Type Public high school Faculty 105.5 FTEs Enrollment 1,386 (as of 2014-15) Colors Red, Blue | Principal Michael Matyas Grades 9-12 Phone +1 973-543-2501 | |
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Asst. principals William CarplukJanet Slover Address 65 E Main St, Mendham, NJ 07945, USA Similar West Morris Central H, West Morris Regional, Morristown High School, Morris Knolls High School, Roxbury High School Profiles | ||
West morris mendham high school minutemen part i
West Morris Mendham High School (also known as Mendham High School) is home of the minutemen, and is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grades as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in the heart of Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States. Students hail from the surrounding Morris County school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township (including the areas of Brookside and Ralston).
Contents
- West morris mendham high school minutemen part i
- Awards recognition and rankings
- Athletics
- Softball
- Cross country and track
- Boys soccer
- Football
- Golf
- Boys lacrosse
- Girls lacrosse
- Girls volleyball
- Boys basketball
- Baseball
- Girls basketball
- Girls soccer
- Boys tennis
- Girls tennis
- Fencing
- Field hockey
- Musical activities
- Administration
- Academics
- Notable alumni
- References
As of the 2014-15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,386 students and 105.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. There were 16 students (1.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
Its sister school, West Morris Central High School, is located in Washington Township. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central. The two schools maintain an athletic rivalry, which has survived decades of conference and schedule changes for all sports. Mount Olive High School was broken off from the original three-school district in 1977.
Mendham was certified to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in January 1998. The school is one of only 16 schools in New Jersey to offer the IB program. IB is an extensive curriculum in which juniors and seniors learn to think about their environment critically and globally. As well, they offer several AP and college prep courses.
Awards, recognition and rankings
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 284th in the nation among participating public high schools and 22nd among schools in New Jersey. In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 5th in New Jersey and 246th nationwide. The school was ranked 562nd, the 13th-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools, with 2.224 AP/IB tests taken per graduating senior. The school was ranked 474th in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the 11th-ranked school in New Jersey; The school was ranked 751st nationwide in 2008. In Newsweek's 2007 ranking of the country's top 1,200 high schools, Mendham High School was listed in 390th place, the fourteenth-highest ranked school in New Jersey while Central was ranked 117th in the nation and 3rd in the state. The school was listed in 148th place, the fifth highest ranked school in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States.
The school was the 4th-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. The school had been ranked 45th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 26th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 38th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 29th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.
Schooldigger.com ranked the school 35th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 5 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (93.4%) and language arts literacy (98.3%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). Newsweek named the school #180 overall among the nearly 30,000 public high schools in the U.S. in their rankings of "America's Top High Schools 2015" released in August 2015; The school was ranked 38th in New Jersey and 22nd among comprehensive schools in the state.
Athletics
West Morris Mendham High School offers over 30 athletic teams ranging in level from freshman to varsity, competing in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. With 1,029 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015–16 school year as North II, Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 778 to 1,062 students in that grade range. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed as part of the Iron Hills Conference, which was made up of public and private high schools in Essex County, Morris County and Union County.
Since the school's opening in the fall of 1970, Mendham varsity teams have brought home more than 100 conference, county, region, and state championships.
Softball
The softball team won the Group III state championship in 1985, defeating Collingswood High School in the tournament final.
Cross country and track
The West Morris Mendham boys cross country team placed 1st in the final running of the Iron Hills Conference Championships (Hills Division) in the fall of 2008 with an average of 16:24.51, which is the second-best team time ever run at the course. Along with cross country, both winter and spring track have set multiple records, including the 4×100 girls relay team, as well as several individual records. Runners with Mendham's training has gone on to D1 schools, such as University of Pennsylvania, Wake Forest, Holy Cross, and Boston College.
The girls' cross country team won the Group III state championship in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015; the boys' cross country team won the Group III state title in 2011.
Boys soccer
The boys' soccer team won the North II Group III state sectional title in 1988, before losing to Steinert High School in the Group III state championship game. In 2005, under coach Tim Rymer, the team won the conference title and lost the county final in overtime against Morris Catholic High School, ranked 6th in the nation at the time. Following the loss the Minutemen unexpectedly lost in the second round of the state tournament. Despite these two losses the team was still voted as "team of the year" by various local newspapers including the Daily Record and The Star-Ledger (Morris County edition). The following year, the Minutemen clinched the conference title for the second straight year and clinched the Morris County Cup after defeating Delbarton 4–1, becoming the first public school to win the county tournament in eight years. Despite a loss in the sectional semifinals, they were named 'team of the year' for many North Jersey papers, as they finished the season in the New Jersey top 10. In the 2007 fall season, the Minutemen finished 5th in the conference, lost in the 1st round of the county tournament and reached the state sectional finals, where they lost in overtime against Parsippany Hills High School. In the 2008 season, the Minutemen finished 2nd in the conference, and suffered a 1–0 loss in the Morris County final finishing the season in the state's top 20. In 2015, the Minutemen defeated Toms River High School South by a score of 4-0 in the Group III title game, winning the first state championship in the program's history.
