- Montgomery High School is a four-year, comprehensive, public high school located in the Skillman area of Montgomery Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Montgomery Township School District. A new building opened in the fall of 2005.
- As of the 2006-07 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,623 students and 116 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 14.0.
- Student body
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For the 2006-2007 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,623 students. Of these, 76% were white, 20% Asian, 2% Hispanic, 2% black, and a negligible number Native American or Alaska Native (3). Only 1% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches.
[ This and the district's J level District Factor Group indicate that the school serves students of relatively high socioeconomic status.]- Awards and recognition
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For the 1992-93 school year, Montgomery High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
[ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.], the highest award an American school can receive.[ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 90 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."][Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school. Also, the school is home to famed actor and pinclown Arun "deadbolt" Siva"] - In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Montgomery High School was listed in 656th place, the 13th-highest ranked school in New Jersey .
[ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.] - The school was the 16th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2008 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools. The school was ranked 4th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
[ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.] - Academic curriculum
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New Jersey State law requires that every student pass the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) and successfully complete the following courses:
- In addition, students are required to take swimming in gym for both their Freshman and Sophomore years. Freshmen take swimming for half of a marking period (2 days a week) while Sophomores take it for half of a marking period (1 day a week).
- Students are required to schedule a minimum of 35 credits for grades 9, 10, 11 and 30 credits for grade 12.In order to graduate from MHS students must successfully complete 135 credits for graduation.
- Extracurricular activities
- Clubs and publications
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In science, Montgomery High School has a Science Olympiad, science league, science bowl, and FIRST Robotics. The band program also offers several extracurricular activities, including: a marching band which plays at every varsity football game and at various area competitions, where they have received superior ratings and special awards such as "Best Over All Effect", "Best Color Guard", and "Best Music"; a jazz band; and a lower-level jazz group called the "Stage Band." All musical ensembles are non-competitive, and only attend competitions in exhibition.
- The Yearbook is called the "Lens" and, since 2007, is printed in full color. The Lens staff works hard all year round to create the best product possible using iMacs and Adobe InDesign.
- Each year a video is produced for the senior class, known as senior video. The video is a look back at the time spent in Montgomery by the outgoing seniors and consists of a wide variety of video footage, from the annual senior class trip to Disney World all the way back to Kindergarten. It has historically been handled by the TV department, however since 2008 it has been done as a joint venture between the TV department and the Class Historian for the graduating class. The video is shown once, at the senior dinner dance. The 2008 incarnation clocked in at 1:21:05, the longest to date.
- There are other extracurriculars at the school. The Future Business Leaders of America Club, or FBLA, is becoming more active. Last year, it was the club's first time at competitions and 9 out of 11 people placed in regionals and went to states and 3 people went to nationals after placing in states. Those talented 3 people placed at nationals, too.
- Furthermore, the Pawprint, MHS' high school newspaper, is becoming more active.
- Science Olympiad
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Science Olympiad in Montgomery is run by the teachers in the Science department. For many of the previous years the team was led by Mr. Pendleton with the other coaches including Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Henn and Mr. Grieco. However, after they lost the hoped "Decade of Dominance" at the 2006 State Championship, the team was forced to rethink and restrategize their plan of action for the next Science Olympiad Year. In June 2006, the coaches held a prospective team meeting and announced the team would be under new leadership. Mrs. Henn would be the new head coach and Mr. Grieco and Mr. Pendleton following. New coaches were added to the team all of them being Montgomery High School science teachers. These teachers included Mrs. Chedid, Mr. Spinelli, Mr. Buzca, and Mr. English. In addition, the first Montgomery High School Science Olympiad Competition was announced which would be a simulated school competition used to choose the next year's team. In September 2006, another prospective team meeting was called and the official tryout dates were set. November 2, 2006 would be the date to try out for the testing events including Chem Lab, Experimental Design, and Oceanography/Our Changing World. November 7, 2006 would be the date for testing events which included Sounds of Music, Boomeliever and Scrambler. The testing events were taken by all prospective members in three separate rooms; one for each event. The testing was completed in about one hour. The building events took place at different times on the set date. As an "long weekend" followed the November 7th building test date, several students were able to test on set days during the following five-day weekend. The team coaches had a meeting on November 13, 2006 to decide on the new 15 member-team and their respective events (23 among the team members). The new team-roster for regional competition was released Friday, November 24, 2006.
- FIRST Robotics
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Montgomery High School competes in FIRST Robotics, a competition sponsored by FIRST. Team 1403, Cougar Robotics[1] was founded in 2003 by a student from Team 75, the RoboRaiders, and as of 2006 has grown to over 95 students. The team has been successful in competition and recently held an off-season event at the school called Monty Madness. Over 36 FIRST Robotics and Vex teams showed up for the event at Montgomery High School, Gregory Olsen, a Montgomery Resident and Space Tourist was a keynote speaker. The team has also won the regional Engineering Award twice in 2007 and 2008, the second highest award bestowed upon teams. It is also proud to have a mentor that has won the regional Woodie Flowers Award, the highest award a mentor can win. The team is active in its community demonstrating its robots to the community and holding off-season events to inform the community of science and technology. The team strives to inspire others to recognize the importance of science and technology.
