J.P. Stevens High School
Encyclopedia
John P. Stevens High School (abbr. JP or JPS) is a four-year comprehensive
public high school
that serves the northern end of Edison
, in Middlesex County
, New Jersey
. It is one of two public high schools in the Edison Township Public Schools
, the other being Edison High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1969.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,168 students and 146 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.85.
, the school was ranked 33rd in New Jersey and 1,151st nationwide.
The school was the 65th-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 52nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 82nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
and CEO of the J.P. Stevens Textile Corporation
, who served as a member of the Edison Board of Education.
J.P. Stevens was founded in 1964, and rapidly expanded with North Edison. Originally, JPS was a senior high school, serving grades 10 through 12. In 1984, the Edison School District changed the junior high schools into middle school
s, moving 9th grade into JPS.
The middle schools that converge into J.P. Stevens are John Adams Middle School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School.
.
From the time it opened through the 1980s, the school's students were mostly Caucasian, with an African American
minority. Beginning in the 1980s, J. P. Stevens saw increasing numbers of Asian American
s. The largest group of students at J.P. Stevens is Asian American (particularly Indian American
s), following the same trend as Edison as a whole. As of the 2009-10 school year, Asian-Americans constitute 61.2% of students, 25.0% of the school is Caucasian, 9.3% African American
and 4.6% North Korean.
The average class size of the school is about 27 students. The school's ratio of students to computers is 12 to 1 while the state average is 4 to 1.
In the 2009-10 school year, on the Language Arts section of the High School Proficiency Assessment
(HSPA), 53.1% of students scored proficient and 39.8% scored advanced. On the Math section of the test, 34.5% scored proficient and 54.1% scored advanced. The average SAT
score was 1741 out of 2400. The Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate is 37.3%. The average attendance rate is 96.8%. The school had a suspension rate of 10%. 98.9% of JPS seniors graduated. 80% of the graduating seniors planned to go on to four-year colleges and another 16.9% of the graduating seniors expected to go on to two-year colleges.
, French
, Spanish
, and starting the 2008-09 school year, Hindi). In addition, health and physical education classes are required for every year in which a student attends J.P. Stevens. Starting with the Class of 2008, one year of "Career Education and Consumer, Family and Life Skills" such as Foods or Technology Fundamentals is required as well as another year of the "Visual Performing Arts" such Chorus, Band, Visual Arts, Clothing for Fashion, and Architectural Drawing. J.P. Stevens has an Honors as well as a college preparatory track that features several Advanced Placement courses.
, against nearby rivals such as Edison High School, East Brunswick High School
, and Woodbridge High School.
Janet Smith won the girls' 5,000 meter race at the 1983 Kinney National High School Cross-Country Championships
held in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, with a time of 16 minutes 43.7 seconds.
Kenny Bland became only the third basketball player in the school's history to have over 1000 career points. Jeremy Zuttah is a starting left guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft. He was a member of the 2001, undefeated football team that won states and played college football at Rutgers University.
, all competing groups from J.P. Stevens won first place, including best overall choir with all superior ratings. At the ACDA Festival in May 2006, the A Cappella Ensemble and the Chamber Ensemble both received The Sweepstakes award with a perfect score. In the Roxbury Invitational 2007, J.P. Stevens A Cappella Ensemble was one of two concert choirs selected to be in the showcase (previously in 2005), and went home with a 1st runner up trophy (with a rating of gold), behind Hopewell Valley Chamber Singers. In 2008, J.P. Stevens A Capella once again qualified as one of two showcase choirs at Roxbury Invitational, receiving a rating of gold. In addition, two concert soloists were selected to perform in the showcase.In 2010, the JP choir was once again selected into the showcase, securing 1st runner up once again. At the 2011 Roxbury Invitational, JP choir once again made showcase, but this time secured first place with a rating of gold. Many students from the choir are accepted into the Regions II Choir, the NJ All-State Choir, All-Eastern High School Honor Choir, and Governor's School of the Arts. At the Heritage Festivals in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2007, the A Cappella Ensemble received second place and the Concert Choir won first place, as well as the Adjudicator's award. In addition, the Chamber Choir was awarded first place in the Madrigal Choir category, and the school won Best Overall Choir and the Sweepstakes award. All performing groups received a gold rating. In the 2008 Festivals of Music in Washington, D.C., all competing groups from J.P. Stevens won the top honors. The J.P. Stevens Choir also achieved many accolades during the 1990's -- which some consider the Choir's heydey and call the "Moravek Years" after instructor Ginny Moravek.
