Paramus High School
| Paramus High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| East Century Road Paramus, NJ 07652 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1957 |
| School district | Paramus Public Schools |
| Principal | Anthony Panico |
| Vice Principals | Lina Gudelis (Grade 10 and Grade 9, Last Names A-G) Louis Natalo (Grade 12 and Grade 9, Last Names H-O) Dr. Michael J. Pilacik (Grades 9 Last Names P-Z & Grade 11) |
| Faculty | 79.9 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9 - 12 |
| Enrollment | 1,348 (as of 2010-11)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.87:1[1] |
| Athletics conference | Big North Conference |
| Nickname | Spartans |
| Website | School website |
Paramus High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school, located in Paramus, New Jersey, operating as part of the Paramus Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 2006.[2]
Historically Paramus shared many municipal services with the township of Rochelle Park, including schooling. In 1922, the school situation was the hot topic of discussion. Residents felt that the schools were too far away and wanted to make sure that their children were safe when they went to school. It was because of this that Paramus decided to become a borough of its own, and it built the high school on Spring Valley Road in 1957.[3] The school's 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2007.[4]
Paramus High School offers a wide range of course offerings to its students, including. Advanced Placement courses available in 21 subjects.
As of the 2010-11 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,348 students and 79.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 16.87:1. There were 31 students (2.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 9 (0.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Awards, recognition and rankings
For the 1988-89 school year, Paramus High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[5] the highest award an American school can receive.[6][7]
The school was the 111th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 98th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[8] The magazine ranked the school 77th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[9] The school was ranked 45th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[10] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 124th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 44 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (83.3%) and language arts literacy (97.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[11]
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 50th in New Jersey and 1,527th nationwide.[12]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 705th in the nation among participating public high schools and 54th among schools in New Jersey.[13]
Athletics
The Paramus High School Spartans now compete in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[14] The school had participated in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League prior to the realignment that took place in 2010. The Paramus High School sports program has had much success over the years, most notably in baseball, volleyball, and wrestling. The ice hockey team ended a 12-year drought with a league title, league championship, and also a holiday tournament championship in the 2011-12 season.
The baseball program has won over 800 games since its inception in 1960 which includes four state championships, a county championship, and thirteen league championships. Many players have gone on to graduate and continue to play baseball at the collegiate level, several of which played at the NCAA Division 1 level or professionally.[15] Former head coach Joe Cervino, who managed the team for 30 seasons from 1982-2011, was one of the most successful coaches in Bergen County history, one of only four coaches to win more than 500 games.[16]
The girls volleyball team has won seven state championships, winning the Division A title in 1981 against Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, taking the Group IV title in 1982 against Hackensack High School, and earning Group III titles in 1988 (vs. Ramsey High School), 1999 (Old Tappan), 1994 (River Dell Regional High School), 1995 (Lakeland Regional High School) and 2005 (Ramapo High School).[17] The team won the Tournament of Champions in 2005, defeating Secaucus High School in the tournament finals with a two-game sweep by scores of 25-22 and 25-23.[18]
The 1994 girls volleyball team finished the season with a record of 22-2, winning the league and Group III state title, but lost to Paramus Catholic High School in the Bergen County tournament.[19] The 1995 team won the Group III title for a second consecutive year, and took the Bergen County title with a win over Paramus Catholic.[20]
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:[21]
- Anthony Panico, Principal
- Lina Guidelis, Vice Principal, Grade 12 and Grade 9 (Last Names A-G); Supervisor of English and Social Studies
- Louis Natalo, Vice Principal - Grade 11 and Grade 9 (Last Names H-O); Supervior of Business and World Languages
- Dr. Michael Pilacik, Vice Principal - Grade 10 and Grade 9 (Last Names P-Z); Supervisor of Mathematics and Science
Notable alumni
Some notable Paramus High school alumni include:
- Joe Benigno (born 1953), sports talk show co-host on WFAN (AM).[22]
- Stacey Dash (born 1966), actress best known for her role in the movie Clueless and its television spinoff.[23]
- Spero Dedes (born 1979), sportscaster.[24]
- Mark Fields (born 1961, class of 1979), Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company and President, The Americas.[25]
- Dean Friedman (born 1955), musician with the one-hit wonder "Ariel", a top-20 tune in 1977.[26]
- Matt Ghaffari (born 1961, class of 1979), 1996 Olympic silver-medal wrestler.[27]
- Jamie Gold (born 1969, class of 1987), won the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event.[28]
- Lloyd Levin (born 1958, class of 1976), film producer and executive.[29]
- Lauren Passarelli (born 1960), musician and educator.[30]
- Steven H. Temares (born 1958, class of 1976), CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond.<ref name ="WSJ>Melanie Grayce West (March 1, 2012). "Gift Helps to Fund Rutgers Faculty". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2013-01-06. "Mr. Temares, 53 years old, was born in the Bronx, raised in Paramus, N.J., and now lives in Warren. He graduated from Rutgers in 1980 with a degree in economics and presently serves on the Rutgers University Foundation Board of Overseers."</ref>[29]
- Elaine Zayak (born 1965), figure skater who was the 1982 World champion and 1981 U.S. national champion.[31]
Notable faculty
- Bill Pascrell (born 1937), Congressman who taught at the school for 12 years.[32]
- Frank L. Ryerson (1905–1995), trumpeter who wrote the alma mater lyrics, sung to the tune "Aura Lee".[citation needed]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Data for Paramus High, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 10, 2012.
- ↑ Paramus High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed June 30, 2011.
- ↑ PHS Renovation Update, Paramus High School. Accessed June 30, 2011. "The new main office and fitness center are a welcome addition to the high school which was originally built in 1957."
