Mahwah High School (MHS) is the four-year comprehensive
public high schoolA public high school is a secondary school in the United States of America that is financed by tax revenues and other government-collected revenues and administered exclusively by state and local officials. On the other hand, private schools are typically funded by tuition and private donations....
serving students from
MahwahMahwah is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 24,062. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".The area that is now Mahwah was...
,
Bergen CountyBergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 884,118, growing to 904,037 as of the Census Bureau's 2006 estimate. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, as the only high school of the
Mahwah Township Public SchoolsThe Mahwah Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Mahwah, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.- Schools :...
.
Mahwah High School is accredited by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
and by the
New Jersey Department of EducationThe New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 963 students and 88.2 classroom teachers (on an
FTEFull-time equivalent is a way to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or a student's enrollment at an educational institution. An FTE of 1.0 means that the person is equivalent to a full-time worker, while an FTE of 0.5 signals that the worker is only half-time...
basis), for a
student-teacher ratioStudent-Teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher. The term can also be reversed to create a...
of 10.9.
Awards and recognition
Mahwah High School was the 68th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in
New Jersey MonthlyNew 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 2008 cover story on the state's
Top Public High Schools. The school was ranked 46th in the magazine's 2006 rankings.
History
The campus-style school with 13 buildings was originally established as a joint Junior and Senior high school. It was constructed in 1958-59 for $4 million dollars. Before the new school opened, Mahwah's high school students attended Ramsey High School.
Prior to the construction of
Northern Highlands Regional High SchoolNorthern Highlands Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district in Allendale, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States...
in the mid-1960s, students from
AllendaleAllendale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 6,699.Allendale was formed on November 8, 1894 from portions of Franklin Township, Hohokus Township and Orvil Township at the height of the Boroughitis phenomenon then...
and
Upper Saddle RiverUpper Saddle River is a Borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,741. It is not to be confused with the neighboring borough of Saddle River.-History:...
attended what was then known as Mahwah Junior-Senior High School. The first all-Mahwah graduating class was in 1967.
The present school building was constructed in 1984 on the site of the original school, with an addition completed in 2004.
The Rotating-Drop Schedule and the "Unit Lunch"
In September 2007, Mahwah High School instituted a "rotating-drop schedule." Under the "rotating-drop schedule," students attend three (3) fifty-five minute classes before and after lunch, for a total of six classes per day. The "rotating-drop schedule" has created a "unit lunch" - a 43-minute period in which all students eat lunch.
In a report by
Kirstin ColeKirstin Cole is currently the consumer reporter for WCBS-TV in New York City, the flagship station of CBS Television Network. She joined WCBS-TV in 2001 and from 2001-2003, she was the evening weekend anchor. She also anchored CBS 2 News Saturday and Sunday morning from April 2006 - April 2007...
aired on
WCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City and owned by CBS Corporation. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center in midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building...
on October 11, 2007, Cole stated that Mahwah students "were forced to eat their lunch on the floor," citing health concerns with the practice. The report stated that CBS was able to "obtain and analyze three floor swabs," finding evidence that E. Coli was found on the floor, though tests done by the district did not find contamination.
Athletics
Mahwah's athletic and other teams are called the "Thunderbirds.". Mahwah High School is one of the member schools of the
North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic LeagueThe North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, abbreviated NBIL or NBIAL, is an athletic conference of twelve high schools located in the northern part of Bergen County, New Jersey...
(NBIL/NBIAL).
Cheerleading is offered, but it is not an NBIL sport.
Sports listed with an asterisk (*), although they are technically two teams that compete and score separately, usually practice and have their events with each other.
- Fall sports: Cross country (boys)*, Cross country (girls)*, Football, Soccer (boys), Soccer (girls), Tennis (girls), Volleyball, Marching Band and Fall Cheerleading.
- Winter sports: Basketball (boys), Basketball (girls), Bowling (boys)*, Bowling (girls)*, Ice hockey, Track (boys)*, Track (girls)*, Wrestling and Winter Cheerleading
- Spring sports: Baseball (boys), Golf (boys)*, Golf (girls)*, Softball (girls), Tennis (boys), Track (boys)*, Track (girls)* and Lacrosse
Advanced Placement Offerings
Mahwah High School offers 14
Advanced Placement ProgramThe Advanced Placement program offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada. According to the Good Schools Guide International, it is "usually much more rigorous than the general course offerings." The most taken AP exam in 2008 was AP United States History with...
(AP) courses:
- AP Biology
In the United States, Advanced Placement Biology is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course....
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- AP Chemistry
Advanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
- AP Computer Science
Advanced Placement Computer Science is the name of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn college credit for a college-level computer science course...
- AP Economics
Advanced Placement Economics consists of two, separate examinations that are offered as part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program.*AP Macroeconomics*AP Microeconomics...