program is under the direction of Andrew S. DeNicola and assistant director John Zazzali. Around 200 students participate in several ensembles, among which include a marching band, jazz ensemble, and wind ensemble, among others. The program enjoys the majority of its success with its wind bands and jazz ensembles. Its wind ensemble is a perennial participant at the New Jersey Concert Band Gala and Midwest Honors Wind Band Festival. In addition, its jazz ensemble has won five state championships, including a three-peat from 2009-2011.
The program consistently places a good proportion of its students in regional and statewide honor bands. In addition, its alumni have been educated at top tier music schools and conservatories around the country, notably at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the Berklee College of Music, and the University of North Texas, among others. Its alumni have also performed with the CBS Orchestra, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, the Mel Lewis/Thad Jones Orchestra, and Bon Jovi, among others.
The program annually hosts Bandboozle, a benefit dance that helps VH1's Save the Music.
The J.P. Stevens High School Orchestra Program consists of three orchestras, including a number of string quartets. Chamber Orchestra includes 21 students who are selected by audition and perform standard string literature. Concert Orchestra has more than ninety students that is combined with winds and percussion to form the Symphonic Orchestra. Students who play in the string quartet are selected by audition and perform at weddings and other fundraisers around the community.
, Into the Woods
, Pippin
, The Wiz
, Leader of the Pack
and Urinetown: The Musical. The theatre company's production of Urinetown: The Musical garnered several honorable mentions and nominations by the NJ Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Awards as well as a separate award being honored to student Thomas Minucci for the best set design. Other productions by the company from the past include Macbeth
, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
and Working
among others. The theatre company put on a production of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Inherit The Wind
in November 2007. Most recently, the company put on perhaps their most successful and lauded show ever: the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
in April 2008. Tickets easily sold out for the show, thus, each performance night oversaw members of the theatre company performing to one of the largest turnouts ever. Since then, they have put on such challenging and successful shows as The Odyssey , Tommy
, The Crucible
, and Jekyll and Hyde. In the fall of 2010, the company performed the play, Metamorphoses
. In the Spring of 2011, the company performed the rock opera hit, Rent
, which sold out on its closing night. In fall of 2011, the company will be performing Our Town
. Darlene Rich, an English and Theatre Arts teacher at the school, is currently the director and head of the theatre company.
in Boston
and swept the awards, receiving gold first place superior ratings in all categories entered.
SerenAIDe is an annual, entirely student-run, benefit concert organized to raise money and awareness for victims of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. This event takes place in the first week of May. The concert was inspired by the choral director's husband's struggle against this disease. Over the last three years the students have successfully raised over $24,000 towards the ALS foundation and the Jewish Community Center of Belle Mead, New Jersey
.
The trivia team STARS has made Top 16 of 68 in the Bridgewater-Raritan Invitational Tournament of Excellence (BRITE) three times in a row and once was a quarter-finalist.
In 2009, for the first time, the STARS were named Champions in BRITE and placed 30th out of 119 at Questions Unlimited's National Academic Championship.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
public high school
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....
that serves the northern end of Edison
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
, in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, 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...
. It is one of two public high schools in the Edison Township Public Schools
Edison Township Public Schools
The Edison Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school system, serving students in Kindergarten through 12th grade from Edison, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States...
, the other being Edison High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1969.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,168 students and 146 classroom teachers (on a 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 14.85.
Awards and recognition
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the school was ranked 33rd in New Jersey and 1,151st nationwide.
