Great Neck South High School
Encyclopedia
William A. Shine Great Neck South High School (commonly Great Neck South, GNSHS or South High School) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 top public four-year 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....

. It is located in Lake Success
Lake Success, New York
Lake Success is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 2,934 at the 2010 census.Lake Success is in the Town of North Hempstead on northwest Long Island. Lake Success was the temporary home of the United Nations from 1946 to 1951, occupying the headquarters of...

, serving students in grades 9 through 12. However, GNSHS is officially listed in Great Neck
Great Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...

. Great Neck South is one of three high schools in the Great Neck School District
Great Neck School District
The Great Neck School District is a comprehensive community public school district primarily serving students in Great Neck, New York. It also serves students in some parts of Manhasset and New Hyde Park. It is Union Free School District Number 7 in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New...

, which includes Great Neck North High School
Great Neck North High School
John L. Miller Great Neck North High School or simply "North High," or "North," is a public high school, including grades 9 through 12, in the village of Great Neck, New York, operated by the Great Neck School District...

 and Village School. The school opened its doors in 1958 and it was named Great Neck South High School until it was renamed in 2006.

Great Neck South offers its 1,366 students 19 Advanced Placement courses, an independent study program to explore academic pursuits, career training, career internship program, inclusion
Inclusion (education)
Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special educational needs. Under the inclusion model, students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. Implementation of these practices varies...

 of selected students with disabilities, separate classrooms for students with disabilities, and resource room
Resource room
A resource room is a separate special education classroom in a regular school where some students with educational disabilities, such as specific learning disabilities, receive direct, specialized instruction and academic remediation and assistance with homework and related assignments as...

. There is also a separate class that is designed for students with disabilities. The school also allows students to avail themselves of vocational courses on a half day basis at BOCES
Board of Cooperative Educational Services
In 1948, the New York State Legislature created the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services to provide school districts with a program of shared educational services.-History:...

. The school offers students extracurricular activities, including a variety of clubs. Students also have the option to compete in the school's athletic programs. A school publication, the Southerner has reported on athletics, academic and extracurricular issues, and news of the school and community.

The school has a diverse student body with a significant population of Asians. Great Neck South has hosted an event in support for autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...

. The history of the school has ties with Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...

. Notable alumni of the school include Quinn Early
Quinn Early
Quinn Remar Early is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 6'0", . wide receiver from the University of Iowa, Early played in 12 NFL seasons from 1988 to 1999...

, National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 player.

Campus history and School facilities

The biggest real estate deal of all was the acquisition in 1949 of the 124 acre (0.50181064 km²) South complex in Lake Success from the former estate of Henry Phipps, steelmaster and one-time partner of Andrew Carnegie. His mansion and 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) were gifted to the district by the Phipps heirs and is now the Phipps Administration Building. The rest of the property was purchased for $279,000. In 1957, South High School was built on property surrounding the administration building. When the estate was donated, there was a stipulation that part of it be kept in its natural state. That condition was met during construction.

In 1958, Great Neck Senior High School was renamed Great Neck North High School
Great Neck North High School
John L. Miller Great Neck North High School or simply "North High," or "North," is a public high school, including grades 9 through 12, in the village of Great Neck, New York, operated by the Great Neck School District...

 to differentiate it from the district's new Great Neck South High School. Prior to 1979, Great Neck South High School included Grades 10 through 12. But in 1980, Grade 9 was added to the high school. Today the school has 75 classrooms. In 2006, the school was renamed to honor Dr. William A. Shine for his respected status that he had to the Great Neck School District
Great Neck School District
The Great Neck School District is a comprehensive community public school district primarily serving students in Great Neck, New York. It also serves students in some parts of Manhasset and New Hyde Park. It is Union Free School District Number 7 in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New...

.

In 1980 Great Neck South added the 9th grade. As of 1988 Great Neck South has open campus privileges. Great Neck South has more restrictions on its open campus than Great Neck North. Rona Telsey, a spokesperson for the district, said that while Great Neck North is near a major shopping center, Great Neck South is further away. In addition, she said that a student would need to use a car to go off-campus for lunch. Prior to 1980, all students had open campus. In 1980, the school decided that younger students at Great Neck needed more restrictions than older students. Beginning in 1980, only 11th and 12th graders at Great Neck South had open campus privileges.

Academics

Students are provided with educational opportunities which include Regents
Regents Examinations
Regents High School examinations, sometimes shortened to the Regents, are mandatory in New York State through the New York State Education Department, designed and administered under the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York...

