West Morris Central High School
Encyclopedia
West Morris Central High School is a four-year comprehensive
public high school
that serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Washington Township
, New Jersey
, United States, where the school is located, operating as part of the West Morris Regional High School District
. The school has a Chester Township mailing address. Other communities served by the district are Chester Borough, Chester Township
, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township
, whose students attend West Morris Mendham High School
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,394 students and 101 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.80.
The school is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education
and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
. The school has offered the IB Diploma Programme
, as part of the International Baccalaureate Organization, since January 1998.
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 42nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 41st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
In The Washington Post
's 2011 issue "Ranking America's High Schools", West Morris Central was ranked 10th in the state and 408th in the nation.
West Morris Central High School History Teacher, Roseanne Lichatin, was named the 2005 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year, and was recognized with the honor by First Lady Laura Bush
.
, an athletic conference made up of high schools located in Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Morris
, Sussex
and Warren
Counties, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
.. While the original school mascot was the Highlander, many West Morris Central teams have taken on the name Wolfpack, though some teams still call themselves the Highlanders out of respect for school tradition.
The athletics at West Morris Central include: Cross country, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, softball, volleyball, wrestling, and the newly added swim team.
Boy's wrestling won its first ever Iron Hills-Iron title in the school history in 2006. The Wolfpack wrestlers were considered as high as number two in the Daily Record
area, and was voted a top ten team in the prestigious Region 1 of the NJSIAA wrestling. The team was led under the guidance of Ken Rossi who was a two-time state finalist for Jefferson High School.
The girls' lacrosse team won the 2001 North A championship, defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School
8-7 in the tournament final.
The boys lacrosse team won the Group II State Championship in 2007 with an 8-7 win against Ramapo High School in the tournament final.
The 2002 girls softball team won the North II, Group III sectional state championship, edging Cranford High School
by a score of 1-0.
The 2001 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School
by a score of 15-14. The 2004 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School by a score of 10-7. The 2009 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against Passaic Valley High School by a score of 28-19.
The 2008-09 girls basketball team won the Morris County Tournament by advancing to the finals and defeating Hanover Park High School
for the championship.
The 2009 Women's Volleyball team won the Group III State Championship against Northern Highlands High School, for the program's first group title in school history, in a season in which they also won the Morris County Tournament and were American Division champions in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. The Lady Highlanders currently have the most County Championships in Morris County, including four consecutive MCT titles from 2000 to 2003.
, Future Educators, GSA (Gay–straight alliance), Habitat for Humanity, Literary Magazine, Marching Band, Math League, National History Club, Newspaper, Photography Club, Prayer Group, Science League, Self Defense Club, Ski Club, Sound and Lighting, Stage Craft, Student Council, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), The Howlers (A Capella singing group), TSA (Technology Student Association
), TV/Radio Club, Veterans Oral History Club, Women's/Men's Ensemble and the Yearbook.
West Morris Central also has two a cappella groups, the Loreleis and the Noteworthys. The Loreleis are a student run all-female singing group who perform around town. The Noteworthys are their counterpart, all-male and student run singing group who perform around town as well. Every year in June they host their own Cabaret in which they sing all of the music they perform throughout the year. They are both coming out with new CDs this year.
West Morris participates in the French National Honor Society, German National Honor Society
, Spanish National Honor Society
and the National Honor Society
.
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 students in grades 9 through 12 from Washington Township
Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey, in fact is only away...
, 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, where the school is located, operating as part of the West Morris Regional High School District
West Morris Regional High School District
The West Morris Regional High School District is a regional public high school district in New Jersey that serves students from the surrounding Morris County communities of Chester Borough , Chester Township , Mendham Borough , Mendham Township and from Washington Township...
. The school has a Chester Township mailing address. Other communities served by the district are Chester Borough, Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township
Mendham Township, New Jersey
Mendham Township is an affluent township in Morris County, in the central portion of northern New Jersey, United States, located more than due west of New York City. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 5,400...
, whose students attend West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grade as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States...
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,394 students and 101 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 13.80.
The school is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education
New 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...
and 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...
. The school has offered the IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
, as part of the International Baccalaureate Organization, since January 1998.
Awards and recognition
The school was the 43rd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey MonthlyNew 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 42nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 41st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
In The Washington Post
The 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...
's 2011 issue "Ranking America's High Schools", West Morris Central was ranked 10th in the state and 408th in the nation.
West Morris Central High School History Teacher, Roseanne Lichatin, was named the 2005 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year, and was recognized with the honor by First Lady Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
.
Athletics
West Morris Central High School Highlanders compete 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...
