| MacArthur High School | |
|---|---|
| MacArthur HS Sign | |
| Address | |
| 3369 Old Jerusalem Road Levittown, New York, 11756 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School district | Levittown Union Free School District |
| Principal | Kathleen Valentino |
| Assistant principals | Mr. Joseph Sheehan and Mrs. Anne Rao |
| Average class size | 25 People |
| Color(s) | Red,Blue and Black |
| Mascot | MacArthur General |
| Nickname | Mac |
| Team name | MacArthur Generals/Lady Generals |
| Rival | Division High School |
MacArthur High School is a secondary school located in Levittown, New York. One of two high schools in the Levittown Union Free School District, the high school is named after United States General Douglas MacArthur. In addition to the school's principal, Kathleen Valentino, there are two Assistant Principals: Mr. Joseph Sheehan and Mrs. Anne Rao.
According to the 2007 Newsweek Magazine issue of Top 1,200 U.S. schools, MacArthur High School is currently ranked as #518.[1]
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Adapted through a unanimous vote of the school's faculty in the spring of 1994, the Renaissance Program rewards students who excel in academics. Students who pass everything, including midterms, finals, and regents, are hosted at a semi-annual breakfast. Students receive cards in either platinum, gold, blue, or gray, depending upon their grade average or status as an Honor Society member. These cards entitle the students to various "special perks and privileges," including discounts on tickets to school plays and dances. The four-year Renaissance card-holders of every senior class are hosted at an additional special brunch.
MacArthur's Music program, led by chairperson Ken Walden, features an array of classes and clubs. Classes include symphonic band (which includes marching band), orchestra, four levels of guitar class, electronic music, music theory and advanced placement music theory, various choruses, jazz ensemble, music of the 20th century, and multiple levels of piano classes.
The marching band (accompanied by kickline and color guard) is led by Joseph Romano and six student leaders. They are known for participating at football games, parades, and the annual Newsday Festival at Hofstra University. They are also known for marching in the Main Street Parade in Walt Disney World on multiple occasions as well as parading throughout Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. When the marching band isn't getting the crowd riled for events and participating in parades, they are known as the MacArthur Symphonic Band.
Symphony Orchestra is also known for performing in Disney World and Hershey Park. However, the orchestra also has performed at Six Flags and annually performs at the United Cerebral Palsy Center during the holiday season for young children with Cerebral Palsy. They also participate in the NYSSMA festival as an ensemble.
The guitar program, led by Brian LaClair has a large amount of the student body involved in learning of, about, and playing with the instrument. It is mostly ran by LaClair; recently Ken Walden has stepped in due to extra classes being established due to the course's popularity. LaClair hosts an annual "Guitar Shredding" competition in which five star students of the year's class perform a freestyle and improvise solos over backing tracks to win prize and acclaim among there peers.
The musical theater program, run by Paige Hardison, involves a couple of theater classes and annual plays and musicals. MacArthur has performed musicals including Seussical, Bye Bye Birdie, Footloose, Once on this Island, Into the Woods and Flight of the Lawnchair man. The 2011 musical performance is All Shook Up. In the past, MacArthur has put on plays such as All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, The Worst High School Play in the World, and the Man Who Came to Dinner.
MacArthur has over 25 varsity and junior varsity level athletic teams. They include badminton, baseball, basketball (boys and girls) bowling, football, lacrosse (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.The MacArthur Boys football team won the 2002 Nassau Conference II Championship over Lawrence.[6]
The MacArthur High School varsity baseball team was crowned New York State champions in 1994. The Generals have also won the Long Island Championship 2 times and the Nassau County Championship 7 times.
In addition to the school's accomplishments in baseball, MacArthur has also racked up many accomplishments in other sports. In recent years, the girls softball team has won 9 county titles and the track, girls soccer and boys lacrosse teams have won Long Island titles. The baseball, girls lacrosse, and softball teams have all advanced to the county semifinals or beyond in the past few years as well. MacArthur has also produced 13 All-Americans in boys lacrosse, including Navy's all-time leading goal scorer Jon Birsner of Haven Lane. [9] The baseball, football, wrestling and boys lacrosse teams play in the top conference of their respective classes. In 1988, led by now Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney, the MacArthur Boys Lacrosse team went to the county finals vs. Garden City. The boys Lacrosse team beat cross town rival division twice in a row until they fell last year in the annual levittown tourny. More recently, the girls varsity tennis team finished an undefeated season, winning the Conference Championships for the first time in tweny-five years.
The MacArthur Generals wrestling team is consistently recognized as one of the top teams in New York State. In recent years, they have won seven out of eight county championships. The team won both dual meet and tournament championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008, along with a number one overall ranking in NYS at the end of the 2002 season. The Generals are led by head coach Howie Greenblatt and assistants Tom Bobal, Joe Almafatano and James Strousse.
Tom Pallini - Ninth Grade President