- Northport High School is a four-year secondary school in Northport, New York that serves as the high school for the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District which is composed of Northport, Eatons Neck, Asharoken and much of East Northport, all located in the Town of Huntington. Northport High School is home to over 2,100 students and 270 staff members and is the only high school in the nation to offer the International Baccalaureate program, two National Academy programs (Finance & Information Technology), Project Lead the Way, Project P.A.T.C.H. and more than 20 Advanced Placement courses. The school's athletic teams are known as the Tigers and Lady Tigers.
- Location
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Northport High School is located on the corner of Elwood and Laurel Hill Roads. To the west is a Wilson Technological Center campus, part of Western Suffolk BOCES. The Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson Branch bounds the school to the south.
- History
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A high school department was first organized in Northport in 1896, with the first graduating class following in 1900. Classes were held along with other grade levels at School Street School, located on what is now known as Scudder Avenue. In 1924, all grades were relocated to a new 500-student K-12 school located on Laurel Avenue. In 1938 all elementary school students were transferred out to newly constructed schools, leaving the Laurel Avenue school as a Junior/Senior High School.
- After World War II, servicemen returning from oversees brought tremendous population growth to suburban Long Island. The subsequent baby boom led to explosive school enrollment, which resulted in rampant school overcrowding throughout the 1950s. To accommodate this growth the High School and Junior High School had to separate. In January 1956 the High School relocated to a new campus-style school located on Middleville Road. This was the third home for Northport High School students but the first facility to bear the name Northport High School. But the new school building still couldn't remedy the overcrowding problem, forcing the high school to become a three-year school by moving the 9th grade down to the Junior High Schools. As overcrowding continued to worsen, Northport High School had to go on an overlapping session in 1962-63, and on double session from 1964 to 1966. Over 25,000 students have graduated from Northport High School since its inception in 1896.
- Facility
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A unique feature of the school building is the large open area, called the Commons, that visitors enter into immediately from the main entrance. The Commons acts as a hub for the entire school. Both the large and small cafeteria, faculty dining room, library and auditorium are located directly off the Commons, from which students may visit The Tiger's Den (school store) and access almost all the building's wings. There is a balcony on the north side, providing access to the school's administrative offices and counseling center. The Commons is also a favorite hangout of NHS students who congregate there before and after school, during lunch and free periods. In each corner lies the "wells," partially enclosed recessed areas where students can catch up on work, socialize or relax. The largest well has been designated for the senior class through decades of tradition, leaving the two smaller wells for the junior and sophomore classes. As part of an extensive grade restructuring of the entire Northport-East Northport Union Free School District in 1988, the 9th grade was reassigned from each of the junior high schools (as they were called at the time) to the high school. This created two incoming classes that year, including freshmen for the first time. Since there was no existing well for the new freshman class and one could not be constructed, the high school built the freshman benches instead. The benches are commonly called the "bus stop" due to its close appearance to an actual bus stop with benches.
- A smaller (Little) theater frequently used by drama classes is located just beyond the commons to the northeast, as are two gyms (large and small) to the southwest. The small gym contains a rock climbing wall and an archery court. Beyond the library on the east side of the building is another, albeit considerably smaller open area, known as the Small Commons, possessing only islands of lockers.
- In the early 2000s, the school underwent construction and expanded. The new K-wing added family and consumer science classrooms on the first floor where the student-run preschool is located and additional regular classrooms on the second floor. The existing A-wing saw new dance rooms, photography labs, car care classrooms and an orchestra room added.
- Departments and Programs
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NHS offers a wide variety of classes in many subjects. Advance Placement (AP) courses are offered in all the five core departments of English, foreign languages, mathematics, sciences and social studies. The high school provides a particularly rich elective program, with study in the art, business and music fields, all of which also offer study at the AP level. Many other honor and college level classes allow students the opportunity to earn college credits colleges like Farmingdale State College (in PROGRAM), Long Island University (in business) and Syracuse University (through Project Advance English and Computer Engineering). The International Baccalaureate Program is offered on the certificate and diploma level.
- Northport has a well-established and recognized music program. Many students avail themselves of the chance to explore and excel at all different types of music ranging from voice, band, orchestra, composition, etc. The school was named a Grammy Signature School by the Grammy Foundation four times, in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006. The National Association for Music Education (MENC) also named Northport as one of the 100 best communities for music education in America.
