Edison High School (New Jersey)

Edison High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Edison, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school serves students of many diverse cultures, and is part of the Edison Township Public Schools. The other high school in the district is J. P. Stevens High School. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools.[4]

Edison High School
Address
50 Boulevard of the Eagles

Edison
,
Middlesex County
,
New Jersey
08817

United States
Coordinates40.51633°N 74.3891°W / 40.51633; -74.3891
Information
TypePublic high school
MottoWhat's Great About Edison High'
Established1956
School districtEdison Township Public Schools
NCES School ID340450003324[1]
PrincipalCharles K. Ross Sr.
Faculty162.4 FTEs[1]
Grades9th-12th
Enrollment2,223 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio13.7:1[1]
Color(s)  Scarlet and
  Vegas Gold[2]
Athletics conferenceGreater Middlesex Conference (general)
Big Central Football Conference (football)
MascotEdgar the Eagle[3]
Team nameEagles[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
NewspaperThe Eagle's Eye[5]
YearbookTalon[6]
Websiteehs.edison.k12.nj.us

Most of the Edison High School students come from either Herbert Hoover Middle School or Thomas Jefferson Middle School, though some come from Woodrow Wilson Middle School.

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,223 students and 162.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.7:1. There were 403 students (18.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 143 (6.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

Edison High School opened in 1956 as the district's first secondary school.[7] By the start of the 1957–58 school year, the school was holding double sessions for students in grades seven through ten.[8] J. P. Stevens High School opened in 1964, as part of an effort to alleviate overcrowding at Edison High School that made it the last school in the district that was still holding double sessions in order to accommodate the volume of students.[9]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 135th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[10] The school had been ranked 174th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 169th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[11] The magazine ranked the school 177th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[12] The school was ranked 155th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[13]

Curriculum

Edison High School students are required to take four years of English, four years of math, three years of science, three years of history (two of U.S. followed by one of World) and at least two years of a foreign language (selected from Latin, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and starting in 2008, Italian). In addition, attendance at health and physical education classes are required every year. 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 a year from the "Visual Performing Arts" such as Chorus, Band, Visual Arts, Clothing for Fashion, and Architectural Drawing. EHS has an Honors college preparatory track that features several Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Extracurricular activities

Mr. EHS

Every year, the Student Council hosts Mr. EHS, a beauty pageant, talent show and fund raiser that also searches for the very special and outstanding male who attends Edison High. A month prior to the performance, contestants were required to individually raise money for the affiliated charity such as the Simpson-Baber Foundation for the Autistic (2006) or Buddy Ball (2005). Whichever contestant raises the most money was immediately awarded "Most Charitable." In addition, each year Mr. EHS finalizes with announcements of the winner, Mr. Congeniality, and the amount of money the show raised (approx. $3–5000 per show).

Choir

Edison High School is often recognized for its music department. The A cappella Choir and Chamber Singers, for example, have been awarded first place superior ratings in national competitions for over 40 years, 19 under its director, Kenneth Brown (Retired 2021), Now led by Joshua Lisner

EHS offers nine different choirs:

  1. Concert Choir is the entry-level choir. This choir is open to anyone, regardless of experience or talent level and no audition is required. Concert Choir performs at the annual winter and spring concerts, as well as various community performances throughout the school year.
  2. A Cappella Choir is an audition only mixed choir. The size of this choir usually ranges from about forty to eighty members. In addition to performing at many different events during the school year, the A Cappella Choir competes nationally each spring in Festivals of Music. The choir includes the Chambers Singers too.
  3. Jazz Choir is a smaller mixed choir whose members are taken from the best of the A Cappella Choir. Their repertoire comprises jazz music and they too compete each year in the spring. This choir meets one day per week after school.
  4. Treble Choir is an advanced all female audition only ensemble. This choir meets Wednesday after school and competes nationally each spring with the other competing choirs. Concert choir students are allowed to audition to be in this choir.
  5. Men's Ensemble is an advanced all-male, audition-only choir. The group meets after school one day a week and also competes nationally.
  6. Chambers Singers is the most advanced ensemble in the choral department. Members are accepted by audition only and the size of the group ranges from ten to twenty students. The group performs at many events throughout the school year and competes nationally each spring. The repertoire of this group includes a wide assortment of musical styles.
  7. The Barbershop Quartet is an all-male group composed of four of the best male singers in the choral program. They compete nationally each year. This group meets one day per week after school.
  8. The Beautyshop Quartet is an all-female group with four of the best female singers in the choral program. They compete nationally each year. This group meets one day per week after school.