, a course that includes one semester of macroeconomics and one semester of microeconomics
- AP English Language and Composition, beginning Fall 2009
- AP English Literature and Composition
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The Course:This course is designated for motivated students with a command of standard English, an...
- AP European History
Advanced Placement European History is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program. This course is for high school students who are interested in a first year university level course in European history...
- AP French
AP French can stand for two distinct Advanced Placement Programs provided by the College Board:*AP French Language*AP French LiteratureA.P. French can also refer to Anthony Philip French, an emeritus professor of physics at MIT....
- AP Physics
AP Physics includes two, separate examinations that are offered as part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program.*AP Physics B is a science course that is separated into five different sections of study: Newtonian Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics,...
- AP Spanish
AP Spanish can stand for two distinct Advanced Placement Programs provided by the College Board:*AP Spanish Language*AP Spanish Literature...
- AP Statistics
Advanced Placement Statistics is a college-level high school statistics course offered through the College Board's Advanced Placement program...
- AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:...
- In Fall 2010, AP Psychology will become available to MHS' juniors and seniors.
In the Fall of 2009 the Freshman Advisory, a full year freshman transition program, will be implemented. Freshman Advisory will be a required course for all freshman students, and will be taught by upper class (junior and senior class) Peer Leaders, and supervised by the high school faculty. Lessons on study and organizational skills, time management, coping skills, peer pressure, Habits of Mind, and college/post-secondary planning will be included.
Extra-curricular Activities
The following are some of the extra-curricular activities offered at Mahwah High School:
- Ani-Pals
- Art Club
- Athletes in Action
- Audio-Visual Club
- Calliope (literary magazine)
- Current Events Club
- Environmental Club
- Executive Student Council
- Future Business Leaders of America
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)
- French National Honor Society
The French National Honor Society is an organization whose intent is to recognize high school students in the United States who have maintained excellent grades in at least two years of French language courses; this is done by induction into the organization....
- Gay-Straight Alliance
Gay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...
- Junior Classical League
- Madden Club
- Mock Trial
A McTrial is a contrived or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers to test theories or experiment with each...
- Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In standard Model UN, students take on roles as diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an...
- Multi-Cultural Club
- National Honor Society
The National Honor Society, or NHS, is a nationwide organization in the United States and consists of many chapters in high schools . Selection is based on four criteria: service, leadership, scholarship and character. The NHS requires some sort of service to the community, school, or other...
- Omni Club
- Philosophy Club
- Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies (REBEL)
- Robotics Club
- Science National Honor Society
Science National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on science for high school students within the United States. The society was established in 2000 in Texas and has expanded to over 277 schools in 33 states.- External links :* * *...
- Spanish National Honor Society
Spanish National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in secondary education and promotes a continuity of interest in Spanish studies. The group, which was established in 1953 in the United States is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of...
- Stage Crew
- Ski Club
- Step Dance
- Students Against Destructive Decisions
Students Against Destructive Decisions is a peer-to-peer youth education organization, focused on substance and alcohol use and abuse prevention...
(SADD)
- Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE)
- Thunderbird (yearbook)
- Tom-Tom (school paper)
- Volunteer Club
- Young Politicians Club
Additionally, freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior class activities are offered.
Notable alumni
- Frank Chamberlin
Frank Jacob Chamberlin is an American football linebacker. Chamberlin attended Mahwah High School, in Mahwah, New Jersey. He was a four-year letterman and two-year starter for Boston College and paced the team with 126 tackles as a senior, earning second-team All-Big East honors...
(born 1978), NFLThe National Football League is the largest 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 its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
linebacker with the Houston TexansThe Houston Texans is a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The Texans joined the NFL in 2002 as an expansion team after Houston's previous franchise,...
.
- Brad Fischetti, member of the pop band Lyte Funky Ones
Lyte Funky Ones is an American three-man pop/rap group consisting of Rich Cronin, Devin Lima , and Brad Fischetti . Before Lima joined the group in 1999, the third member was Brian Gillis, known as "Brizz-ly Bear", who was with the group from its start in 1995...
.
- Gregg Lalka (born 1975), Emmy Award
The 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 , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
-nominated reporter / weather anchor for ABC affiliate, KXTVKXTV, channel 10, is an ABC affiliate in Sacramento, California. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. Its transmitter tower is located in Walnut Grove, California, and studios are located on Broadway, just south of Business Loop 80 at the south edge of downtown Sacramento...
, in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is the seventh-largest...
.
- Chris Wragge
Chris Wragge is an American news anchor. He is currently the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 5 and 11 p.m. weekdays alongside Kristine Johnson. He was previously the station's sports director...
(born 1970), news anchor for WCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City and owned by CBS Corporation. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center in midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building...
.
- Robert "Bob" Kratch (born January 6, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former American football guard in the NFL for the New York Giants and New England Patriots. He played college football at the University of Iowa for the Hawkeyes.
External links