- The art department is another highly recognized department. Students can take higher level AP and IB art classes in addition to computer art, photography, painting, cartoon drawing and sculpture electives. Students have won many different awards for their artistic talents.
- For its overall distinction in academics and service, NHS was awarded the Claes Nobel School of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars in March 2004.
- Academy Programs
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NHS has two national academy programs, Academy of Finance (AOF) and Academy of Information Technology (AOIT). AOF teaches business and financial skills. For example, AOF members learn accounting, finance, marketing and management with the opportunity to earn college credit. Students are also eligible for a paid internship, usually during the summer between their junior and senior years. Students in AOIT learn how to utilize new technology in the workplace. Programming, database and web administration are particularly emphasized. Like in the AOF, AOIT students may receive college credit and a paid internship usually just before senior year.
- Environmental Team
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Another specialized program offered at NHS is the Environmental Team (E-Team), an interdisciplinary college preparatory program. Students participate in community service, environmental clean-ups, fund-raising and aspects of self-governance.
- PATCH Project
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Participatory Awareness Through Community Help (PATCH) was created by Thomas J. O'Donnell in 1969 in hope of educating more students about the Constitution and United States history and civics. From the PATCH program came several law-related electives offered by the social studies department. One of PATCH's electives, Constitution Law, supplements the regular New York State eleventh grade American history curriculum and remains popular to this day. PATCH currently partners with Touro Law College and the New York State Bar Association.
- Clubs
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NHS offers over 50 clubs and extracurricular activities to the student body. Some of which include: Academic (trivia) Team; Students Helping and Relating to Each Other (SHARE, part of the Natural Helpers program); Ultimate Intramurals (among others); DECA; Wilderness, New York City and foreign languages clubs; Model United Nations; Computer Club; Interact Club; Science and Math Olympians; Law Club; in house radio station, WNPT, where students broadcast shows and music throughout the day and Business, Technology, Music and Art Honor Societies.
- The largest and most active student organizations are the National Honor Society and Students for 60,000. The Honor Society runs many school and community services such as peer tutoring, fund raisers, the Senior Citizens' Prom and several other community outreach programs. The society's most notable event is A Midwinter Nights Dream which has raised $1,067,000 toward research for a cure for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Students for 60,000 is a community service group that assists those in the Northport community and beyond: twice a year the club travels to Nicaragua to assist the needy there.
- Notable alumni
- Performing Arts
- Rozie Bacchi - Television, film, and theater actress. Class of 1990.
- Ian Bavitz - Rapper "Aesop Rock."
- Robert Bagnell - Television actor.
- Peter Calandra - Film and Television Composer. Pianist for Little Shop Of Horrors, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Larry Rivers.
- Elisa Donovan - Television and film actress, best known for her role as Amber Mariens in Clueless.
- Edie Falco - Broadway, movie, and television actress best known for her role as Carmela Soprano on the The Sopranos.
- Elizabeth Hendrickson - Television actress best known for her role as twin sisters Frankie and Maggie Stone on All My Children.
- Patti Lupone - Tony Award-winning broadway and television actress, best known for her role as Eva Peron in Evita. Class of 1967.
- Chris Messina - Television actor, best known for his roll as Ted Fairwell on Six Feet Under
- Dan Milano - Writer and voice actor best known as the co-creator of the television show Greg the Bunny. Class of 1990.
- Joe Roseto - Television actor.
- John Scurti - Television actor, best known for his role as Lt. Kenny "Lou" Shea on Rescue Me .
- Sports
- Louis Acompora - Freshman lacrosse goalie who died from commotio cordis on March 25, 2000. His death led to New York State requiring AEDs in all public schools.
- Kyle Dowd - MLL lacrosse player for the San Francisco Dragons. Class of 2002.
- Steve Park - NASCAR race car driver. Class of 1985.
- Drew Thompson - MLL lacrosse player for the Boston Cannons. Class of 2003.
- Other
- Ricky Kasso - Murderer.
- Brian Ulrich - Photographer. Class of 1989.
- Bruce Morrison - United States Congressman from Connecticut, 1983 through 1991. Class of 1962.
- External links
- Northport High School
- Northport Union Free School District
- Students for 60,000
- A Mid Winter Nights Dream
- 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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