Harrison High School (New York)

For schools with a similar name, see Harrison High School (disambiguation).

Harrison High School (HHS) is a public high school located in Harrison, Westchester County, New York, USA. The school is 22 miles (35 km) northeast of New York City. It is the only high school operated by the Harrison Central School District.

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.

Information

• In 2014, Harrison ranked seven in the state and 223 in the nation in rigor according to the Washington Post High School Challenge Index.^[4][5]

The welcome monument at the entrance to Harrison High School

• Expansive music performance program that includes ensemble groups, a string orchestra, percussion ensemble, jazz band, swing band, nationally recognized marching band and choir and show choir
• Forty-seven high school interscholastic sports teams, including twenty-one (out of 28 eligible) scholar athletic teams, and several league champions.

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]

Harrison High School recently became an International Baccalaureate (IB) School. Junior and senior students can elect to participate in the program to obtain an IB diploma. The diploma is recognized internationally as a standard of rigor. IB students must take six subjects, product a 4,00 word extended essay, complete a Theory of Knowledge course and participate in service projects. Students can also enroll in IB courses to obtain credit for advanced study. ^[6]

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

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.

Clubs and organizations

Students participate in a variety of several clubs and organizations, including:^[3]

Performance

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]

Building

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, like a rotunda, 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 Helen Hays Youth Theatre Foundation for Outstanding Achievement in Musicals and Drama. The HPAC and Sirius Black Box Theatre are under the supervision 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 Baccalaureate (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 traveling there for, star watching, dancing, or watching a show.

Harrison Huskies Football – 2 Time State Champions (1999, 2002) Rankings – 17th in HS Football in 2005 & 2006

Notable alumni

• John McGillicuddy
• Peter Chernin

References

External links

• Harrison High Official Website
• Harrison Central School District Main Page
• Harrison Education Foundation

Coordinates: 40°58′52.92″N 73°44′13.75″W / 40.9813667°N 73.7371528°W / 40.9813667; -73.7371528