Football
The football team under head coach Richard Attonito (1971–1988) won three Colonial Hills Conference titles (1975, 1982, 1983) and matriculated future NFL linebackers Jim Collins and Carl Zander. Collins helped lead Mendham to an undefeated season in 1975, which includes a still-standing team record eight shutouts that was capped off when the team won the NJSIAA North Jersey II Group I state sectional championship. Under Head Coach William "Bill" Carpluk (1989–2005), the team posted a 116–49 (.703) overall record, including a club record 17 game winning streak (1992–1993). Carpluk's teams garnered six Iron Hills Conference Hills Division (IHC-Hills) championships (1993–1995, 2000, 2001, 2004) and numerous Group II and III state championship playoffs and six finals appearances.
Golf
The varsity men's golf team had their best season on record in spring 2009, winning both the IHC conference championship and the Morris County Championship. The team was ranked number 1 in the state for a period of time.
Boys lacrosse
The varsity boys' lacrosse team was crowned sole state champions in 1994, winning the New Jersey Tournament of Champions against Ridgewood High School. The team won the Group II state championship in 2010 with a win against Princeton High School in the championship game, but finished the season with a 9–11 record after a loss in the Tournament of Champions.
Girls lacrosse
The girls' lacrosse team won the 2007 Group II state championship with a 17–4 win vs. Hopewell Valley Central High School. The team won the 2008 Group II title, again defeating Hopewell Valley, this time by a score of 8-7 in the championship game. In 2010, the team defeated Shawnee High School 12–6 to become the Group III state champions.
Girls volleyball
The girls' volleyball team was runner-up in the state in 2007. In 2013, the team went on to win the Morris County Tournament, and in 2014, the team was the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference champions.
Boys basketball
The team won the Group II state championship in 2000 (defeating Haddonfield Memorial High School in the final game of the tournament) and won the Group III title in 2010 (vs. Kingsway Regional High School.
In 2010, the boys won the Group III state championship with a 44–41 victory over Kingsway Regional, but fell short to University High School in the quarterfinal round of the Tournament of Champions.
Under coach Jim Baglin, the boys won four consecutive Morris County Tournaments (2008–2011), defeating Roxbury High School by a score of 34–27 in the 2011 final to give the program its ninth title in the 42-year history of the tournament, more than any other school.
Baseball
Under coach Brad Wetzel, the 2011 baseball team lost only four seniors from the previous season, when the baseball team went 5–17.
Girls basketball
The team won the Group II state championship in 1998 and 1999, defeating Sterling High School in the tournament final both years.
In 1998, the girls' basketball team finished first in New Jersey with a perfect 32–0 record, winning the Tournament of Champions over previously undefeated Columbia High School by a score of 67–62, making Mendham the first public school to take the title since 1990. As well, in the 2014–15 season, Coach Mark Gnapp brought the girls' team to the Morris County Finals, but fell short to Morris Catholic High School. This was Mendham's first appearance in the Morris County Finals since 2001, which made history for the program.
Girls soccer
The girls' soccer program won the Group II state championship in 1992 (defeating Cinnaminson High School in the tournament final), 1993 (vs. Moorestown High School), 1998 (as co-champions with Gloucester Catholic High School) and 1999 (vs. Delran High School). The team has won the Iron Hills Conference Championship. In 2007, the girls' soccer team won the North II, Group III state sectional championship with a 2-0 win over Scotch Plains High School in the tournament final.
Boys tennis
The boys' tennis team won the Group II state championship in 1981 (defeating Gateway Regional High School in the tournament final) and 1982 (vs. Hopewell Valley Central High School).
Girls tennis
The girls' tennis team has been for the past six years ranked in the top five in the state. The team won the Group III state championship in 2004 (vs. Northern Highlands Regional High School) and 2012 (vs. Princeton High School).
Fencing
Both the boys' and girls' fencing teams annually place at the top five in the state. In 2011, the girls finished second in the state, and the boys finished fourth. 2009 graduate Emilee Kovolisky placed 4th at the international fencing competition in Barcelona during the summer following her senior year. In 2012, the Mendham Boys won the state championship, defeating Columbia High School, which had won the state title the previous two years and had been riding a streak of 49 consecutive dual match victories.
Field hockey
The field hockey team won the North II Group III state sectional championship in 1975 and the North II Group I title in 1993.
Musical activities
The Mendham High School Music Department is made up of the Band (Tim Beadle and Gabe Stevens), Choir (Patricia Danner), and Orchestra (Mary Daly).
The band has several extra-curricular programs outside of the "Concert Band". There are three Jazz bands, a "Pep Band" (for basketball games) and Marching Band. The Marching Band travels to Disney World in Orlando, Florida every other spring break and competes regularly.
The orchestra program has several string ensembles and prides itself on the high level of musicians that pass through the program.
The choir is organized into a Regular, Chamber Choir and Advanced Concert Choir. These classes meet during the school day and are made up of all choir students. There are also four extra-curricular programs: Mendham Voices (auditioned, co-ed, ~20 students), Women's Ensemble (not auditioned, female), Treblemakers (auditioned, female, 11 girls a cappella), Men in Black A Cappella (not auditioned, male), and Unaccompanied Minors (auditioned, male, ~11 members.)
The club, Mendham Players, also puts on Fall and Spring theatrical shows. Some shows included The Who's Tommy, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 12 Angry Men, and Footloose.
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:
Academics
The West Morris Regional High School District offers four different levels of classes.
Each of the four levels in classes differs in the level of rigor, with studies being the least rigorous and Honors/AP/IB being the most rigorous. Students and their parents are free to decide the level of the students classes.