Irvington High School (New York)

History

Irvington High School is located where "Cedar Lawn", the estate of Dylan Freier – one of the founders of Stern's department store – once stood. The three-story stone "cottage" with a circular tower, originally built in the 1860s by Augustus Corey Richards, was destroyed by fire and then torn down in 1961 to make way for new quarters for the high school, which had outgrown the Main Street School building which it then occupied.

The new building opened for the 1965-1966 school year, but was then extensively rebuilt in the 1980s. Before the 2003-2004 school year, new buildings for the high school and Irvington Middle School were constructed and annexed to the existing high school building, due to the school district's growing population.

In October 2016, the school dedicated a new football field and track, both named after long-time coaches. Meszaros Field is named after Harold K. Meszaros, an IHS graduate who returned to the school in the late 1950s as a physical education and health and science teacher, football coach and, from 1961, the director of athletics. Meszaros was a resident of Irvington and, for a time, a Village Trustee. He died in 1977. The Oley Track is named for Peter K. Oley, who was a track and field and cross-country coach for 50 years, beginning in 1956. He was inducted into the hall of fame of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and the Westchester County Sports hall of fame.

Athletics

Basketball
The varsity girls' basketball team won a State Championship and Federation Championship in 1990, a 2010 Federation and State Championship, and a 2011 State Championship.

Football
The 1986 Bulldogs team went undefeated (10-0), completing its perfect season with a Section One bowl victory over Pawling High School

Track and field
The team won the 2010, 2011 and 2012 League Championships. It is coached by Christopher Barry, Daryl Thorton, Gina Maher, and formerly Jim McGarry, who retired in June 2010.

Cross country
The team was league and county champion in 2009.

Golf
The golf team went undefeated 2010, beating Ardsley High School in the championship finale.

Soccer
The soccer team won the league title in the 2012-2013 season.

Volleyball
The varsity volleyball team won their first league championship since 1996 during the 2015 season.

Sports rivalries

Irvington High School is rivals with its neighboring village, Dobbs Ferry High School. Other big rivalries include the Briarcliff Bears and the Pleasantville Panthers. There once was a bonfire where bear stuffed animals were burned.

Band

The IHS band, which is the largest extracurricular activity at the school, is directed by Debra Tuzman and typically consists of between 100-160 members. In 2007, the band performed at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and in Montreal in the spring of 2008 under the direction of Lawrence Corio. Tuzman also directs the Wind Ensemble, which in 2007, under the direction of Lawrence Corio, received a gold medal with distinction at the NYSSMA festival. The Wind Ensemble is a group of approximately 40 students. In December 2007, the ensemble played in the MetLife Tower in New York City, and since then has done so each year. Tuzman also directs the Jazz Ensemble and supervises the Jazz Combo, which is student-run and has nine members. In February 2011, the concert band, wind ensemble and jazz combo toured the country of Belgium. In February 2012, the concert band performed at Carnegie Hall along with six other American schools. The concert band took second place during the festival. At the end of the 2011-2012 school year, Corio retired from the district, and the band is now conducted by Debra Tuzman.

Orchestra

The IHS Orchestra program is directed by Alan Goldberg. In April 2010, the orchestra traveled to Washington D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of an international music festival. They were the only high school level orchestra invited to the event, and they brought home a silver medal. In February 2013, the Orchestra, Concert Choir, and Chorale traveled to Italy, where they performed in multiple venues across the country

Chorus

The Irvington High School choral program is directed by Janet Gillespie. The Concert Choir typically consists of about 50 members, and is open to all students. Chorale, the auditioned a cappella chamber choir, traveled to Montreal in 2008 along with the band. In 2007 and 2008, Chorale earned gold medals at NYSSMA. At NYSSMA in 2010, the Concert Choir earned a gold medal and Chorale earned a silver medal. Since 2012, Chorale has been invited every year to perform in the Bernard Kaplan Holiday Concert Series at the MetLife Building in New York City. In February 2013, the Concert Choir, Chorale, and Orchestra traveled to Italy, where they toured and performed in Rome and Florence. In March 2016, the Concert Choir and Chorale, along with the Band and Orchestra, toured and performed in Philadelphia. Many students involved in the choral program have earned positions in NYSSMA Area All-State and All-State honor choirs since 2004.

Schedule

Irvington High School runs on a 10-period schedule. However, the schedule lists class periods as 0-9 as opposed to 1-10. The first year in which the day started with period zero was the 2015-2016 school year. The purpose of this change was to align the periods with those of the later opening middle school, which begins at the same time the high school students have first period, or their second class. Some classes are taught every other day, depending on whether it is an "A" or "B" day. Periods are 42 minutes long, with three minutes between periods. School begins at 7:50 in the morning and ends at 2:35 in the afternoon. Ninth period continues an additional 45 minutes until 3:20 PM.

Notable alumni