, special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

 and TESL
Teaching English as a second language
TESL or teaching English as a second language refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English and is usually offered in a region where English is the dominant language and natural English language immersion situations are apt to be plentiful.TEFL or teaching English as a...

. Students take major sequences in several fields of study which are required for graduation. In addition, students elect many others according to their abilities, interests, and future plans. The music and choral programs are well-known and students with an interest can participate. Students are offered an independent study program to explore their own academic pursuits, guided by a teacher. Students are offered eight languages, including Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language, and remedial education. The school operates on a 7:59 a.m. to 2:33 p.m. schedule. This includes nine periods of instruction.
Daily Time Schedule
Period-> 1 2+HR
Homeroom
Homeroom or advisory is the classroom session in which a teacher records attendance and makes announcements. It can also be called Registration or Planning Period...

 
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Time 7:59–8:39 8:43–9:26 9:30–10:10 10:14–10:54 10:58–11:38 11:42–12:22 12:26-1:06 1:10-1:50 1:54-2:33


Great Neck South curriculum offers 26 Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...

 (AP) classes for students, the most popular of which are AP Psychology
AP Psychology
The Advanced Placement Psychology course and corresponding exam is part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. This course is tailored for students interested in the field of psychology and as an opportunity to earn placement credit or exemption from a college-level psychology course...

, AP United States History
AP United States History
Advanced Placement United States History is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program...

, and AP English Language and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program....

. There were 1,367 Advanced Placement tests in the 2009-2010 school year. As a result, 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...

 ranked Great Neck South High School 49th out of 500 in its 2011 list Best High Schools in America (the school has been cited in Newsweek's public school rankings on several other occasions). Students are offered honors (H) and accelerated courses as well. There are 19 Advanced Placement courses offered: art, art history, biology, chemistry, Chinese, computer science, economics, English, French, government, history, Italian, Latin, mathematics, music, physics, psychology, Spanish, and statistics. One of the Advanced Placement physics course tested the audience response technology
Audience response
Audience response is a type of interaction associated with the use of audience response systems, to create interactivity between a presenter and his/her audience. Systems for co-located audiences combine wireless hardware with presentation software, and systems for remote audiences may use...

 which was successful and the Great Neck School District
Great Neck School District
The Great Neck School District is a comprehensive community public school district primarily serving students in Great Neck, New York. It also serves students in some parts of Manhasset and New Hyde Park. It is Union Free School District Number 7 in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New...

 has expanded the technology to other schools.

The school has one or more teachers that have developed a Facing History
Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves is an international organization that provides professional development services and curricular resources to educators. It was founded in 1976 by Margot Stern Strom and Bill Parsons...

 unit or course, or are incorporating Facing History materials into their curriculum. It is taught as an entire course, or infused into existing courses; as an elective, or as part of the core curriculum. Facing History program associates work with teachers to help them use their materials in the most appropriate ways. Facing History and Ourselves lets classrooms and communities link the past to moral choices today.

The majority of South High students (more than 87%) achieve a B average or better. However, only a small percentage of South High students (12%) were recognized as finalists or received Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...

. 98% of recent South High School graduates entered college.

Career training

The CO-OP Program offers students an opportunity to receive paid on-the-job training in each student's selected area of interest. Arrangements are made with cooperating employers to provide training to students in conjunction with part-time employment. Opportunities are offered in any of the three following noted areas: Industrial Co-op Business Co=op Distributive Co-op. School credit is given toward graduation for the work experience of 600 hours per calendar year.

Career internship program

This program provides an opportunity for students to experience a career or field of interest before they leave the high school environment. Students will earn ½ credit per semester. Every student will have the opportunity to select their individual internship. This community based learning experience will allow students to become familiar with the skills and attitudes necessary for success in a profession or career while developing future goals as an enhancement of classroom learning. Juniors
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...

 and Seniors
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...

 will have the opportunity to: develop workplace readiness skills and self awareness, personal talents and abilities, learn to apply information about the work world, learn by doing, focus on strengths, explore opportunities and develop overall skills necessary to be successful in careers and life long learning. This is an after school, volunteer program.

BOCES

Students electing skill training in any of the following courses will receive three credits per year toward graduation. Enrolled students spend 2½ hours per day at the BOCES Skill Center either in the morning or afternoon sessions. The remainder of the day is spent in the home school enrolled in courses necessary to meet graduation requirements. Students' transportation from the home school to the BOCES Center is provided by the Great Neck Public Schools.

Special education programs

Great Neck South is a comprehensive public high school
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...

