Fair Lawn High School
Encyclopedia
Fair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive
public high school
located in Fair Lawn
, New Jersey
, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools
. The school is for those residing in Fair Lawn, a borough in Bergen County
in Northern New Jersey
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,581 students and 110 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.37.
from the United States Department of Education
, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.
Then-Principal was named the 1998 State Principal of the Year by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association in recognition of her work, which included being the principal of the only public high school in New Jersey (as of that time) to have won two Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post
, the school was ranked 58th in New Jersey and 1,691st nationwide. In Newsweek
's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Fair Lawn High School was listed in 808th place, the 19th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.
The school was the 76th-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 81st in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 62nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
The school musical is regularly nominated for both the Paper Mill Playhouse
Rising Star Awards as well as Helen Hayes' Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards.
In 2008, the Fair Lawn High School Destination Imagination team won the New Jersey Affiliate Finals for the first time in school history. The team competed in the Obstacles, Of Course Challenge.
(HSPA) and SAT
. Mandarin Chinese language instruction was introduced in 2007 in the Fair Lawn Public Schools district.
The Fair Lawn High School musical won a Rising Star Award for Best overall production in 2004 for their production of Company
. In 2009, the school also received the Metropolitan High School Theatre Award for their production of Thoroughly Modern Millie
.
On November 11, 2006, the Fair Lawn High School Marching Band and Color Guard won the Class IV national championship in percussion at the 2006 United States National Marching Band Championships held in Annapolis, Maryland
at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
. The color guard also placed fourth. The team finished third overall in Group IV with a score of 94.225.
Both Junior and Senior Math Leagues do well in state and national competitions. The Senior Math League, previously under Irene Stein's command, swept the Bergen County Math League earning the first, second, and third place individual scores in 1999-2000. Other successful teams include, the Chemistry League, Academic Decathlon, Debate Team, and Computer League.
Another club in the school is Future Business Leaders of America
(FBLA). Many students represent Fair Lawn High School at conferences around the nation every year, and bring back many awards. Fair Lawn High School is known to be a strong FBLA chapter and students run for NJ FBLA state office consistently.
Also, the Model United Nations
delegation of Fair Lawn High School is one of the top delegations in New Jersey, and has named the Best Delegation at the AMUN Conference the last six years. Unlike other clubs, Model UN is solely funded through the delegates.
The Student Government is a large part of all student activities and is at the base of many school sponsored events.
Some past shows include: Bound, Beyond the Periphery, Hypnotize, Passages, The Best Way Out is Always Through, Cascades: A Series of Stages, Festival of Lights, A New Century Dawn, Perspectives, and An American Portrait.
Paul Kafer is assisted by Jaime Szeinberg, Alex Knox, Jeff Daniels, DeLano Bonner, and others.
Hypnotize is an original composition by musician Alex Knox. "Hypnotize," earned 13th place at National Championships in Baltimore, Maryland.
The 2009 show "Passages" got 13th place at Nationals, as well, in Annapolis, Maryland.
Their 2010 show was entitled "Beyond the Periphery". This year they were the number one marching band in Bergen County for the third year. They placed eighth (over all) and first place for percussion at Nationals in Annapolis, Maryland.
The 2011 show, "Bound," placed 5th Place at the USSBA National Championships at Annapolis, Maryland. For the second year in a row (a very difficult feat) that won the caption award of "Best Overall Percussion".
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
. Prior to realignment, the school participated in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League
(NBIL/NBIAL).
Teams marked with an asterisk (*), although they officially compete and score as separate teams, usually have their events and practices with each other. Depending on the sport, there is at most a Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman team. Some sports do not have all three levels.
The boys tennis team won the 2007 North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over Ramapo High School.
The boys ice hockey team was formed in 2001 and has had great success over the past ten years. Since the ice hockey team's inception, they have compiled an overall record of 152-72-27. They have qualified for the state playoffs in every single season and in 2008 they were the #1 ranked public school in the state of New Jersey. The program was started by Cory Robinson who won multiple league titles in the Northern White division. Mike Goodrich took over for Robinson and coached the Cutters until 2010 when he resigned after a 10-12-2 campaign to become the head coach at Saint Peter's Prep. Robinson, who is now the athletic director, hired former Montclair Kimberley Academy head coach Brack Healy in 2010. Healy led the Cutters to an 11-10-5 record as they qualified for the state playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.
The boys wrestling team was started in 1947 by Frank Bennet (who also founded Washington Township's
(now Warren Hills High School
) wrestling program and has been inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame). The most successful coach in the program's history was Frank Guadagnino who retired in the beginning of the 2006 season. Guadagnino had over 300 career victories for the Cutters and 14 League Championships. The 1987 Fair Lawn High School wrestling team has been recognized as the best team in Bergen County for the 1980s decade, also led under the guidance of Guadagnino. The wrestling program is now under the guidance of Head Coach Jon Piela who earned his first League title in his first year of coaching.