Band

The band programs in Edison High School are outstanding and also ranked highly in their divisions, with the band placing first in many competitions. Also has different kinds of bands.

Several bands exist at Edison High School:

Director of Bands - Marc DeNicuolo; Assistant Director - Joseph Ciappina

Concert Band: All incoming freshmen are placed in the concert band to help them develop their skills and technique.

Symphonic Band:The Symphonic Band is open to all sophomore, juniors and seniors who wish to further develop their skills and musical knowledge. This band plays more difficult than the Concert Band.

Wind Ensemble:The Wind Ensemble is by audition only and is directed by Marc Denicuolo. The Wind Ensemble plays challenging music and competes in the Region II Concert Band Festival in March every year. In 2005 the Ensemble was ranked 2nd overall in the state for its performance of Yiddish dances. In 2006 the Wind Ensemble received 3rd place in region II and was invited to participate in the New Jersey Concert Band Gala. The Wind Ensemble performs at other festivals as well as on the band's annual spring trip.

Jazz Ensemble: The Jazz Ensemble is the bands' most selective group accepting 16-21 of the school's top jazz musicians. The ensemble plays difficult music and participates in various jazz competitions throughout New Jersey.

Jazz Band: The Jazz Band is open for students to learn how to play the style of jazz. This band rehearses once a week every Wednesday.

Indoor Percussion Ensemble: The Indoor Percussion Ensemble is comprised of drummers and pit percussionists. The ensemble participates in indoor competitions and goes to Wildwood every year for the final championships.

Marching Band: The Eagle Marching Band performs at all varsity football games. The Eagle Marching band took home two state titles in 2002 and 2003 for their shows the rise and fall of rome and medusa which they performed in group IV open. Now in USSBA Group III Open competitions. The Marching Band was undefeated and took home title of first place group III Open at state championships and Northern States Championships in 2006 with their show entitled: Breaking Boundaries: The Saga of the Berlin Wall. In 2007, the Eagle Marching Band took 2nd place at NJ States, 5th place at Northern States and 6th place at Nationals in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2013, they took first place in State as well as National Championships, with their program "Playback". In 2014, they took first place in State as well as National Championships, with their program "The Grind", and they became the first school in the Edison district to win National championships back to back. In 2018, Edison took home all three banners for USBands Group IV Open competition. They won 1st place in state, regional, and national competitions. In 2020, they took first place, once again becoming State and National champions as a USBands Division 3 Band. In 2022, their show "Chaos Order" made history by bringing them to Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional Finals for the first time, winning 7th place at Finals. They also won 1st place in USBands State, NJMBDA State, and USBands National championships.

Drama

In March 2005, the drama department performed its production of Crazy for You, a Gershwin musical based on the original Girl Crazy. Crazy for You was directed by Mr. Harris with Mr. McCaffery as the technical director and Anthony DiDia as music director.

In the Spring of 2006, the school presented a production of Barnum, a show that featured a sideshow before the actual musical began. The play was directed by Mr. Harris, with production by Mr. McCaffery and Music Direction by Anthony DiDIa. Tom Lombardi was the lighting designer for Barnum.