. Therefore, it is required to meet the needs of students who are at-risk of failing academically. These programs listed below are designed for them. Some students who are at-risk may be asked to leave Great Neck South to attend a special education school, special class operated by another school district or other in-district special education program. Parents are urged to look at these programs to determine if these are in the best interest of their child. If Great Neck South fails in providing the best interest for the child, parents are urged to use their "due process procedures" to challenge the school for not providing a "Free Appropriate Public Education" that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...

 (IDEA).
  • Peak Experience — Self-contained class. The Peak Experience Program is located at Great Neck South High School. The Peak Experience student is committed to a two-year program beginning in 9th grade. It is designed to meet each student’s academic and behavioral needs based on their IEP goals. The Peak Experience classroom enhances each student’s individual potential through a collaborative effort with guidance, the psychology team, and outdoor education
    Outdoor education
    Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...

    . Parent groups and ongoing communication with the classroom teacher and School Psychologist are established as an essential aspect of the program. Functional Behavioral Assessments are developed and utilized with each student.
  • Resource Room
  • Special class (Individual Development)
  • Team-taught classes (Integrated classes)

Student clubs and activities

Students form new clubs by finding an advisor on staff and prepare a proposed charter explaining the purpose of the club. They must provide a list of at least ten interested students. This proposal should be submitted to the Principal for approval before it is sent to the Board of Education and Superintendent for final approval.

Southerner

It is a student-run newspaper. In 2001, a letter published contained derogatory remarks about Asian immigrants, and prompted several meetings between school officials and members of the well-organized Great Neck Chinese Association, a group representing about 400 families.

Math Team

Great Neck South has a strong math program which is shown in the ranking of its math team in state and county math leagues. The math team is part of the Nassau County Interscholastic Math League http://www.nciml.org/ where it has placed 1st in six of the past seven years; 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, it also placed 2nd in 2004. During the Spring 2006 UTD/UWW Mathematics Meet the math team has also placed 2nd out of 538 teams.

Science Olympiad

The school's Science Olympiad team has in the past been one of the strongest in the region. It has participated in the Western Long Island division for at least 21 years and moved on to state-level competition 14 of those years by placing in top 5 or 6, depending on how many teams are chosen for state-wide competition in a given year. The team has placed top 10 each year, with the exception of 2009, and received bronze, silver or gold medals nine times. In 2005, the school sent two teams into competition for the first time. The following year, in 2006, both Team 1 and Team 2 placed top 10 in 7th and 8th place respectively. A third team was created in 2008.

Asian Culture Society

One of the most popular events at Great Neck South is Asian Night, where Korean and Chinese studentsput on a two-hour extravaganza of Asian art, theater and dance.

Interscholastic sports

As of 2011, the school provides 12 varsity sports teams for boys and 18 varsity sports teams for girls. The school also provides 7 junior varsity teams for boys and 7 junior varsity teams for girls. These sports include badminton, cross country, football, soccer, basketball, bowling, fencing, swimming, track, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, volleyball, golf, cheerleaders, field hockey, gymnastics and softball.

----
Great Neck South High School provides the following sports:

Fall

  • Boys' Badminton
  • Boys' Cross Country (Varsity)
  • Girls' Cross Country (Varsity)
  • Boys' Football (Varsity)
  • Boys' Football (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Soccer (Varsity)
  • Boys' Soccer (Junior Varsity)
  • Girls' Soccer (Varsity)
  • Girls' Soccer (Junior Varsity)
  • Girls' Cheerleaders (Varsity)
  • Girls' Field Hockey (Varsity)
  • Girls' Swimming (Varsity)
  • Girls' Tennis (Varsity)
  • Girls' Tennis (Junior Varsity)
  • Girls' Volleyball (Varsity)
  • Girls' Volleyball (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Volleyball (Varsity)
  • Boys' Volleyball (Junior Varsity)


Winter

  • Boys' Basketball (Varsity)
  • Boys' Basketball (Junior Varsity)
  • Girls' Basketball (Varsity)
  • Girls' Basketball (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Bowling
  • Girls' Bowling (Varsity)
  • Girls' Bowling (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Fencing
  • Girls' Fencing (Varsity)
  • Boys' Swimming (Varsity)
  • Boys' Track
  • Girls' Track (Varsity)
  • Boys' Wrestling (Varsity)
  • Girls' Cheerleaders (Varsity)
  • Girls' Gymnastics (Varsity)


Spring

  • Boys' Baseball (Varsity)
  • Boys' Baseball (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Lacrosse (Varsity)
  • Boys' Lacrosse (Junior Varsity)
  • Girls' Lacrosse (Varsity)
  • Girls' Lacrosse (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Tennis (Varsity)
  • Boys' Tennis (Junior Varsity)
  • Boys' Track (Varsity)
  • Girls' Track (Varsity)
  • Boys' Golf (Varsity)
  • Girls' Golf (Varsity)
  • Girls' Badminton (Varsity)
  • Girls' Softball (Varsity)
  • Girls' Softball (Junior Varsity)


Blazing Trails-4-Autism

Great Neck South has hosted the Blazing Trails-4-Autism on their campus. In 2009 the Run/Walk has been selected to be a part of the USATF-Long Island Grand Prix of Long Island Road Races.