- ↑ Fabrikant, Mel. "Mayor & Council Meeting 3-27-07", The Paramus Post, March 28, 2007. Accessed April 11, 2012. "Further into the future will be the 50th anniversary of Paramus High School kicking off with a Football Game under the lights at 7 PM versus Barringer High School."
- ↑ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
- ↑ "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
- ↑ "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
- ↑ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012.
- ↑ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
- ↑ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
- ↑ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Paramus High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 9, 2011.
- ↑ Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
- ↑ League Memberships – 2012-2013, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 27, 2012.
- ↑ Paramus High School, The Baseball Cube. Accessed February 5, 2013.
- ↑ Farrell, Brian. "Coach Cervino reflects on 500 wins", NorthJersey.com/sports, April 28, 2010. Accessed August 23, 2011. "'It's not about me; it's about the team and the program and all the quality athletes that I've been fortunate to coach at Paramus High School,' says Joe Cervino, now among only five head baseball coaches in Bergen County history to have achieved 500 wins in a career."
- ↑ Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 23, 2011.
- ↑ Barton, Rich. "Paramus completes an amazing state tournament run", NorthJerseySports.com, November 21, 2005. Accessed August 23, 2011. "Paramus held off a furious rally in game one, then used a rally of its own to bring home the crown.... An ace by Mary King capped the comeback and the Spartans’ incredible run throughout the state tournament to win the Tournament of Champions title with a 25-22, 25-23 victory over Secaucus."
- ↑ Glickson, Grant. "High School Report", The New York Times, October 7, 1995. Accessed August 23, 2011. "The Spartans captured the league and Group 3 state championship, but lost the Bergen County title to Paramus Catholic."
- ↑ Mills, Ed. "Where are they now? Lauren Cacciamani of Paramus", The Record (Bergen County), April 12, 2011. Accessed August 23, 2011. "Her dynamic vertical leap (she also was a high jumper on the track team) served her well in her senior year, when she was named a high school All-American as the Spartans beat Paramus Catholic to claim the Bergen County title and Lakeland to earn a second straight Group 3 championship."
- ↑ Administration, Paramus High School. Accessed February 5, 2013.
- ↑ Sullivan, Tara. "Celebrating the 1969 Miracle Mets", The Record (Bergen County), August 23, 2009. Accessed May 29, 2011. "'A sports guy like me, we were aware there was so much going on, but we were so into what the Mets were doing,' said Joe Benigno, who had just entered his junior year at Paramus High School when the Mets won. Benigno, now a midday sports talk radio host on WFAN, was an avid Jets and Mets fan, making 1969 his perfect year.
- ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy. "Trending: Both cheers and ire for N.J. joke map", The Star-Ledger, December 9, 2011. Accessed April 11, 2012. "Actress Stacey Dash, the graduate of Paramus High School known for her starring role alongside Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, trended worldwide Tuesday night."
- ↑ Raissman, Bob. "Spero Dedes, a Paramus (N.J.) High and Fordham graduate, lands gig as new Knicks radio voice", Daily News (New York), June 22, 2011. Accessed February 5, 2013.
- ↑ Webster, Sarah A. "SAVING FORD HIS JOB 1 - WAY FORWARD: MORE PROBLEMS THAN EXPECTED SETBACKS: PICKUPS AND OTHER U.S. SALES OFF WORKING TO BE PROFITABLE BY 2009", Detroit Free Press, February 25, 2007. Accessed January 30, 2011. "That mix of Paramus High, Rutgers University, Zeta Psi and IBM worked like magic for the Fields boys."
- ↑ Smith, Don E., Jr. "'Ariel' Singer Dean Friedman Remembers Paramus 30 Years Later", Paramus Patch, January 4, 2011. Accessed May 29, 2011. "The Paramus High School graduate sang, Way on the other side of the Hudson/ deep in the bosom of suburbia/I met a young girl, she sang mighty fine/Tears on My Pillow and Ave Maria. Standing by the waterfall in Paramus Park.... "Ariel" reached #26 and stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five months."
- ↑ Robbins, Liz. "OLYMPICS; Wrestler Two Victories From Dream", The New York Times, June 24, 2000. Accessed February 5, 2013. "To advance, Ghaffari had to pull out a trick he first used two decades ago at Paramus High School in New Jersey."
- ↑ Former Hollywood Talent Agent From Malibu Takes Texas Hold 'Em, PCH Press, August 16, 2006.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Delphian 76. Paramus High School. 1976.
- ↑ Wassel, Bryan. "Berklee professor, former Paramus resident credits Beatles as musical inspiration", Town News, May 4, 2011. Accessed September 13, 2011. "Passarelli's musical talent goes beyond just the guitar, and while attending Paramus High School she played flute in the school's marching and concert bands, as well as guitar for the stage band."
- ↑ Amdur, Neil. "Miss Zayak Happy to Be Back in School; Miss Zayak Has Fun In School Impressed by Her Conduct", The New York Times, March 11, 1981. Accessed February 5, 2013. "Elaine Zayak wanted to watch The White Shadow. ... Dan Corey, the teacher, applauded as the two playfully ducked behind a curtain on the stage in Room 616 at Paramus High School."
- ↑ "REP. PASCRELL THANKS ALL DEDICATED EDUCATORS ON NATIONAL TEACHERS DAY", Bill Pascrell press release dated May 8, 2012. Accessed February 5, 2013. "'As a former public school teacher who worked 12 years at Paramus High School, I know how hard it can be to meet the demands of a classroom and a school district,' said Pascrell."
External links
- Paramus High School web page
- Paramus High School's 2010–11 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Paramus Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- ParamusRunning.com - Paramus High School Cross Country and Track & Field Teams Website
Coordinates: 40°55′40″N 74°03′44″W / 40.927748°N 74.062185°W
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