The school was the 65th-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 52nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 82nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
History
The school is named after J.P. Stevens, an alumnus of the nearby Wardlaw-Hartridge SchoolWardlaw-Hartridge School
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school located in Edison, New Jersey, United States, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is commonly referred to as Wardlaw or W-H...
and CEO of the J.P. Stevens Textile Corporation
WestPoint Home
WestPoint Home is a conglomerate corporation that dates back over 200 years through the companies that have merged together. Beginning with J.P. Stevens & Co., Inc...
, who served as a member of the Edison Board of Education.
J.P. Stevens was founded in 1964, and rapidly expanded with North Edison. Originally, JPS was a senior high school, serving grades 10 through 12. In 1984, the Edison School District changed the junior high schools into middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, moving 9th grade into JPS.
The middle schools that converge into J.P. Stevens are John Adams Middle School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School.
Students
The population of J.P. Stevens High School enters primarily from John Adams Middle School and Woodrow Wilson Middle SchoolWoodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison, New Jersey
Woodrow Wilson Middle School is a middle school located in Edison, New Jersey, in the United States, and is part of the Edison Township Public Schools. The school serves students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in a two-story building. There are approximately 43 classrooms in the school. Graduates...
.
From the time it opened through the 1980s, the school's students were mostly Caucasian, with an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
minority. Beginning in the 1980s, J. P. Stevens saw increasing numbers of Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
s. The largest group of students at J.P. Stevens is Asian American (particularly Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
s), following the same trend as Edison as a whole. As of the 2009-10 school year, Asian-Americans constitute 61.2% of students, 25.0% of the school is Caucasian, 9.3% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and 4.6% North Korean.
The average class size of the school is about 27 students. The school's ratio of students to computers is 12 to 1 while the state average is 4 to 1.
In the 2009-10 school year, on the Language Arts section of the High School Proficiency Assessment
High School Proficiency Assessment
The High School Proficiency Assessment is a standardized test administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey high school students in March of their junior year...
(HSPA), 53.1% of students scored proficient and 39.8% scored advanced. On the Math section of the test, 34.5% scored proficient and 54.1% scored advanced. The average SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score was 1741 out of 2400. The Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate is 37.3%. The average attendance rate is 96.8%. The school had a suspension rate of 10%. 98.9% of JPS seniors graduated. 80% of the graduating seniors planned to go on to four-year colleges and another 16.9% of the graduating seniors expected to go on to two-year colleges.
Faculty
The faculty population of J.P. Stevens High School is around 200 teachers. The student to faculty ratio is 13 to 1. The faculty gets paid $55,035 a year while the state average is $52,563. The listing of faculty salaries can be found http://php.app.com/edstaff/search.php.Curriculum
J.P. Stevens students are required to take four years of English, four years of math, three years of science, three years of history (one of world and two of U.S.) and at least two years of a foreign language (including LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and starting the 2008-09 school year, Hindi). In addition, health and physical education classes are required for every year in which a student attends J.P. Stevens. Starting with the Class of 2008, one year of "Career Education and Consumer, Family and Life Skills" such as Foods or Technology Fundamentals is required as well as another year of the "Visual Performing Arts" such Chorus, Band, Visual Arts, Clothing for Fashion, and Architectural Drawing. J.P. Stevens has an Honors as well as a college preparatory track that features several Advanced Placement courses.
2008-2009 Curriculum Reform
Responding to numerous voices within the community for community reform, the Edison Board of Education formed the High School Reform Committee. This committee recommended that for the 2009-10 school year, Foods I and Foods II be converted to Foundations of Food and Nutrition. International Foods will be converted to Culinary Arts. The committee also recommended the "addition" of two AP classes as well: The conversion of Visual Arts 3 in title to AP Studio Art and the addition of AP World History as a Junior year elective.School funding
The school receives 88% of the money from local taxes. The total cost per pupil in the school district is $11,964.Extracurricular activities
*FBLA JPAWS *Student Council Student council Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
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Improvisational theatre Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously... Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey of the Mind, often called OM , is a creative problem-solving competition involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined problem ; and present their solution to the problem at a competition... First 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 (JPS Warhawks, Team 2554) Science Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe... National Honor Society The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries... National Technical Honor Society The National Technical Honor Society is an honor society for outstanding career and technical students of workforce vocational education institutions in the United States....