In March 2007, EHS Drama put on a production of Cabaret starring several new additions to the EHS Drama team. The show incorporated songs of both the original and the revival versions. The cast and crew did not receive any Rising Star Award nominations from the Paper Mill Playhouse despite the fantastic two-week run the show had. However, the Kit Kat Girls received honorable mention for their role. The show was directed by Mr. Harris and co-directed by Mrs. Troy, with production by Mr. McCaffery aided by Mr. Scarpa, and Music Direction by Anthony DiDia.

In March 2008, EHS Drama presented a production of Beauty and the Beast, was directed by Kathi Troy and Brian Harris, with production by John Scarpa aided by Mr. McCaffery, and Music Direction by Anthony DiDia.

In March 2009, EHS Drama presented the production of Bye Bye Birdie, a comedy musical. This production was directed by Staci Almquist with Music Direction by Nicholas Kaminski.

In March 2010, EHS Drama presented Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Kathi Tory and Music Directed by Nicholas Kaminski. The production also featured an original orchestration by Nicholas Kaminski.

In January 2011, the EHS Improv Troupe's Jordan Cohen and Michael Fernandes came in 4th place in the state in the STANJ Theater Competition at Rutgers University, marking the first official award for EHS Theater.

In March 2011, EHS Drama presented Hairspray as its spring musical, directed by Kathi Troy and choreographed by Danielle Andriano, with music direction by Nicholas Kaminski.

In December 2011, EHS Drama presented The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) as its Fall play. This was EHS's first ever straight play.

In January 2012, the EHS Improv Troupe's Jordan Cohen and Michael Fernandes moved up from their position as 4th in the state in the STANJ Theater Competition and became first in the state. At the same competition the cast of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) competed in the "Scenes" category using their Romeo & Juliet scene and came in fourth in the state. These were both great achievements for the EHS Drama Club.

In April 2012, EHS Drama presented Wedding Singer as its Spring musical, directed by Kathi Troy.

In April 2013, EHS Drama presented Spamalot as its Spring musical, directed by Kathi Troy and Music Directed by Nicholas Kaminski.

In 2014, EHS Drama presented All Shook Up as its Spring musical, directed by Nicole Singer.

In March 2015, EHS Drama presented Urinetown as its Spring musical, directed by Nicole Singer, Music Directed by Chris Curcio, and choreographed by Lyle Dungee.

In December 2018, EHS Drama presented It's A Wonderful Life as its Winter play, directed by Maureen O'Connor.

In March 2019, EHS Drama presented Curtains as its Spring musical, directed by Maureen O'Connor.

In October 2021, EHS Drama presented Arsenic and Old Lace as its Fall play, directed by Maureen O'Connor.

In March 2022, EHS Drama presented Into the Woods as its Spring musical, directed by Maureen O'Connor.

The club Peacock Society, a South Asian club, also puts on a Bollywood themed drama play every year which features musical performances during the play as well. These musical performances include singing and dancing.

Athletics

The Edison High School Eagles[2] compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in the Middlesex County area and operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[14] With 1,490 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.[15] The football team competes in Division 5D of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.[16] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 1,315 to 2,466 students.[17]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency for a joint ice hockey team with Metuchen High School and J. P. Stevens High School. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[18]

Baseball

The baseball team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1969 and won the Group IV championship in 1981 (defeating Hackensack High School in the tournament final), 1982 (vs. Hackensack), 1991 vs. (Morris Knolls High School) and 1993 (vs. West New York Memorial).[19] The 1981 team won the Group IV title with a 4–0 win against Hackensack.[20] The 1982 team defeated Hackensack by a score of 4–0 to win their second consecutive Group IV title and run their season record to 25–3.[21] The Eagles won the GMC Red Division championship and won the 2007 Baseball - North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a 10–4 win versus Westfield High School.[22]

