Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Encyclopedia
The Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey
, as part of the Elizabeth Public Schools
.
Honors and AP classes will be offered to all interested students. All Jefferson Academy students will be expected to comply with the rules, regulations, and policies of the Academy and the school district.
Each Jefferson Arts Academy student will be given the opportunity to participate in one of the five strands of study offered:
Elizabeth Minutemen compete in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference consists of public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County.
The football team won the 2006 North II, Group IV state sectional championships, defeating Phillipsburg High School, 14-9. The team won the 1999 North II, Group IV sectional championship with a 26-14 win over Montclair High School.
The boys basketball team won the 2003 North II, Group IV title, topping Linden High School
77-72 in the final.
The Elizabeth High School girls rugby
team won the title of Northeast Regional Champions in June 2008. They went on to become the 7th-ranked Girls U-19 rugby
team in the nation. The team only formed in 2006.
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, as part of the Elizabeth Public Schools
Elizabeth Public Schools
Elizabeth Public Schools is a public school district headquartered in Elizabeth, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide...
.
History
Located across the street from City Hall and war monuments, the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is the oldest high school of all Elizabeth Academies. The Arts Academy was first built in 1928 as an all-boys high school and named for the author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. The school is now a high school academy and the center for the district's performing arts program.Curriculum
Students enrolled in the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, in addition to completing a rigorous college preparatory program, will also be given the opportunity to explore different elements of the visual and performing arts, to further develop their own particular creative talents, and to develop a sense of aesthetics and personal expression.Honors and AP classes will be offered to all interested students. All Jefferson Academy students will be expected to comply with the rules, regulations, and policies of the Academy and the school district.
Each Jefferson Arts Academy student will be given the opportunity to participate in one of the five strands of study offered:
- Students enrolling in the Creative WritingCreative writingCreative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
Strand will learn about and be responsible for various school publications. They will also work in the areas of communications, graphic arts, printing, and production.
- Students enrolling in the Theater Strand will receive instruction in technical theater, stage movement, principles of scenic design, children's theater, costume structure and design, and make-up. Live performances will be a major focus of this strand.
- Students enrolling in the Visual ArtsVisual artsThe visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
Strand will receive instruction in drawing, painting, computer graphics, commercial art, and sculpture. They will participate in art exhibits in school and throughout the community.
- Students enrolling in the Performing ArtsPerforming artsThe performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
Strand will participate in school and real-world activities in the areas of instrumental music, vocal music, and dance. They will perform in concert band, orchestra, string, and jazz ensembles. They will receive instruction in music theory, composition, and improvisation. Live performances will enhance the musical ability of the students and showcase their talent within the community.
- Students selecting the Audio and Visual Media Strand will participate in classes and real-world activities that will help them to develop expertise in audio and video editing, programming, and production techniques.
Athletics
The Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy does not have its own athletic teams, instead the students participate in sports that represent the whole city of Elizabeth not just one academy. Therefore being, students from all the Elizabeth Academies including Elizabeth High School are all on one sports team competing against other schools outside the city.Elizabeth Minutemen compete in the Watchung Conference, a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference consists of public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County.
The football team won the 2006 North II, Group IV state sectional championships, defeating Phillipsburg High School, 14-9. The team won the 1999 North II, Group IV sectional championship with a 26-14 win over Montclair High School.
The boys basketball team won the 2003 North II, Group IV title, topping Linden High School
Linden High School (New Jersey)
Linden High School is a comprehensive community public high school located in Linden in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Linden Public Schools...
77-72 in the final.
The Elizabeth High School girls rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team won the title of Northeast Regional Champions in June 2008. They went on to become the 7th-ranked Girls U-19 rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team in the nation. The team only formed in 2006.
| Fall Sports | Winter Sports | Spring Sports |
|---|---|---|
| Football (Boys) | Indoor Track (Boys and Girls) | Outdoor Track (Boys and Girls) |
| Soccer (Boys and Girls) | Basketball (Boys and Girls) | Baseball (Boys) |
| Volleyball (Girls) | Wrestling (Boys) | Softball (Girls) |
| Tennis (Girls) | Swimming (Boys and Girls) | Tennis (Boys) |
| Cross Country (Boys and Girls) | Bowling (Boys and Girls) | Golf (Boys and Girls) |
| Gymnastics (Girls) |