Vernon Township High School
Encyclopedia
Vernon Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school
located in Vernon Township
, in Sussex County
, New Jersey
, United States. The school opened in 1975 and is part of the Vernon Township School District
. The school has gone through expansions over the year including a new wing with several classrooms, the gymnasium was doubled in size. They have recently (April, 2007) started the renovations of the auditorium and outdoor fields as mentioned in the School Referendum.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,541 students and 130 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.85.
The school was the 152nd-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 156th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 124th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. As of the 20010-11 year, the school has offered a parent/student portal. This let's parents and students access grades online anytime they want. It also shows attendance and where the student stands academically. http://www.vtsd.com/vths/index.php
as the New Jersey Teacher of the Year for the 2004-05 school year. Stewart, a history, social studies and enrichment teacher, has been on the faculty of Vernon Township High School since 1991.
. The school is categorized by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
(NJSIAA) as North I, Group IV. Since the school has begun participating in league sports throughout the county and state, the Vernon Vikings have received numerous awards and championships.
Two of such teams is the boys' and girls' cross country. Coaches Ray Morris and Brian Cummins have been in charge of the teams, winning many sportsmanship awards. In the 2007 season, the boys' team placed third in the S.C.I.L. but later moved on to rank second in Group IV Sectionals at the Garrett Mountain course in West Paterson, New Jersey. In the 1980s, Doug Castellana led the team to a number of SCIL championships. In 2009, coaches Jim Shenise and Girl Coach took over. And in 2010, they led the girls team to take 3rd at the New Jersey Group IV Sectionals. In addition to Vernon Cross Country, the Vernon Vikings Boys Varsity Soccer Team and Boys Track and Field have also done well. Both teams are under the supervision of coach John Ryan, who received his 200th track victory in the 2007 season. He also received his 400th soccer victory over High Point on October 24, 2011. The school's legacy of success in cross country dates to the 1978 season, when the team was undefeated and won the S.C.I.L. championship.
The girl's varsity ski team won the 2009 New Jersey Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (NJISRA) overall State Championship.
program includes a Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Express, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Choir, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Ensemble and a Flute Choir. The choir
program consists of a Symphonic Choir, Meistersingers, Concert Choir Mixed, Concert Choir Women, Close Harmony, Les Chanteuses and Chanticleer. Both have a regular program of performances. VTHS also has an orchestral program, which students can take at CP level if so desired.
.
robotics team started in 2007, and was designated FRC
team number "1989". In the 2007 "Rack 'n Roll
" season, the Viking Robotics Team finished 24th out of 53 teams in the New York City FRC Regional. On May 12, 2007 the team finished in 2nd place at PARC X, an off-season competition held at the Tunkhannock Area High School
.
In the 2008 "Overdrive
" season, the Vernon Robotics Team won the FRC NYC Regionals along with FRC teams 41
and 555, and attended the World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia
.
During the 2009 "Lunacy
" season, the team placed 44th out of 66 teams at the NYC Regional, but were 2nd place finalists along with teams 1807
and 56
at Brunswick Eruption 8, an off-season competition held at North Brunswick Township High School
on October 31, 2009.
In 2010 game "Breakaway
", the team did not win the NYC Regional, but won the PARC XIII off-season competition also at the Tunkhannock Area High School with FRC teams 25
and 341
.
The 2011 season, "Logo Motion
," was the first time the team was ranked within the highest 8 teams at the NYC Regional, thus allowing them to choose partner teams 1279 and 2070
to compete in the elimination rounds, before being defeated in a semi-final match.
In addition to trips, Peggy Stewart organizes a Model United Nations program at the school every spring for the freshmen class. Students are organized into various countries and committees, and are given real world problems to resolve using the same methods practiced by the United Nations. The entire program is operated without any help from the faculty, all of the responsibility is held by upperclassmen students who have previously participated.
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 Vernon Township
Vernon Township, New Jersey
-Communities and neighborhoods:Communities and neighborhoods in Vernon Township include the following sections:*Vernon Village "Town Center"*Vernon Valley a.k.a...
