3-6, and tying for the Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division title with Ewing High School and West Windsor Plainsboro North. The 2007 season was even more successful for the Hopewell Varsity football team, going 5-4, and again tying for the Patriot Division title. in 2008, the bulldogs had another winning season, at 6-4. The success of the team keeps growing, as well as the support of the community. At Homecoming, the crowds number in the thousands. Plans are underway for a turf field stadium for the team in the upcoming years, as the Bulldogs keep improving their record and school spirit in Hopewell.
During the 2009 season, on November 21, 2009, the varsity girls soccer team played against Northern Highlands Regional High School in the state finals in The College of New Jersey. The game ended with a tie of 0-0 and it was the first time Hopewell girls varsity soccer team has claimed a state title since 1983.[14]
In 2010, the Winter Track team set a New Jersey state record by winning the state relays for its ninth consecutive year, a streak that ended in 2011.[15]
In 2011, the Girls Spring Track team won the NJSIAA Group III state title for the seventh consecutive time.[16]
There is a rivalry with the Pennington School.
Students at HVCHS are able to become involved in school clubs and organizations. Clubs and activities are focused on artistic, athletic, academic, and special interest areas. Over 60% of the 1,200 students compete in one of the 22 athletic programs or a extracurricular activity.
Core members of the school's administration include:[17]
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