The boys volleyball team won its first-ever NJSIAA state championship in 1995, finishing with a 25-1 record. The No. 2 seeded Cutters defeated No. 1 and undefeated Bridgewater-Raritan High School
, in Bridgewater, 2-1 (15-13, 13-15, 15-13), making it the first North Jersey team to ever win the state title. The 2011 team was top-ranked in the state by The Star-Ledger
and won the state title, defeating Southern Regional High School
in straight sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-23.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Fair Lawn
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools
Fair Lawn Public Schools
The Fair Lawn Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Fair Lawn in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....
. The school is for those residing in Fair Lawn, a borough in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
in Northern New Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,581 students and 110 classroom teachers (on a FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.37.
Awards and recognition
For the 1990-91 and 1997-98 school years, Fair Lawn High School received the Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
from the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.
Then-Principal was named the 1998 State Principal of the Year by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association in recognition of her work, which included being the principal of the only public high school in New Jersey (as of that time) to have won two Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence.
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the school was ranked 58th in New Jersey and 1,691st nationwide. In Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Fair Lawn High School was listed in 808th place, the 19th-highest ranked school in New Jersey.
The school was the 76th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 81st in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 62nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
The school musical is regularly nominated for both the Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
Rising Star Awards as well as Helen Hayes' Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards.
In 2008, the Fair Lawn High School Destination Imagination team won the New Jersey Affiliate Finals for the first time in school history. The team competed in the Obstacles, Of Course Challenge.
General
The school offers numerous classes of various levels, including an extensive Advanced Placement (AP) program. Students consistently perform above the state average on the High School Proficiency AssessmentHigh School Proficiency Assessment
The High School Proficiency Assessment is a standardized test administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey high school students in March of their junior year...
(HSPA) and SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
. Mandarin Chinese language instruction was introduced in 2007 in the Fair Lawn Public Schools district.
Clubs
Fair Lawn High School has an active extracurricular program encompassing diverse interests. The school has an award-winning musical theater program http://flhsmusicals.com, as well as shows performed by the Masques (drama group), the Boptones (school rock band), and the orchestra.The Fair Lawn High School musical won a Rising Star Award for Best overall production in 2004 for their production of Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
. In 2009, the school also received the Metropolitan High School Theatre Award for their production of Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a 1967 American musical film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay by Richard Morris focuses on a naive young woman who finds herself in the midst of a series of madcap adventures when she sets her sights on marrying her wealthy boss.The...
.
On November 11, 2006, the Fair Lawn High School Marching Band and Color Guard won the Class IV national championship in percussion at the 2006 United States National Marching Band Championships held in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium near the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the home field of the Navy Midshipmen football team, the men's lacrosse team, and the Chesapeake Bayhawks lacrosse team....
. The color guard also placed fourth. The team finished third overall in Group IV with a score of 94.225.
Both Junior and Senior Math Leagues do well in state and national competitions. The Senior Math League, previously under Irene Stein's command, swept the Bergen County Math League earning the first, second, and third place individual scores in 1999-2000. Other successful teams include, the Chemistry League, Academic Decathlon, Debate Team, and Computer League.
Another club in the school is Future Business Leaders of America
FBLA-PBL
The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL, is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia...
(FBLA). Many students represent Fair Lawn High School at conferences around the nation every year, and bring back many awards. Fair Lawn High School is known to be a strong FBLA chapter and students run for NJ FBLA state office consistently.
Also, the Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
delegation of Fair Lawn High School is one of the top delegations in New Jersey, and has named the Best Delegation at the AMUN Conference the last six years. Unlike other clubs, Model UN is solely funded through the delegates.
The Student Government is a large part of all student activities and is at the base of many school sponsored events.
Marching band
The Fair Lawn High School Marching Band is a highly acclaimed high school musical program. Directed by Paul Kafer, they placed third in Nationals in Annapolis, Maryland in 2006. They won Best Percussion, also. In 2007, they placed fifth in Nationals in Baltimore Maryland.Some past shows include: Bound, Beyond the Periphery, Hypnotize, Passages, The Best Way Out is Always Through, Cascades: A Series of Stages, Festival of Lights, A New Century Dawn, Perspectives, and An American Portrait.
Paul Kafer is assisted by Jaime Szeinberg, Alex Knox, Jeff Daniels, DeLano Bonner, and others.
Hypnotize is an original composition by musician Alex Knox. "Hypnotize," earned 13th place at National Championships in Baltimore, Maryland.
The 2009 show "Passages" got 13th place at Nationals, as well, in Annapolis, Maryland.
Their 2010 show was entitled "Beyond the Periphery". This year they were the number one marching band in Bergen County for the third year. They placed eighth (over all) and first place for percussion at Nationals in Annapolis, Maryland.
The 2011 show, "Bound," placed 5th Place at the USSBA National Championships at Annapolis, Maryland. For the second year in a row (a very difficult feat) that won the caption award of "Best Overall Percussion".
Athletics
The Fair Lawn High School Cutters now compete in the Big North ConferenceBig North Conference
The Big North Conference is a high school athletic conference in New Jersey. It is one of six North Jersey "super athletic conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in 2009...
, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
. Prior to realignment, the school participated in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League
North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League
The North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, abbreviated NBIL or NBIAL, was an athletic conference of twelve high schools located in the northern part of Bergen County, New Jersey...