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Marching band Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments... Jazz band A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth... Orchestra An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus... 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... |
Athletics
The J.P. Stevens High School Hawks compete in the Red Division of the Greater Middlesex ConferenceGreater Middlesex Conference
The Greater Middlesex Conference is an athletic conference comprising 33 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County, New Jersey area. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.-Gold Division:-Blue...
, against nearby rivals such as Edison High School, East Brunswick High School
East Brunswick High School
East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...
, and Woodbridge High School.
|
Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... Volleyball Volleyball 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... Powerlifting Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman... Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... Team American football American 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... Scholastic wrestling Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently... |
Ski A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes... Cheerleading Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate... Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... Bowling Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule... Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
Janet Smith won the girls' 5,000 meter race at the 1983 Kinney National High School Cross-Country Championships
Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the best prep cross country athlete in the country...
held in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, with a time of 16 minutes 43.7 seconds.
Kenny Bland became only the third basketball player in the school's history to have over 1000 career points. Jeremy Zuttah is a starting left guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft. He was a member of the 2001, undefeated football team that won states and played college football at Rutgers University.
Robotics
Team 2554https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso?page=teamlist&menu=false&event=NY&year=2008&event_type=FRC, the JPS Warhawkshttp://www.team2554.org/home.html, is a robotics club started in the 2007-2008 school year at John P. Stevens High School. The team competes with over 60 other international teams at the New York City Regionals in the NY Jacob Javits Convention Center. They are completely self-funded, using fundraiser events, such as the annual Video Game Night, volleyball tournaments, and T-Shirt sales, to raise money for registration, parts, and equipment. In past regionals they have placed 18/64, 61/68, and 44/63, as well as competing in the semifinals in NYC during their second (2007-2009) year.Chorus
The J.P. Stevens High School Chorus is headed by Jonathan Meszaros. Diane Wions retired last year. The J.P. Stevens Choir has won numerous awards, including Best Overall Choir at National and State competitions. In the 2006 Music Festival in Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, all competing groups from J.P. Stevens won first place, including best overall choir with all superior ratings. At the ACDA Festival in May 2006, the A Cappella Ensemble and the Chamber Ensemble both received The Sweepstakes award with a perfect score. In the Roxbury Invitational 2007, J.P. Stevens A Cappella Ensemble was one of two concert choirs selected to be in the showcase (previously in 2005), and went home with a 1st runner up trophy (with a rating of gold), behind Hopewell Valley Chamber Singers. In 2008, J.P. Stevens A Capella once again qualified as one of two showcase choirs at Roxbury Invitational, receiving a rating of gold. In addition, two concert soloists were selected to perform in the showcase.In 2010, the JP choir was once again selected into the showcase, securing 1st runner up once again. At the 2011 Roxbury Invitational, JP choir once again made showcase, but this time secured first place with a rating of gold. Many students from the choir are accepted into the Regions II Choir, the NJ All-State Choir, All-Eastern High School Honor Choir, and Governor's School of the Arts. At the Heritage Festivals in Boston, Massachusetts in April 2007, the A Cappella Ensemble received second place and the Concert Choir won first place, as well as the Adjudicator's award. In addition, the Chamber Choir was awarded first place in the Madrigal Choir category, and the school won Best Overall Choir and the Sweepstakes award. All performing groups received a gold rating. In the 2008 Festivals of Music in Washington, D.C., all competing groups from J.P. Stevens won the top honors. The J.P. Stevens Choir also achieved many accolades during the 1990's -- which some consider the Choir's heydey and call the "Moravek Years" after instructor Ginny Moravek.
- Concert Choir - Open to all students, about 170-190 members; Weekly Thursday rehearsals
- A Cappella Ensemble - Open by audition to all students, about 120-130 members; Weekly Monday rehearsals
- Men's Ensemble - Open to audition, automatic membership with acceptance into A Cappella Ensemble; Weekly Wednesday rehearsals; following Women's Ensemble.
