Cornwall Central High School
Encyclopedia
Cornwall Central High School is the high school
serving the Cornwall Central School District
in Orange County
, New York
. It draws students from portions of three towns: Cornwall
, New Windsor, and Woodbury
, as well as the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. While it is in the New Windsor ZIP Code
, it is located off NY 94
just inside the Cornwall town line.
s (Willow Avenue and Cornwall-on-Hudson) and the current middle school have served as the district's high school in the past. However, by the late 1990s, with Cornwall's booming population, it was clear that a new building was necessary for the upper grades, and the district sought to build a new high school.
Attempts to site the school more centrally within the district near US 9W
failed when opposition from a local community activist led to the defeat of a bond issue that would have funded the building. In 1999, voters approved $13 million for the current building (the state picked up the remainder).
, connects two otherwise separate structures built into the 50 acre (20 ha) site's gentle slope with glass-enclosed overhead and ground-level walkway
s. There are five separate levels, totaling 208,000 square feet (18,720 m²) with a courtyard
-like space in between the two. All interiors are painted predominantly white, adorned with student artwork and porcelain
tile
walls, and colorful accents on classroom floors.
The classroom corridors in the rear structure intersect the walkways at oblique angle
s, meant to echo (along with the steel latticework on the elevated walkways) the railroads in the region's history, particularly the nearby Moodna Viaduct
, a spectacular trestle
and local landmark depicted on a student painting
above the entrance to the library
.
The library and cafeteria
are located on the uppermost level. Their windows flare outward, suggesting a control tower
and taking in the ample views of the Hudson Highlands
and Storm King Mountain available from the site. The main art room can be viewed through a glass wall adjacent to the main office, and has a separate gallery
level. Also up front is an open commons area where students may eat and relax.
Not only does the current design allow for a maximum of 1,500 students, more than it currently holds, it can be easily expanded if the need arises at some point in the future. (Needs to be verified, woods and a large slope are to the only possible expansion areas.)
Surrounding the building are several athletic fields, tennis court
s, a football field, and a track
. Students have also started an organic garden on the grounds, with the help of a biology
teacher.
As a condition of siting the school off a busy two-lane state highway, the school day begins and ends later than most other area high schools, from 8:05 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., to limit the traffic impact on Route 94. This makes Cornwall a rare New York district where the middle school students actually start and finish their day earlier than their older counterparts.
, including many scenes inside and outside the school building. A student presentation demonstrating how to start an after-school club.
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....
serving the Cornwall Central School District
Cornwall Central School District
The Cornwall Central School District is based in Cornwall on Hudson, New York, and provides public education to the children of that village, the Town of Cornwall and portions of the neighboring towns of New Windsor and Woodbury...
in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It draws students from portions of three towns: Cornwall
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
, New Windsor, and Woodbury
Woodbury, Orange County, New York
Woodbury is a town and village in Orange County, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman. The region was once called Woodbury Clove...
, as well as the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. While it is in the New Windsor ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, it is located off NY 94
New York State Route 94
New York State Route 94 is a state highway entirely within Orange County in southern New York. The western terminus is at the New York-New Jersey state line, where it continues as NJ 94 for another to Columbia, New Jersey. Its eastern terminus is located at U.S. Route 9W in New Windsor....
just inside the Cornwall town line.
History
Two of Cornwall's elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s (Willow Avenue and Cornwall-on-Hudson) and the current middle school have served as the district's high school in the past. However, by the late 1990s, with Cornwall's booming population, it was clear that a new building was necessary for the upper grades, and the district sought to build a new high school.
Attempts to site the school more centrally within the district near US 9W
U.S. Route 9W
U.S. Route 9W is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins on Fletcher Avenue in Fort Lee, New Jersey as it crosses the US 1 & 9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 approaches to the George Washington Bridge, where it heads north up the west...
failed when opposition from a local community activist led to the defeat of a bond issue that would have funded the building. In 1999, voters approved $13 million for the current building (the state picked up the remainder).
Building
The current building by Cannon Design, completed in 2003 at a cost of $44.6 million, is the newest high school in Orange County. Its design, frequently compared to an airport terminalAirport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
, connects two otherwise separate structures built into the 50 acre (20 ha) site's gentle slope with glass-enclosed overhead and ground-level walkway
Walkway
In US English, a walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. These include sidewalks, footbridges, stiles, stairs, ramps, paseos or tunnels...
s. There are five separate levels, totaling 208,000 square feet (18,720 m²) with a courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
-like space in between the two. All interiors are painted predominantly white, adorned with student artwork and porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
walls, and colorful accents on classroom floors.
The classroom corridors in the rear structure intersect the walkways at oblique angle
Angle
In geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle.Angles are usually presumed to be in a Euclidean plane with the circle taken for standard with regard to direction. In fact, an angle is frequently viewed as a measure of an circular arc...
s, meant to echo (along with the steel latticework on the elevated walkways) the railroads in the region's history, particularly the nearby Moodna Viaduct
Moodna Viaduct
The Moodna Viaduct is an iron railroad trestle spanning Moodna Creek and its valley at the north end of Schunemunk Mountain in Cornwall, New York, near the village of Salisbury Mills. The bridge was constructed between 1904 and 1908 by the Erie Railroad as part of the Graham Line and was opened for...
, a spectacular trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
and local landmark depicted on a student painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
above the entrance to the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
The library and cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
are located on the uppermost level. Their windows flare outward, suggesting a control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
and taking in the ample views of the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
and Storm King Mountain available from the site. The main art room can be viewed through a glass wall adjacent to the main office, and has a separate gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
level. Also up front is an open commons area where students may eat and relax.
Not only does the current design allow for a maximum of 1,500 students, more than it currently holds, it can be easily expanded if the need arises at some point in the future. (Needs to be verified, woods and a large slope are to the only possible expansion areas.)
Campus
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, a football field, and a track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
. Students have also started an organic garden on the grounds, with the help of a biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
teacher.
As a condition of siting the school off a busy two-lane state highway, the school day begins and ends later than most other area high schools, from 8:05 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., to limit the traffic impact on Route 94. This makes Cornwall a rare New York district where the middle school students actually start and finish their day earlier than their older counterparts.
Sports
2007/2008 Section 9 Titles:- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- Boys Soccer
- Girls Soccer
- Girls Cross Country RunningCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Boys Cross Country RunningCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Girls VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Girls BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Boys and girls Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
External links
, including many scenes inside and outside the school building. A student presentation demonstrating how to start an after-school club.