Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Woodbury Junior Senior High School

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School type
  
Public high school

CEEB code
  
311635

District
  
Woodbury Public Schools

Color
  
Gold

Founded
  
1902

Phone
  
+1 856-853-0123

Mascot
  
Bison

Woodbury Junior-Senior High School

Motto
  
"Excellence Through Tradition and Innovation"

School district
  
Woodbury Public Schools

Superintendent
  
Robert H. Goldschmidt (Interim)

Address
  
25 N Broad St, Woodbury, NJ 08096, USA

Similar
  
Paulsboro High School, Deptford High School, West Deptford High Sch, GATEWAY REGIONAL HIGH SC, Glassboro High School

Woodbury Junior-Senior High School (WHS) is a comprehensive community middle school and public high school that serves students in sixth through twelfth grades from Woodbury, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Woodbury Public Schools system. The class of 2003 was the school's 100th graduating class, making Woodbury High School one of the oldest secondary schools in South Jersey and the oldest in its athletic conference.

Contents

As of the 2013-14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 739 students and 71.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. There were 402 students (54.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 63 (8.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

History

Following a devastating fire in 1910 that burned the original high school down, it was rebuilt in 1911 with then-governor and future president, Woodrow Wilson, laying the cornerstone for the new Woodbury High School. The new school building opened in 1912.

Students from National Park, Wenonah, Westville and Woodbury Heights had attended the school until the Gateway Regional High School opened in September 1964.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In 2004, the school was selected as a NASA Explorer School, one of 50 in the entire country to work hand-in-hand with NASA on improving technology and science education within the school. In 2007, NASA selected Woodbury to experience a 'Weightless Wonder' flight on a C-9 aircraft so that they could test their proposed experiment examining the performance-related effects of reduced gravity on simple robotic designs.

The school was the 187th-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 192nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 199th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 203rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 111th in the magazine's September 2006 issue. In 2006, Woodbury was the #1 ranked high school in Gloucester County by New Jersey Monthly and Philadelphia Magazine.

Athletics

Woodbury High School Thundering Herd compete as the oldest member school in the Colonial Conference, which is composed of small schools whose enrollments generally do not exceed between 850 students for grades 9–12, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 307 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2014-15 school year as South Jersey, Group I for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 182 to 473 students in that grade range.

The school participates in cooperative programs for girls' and boys' cross country, boys' and girls' swimming and for wrestling with Gateway Regional High School as the lead agency, under an agreement that expires at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

The boys' tennis team won the 2005 South, Group I state sectional championship with a 3-2 win over Schalick High School. In 2007, the girls' track & field team won the NJSIAA Group I state championship, and the boys' track & field team came in second in the state, losing by 1 point to Metuchen. The annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry football game is against Gateway High School.

Sports offered

Boys – soccer, football, cross country[3], basketball, indoor track, swimming[4], track & field, baseball, wrestling[5]
Girls – soccer, cross country[6], field hockey, cheerleading, basketball, indoor track, swimming[7], track & field, softball

1952–53: Year of Champions

Woodbury High School had one of the most historic school years for a sports program in United States history in 1952–53. Every single athletic team, boys or girls, either tied for or outright won titles.[8] At no other high school in the country has this type of success ever occurred, before or since. All sports teams combined produced an overall record of 75–13–1 (.842 win percentage) with 10 championships. At the time, Woodbury was classified as a Group III regional high school and was much bigger than its small Group I classification today. The championships won during 1952–53 are:

  • Colonial Conference titles
  • Baseball (14–2–1)
  • Football (8–0)
  • Boys' basketball (16–6)
  • Track (5–2)
  • South Jersey Group III titles
  • Cross Country (7–0)
  • Football
  • West Jersey League championships
  • Field Hockey (7–3)[9]
  • Girls' tennis (8–0)
  • Girls' basketball (10–0)
  • State championships
  • Track – Group III Medley Relay

    • Academic excellence off the field

    The boys' soccer team has earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's High School Boys Team Academic Award for seven consecutive seasons (2003–04 through 2010–11). To qualify for the award, the team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the entire academic year. The team GPA is determined by adding every player's GPA, then dividing by the number of players. Woodbury is one of only two boys' soccer teams in all of New Jersey to be recognized in each of the past seven years (Sparta High School is the other). For the 2006–07 award, Woodbury was one of only 61 schools in the nation to receive this honor for both its boys' and girls' teams.

    Snapping 'the streak'

    Woodbury High School is responsible for halting the longest winning streak in New Jersey football history. Longtime rival Paulsboro High School had recorded 63 consecutive wins over the span of six years (1992–1998), but on September 26, 1998, Paulsboro lost to Woodbury, 14–13. The 63 wins still holds as the record to this day.