Football

The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 1976 and 1991.[23] The 1976 team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title with a 19–0 win against Woodbridge High School in the championship game, avenging a 7–0 loss to Woodbridge in their Thanksgiving Day matchup.[24] The team won its second (and most recent) sectional title in 1991 with a 20–16 win against Middletown High School North in the championship game; the 1991 team earned consideration from the Courier News as one of "the best in GMC history"[25]

Bowling

The girls bowling team won the overall state championship in 1986–1988, 1992 and 2000. The program's five state titles are the fifth-most of any school in the state.[26]

Softball

The softball team won the Group IV state championship in 1987 (defeating Belleville High School in the final round of the tournament), 1990 (vs. Clifton High School) and 1991 (vs. West Milford High School).[27] The 1987 team finished the season with a record of 23-2 after defeating Belleville by a score of 7–0 to win the Group IV title.[28] NJ.com / The Star-Ledger ranked Edison as their number-one softball team in the state in 1987.[29]

Tennis

The girls tennis team won championship of GMCS in 2021 season.

Notable alumni

Administration

The school's prinicpal is Charles K. Ross Sr. Core members of the school's administration team include the three assistant principals.[40]

References
  1. School data for Edison High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Edison High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Edison High School Student-Parent Handbook 2013-14, Edison High School. Accessed April 4, 2016.
  4. Edison High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 2, 2022.
  5. Home Page, The Eagle's Eye. Accessed December 24, 2019. "The Eagle’s Eye is a newspaper created and published by the student body of Edison High School in Edison, New Jersey."
  6. Talon Yearbook 2019-2020, Edison High School. Accessed March 23, 2022.
  7. Historical Timeline, Township of Edison. Accessed February 2, 2022. "1956 Thomas A. Edison High School opened (township's first public high school)."
  8. "Churches and Firehouses Alleviate School Overflow", Home News Tribune, September 4, 1957. Accessed February 2, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "At the Edison High School the story is somewhat different. Due to the heavy enrollment in grades seven through 10, a double-session program will be in effect."
  9. "12,600 to Answer Edison School Bell", Courier News, September 2, 1964. Accessed January 18, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Key staff appointments this year include the assignment of Kenneth W. Diffenderfer to replace Dr. Myra Biggs as principal of the Lincoln Schools and Harold R. Alley as principal of the new $2.7 million John P. Stevens High School on Grove Ave. The Board of Education in the last decade has tried to eliminate double sessions first in the elementary levels and then in the junior and senior high schools. Only Edison High School students faced double sessions last year."
  10. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  11. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012.
  12. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 10, 2011.
  13. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  14. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  15. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  16. Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
  17. Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  18. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  19. NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  20. "Hackensack is beaten, 4-0", The Record, June 7, 1981. Accessed December 29, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Figueroa pulled the second pitch to left field for a single to break up unbeaten Joe Lynch's no-hitter and provide one of Hackensack's few high moments in a 4-0 Group 4 championship loss to Edison in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament"
  21. Bruns, John. "Edison wins state crown; Spearnock shines as Eagles win", The Home News, June 10, 1982. Accessed March 10, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Not only did Edison High School repeat as the NJS1AA Group IV baseball champion yesterday by defeating Hackensack again, but the Eagles did it by the same score, 4-0.... The victory gave Edison a 24-3 record and the Eagles can add the Middlesex County Conference title to their laruels with a victory over Cedar Ridge today."
  22. 2007 Baseball - North II, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 20, 2007.
  23. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  24. "Schoolboy Halfback Breaks New Jersey Scoring Record", The New York Times, December 5, 1976. Accessed December 26, 2020. "Edison Township, which lost to Woodbridge, 7‐0, on Thanksgiving Day, made it a stunning reversal yesterday, 19‐0, to win the Central Jersey Group 4 championship."