- Women's Ensemble - Open to audition, automatic membership with acceptance into A Cappella Ensemble; Weekly Wednesday rehearsals
- Chamber Ensemble - Most selective group, open to audition, grades 10-12, 38 members; Weekly Monday rehearsals, following A Capella
Band
The J.P. Stevens High 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 is under the direction of Andrew S. DeNicola and assistant director John Zazzali. Around 200 students participate in several ensembles, among which include a marching band, jazz ensemble, and wind ensemble, among others. The program enjoys the majority of its success with its wind bands and jazz ensembles. Its wind ensemble is a perennial participant at the New Jersey Concert Band Gala and Midwest Honors Wind Band Festival. In addition, its jazz ensemble has won five state championships, including a three-peat from 2009-2011.
The program consistently places a good proportion of its students in regional and statewide honor bands. In addition, its alumni have been educated at top tier music schools and conservatories around the country, notably at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the Berklee College of Music, and the University of North Texas, among others. Its alumni have also performed with the CBS Orchestra, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, the Mel Lewis/Thad Jones Orchestra, and Bon Jovi, among others.
The program annually hosts Bandboozle, a benefit dance that helps VH1's Save the Music.
Orchestra
The John P. Stevens orchestra program is under the direction of Brian Verdi. Each year a number of students audition and are selected to participate in both CJMEA Regions II and All-State Orchestra. The orchestras compete each year in various orchestra festivals and place first in every competition. Presently the orchestra program has over seventy members and continues to grow.The J.P. Stevens High School Orchestra Program consists of three orchestras, including a number of string quartets. Chamber Orchestra includes 21 students who are selected by audition and perform standard string literature. Concert Orchestra has more than ninety students that is combined with winds and percussion to form the Symphonic Orchestra. Students who play in the string quartet are selected by audition and perform at weddings and other fundraisers around the community.
Theatre Company
The John P. Stevens award winning theatre company has been an ongoing program in the school for many years now. Since the foundation of the company, several Broadway and off-Broadway shows have been performed; some notable include: GreaseGrease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, Pippin
Pippin
Pippin, Peppin, and Pepin are variants of a single Frankish given name. It was the name of several important figures in the Carolingian family that ruled the Frankish Empire in what is now France and the western parts of Germany in the Middle Ages:* Pepin of Landen, nicknamed the Elder, sometimes...
, The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
, Leader of the Pack
Leader of the Pack
"Leader of the Pack" is a 1964 pop song recorded by girl group The Shangri-Las. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 28, 1964.-Original Shangri-Las recording:...
and Urinetown: The Musical. The theatre company's production of Urinetown: The Musical garnered several honorable mentions and nominations by the NJ Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Awards as well as a separate award being honored to student Thomas Minucci for the best set design. Other productions by the company from the past include Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is a short comedy by John Bishop. The play was first performed at the Circle Repertory Company in their theatre at 99 Seventh Avenue South in New York City, later moving to Broadway, opening on April 6, 1987, in The Longacre Theatre. The both productions were...
, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
and Working
Working (musical)
Working is a musical with a book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, music by Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, and James Taylor, and lyrics by Schwartz, Carnelia, Grant, Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead....
among others. The theatre company put on a production of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Inherit The Wind
Inherit the Wind (play)
Inherit the Wind is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The play, which debuted in 1955, is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means to discuss the then-contemporary McCarthy trials.-Background:...
in November 2007. Most recently, the company put on perhaps their most successful and lauded show ever: the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1936 British film produced and directed by George King.-Plot:The film features Tod Slaughter in one of his most famous roles as barber Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was wrongly sentenced to life in prison. After his release 15 years later, he begins...
in April 2008. Tickets easily sold out for the show, thus, each performance night oversaw members of the theatre company performing to one of the largest turnouts ever. Since then, they have put on such challenging and successful shows as The Odyssey , Tommy
Tommy
Tommy is a given name that is usually the English diminutive of Thomas. The name also could refer to:- People with the given name Tommy :* Tommy Alcedo , Venezuelan road cyclist* Tommy G...