- Sports
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Sports offered at Montgomery High School include wrestling, soccer, cross country running, baseball, football, hockey, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, softball, swimming, Fencing and track. Montgomery is a member of the Skyland Conference, which comprises eighteen public and parochial high schools covering Hunterdon County, Somerset County and Warren County in west central New Jersey, and operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). A wrestling team has recently been added to Montgomery.
- The girls' softball team won the 2004 NJSIAA Group III State Championship.
[ 2004 Softball - Public Semis/Finals, NJSIAA, accessed April 25, 2007.] - The boys lacrosse team won the 2007 Group III State Championship with a 10-8 win over Randolph High School.
[ 2007 Boys Lacrosse - Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed June 5, 2007.] - The boys baseball team won the 2005 North II Group III State Championship with a 3-1 win over Millburn High School.
[ 2005 Baseball - North II, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.] - The girls cross country team made it all the way to states.
- Montgomery High School made it to the 2006 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public School Ice Hockey State Champions, falling to Randolph High School in the finals of the 64-team tournament.
[ 2006 Ice hockey - Public, NJSIAA, accessed August 12, 2006.] - The 2007 girls tennis team won the Central Jersey, Group IV state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South in the tournament final.
[ 2007 Girls Team Tennis - Central, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed October 25, 2007.] - Testing
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Montgomery produces average SAT and HSPA scores generally better than other schools of the same caliber. It was recognized in 2006 as excellent in Advanced Placement Art History; all 203 students who took the AP exam that year scored 3 (out of 5) or above.
- SAT Scores
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In 2005-06, Montgomery averaged a 1760 combined SAT score, 15th-highest statewide, and ranked 7th among all non-magnet, general admission public high schools.
[ 2005-06 School Test Score Rankings, The Star-Ledger. Accessed June 19, 2007.] In 2006-07, Montgomery averaged a 1755 SAT score, 14th-highest in the state and the 7th-highest for any non-magnet, general admission public high school.[ 2006-07 School Test Score Rankings, The Star-Ledger. Accessed February 21, 2008.] - 2007 HSPA Scores
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% at or above proficient
Science - 95% (State average is 73%)
Language Arts - 97% (State average is 85%)
Math - 94% (State average is 73%)About the Tests - About the HSPA: In 2006-2007 New Jersey used the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) to test students in grade 11 in language arts literacy, math and science. The HSPA is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of New Jersey. Students are required to pass the HSPA in order to graduate. The goal is for all students to score at or above the proficient level.
- Community Service
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Montgomery prides itself on having many clubs that are enthusiastically involved in community service. The Environmental Club makes annual beach sweeps whereas the Interact Club serves to one of the most active and popular clubs at the this school. Interact is a fun community service organization, sponsored by Rotary International, that coordinates and participates in various activities throughout the school year including Man of the Year (which is a male beauty pageant), Foothill Acres, Rockbrook School, and Smear-a-Senior. Additionally, Trend serves to be another important community service club.
- Alma Mater
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The Alma Mater of Montgomery High School was revised in 1985 by Hunter and D'Amico. The words are:
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With pride and joy we sing you praises
Dear Montgomery High.
With all the memories
In our hearts you will never die.
In you our spirit lies.
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We sing your praises, Montgomery!
Hail to Montgomery!
Living on and on,
in our hearts you will never die!
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Wherever we may wander
Memories we'll hold.
We never will forget the colors
White, Green and Gold!
- It is sung exactly one time every year, at graduation. This is the first time many students become aware of this Alma Mater, which leaves the students feeling disconnected to it. During the rehearsal and ceremony for The Class of 2008 many students suggested the song should be replaced with Blink-182's "All the Small Things", as a large number of students felt a stronger connection to that song as a symbol of their childhood and time spent in Montgomery. This led to an impromptu singing of said song at rehearsal by many of the students. Despite this, the Alma Mater remained intact in the ceremony. The song was not sung at all during the ceremony for the Class of 2007, as a freak thunderstorm forced the ceremony inside mid-way through the proceedings and led to an accelerated version of the ceremony.
- The composer, Hunter, also wrote the school's fight song, Go Cougars.
- Administration
- James Misek - Principal
- Chip Clymer - Vice Principal
- Paul Popadiuk - Vice Principal
- Tina Renga - Supervisor of Guidance
- External links
- Montgomery High School
- Montgomery Township School District
- Data for the Montgomery Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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