Demographics

The student body in the 2009–2010 school year consisted of:
  • 0 American Indian or Alaska Native students or 0% of the student body
  • 32 Black or African American students or 2% of the student body
  • 81 Hispanic or Latino students or 6% of the student body
  • 582 Asian or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students or 43% of the student body
  • 671 White students or 49% of the student body
  • 0 Multiracial students or 0% of the student body


The student population at Great Neck South is predominantly White, with a large Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...

 minority and smaller Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 minorities. Approximately 148 will be classified as Special Ed. Approximately 46 will be receiving TESL services. Approximately 6.5 Free/Reduced Lunch (6.5% in 2009).

Great Neck South's total population is currently 1,321 (52.9% male, 47.1% female).
  • Grade 9: 306
  • Grade 10: 318
  • Grade 11: 345
  • Grade 12: 352


From the 2010 senior class, 349 students graduated, while 9 students did not. However, 2 students in the 2010 senior class were not enrolled.

Notable alumni

  • Nikki Blonsky - actress who starred as Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 film version of Hairspray
    Hairspray (2007 film)
    Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...

    participated in South's theater program.
  • Quinn Early
    Quinn Early
    Quinn Remar Early is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 6'0", . wide receiver from the University of Iowa, Early played in 12 NFL seasons from 1988 to 1999...

     - National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     player.
  • Jamie Gorelick
    Jamie Gorelick
    Jamie S. Gorelick is an American attorney, presently representing BP. She was Deputy Attorney General of the United States during the Clinton administration...

     - former Deputy Attorney General of the United States.
  • Mark J. Green
    Mark J. Green
    Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...

     - politician.
  • David Miner
    David Miner (television producer)
    David Miner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television producer who is best known for his work as an executive producer on NBC's 30 Rock and MTV's Human Giant. Miner is the manager of Tina Fey, 30 Rock's star and creator.-External links:...

     - Emmy Award
    Emmy Award
    An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

    -winning executive producer of NBC
    NBC
    The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

    's 30 Rock
    30 Rock
    30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...

    .
  • Talia Shire
    Talia Shire
    Talia Shire is an American actress most known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather films and Adrian Balboa in the Rocky series.-Personal life:...

     - actress
  • Helen Slater
    Helen Slater
    Helen Rachel Slater is an American actress and singer-songwriter.She appeared in the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl. In the following years she starred in several very successful comedy-drama films such as Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, and City Slickers...

     - actress
  • Tim Sommer
    Tim Sommer
    Timothy Andrew Sommer is an American musician, record producer, former Atlantic Records A&R Representative, WNYU DJ, Trouser Press journalist, MTV News correspondent, and VH1 VJ. Tim is perhaps best known as a bass player in the slo-core, dreampop bellwether Hugo Largo and the creator and host of...

     - musician, record producer, and record executive
  • Dawn Steel
    Dawn Steel
    Dawn Steel was one of the first women to run a major Hollywood film studio. She was born as Dawn Spielberg in New York City and raised in the suburb Great Neck, Long Island. Her father changed the family name.- Career :Dawn Steel attended New York University but did not graduate...

     - movie studio executive.
  • Steve West
    Steve West (Danger Danger)
    Steve West, born May 30, is a drummer most famous for playing in the band Danger Danger. He has played on all of Danger Danger's albums to date....

    , drummer for the band Danger Danger
  • Yin Chang
    Yin Chang
    Yin Chang is an American actress most recognized for her role of Mei Kwan, a lead character in Prom . The film was released in theaters on April 29, 2011 by Walt Disney Pictures. Previously, Chang was a recurring character in The CW series Gossip Girl...

     - actress best known for her role in Disney's Prom (film)
    Prom (film)
    Prom is a 2011 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and produced by Ted Griffin and Justin Springer. It was released on April 29, 2011 by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was the first major production shot with Arriflex's Alexa HD cameras to be released in theatres.-Plot:Class president Nova ...

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