CHATHAM HIGH SCHOOL (NEW JERSEY)

'Chatham High School' is an American four-year comprehensive public high school located at 255 Lafayette Avenue in Chatham Township, in Morris County, New Jersey. It is part of the School District of the Chathams. The school serves students in grades 9-12. The new regional high school, serving two municipalities, was dedicated at Lafayette Avenue after the creation of the School District of the Chathams on July 1, 1988, and joined the Lafayette Elementary School on its original site. The two schools share performing arts facilities.
The name of the new high school continues the tradition of its predecessor, which was located previously on Fairmount Avenue adjacent to the train station in Chatham in a historic early twentieth century Gothic Revival building that still bears the name on its façade. Secondary level students from Chatham Township were bussed to it and, later to a senior high school on Main Street, for many years under the auspices of the former, Chatham Board of Education.
From 1966 through 1988, Chatham Township students attended the newly constructed Chatham Township High School on Lafayette Avenue where Chatham High School is today. CTHS had as its mascot the Gladiator and CHS the Eskie. The two schools were strong rivals at Homecoming games for the twenty-two years they were separate high schools.
Today the school mascot for the combined Chatham High School is the Cougar.
During the 2006-07 school year, total student enrollment was 920, with 216 belonging to the class of 2007.
The school will have two principals, beginning with the 2006-07 school year, a change approved by the Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams on June 5, 2006.

Contents

Awards and recognition

Organizations and extra-curricular activities

PAWS

TATU

SADD

Marching Band

Theatre

Athletics

Administration

Notable alumni

References

External links

Awards and recognition

For the 2004-05 school year, the high school was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education^[1], the highest award an American school can receive.^[2][3]
Chatham High School was ranked 12th out of New Jersey's 316 public schools in ''New Jersey Monthly'' magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's ''Top Public High Schools''.^[4]

Organizations and extra-curricular activities

PAWS

'P'eers 'A'djusting 'W'ith 'S'upport is an organization of upperclassmen who help freshmen adjust to some of their new high school activities. Its members organize an annual field day, in which all freshman must participate. PAWS is a mandatory program for freshman but juniors and seniors are selected to be PAWS leaders.

TATU

'T'eens 'A'against 'T'obacco 'U'se is an organization whose members are against any and all tobacco use in Chatham High School and the surrounding areas. They visit elementary and middle schools in the school district to discuss the dangers of tobacco use with younger students.

SADD

'S'tudents 'A'gainst 'D'estructive 'D'ecisions is an organization whose members help students cope with everyday problems and decisions.

Marching Band

Chatham High School has an award-winning marching band led by Brian Conti. In 2006, the marching band performed ''Invitation to a Wedding'', a story-telling performance about the day of a wedding, from the ceremony through the reception. Songs played included ''Here Comes the Bride'', ''YMCA'', and ''Everlasting Love'', among several others. Other songs performed by the Chatham High School Marching Band in previous years include ''Birdland'', ''Touched by Fire'', ''Estancia'', ''Joy'', ''America'' (from ''West Side Story'') and ''Rootbeer Rag''.
In 2007, the band will perform several songs composed by Danny Elfman, including themes from ''Batman,'' ''Beetlejuice,'' and ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure.''

Theatre

Chatham High School has an active theatre program. During the 2006-07 season, they performed ''The Adding Machine'' in the fall and ''The Pajama Game'' in the spring. Directed by Kathleen Aiellos. The previous year they performed ''Twelfth Night'' in the fall and ''The Wizard of Oz'' in the spring. Directed by Laura Russo. This year they are performing ''You Can't Take It With You'' in the fall and "High School Musical" in the spring. Directed by Michael Beckwith.

Athletics

The boys basketball team won the 2007 Group II NJSIAA State Championship, defeating Pascack Hills High School 67-53 in the semifinals and topping Haddonfield Memorial High School 48-42 in the finals.^[5]
The boys tennis team won the North II, Group II state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over West Essex High School.^[6]
The boys cross country team won the North II, Group II state sectional championship and the Morris County Championship.

Administration

★ 'Darren Groh' and 'Michael LaSusa', Co-principals

★ 'Lori Gironda', Dean of Students

★ 'Julie Patterson', Director of Student Personnel Services

Notable alumni

Punk Rock Band B.D.G

★ Craig Benson - Governor of New Hampshire from 2003-2005.^[7]

★ Ben Bailey - Cash Cab Class of 1988 ^[8]

★ Ben Massam - Distance runner, Nike Outdoor Nationals Champion in the 5,000m Run for the 2006 school year, Class of 2006.^[9]

References

1. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 Through 2005, accessed May 15, 2006.
2. CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, ''Journal Inquirer'', November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. 'It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve'."
3. Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; ''The Washington Post'', September 29, 2005. '"For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."'
4. Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, ''New Jersey Monthly'', September 2006.
5. 2007 Boys Basketball - Public Group Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed May 29, 2007.
6. 2007 Boys Tennis - North II, Group II, NJSIAA. Access June 1, 2007.
7. Chatham NJ High School Reunions, accessed April 19, 2007.
8. [1], accessed June 22, 2007.
9. Underwood, Steve. "Ben Massam and Bona Jones are first two NON champs", Dyestat. Accessed July 10, 2007. "The boys race was larger and more competitive, with an equally impressive champion in Chatham NJ sr Ben Massam with his 14:48.73. Massam started in 9:34, but closed in 4:40 for his final 1600."

External links

★ Chatham High School website

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the School District of the Chathams

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