, The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
, and Jekyll and Hyde. In the fall of 2010, the company performed the play, Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses (play)
Metamorphoses is a play by American playwright Mary Zimmerman adapted from the classic Ovid poem, Metamorphoses. The play premiered in 1996 as Six Myths at Northwestern University and later the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago...
. In the Spring of 2011, the company performed the rock opera hit, Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
, which sold out on its closing night. In fall of 2011, the company will be performing Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
. Darlene Rich, an English and Theatre Arts teacher at the school, is currently the director and head of the theatre company.
"More Ways Out" Improv Troupe
The "More Ways Out" Improv Troupe meets every Thursday after school, to practice along with other students the art of "staying on ones toes". In the past years the "More Ways Out" improv troupe has won best in state numerous times. Most recently, the troupe went to New York City for an improv workshop encountering many professionals, as well as attending the NYC comedy festival.Other
The Choir and Orchestra recently went to the Heritage FestivalHeritage Festival
Heritage Festival refers to one of a number of musical festivals held throughout America where high school-aged musical ensembles are ranked on an international standard. These groups include choirs, bands, and orchestras as well as color guard and majorette competitions...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and swept the awards, receiving gold first place superior ratings in all categories entered.
SerenAIDe is an annual, entirely student-run, benefit concert organized to raise money and awareness for victims of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. This event takes place in the first week of May. The concert was inspired by the choral director's husband's struggle against this disease. Over the last three years the students have successfully raised over $24,000 towards the ALS foundation and the Jewish Community Center of Belle Mead, New Jersey
Belle Mead, New Jersey
Belle Mead is a census-designated place which straddles Montgomery Township and Hillsborough Township in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Up until about 1875, Belle Mead, then named Plainville, was part of Harlingen. It was a quiet farming region when about that time a New York City contractor named...
.
The trivia team STARS has made Top 16 of 68 in the Bridgewater-Raritan Invitational Tournament of Excellence (BRITE) three times in a row and once was a quarter-finalist.
In 2009, for the first time, the STARS were named Champions in BRITE and placed 30th out of 119 at Questions Unlimited's National Academic Championship.
Notable alumni
Noted JPS alumni include:- David BryanDavid BryanDavid Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
(born 1962), who plays the keyboards in the hard rockHard rockHard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. - Al CheznovitzAl CheznovitzAl Chesnovitz, also Alan Chez is an American musician who principally plays the trumpet and the flugelhorn on the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman...
(born 1961), trumpet player, appears nightly on The Late Show with David Letterman. - Jun ChoiJun ChoiJun H. Choi is an American politician and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the youngest mayor in Edison history...
(born 1971), former MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Edison. - Mark L. PolanskyMark L. PolanskyMark Lewis "Roman" Polansky is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a NASA astronaut. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke, because he shares a last name with director Roman Polanski. He has flown on three Space Shuttle missions: STS-98, STS-116, and...
(born 1956), NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut. - Nancy Shevell (born 1959), third wife of Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and a leader in the trucking industry. - George A. SpadoroGeorge A. SpadoroGeorge A. Spadoro is an American Democratic Party politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 18th Legislative District.-Biography:...
, former mayor of Edison, New JerseyEdison, New JerseyEdison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
. - Joel SteinJoel SteinJoel Stein is a journalist who wrote for the Los Angeles Times and is a regular contributor to Time.-Early life:Stein grew up in Edison, New Jersey and attended J. P. Stevens High School, where he was a writer and entertainment editor for Hawkeye, the student newspaper...
(born 1971), journalist, media personality, and current columnist for the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. - Jeremy ZuttahJeremy ZuttahJeremy Kwasi Zuttah is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers....
(born 1986), Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
player.
External links
- School webpage
- J.P. Stevens High School Band
- JPS Warhawks - FIRST Robotics Team
- J.P. Stevens High School page from Edison Township Public Schools
- Data for J.P. Stevens High School, 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...
- J.P. Stevens Hawks Athletics
- J.P. Stevens Choir