, an athletic conference made up of high schools located in Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Morris
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, Sussex
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...
and Warren
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
Counties, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey 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:...
.. While the original school mascot was the Highlander, many West Morris Central teams have taken on the name Wolfpack, though some teams still call themselves the Highlanders out of respect for school tradition.
The athletics at West Morris Central include: Cross country, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, softball, volleyball, wrestling, and the newly added swim team.
Boy's wrestling won its first ever Iron Hills-Iron title in the school history in 2006. The Wolfpack wrestlers were considered as high as number two in the Daily Record
Daily Record (Morristown)
The Daily Record is a seven-day morning daily newspaper located in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Sometimes called the Morristown Daily Record because of its historical ties to nearby Morristown, New Jersey, the paper serves the greater Morris County area of northern New Jersey. It is owned by...
area, and was voted a top ten team in the prestigious Region 1 of the NJSIAA wrestling. The team was led under the guidance of Ken Rossi who was a two-time state finalist for Jefferson High School.
The girls' lacrosse team won the 2001 North A championship, defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the single high school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students from Bridgewater Township and Raritan in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States...
8-7 in the tournament final.
The boys lacrosse team won the Group II State Championship in 2007 with an 8-7 win against Ramapo High School in the tournament final.
The 2002 girls softball team won the North II, Group III sectional state championship, edging Cranford High School
Cranford High School
Cranford High School is a four-year public high school located in Cranford, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cranford Township Public Schools...
by a score of 1-0.
The 2001 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grade as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States...
by a score of 15-14. The 2004 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School by a score of 10-7. The 2009 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against Passaic Valley High School by a score of 28-19.
The 2008-09 girls basketball team won the Morris County Tournament by advancing to the finals and defeating Hanover Park High School
Hanover Park High School
Hanover Park High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from East Hanover Township and Florham Park, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hanover Park Regional High School District...
for the championship.
The 2009 Women's Volleyball team won the Group III State Championship against Northern Highlands High School, for the program's first group title in school history, in a season in which they also won the Morris County Tournament and were American Division champions in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. The Lady Highlanders currently have the most County Championships in Morris County, including four consecutive MCT titles from 2000 to 2003.
Activities
The clubs at West Morris Central include: Bowling Club, Academy of Science, Art Club, Jazz Band, Book Club, Cheerleading, Chess Club, Color Guard, Concert Choir, Debate Club, Musical, Environmental Club, Film Club, Fly Fishing Club, Future Business Leaders of AmericaFBLA-PBL
The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL, is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia...
, Future Educators, GSA (Gay–straight alliance), Habitat for Humanity, Literary Magazine, Marching Band, Math League, National History Club, Newspaper, Photography Club, Prayer Group, Science League, Self Defense Club, Ski Club, Sound and Lighting, Stage Craft, Student Council, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), The Howlers (A Capella singing group), TSA (Technology Student Association
Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
), TV/Radio Club, Veterans Oral History Club, Women's/Men's Ensemble and the Yearbook.
West Morris Central also has two a cappella groups, the Loreleis and the Noteworthys. The Loreleis are a student run all-female singing group who perform around town. The Noteworthys are their counterpart, all-male and student run singing group who perform around town as well. Every year in June they host their own Cabaret in which they sing all of the music they perform throughout the year. They are both coming out with new CDs this year.
West Morris participates in the French National Honor Society, German National Honor Society
German National Honor Society
The German National Honor Society or Delta Phi Alpha , seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship...
, Spanish National Honor Society
Spanish National Honor Society
Spanish National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in secondary education and promotes a continuity of interest in Spanish studies. The group, which was established in 1953 in the United States is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of...
and the National Honor Society
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...
.
Notable alumni
- Paul MalignaggiPaul MalignaggiPaul "Paulie" Malignaggi is an Italian-American professional boxer. He is the former IBF junior welterweight champion, and former WBO NABO light welterweight champion.-Light Welterweight:...
(born 1980), "The Magic Man", professional boxer who is the former IBFInternational Boxing FederationThe International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
Junior Welterweight World Champion. - Bill StepienBill StepienBill Stepien was the campaign manager for Chris Christie's successful campaign for Governor of New Jersey. He is currently serving as Christie's Deputy Chief of Staff. In 2008, he was a Regional Campaign Manager for Senator John S...
(born 1978), Deputy Chief of Staff for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:- Steve Ryan, Principal
- Robert Beers, Assistant Principal
- Gil Moscatello, Assistant Principal
- Bob Perkins, Assistant Principal
External links
- West Morris Central High School
- West Morris Regional High School District
- Data for the West Morris Regional High 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...
- Class of 1983