WEST ESSEX HIGH SCHOOL

'West Essex High School' is a four-year comprehensive public high school in North Caldwell, New Jersey in the United States. The high school is part of the West Essex Regional School District, which serves students from four municipalities in western Essex County. Communities served by the district's schools are Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland.

Contents

Awards and recognition

School history

Extracurricular activities

Administration

Alma Mater

West Essex in popular culture

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References

External links

Awards and recognition

West Essex High School was the 34th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in ''New Jersey Monthly'' magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's ''Top Public High Schools''.^[1]

School history

The history of the West Essex Regional School District began in the fall of 1951 while students from the District – Caldwell Township (present day Fairfield), Essex Fells, North Caldwell, Roseland – were accepted by Caldwell High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.
Soon it became apparent that the present and future educational needs of the area needed to be determined as scientifically as possible, and the four school boards in the District joined with that of Caldwell-West Caldwell to retain the Rutgers University Extension Service for that purpose. Their survey predicted 1,200 junior-senior high school students in the District by 1961.
The first comprehensive study was submitted in 1956. It recommended the consolidation of the five school districts and all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade. The communities, however, were reluctant to carry the recommendation into effect. Then the Rutgers educators suggested the formation of a regional school district for grades 7-12 for Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and Roseland.
Subsequently, in June 1957, each of the four towns appointed two citizens to serve on a study committee. With the assistance of the Essex County Superintendent of Schools, and other officials, the committee completed a report by the following September.
The study committee recommended that a referendum be held in the four towns to seek the approval of voters concerning the formation of a regional school district. The New Jersey Department of Education approved the move, and by December 1957 the referendum was passed by the voters.
Shortly thereafter, the first Regional District school board of nine members – two each from Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and three from Roseland.
In February 1958, the Regional Board of Education was elected by the voters, with Wallace S. Jones of Essex Fells as its first president.
At about this time a Citizens School Curriculum Advisory Committee was established to determine the educational needs of the District and make curriculum recommendations to the Board of Education. Dr. Ulrich V. Solmssen was chairman of the 15-member committee.
On March 26, 1958, this Curriculum Committee issued a progress report which was superseded by its final report submitted on April 15, 1958.
The latter report contained several “basic principles” which the committee desired to see adopted for the new high school. Among these principles were “education for all, excellence of performance though self-discipline, independent thinking, and a sense of ‘true values”. Also stressed were a staff of high quality, adequate guidance, the grouping of students, availability of electives, insistence on effective English, and a broad extracurricular program.
The report also recommended that three types of curricula be offered: College Preparatory, General Academic, and Commercial.
In July 1958 voters authorized $290,000 for a 73-acre site, of which 60 acres lay in North Caldwell and 13 in Caldwell Township. The site is located between Grandview and Passaic Avenues, directly north of Greenbrook Road, about 25 minutes outside of New York City (West Essex Yearbook 1961).

Extracurricular activities

West Essex Regional High School provides many opportunities for students, from theater, to numerous clubs, to athletic programs.
The West Essex High School Knights compete in the Iron Hills Conference, an athletic conference comprised of twenty high schools located in Essex County, Morris County and Union County in New Jersey. The Iron division is often regarded as one of the most competitive in the state.

★ '''Football''' - 1980 North Jersey Section II, Group IV Conference Champions and State Champions, and Ranked 1 in State of New Jersey , North Jersey Section II, Group II State Champions 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006.

★ '''Boys lacrosse'''- 2004 Appearance in State Championship, 2004 Waterman Division Champions, 2004 Essex County Tournament Finalists, Ranked number 4 in New Jersey in 2004. 4 consecutive New Jersey State Tournament appearances, 2005 State Championship appearance, (2nd Straight)

★ '''Girls lacrosse'''- 2003 Group 2 State Champions, appeared in Overall State Title Game, Ranked 7th in The nation , 2004 Ranked Number 5 in New Jersey, Essex County Champions.

★ '''Field hockey'''- 16 Shut-out Victories, Ranked #1 in Essex County, Ranked #2 in New Jersey, Iron Hills Conference Champions, Essex County Champions, Section 1 Group 2 State Champions (2005-2006). On November 19, 2006, The West Essex field hockey team lost the 2006 Tournament of Champions, falling to Eastern High School by a 2-1 score^[2]

★ '''Baseball'''- In 2006, the team was seeded # 15 in the 74th Greater Newark Tournament, the West Essex Knights defeated #2 Nutley High School, #10 Montclair Kimberley Academy, #3, East Side High School, and #1 Seton Hall Preparatory School (Championship Game), en route to the school's first ever GNT Championship.

★ '''Softball'''

★ '''Fencing'''

★ '''Track'''

★ '''Boys basketball

★ '''Girls basketball'''

★ '''Wrestling'''- First Place in Garfield Tournament.

★ '''Ice hockey'''- 2004 NJSIAA Public School State Champions.