, in Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
, 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. The school opened in 1975 and is part of the Vernon Township School District
Vernon Township School District
The Vernon Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district, that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Vernon Township, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States....
. The school has gone through expansions over the year including a new wing with several classrooms, the gymnasium was doubled in size. They have recently (April, 2007) started the renovations of the auditorium and outdoor fields as mentioned in the School Referendum.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,541 students and 130 classroom teachers (on an 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 11.85.
The school was the 152nd-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 156th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 124th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. As of the 20010-11 year, the school has offered a parent/student portal. This let's parents and students access grades online anytime they want. It also shows attendance and where the student stands academically. http://www.vtsd.com/vths/index.php
Awards and recognition
Peggy Stewart was recognized by the New Jersey Department of EducationNew Jersey Department of Education
The 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 the New Jersey Teacher of the Year for the 2004-05 school year. Stewart, a history, social studies and enrichment teacher, has been on the faculty of Vernon Township High School since 1991.
Sports
The Vernon Township High School Vikings participate in the Northwest Jersey Athletic ConferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference
The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference is a sports league that includes public and private high schools from Morris County, Sussex County and Warren County, New Jersey, that operates under the auspices of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association...
. The school is categorized 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:...
(NJSIAA) as North I, Group IV. Since the school has begun participating in league sports throughout the county and state, the Vernon Vikings have received numerous awards and championships.
Two of such teams is the boys' and girls' cross country. Coaches Ray Morris and Brian Cummins have been in charge of the teams, winning many sportsmanship awards. In the 2007 season, the boys' team placed third in the S.C.I.L. but later moved on to rank second in Group IV Sectionals at the Garrett Mountain course in West Paterson, New Jersey. In the 1980s, Doug Castellana led the team to a number of SCIL championships. In 2009, coaches Jim Shenise and Girl Coach took over. And in 2010, they led the girls team to take 3rd at the New Jersey Group IV Sectionals. In addition to Vernon Cross Country, the Vernon Vikings Boys Varsity Soccer Team and Boys Track and Field have also done well. Both teams are under the supervision of coach John Ryan, who received his 200th track victory in the 2007 season. He also received his 400th soccer victory over High Point on October 24, 2011. The school's legacy of success in cross country dates to the 1978 season, when the team was undefeated and won the S.C.I.L. championship.
The girl's varsity ski team won the 2009 New Jersey Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (NJISRA) overall State Championship.
Music
The school bandBand (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
program includes a Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Express, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Choir, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Ensemble and a Flute Choir. The choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
program consists of a Symphonic Choir, Meistersingers, Concert Choir Mixed, Concert Choir Women, Close Harmony, Les Chanteuses and Chanticleer. Both have a regular program of performances. VTHS also has an orchestral program, which students can take at CP level if so desired.
Academic Decathlon Team
The Vernon Township High School Academic Decathlon team competes every year in the United States Academic DecathlonUnited States Academic Decathlon
The United States Academic Decathlon is an annual high school academic competition organized by the non-profit United States Academic Decathlon Association. The competition consists of seven multiple choice tests, two performance events, and an essay...
.
Robotics Team
The school's FIRSTFirst
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
robotics team started in 2007, and was designated FRC
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
team number "1989". In the 2007 "Rack 'n Roll
Rack 'n Roll
Rack 'n Roll is the game for the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition season, announced on January 6, 2007. In it, two alliances of three teams each compete to arrange toroidal game pieces on a central arena element known as 'The Rack'.-Classes:...
" season, the Viking Robotics Team finished 24th out of 53 teams in the New York City FRC Regional. On May 12, 2007 the team finished in 2nd place at PARC X, an off-season competition held at the Tunkhannock Area High School
Tunkhannock Area High School
Located in Tunkhannock Township, Wyoming County PA, Tunkhannock Area High School lies in the valley of the Endless Mountains. From sports to in school activities, there is a variety of activities to keep the students busy. It is the largest school district in Susquehanna, Bradford, Wayne, Sullivan,...
.