  25. Tufaro, Greg. "Which football team is the best in GMC history?", Courier News, August 15, 2018. Accessed November 20, 2020. "Edison 1991 (Central Group IV) With All-State performer Rusty Swartz, who went on to play linebacker at Rutgers University, running behind an offense line that featured Albert Jackson, another All-State selection, Edison ended a 15-year sectional championship drought with what remains only the second such title in school history.... Current Carteret head coach Matt Yascko played wide receiver for the championship team, which defeated Middletown North 20-16 for the sectional title."
  26. History of NJSIAA Girls Bowling Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  27. History of the NJSIAA Softball Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 1, 2021.
  28. Fox, Ron. "Belleville suffers crushing defeat", The Record, June 7, 1987. Accessed January 4, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Belleville's Laura Caruso was determined when she dug in for her seventh-inning at-bat in yesterday's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 softball final.... They had hoped for the title. Instead, they suffered through their worst day, a 7-0 loss to Edison.... When the team finally settled down behind her, pitcher Janine Luzzi (12-2 and 0.79 ERA coming in) handcuffed Edison (23-2) on three hits and one run over the last four innings."
  29. "Softball: Every No. 1 team in the state from 1979 to 2015", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2021. "Following are the teams that finished as the NJ.com No. 1 softball team in the state with year and record.... 1987: Edison (23-2)"
  30. Ambassador Gayleatha B. Brown Biography Archived June 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. Accessed September 29, 2007. "She was educated in the Red Jacket Elementary School, Matewan Elementary and High Schools in Mingo County, West Virginia; and Edison Township High School, Edison, New Jersey."
  31. Michael Campbell, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed May 1, 2020. "Born: August 12, 1989 (Age: 30-263d) in Edison, NJ... High School: Edison (NJ)"
  32. Staff. "Upshaw Denies Misusing Players Union Funds", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 12, 1988. Accessed June 21, 2011. "For the fifth straight year, Lee Haney of Atlanta has won the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding title, and for the third consecutive time Rich Gaspari of Edison, N.J., placed second."
  33. "Edison High School", Home News Tribune, July 19, 2007. Accessed February 2, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Edison High School graduated 510 students June 21 at the Rutgers Athletic Center.... The salutatorian was Omar Maskati."
  34. Hurley-Schubert. "Middlesex County cartoonist's pets inspire comic strip", Home News Tribune, July 21, 2003. Accessed June 21, 2011. "McDonnell a 1974 Edison High School graduate started his career as a magazine illustrator He always drew a little dog somewhere in the background..."
  35. Staff. "Actor And Edison High School Alumn Found Dead In L.A.", Home News Tribune, March 10, 2004. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Pastorelli was born in New Brunswick and graduated from Edison High School."
  36. Tufaro, Greg; McGurk, Tom; Falk, Steven; Havsy, Jane; Newman, Josh; Stapleton, Art. From the field to the booth: These New Jersey athletes became sports broadcasters", The Record, October 18, 2019. Accessed October 20, 2019. "Walter Perez - The former All-State football player at Edison, from which he graduated as Walter Percy, is a reporter and anchor for Channel 6 Action News in Philadelphia (ABC affiliate)."
  37. Zach Perez, William Paterson Pioneers. Accessed October 10, 2019. "Hometown: Edison, N.J... as a captain and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player as a junior at Rutgers Prep… Won a Greater Middlesex County title at Edison H.S. during his freshman campaign"
  38. "Susan Sarandon Headlines Cape May NJ State Film Festival" Archived April 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Film Festival. Accessed May 3, 2007. "Sarandon, a graduate of New Jersey's Edison High School, headlines the 2nd annual film festival in Cape May."
  39. Staff. "Rick Stromoski, 77' EHS Alumni, Presentation & Fundraiser", TAPinto.net, November 27, 2014. Accessed February 2, 2022. "Rick Stromoski, a 1977 Edison H.S. Alumni and award winning cartoonist will do a power point presentation illustrating his career from his roots in Edison to present day providing lots of laughs and some drawings as well."
  40. Principal, Edison High School. Accessed September 12, 2023.
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