(NBIL/NBIAL).
Teams marked with an asterisk (*), although they officially compete and score as separate teams, usually have their events and practices with each other. Depending on the sport, there is at most a Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman team. Some sports do not have all three levels.
- Fall sports teams: Cheerleading, Cross country (boys/girls)*, Football, Soccer (boys/girls), Tennis (girls), and Volleyball (girls)
- Winter sports teams: Basketball (boys/girls), Bowling (boys/girls)*, Ice hockey, Swimming (boys/girls)*, Track (boys/girls)*, Wrestling and Fencing (boys/girls)*, Dance
- Spring sports teams: Baseball (boys), Softball (girls), Track (boys/girls)*, Tennis (boys), Lacrosse (boys/girls), Volleyball (boys)
The boys tennis team won the 2007 North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over Ramapo High School.
The boys ice hockey team was formed in 2001 and has had great success over the past ten years. Since the ice hockey team's inception, they have compiled an overall record of 152-72-27. They have qualified for the state playoffs in every single season and in 2008 they were the #1 ranked public school in the state of New Jersey. The program was started by Cory Robinson who won multiple league titles in the Northern White division. Mike Goodrich took over for Robinson and coached the Cutters until 2010 when he resigned after a 10-12-2 campaign to become the head coach at Saint Peter's Prep. Robinson, who is now the athletic director, hired former Montclair Kimberley Academy head coach Brack Healy in 2010. Healy led the Cutters to an 11-10-5 record as they qualified for the state playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.
The boys wrestling team was started in 1947 by Frank Bennet (who also founded Washington Township's
Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 6,651. It is part of the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley. It is one of six municipalities in New Jersey under the name Washington...
(now Warren Hills High School
Warren Hills High School
Warren Hills Regional High School is a four-year public high school located in Warren County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Warren Hills Regional School District, and offers a comprehensive education for students in grades 9 through 12...
) wrestling program and has been inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame). The most successful coach in the program's history was Frank Guadagnino who retired in the beginning of the 2006 season. Guadagnino had over 300 career victories for the Cutters and 14 League Championships. The 1987 Fair Lawn High School wrestling team has been recognized as the best team in Bergen County for the 1980s decade, also led under the guidance of Guadagnino. The wrestling program is now under the guidance of Head Coach Jon Piela who earned his first League title in his first year of coaching.
The boys volleyball team won its first-ever NJSIAA state championship in 1995, finishing with a 25-1 record. The No. 2 seeded Cutters defeated No. 1 and undefeated Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the single high school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students from Bridgewater Township and Raritan in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States...
, in Bridgewater, 2-1 (15-13, 13-15, 15-13), making it the first North Jersey team to ever win the state title. The 2011 team was top-ranked in the state by The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
and won the state title, defeating Southern Regional High School
Southern Regional High School
Southern Regional High School is a regional public high school in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in grades 9 - 12 and operating as part of the Southern Regional School District. The school is located on of wooded land, upon which future projects are to be completed...
in straight sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-23.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration include:- James Marcella - Principal
- Matthew Cahn - Vice Principal
- Frank Guadagnino - Assistant Principal
- Timothy Wilson - Assistant Principal
- Cory Robinson - Director of Athletics
Notable alumni
- Ian AxelIan AxelIan Axel is a New Jersey-born singer and composer who grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, attended Fair Lawn High School. He moved to New York City after attending NYU. His song “This Is The New Year” became well-known originally when iTunes selected it as a Discovery Download and for its video on...
(born 1985, class of 2003), singer-songwriter and pianist. - Šaćir HotŠaćir HotSacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s...
(born 1991), New York Red Bulls defender. - Bruce Jankowski (born 1949), played wide receiver for the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
from 1971-72. - Dave MillerSenses FailSenses Fail is an American post-hardcore band from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Formed in 2002, the line up initially consisted of vocalist Buddy Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki and being completed by bassist Mike Glita. The band quickly issued their debut EP, From...
, ex-guitarist for rock band, Senses Fail. - Millie PerkinsMillie PerkinsMillie Perkins is an American film and television actress.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Her father was a merchant marine captain...
(born 1938), actress, played the title role in the 1959 movie The Diary of Anne Frank. - Ron PerranoskiRon PerranoskiRonald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....
(born 1936), former MLB Baseball pitcher. - Regina SpektorRegina SpektorRegina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
(born 1980), singer-songwriter and pianist who graduated from FLHS in 1998. - Donna VivinoDonna VivinoDonna Vivino is a theatre actress and singer, who recently starred as Elphaba on the First National Tour of Wicked, and is currently the standby for the role on Broadway....
(born 1979), Broadway actress who has played the role of 'Elphaba' in the National Tour of WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Notable faculty
- Harrison BernsteinHarrison BernsteinHarrison Bernstein is the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League....
(born 1978), footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and trainer. - Hubie BrownHubie BrownHubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
(born 1933), former NBA basketball coach, who coached the Fair Lawn High School basketball team in the 1960s.
External links
- Fair Lawn High School website
- Fair Lawn Schools website
- Data for the Fair Lawn Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Fair Lawn High School Model UN website