In the 2008 "Overdrive
FIRST Overdrive
FIRST Overdrive was the 2008 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 5, 2008. In it, teams competed to complete counterclockwise laps around a central barrier while manipulating large diameter "Trackballs" over and under overpasses to score additional points.-Game...
" season, the Vernon Robotics Team won the FRC NYC Regionals along with FRC teams 41
Watchung Hills Regional High School
Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset and Morris Counties in New Jersey, United States. The high school is located next to Woodland School, in Warren Township...
and 555, and attended the World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
During the 2009 "Lunacy
Lunacy (FIRST)
Lunacy is the game for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition.Announced on January 3, 2009, the name and some of the features of the game honor the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon . It is FRC's 18th game. This is the first FRC competition to use the cRIO Mobile...
" season, the team placed 44th out of 66 teams at the NYC Regional, but were 2nd place finalists along with teams 1807
Allentown High School
Allentown High School is a public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Upper Freehold Regional School District. The school serves students from Allentown Borough and Upper Freehold...
and 56
Bound Brook High School
Bound Brook High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Bound Brook, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Bound Brook School District....
at Brunswick Eruption 8, an off-season competition held at North Brunswick Township High School
North Brunswick Township High School
North Brunswick Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in North Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the North Brunswick Township Public Schools....
on October 31, 2009.
In 2010 game "Breakaway
Breakaway (FIRST)
Breakaway is the game for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 9, 2010. Robots direct soccer balls into goals, traverse "bumps" in the field, suspend themselves and each other on towers, and/or go through a tunnel located in the center of the field.In 2010, a new driver station...
", the team did not win the NYC Regional, but won the PARC XIII off-season competition also at the Tunkhannock Area High School with FRC teams 25
North Brunswick Township High School
North Brunswick Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in North Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the North Brunswick Township Public Schools....
and 341
Wissahickon High School
Wissahickon High School is the sole public high school of the Wissahickon School District, and is located in Ambler, Pennsylvania, in the United States.-Academics:...
.
The 2011 season, "Logo Motion
Logo Motion
Logo Motion is the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition game. Playing pieces are inner tubes shaped like the components of the FIRST logo. The primary objective of the game is to place them on racks to gain points. In the endgame, robots deploy smaller robots to climb a tower. Minibots must be made...
," was the first time the team was ranked within the highest 8 teams at the NYC Regional, thus allowing them to choose partner teams 1279 and 2070
Ridgefield Memorial High School
Ridgefield Memorial High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school located in Ridgefield, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgefield School District....
to compete in the elimination rounds, before being defeated in a semi-final match.
Co-curricular Activities
Vernon High School organizes several trips abroad associated with foreign language classes every year. Currently, students can go on trips to Germany, Spain, Italy, and as far as China and Pakistan. On the 2007 excursion to China, students toured Beijing, Xinjiang, and the remote northern regions of Pakistan. The purpose of such trips is to increase the students' awareness and respect of other cultures and their impact on modern society.In addition to trips, Peggy Stewart organizes a Model United Nations program at the school every spring for the freshmen class. Students are organized into various countries and committees, and are given real world problems to resolve using the same methods practiced by the United Nations. The entire program is operated without any help from the faculty, all of the responsibility is held by upperclassmen students who have previously participated.
Financial
In 2006, a multi-million dollar budget was approved to renovate Vernon Township High School as well as Walnut Ridge and Rolling Hills Elementary Schools. Included were two more tennis courts in addition to the already existing four, a renovated auditorium with new sound systems and more seating, replacement of the current six-lane track with a state-of-the art eight-lane track along with artificial turf on the football field, more seating, bathroom facilities, and lighting.Administration
Senior members of the school's administration include:- John B. Alfieri - Superintendent
- Timothy T. Dunnigan - Principal
- Drew D. Krause - Assistant Principal
- Nancy O. LoPresti - Assistant Principal
- James M. Trusa - Assistant Principal
External links
- Vernon Township High School web site
- Vernon Township School District web site
- Data for the Vernon Township School District, 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...
- Vernon Township High School Robotics Team