★ '''Boys soccer'''- 2002 State Champions, 2004 Iron Hills Conference Champions 17-2-2 record.

★ '''Girls soccer''' 2005 North I, Group II State Sectional Championships, Essex County Champions Ranked 20 overall in New Jersey.

★ '''Boys Tennis''' 2006 Ranked 10th in New Jersey.

★ '''Girls Tennis'''

★ '''Golf''' - 2007 Iron Hills Conference Champions, 2007 Group II State Sectional 2nd Place, 2007 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions 8th Place Overall

★ '''Boys Volleyball'''

★ '''Girls Volleyball'''

★ '''Swimming'''

★ '''Marching Band''' In 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 the West Essex Marching Knights have been ranked by TOB as one of the top 25 Bands on the East Coast. They were also the TOB chapter X champions in 2004 and 2005.

★ '''Wessex Wire school newspaper''' has won multiple awards from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Garden State Scholastic Press Association, and other student journalism organizations

★ '''Roundtable literary magazine''' has won multiple awards from Columbia Scholastic Press Association and other literary organizations

★ '''Milestone yearbook'''
Additionally, there are many academic-based clubs (i.e. Italian Club, Robotics Team) and service-oriented clubs such as WE CARE (environment), WE HELP (community service), and WE STOP (peer leadership)

Administration

★ 'Principal' - Barbara Longo

★ 'Vice Principal' (Interim) - James Catalano

★ 'Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment' - Bernard Baggs

★ 'Director of Guidance and Student Services' - Jayne Bembridge

★ 'Director of Special Services' - Judith Ulchinsky

Alma Mater

''Knights of West Essex, Proudly We Stand

''Striving for glory; honor we demand.

''Fighting for victory, we'll always be

''True to West Essex with Strength and Loyalty

''Hail to West Essex, long may you reign;

''Our Alma Mater, we uphold your name.

''Schools have their banners, some dull or bright,

''But we'll always show our pride for the

''Wessex RED and WHITE.''

West Essex in popular culture

West Essex is mentioned in the HBO hit series ''The Sopranos''. North Caldwell, the town where Tony Soprano and his family reside in the show, is also where West Essex is located. The line "I went to high school at West Essex" is muttered prior to some one being wacked.

Notable alumni

★ Bob Bradley (Current US Men's Soccer National Team Coach, former MLS Chicago Fire and NY/NJ Metrostars head coach).^[3]

★ Rob Burnett - Television writer, creator of ''Ed''.^[4]

★ David Chase - the creator of ''The Sopranos''.^[5]

★ Christian Ferrara 2004 NFL Draft Choice, San Francisco 49ers.^[6]

★ Joe Piscopo - ''Saturday Night Live'', Comedian.^[7]

★ Ronald T. Raines - scientist and educator

★ Josh Saviano - ''The Wonder Years''

★ Michelle Thomas - played Myra on ''Family Matters''

★ Michelle Vizzuso, former field hockey player.^[8]

Notable faculty

★ Lynn Bailey (Credited Poet, Studied with Poet Laureate Billy Collins)

★ Jeff Boyd (Nationally renowned History Teacher/Specializing in Genocide)

★ Jill Cosse (Nationally recognized Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach)

★ Tom Kenny (NJ Girls' Basketball Coach of the Year)

★ Rod Trafford (NFL Player St. Louis Rams)

★ Bill Wosilius (NFL Player, Arizona Cardinals)

References

1. Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, ''New Jersey Monthly'', September 2006
2. 2006 Field Hockey Tournament - Tournament of Champions, accessed November 26, 2006
3. Lewis, Michael. "Just one of the guys: to MetroStars coach Bob Bradley, success comes from creating a positive, friendly environment—something his new club sorely needs", ''Soccer Digest'', March 2003, accessed April 28, 2007. "Born in Montclair, NJ., Bradley's interest in the game began when an assistant soccer coach asked him to try out for the varsity team at West Essex High School."
4. Strauss, Robert. " ON TELEVISION; It's Not a Back Lot, It's Northvale", ''The New York Times'', October 1, 2000, accessed April 28, 2007. 'Ed'' provides for a sort of homecoming for Mr. Burnett, who grew up in North Caldwell and attended West Essex High School."
5. Courting fame, ''The Record (Bergen County)'', April 23, 2006
6. Christian Ferrara, DT, Syracuse, ''USA Today'', accessed April 28, 2007. "Attended West Essex (N.J.) High, playing football for coach Dave Drozjuck"
7. So Jersey, He Deserves His Own Rest Area, reprint of article from the ''New York Times'', August 7, 2005
8. The Century's Best -- Field Hockey, ''The Star-Ledger'', October 3, 1999. "In 1991, Vizzuso became only the fifth freshman at West Essex to start on varsity in Alimi's 32 years of coaching."

External links

★ West Essex Regional School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for West Essex Senior High School