    Administration

    Core members of the school's administration are:

  • Dr. Jason Vivadelli– Principal, Junior/Senior High School
  • Dr. Gary Scavette – Assistant Principal, Senior High School
  • Ellen Grimes – Assistant Principal, Junior High School

    • Super Bowl connection

    When former Thundering Herd head football coach Jim Boyd stepped down after the 2000 season, then-assistant coach Zack Valentine was promoted to become the newest head coach. Valentine is a Super Bowl-winning linebacker who played for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers from 1979–1981 as a member of the "Steel Curtain" defense. He began his career in the Woodbury school system in 1995 as a substitute teacher, and then in 1998 became a full-time physical education teacher. Valentine also played for the Philadelphia Eagles briefly before an injury prematurely ended his career. He is still the head football coach.

    1987 Philadelphia Eagles training camp

    The high school's football stadium was used by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1987 as the home of their training camp. The school district had given permission to the Eagles to utilize their field. All-time NFL greats Seth Joyner and Reggie White were among those on the 1987 roster who practiced at Woodbury High School.

    Filming location

    In October 2000, an independent mockumentary movie, Bottomfeeders, filmed scenes in front of the high school's main entrance for a presidential candidate's speech. Local residents and students were used as the rallying crowd who supported the candidate.

    Alumni

  • Herb Baptiste (Class of 1943), one of The Star-Ledger's top ten best wrestlers in New Jersey during the 1940s; New Jersey's first two-time state wrestling champion.
  • George Benjamin Jr. (1919-1944; Class of 1937), a United States Army soldier and a posthumous recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Philippines campaign of World War II.
  • Carroll William "Boardwalk" Brown (1889-1977; Class of 190?), a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics.
  • Arthur 'Ted' Browne (Class of 1936), played in the Negro League on the Zulu Cannibal Giants team, sporting his "Zulu" name Lakola.
  • Hugh Victor Browne II (Class of 1943), a 2012 recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the United States; is also the younger brother of Roscoe (below).
  • Roscoe Lee Browne (1922-2007; Class of 1942), actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing; is also the brother of Hugh (above).
  • Van Bruner (Class of 1952), world record holder of 65-yard indoor dirt track high hurdles; ran in finals of 1952 Olympic Trials and also in first round of the 1965 Trials.
  • Dave Budd (born 1938, Class of 1956), power forward for the New York Knicks who also shared responsibility in guarding Wilt Chamberlain during his 100-point NBA game.
  • Richard Caton (Class of 1979), a track star who ran 1:49.7 (800m) as a senior and 4:13.9 (1600m) as a junior.
  • Stephen Decatur (1779-1820, Class of 180?)[10], an American naval officer notable for his heroism in the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War and in the War of 1812.
  • Oscar Fraley (1914-1994, Class of 1934), co-author, with Eliot Ness, of The Untouchables which sold 1.5 million copies.
  • Robert C. Hendrickson (1898-1964, Class of 1918), a New Jersey State Senator from 1949 to 1955.
  • James Lawrence (1781-1813, Class of 180?)[11], an American naval officer of "Don't give up the ship!" fame.
  • Lori Lewis (Class of 1978), one of The Star-Ledger's best New Jersey girl track athletes of the 1960s and 1970s, then a three-time All-American at the University of Florida. She had also qualified for the Olympic relay team but was sidelined due to an injury.
  • Mike McBath (born 1946, Class of 1964), defensive end for the Buffalo Bills from 1968–1973, part-owner Orlando Predators.
  • Howard M. J. Pendleton Jr. (Class of 1974), New Jersey state wrestling champion in 1974 (170 lbs) and finished varsity wrestling career with a 62–12 record.
  • Bryant McKinnie (Class of 1996), an offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Baltimore Ravens.
  • Jack Pierce (born 1962; class of 1980), Olympic bronze medalist in the 110 meter high hurdles at the 1992 Olympic Games.
  • Milt Plum (born 1935, Class of 1952), quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns.
  • Chris Pressley (born 1986, Class of 2004), fullback for the Cincinnati Bengals.
  • Browning Ross (1924-1998, Class of 1943), a two-time Olympian in long-distance running (1948, 1952).
  • Al Szolack (Class of 1968), a member of the Washington Generals traveling basketball team, opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters, during the 1974–75 season.

    • Notable faculty

  • Joe Colone (1926–2009), former NBA player for the New York Knicks.
  • Zack Valentine (born 1957), former NFL player and Super Bowl-winner for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    • School programs

    Extracurricular activities (other than sports) that are offered at Woodbury Junior-Senior High School include, but are not limited to, the Alternative Power Program, Junior & Senior High School Yearbooks, National Honor Society, Theater Club, Video Tape/A.V. Club, White & Gold newsletter, Choir, Orchestra Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Key Club, Interact Club, Bowling Club, Ladybug Club, Math and Science Leagues, Academic Bowl, French Club, Outdoor Club, peer mentoring program, Boys/Girls State, Governor's School, Gay and Lesbian Alliance, and a Student Council.

    References

    Woodbury Junior-Senior High School Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA