Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest

Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
Location
150 Knickerbocker Road Demarest, NJ 07627
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Northern Valley Regional High School District
Principal	Dr. Bruce Sabatini
Asst. Principal	Susan Nogaj James Santana
Faculty	87 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	1,212 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	13.93[1]
Color(s)	Blue      and White
Athletics conference	Big North Conference
Nickname	Norsemen
Website	School website

Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest is a comprehensive four-year regional public high school serving students from several municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the suburban communities of Closter, Demarest and Haworth.^[2] The school is one of two high schools that are part of the Northern Valley Regional High School District, the other being Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,212 students and 87 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.93.^[1]

The high school is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1959.^[3]

Awards and recognition

During the 1994-96 school years, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education^[4], the highest award an American school can receive.^[5][6] The school has also won many awards in the music department area, taking gold in their last music competition in Florida, competing against teams from all around America and Canada.

The school was the 14th-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 9th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[7] The school was ranked 16th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.^[8]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 21st in New Jersey and 755th nationwide.^[9] The school was ranked 378th in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the seventh-ranked school in New Jersey, with 2.364 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 35% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam; The school was ranked 1,166th nationwide in 2008.^[10] In Newsweek's 2007 rankings of the country's top 1,200 high schools, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was listed in 1045th place, the 32nd-highest ranked school in New Jersey.^[11]

Athletics

The Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest Norsemen compete in the Big North Conference, a super-conference of 40 schools in Bergen and Passaic counties established in 2009 as part of an effort to achieve greater competitive balance between schools, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.^[12][13] The school had previously competed in the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, an athletic conference that consisted of high schools located in Bergen County.

The school offers over 23 sports, which include participation at the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity level (46 teams) in the Athletic League, as well as 18 co-curricular activities. Some sports include bowling, football and boys and girls basketball.

• The 2000 girls volleyball won the state Group III championship, topping Paramus Catholic High School, 15-8 and 15-7.^[14] The 2001 team repeated, defeating Ramapo High School in the finals.^[15] The girls took the title again in 2003, over cross-district rival Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.^[16] The team took the 2006 Group II title over Chatham High School (25-17, 25-15).^[17]

• Both swim teams won their respective North I - B state titles, the girls defeating Kinnelon High School 103-67 in the finals and the boys topping Ramapo High School 104-66.^[18][19]

• The boys basketball team won the 2004 North I, Group III title, edging Teaneck High School, 53-50.^[20]

• In 2007, the field hockey team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship with a 19-0 win over West Morris Central High School in the tournament final.^[21][22]

• In 1997, the girl's field hockey team won the Northeast Field Hockey League Championship and also the Bergen County Championship beating Northern Highlands 1-0 in the tournament final.^[23]

• In 1997, the boys varsity tennis team went undefeated at 15-0 to claim the NBIL league championship under head coach Dan Moses. ^[24]

• The baseball team won three Bergen County Championships in years from 1991-1995.^{[citation needed]}

Music department

The Music Department faculty is made up of Jonathan Harris, Director of Instrumental Music, and Leslie Mac Pherson, Director of Vocal Music. The department presents five public concerts per academic year: The Fall Concert (October), The Holiday Concert (December), The Winter Instrumental Concert (March), The Spring Choral Concert (April), and The Awards Concert (June). The Supervisor of History and Music is Ron Romano.

The Instrumental Department is composed of Concert Band, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Jazz Band, String Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Pit Orchestra as well as select small ensembles. The Vocal Department is composed of Freshman Chorus, Sophomore Choir, Concert Choir, Beauty and Barbershop, Bel Canto (a select women's ensemble) and Oriana Singers (a select mixed ensemble.) All vocal ensembles are directed by Leslie Mac Pherson.

Notable alumni

• Nelson DeCastro (born 1969), comic book penciler, inker, and painter whose first comic book cover was Ghost Rider #18. He's also known for his cover art for Wizard Magazine.^[25]
• Elizabeth Gillies (born 1993), actress, singer and dancer best known for her part as Lucy in Broadway's (ended) 13 (musical). She is also well known amongst preteens for her role as Jade West in Nickelodeon's Victorious.^{[citation needed]}
• Gregory T. Linteris (born 1957), scientist who flew as a payload specialist on two NASA Space Shuttle missions in 1997.^[26]
• Sam Lipsyte (born 1968), author of Venus Drive, The Subject Steve and Home Land.^{[citation needed]}
• Joe Pesce (born 1962), original keyboardist for 'Til Tuesday.^[27]
• Tom Wadell (born 1958), former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who was one of only eight Scotland natives to ever play in the major leagues.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, which serves students from Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan. Students from Rockleigh attend the high school in Old Tappan as part of a sending/receiving relationship.^[28]

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:^[29]

• Dr. Bruce Sabatini - Principal
• Susan Nogaj - Assistant Principal
• James Santana - Assistant Principal
• Greg Butler - Athletic Director

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 11, 2011.
2. ^ Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In / Demarest, N.J.; Small Town, Large Sense of History", The New York Times, April 4, 1999. Accessed July 22, 2011. "Following eighth grade, students go on to Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest, which the borough shares with Haworth and neighboring Closter."
3. ^ Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed July 11, 2011.
4. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
5. ^ "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 10 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."
6. ^ "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."
7. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 3, 2011.
8. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed September 16, 2008.
9. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest", The Washington Post. Accessed July 28, 2011.
10. ^ Staff. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools", Newsweek, June 8, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2009.
11. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
12. ^ League Memberships – 2010-2011, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 28, 2011.
13. ^ Athletic Department Information, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest. Accessed July 11, 2011.
14. ^ 2000 - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
15. ^ 2001 NJSIAA Girls Volleyball - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
16. ^ 2003 Girls Volleyball - Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
17. ^ 2006 Girls Volleyball - Group II, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
18. ^ 2007 Girls Team Swimming - North I - B, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
19. ^ 2007 Boys Team Swimming - North I - B, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
20. ^ 2004 Boys Basketball - North I, Group III, NJSIAA, accessed May 8, 2007.
21. ^ "Demarest wins sectional title", The Record (Bergen County), November 4, 2007. Accessed November 12, 2007.
22. ^ 2007 Field Hockey - North I, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed November 12, 2007.
23. ^ Chessari, Joe. "Demarest Wins Title", The Record (Bergen County), November 21, 1997. Accessed July 11, 2011. "Senior Kim Bogdan scored the goal in the first half, and seniors Danielle Vargas, Jenni Eftychiou, and Leigh-Ann Wiseman were outstanding defensively Thursday as Northern Valley at Demarest trimmed Northern Highlands, 1-0..."
24. ^ "Norse force takes NBIL-D1 racquet team championship"
25. ^ "Spiderwebart Gallery". http://www.spiderwebart.com/biography.asp?artist=Nelson+DeCastro. Retrieved 2009-06-02. 
26. ^ Biographical Data: Gregory T. Linteris, NASA. Accessed December 26, 2007.
27. ^ "Joe Pesce". http://www.tiltuesday.net/joeypesce.php. Retrieved 2009-06-02. 
28. ^ Elected Board of Education, Rockleigh Public Services. Accessed March 3, 3011.
29. ^ Contact us, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest. Accessed September 6, 2011.

External links

• Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
• Northern Valley Regional High School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Northern Valley Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics

Coordinates: 40°57′46″N 73°58′25″W / 40.962803°N 73.9737°W / 40.962803; -73.9737