West Morris Central High School

West Morris Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, United States, where the school is located, operating as part of the West Morris Regional High School District.[7] The school has a Chester Township mailing address. Other communities served by the district are Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township, whose students attend West Morris Mendham High School.[8]

West Morris Central High School
Location
West Morris Central High School
West Morris Central High School
West Morris Central High School
259 Bartley Road
Chester, NJ 07930
Coordinates40.808319°N 74.731654°W / 40.808319; -74.731654
Information
TypePublic high school
School districtWest Morris Regional High School District
NCES School ID3417550[1]
PrincipalTimothy Rymer[2][3]
Faculty95.8 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,239 (as of 2017-18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.9:1[1]
Color(s)     Columbia Blue,
     Navy Blueand
     Gray[4]
Athletics conferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Team nameHighlanders[4] and
Wolf Pack[5]
NewspaperPaw Print[6]
WebsiteSchool website

As of the 2017-18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,239 students and 95.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. There were 13 students (1.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and none eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The school is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school has offered the IB Diploma Programme, as part of the International Baccalaureate Organization, since January 1998[9] and along with its sister school, West Morris Mendham, is one of two public high schools in New Jersey to offer both the IB Diploma and Career Programs.

Awards, recognition and rankings

West Morris Central was the 14th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2018 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[10] The school had been ranked 56th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 43rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[11] The magazine ranked the school 42nd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[12] The school was ranked 41st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[13]

Schooldigger.com ranked the school 92nd out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 32 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.1%) and language arts literacy (96.8%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[14]

In 2017, the Washington Post ranked West Morris Central High School as the third most challenging public, non-charter high school in New Jersey behind West Morris Mendham HS and Princeton HS. West Morris Central High School was also ranked 328th in the entire nation in the list of most challenging high schools.

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 535th in the nation among participating public high schools and 43rd among schools in New Jersey.[15] The school was ranked 226th in the nation and 20th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[16]

West Morris Central High School History Teacher, Rosanne Lichatin, was named the 2005 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year, and was recognized with the honor by First Lady Laura Bush.[17]

Athletics

The West Morris Central High School Highlanders[4] or Wolf Pack[5] compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, an athletic conference made up of high schools located in Morris County, Sussex and Warren counties, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[18] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had been a member of the Iron Hills Conference.[19]

School colors are Columbia blue, navy blue and gray. Interscholastic athletic teams at West Morris Central include baseball, basketball (men and women), cross country (men and women), fencing (men and women), field hockey (women), football, golf (men and women), ice hockey (men), lacrosse (men and women), soccer (men and women), softball, swimming (men and women), tennis (men and women), track and field spring (med and women), track and field winter (med and women), volleyball (women) and wrestling.[4]

While the original school mascot was the Highlander, many West Morris Central teams have taken on the name Wolfpack, though some teams still call themselves the Highlanders out of respect for school tradition.[5][20]

The boys' tennis team won the Group III state championship in 1990, defeating Ramapo High School in the tournament final.[21]

The boys' soccer team won the 2000 Group III state championship after playing Ocean City High School to a 0-0 tie in the title game.[22]

The football team won the North II Group III state sectional championships in 2001, 2004, 2009, and 2012.[23] The 2001 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School by a score of 15-14.[24] The 2004 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against West Morris Mendham High School by a score of 10-7.[25] The 2009 football team won the North II, Group III state championship against Passaic Valley High School by a score of 28-19.[26]

The girls' lacrosse team won the 2001 North A championship, defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School 8-7 in the tournament final.[27]

The 2002 girls' softball team won the North II, Group III sectional state championship, edging Cranford High School by a score of 1-0.[28] The team won the North II Group III sectional title in 2013 with a 5-4 win in the tournament final against West Morris Mendham High School.[29]

The boys' wrestling team won its first ever Iron Hills-Iron title in 2006. The Wolfpack wrestlers were considered as high as number two in the Daily Record area, and was voted a top ten team in Region 1 of NJSIAA wrestling. The team was led under the guidance of Ken Rossi who was a two-time state finalist for Jefferson High School.

The boys' lacrosse team won the Group II state championship in 2007 with an 8-7 win against Ramapo High School in the tournament final.[30][31]

The 2008-09 girls' basketball team won the Morris County Tournament by advancing to the finals and defeating top-seeded Hanover Park High School by a score of 42-32 for the championship, winning the county title for the third time in program history, having most recently won in 1993.[32]

The women's volleyball team has won the Group III state championship in 2009, 2002 and 2018.[33] The 2009 team won the Group III state championship against Northern Highlands High School, for the program's first group title in school history, in a season in which they also won the Morris County Tournament and were American Division champions in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.[34][35] The 2018 team won the Group III title, defeating Old Tappan in two sets—25-18 and 25-20—in the tournament's final match; Old Tappan had won the Group III title the three previous years.[36] The Lady Highlanders have won the most County Championships in Morris County, including four consecutive MCT titles from 2000 to 2003,[37] and won 13 of the 19 titles through 2018.[38]

The field hockey team won the North I Group III state sectional championship in 2010 and 2012.[39]

The girl's soccer team has won the state sectional in 2011, 2013 and 2015.[40] The team won the North II Group III state sectional championship with a 1-0 win against Somerville High School in the final game of the tournament.[41][42]

Activities

The clubs at West Morris Central include: A Capella Singing Groups, Academy of Science, Anti-Bullying Club, Archery Club, Art/Photography Club, Band Front, Book Talk Group, Bowling Club, Boy's Volleyball Club, Chess Club, Chinese Club, Choral Club, Debate Club, Diversity Club, Fall Cheerleader, Fashion Design Club, FBLA, Film Club, Future Educators, Highlanders for Humanity, International/Cultural Arts Club, Intramurals, Literary Magazine, Marching Band, Math League, National History Club, National Honor Society, Newspaper, Reach, Relay for Life, School Store, Science League, Service Learning Club, Ski Club, Sound/Lighting, Stage Craft, STARS, Student Council, Technology Club, Unified Sports Club, World Language Honor Society, Yearbook, Fishing Club, Gardening Club, Investment Club, Jam Club, Self-Defense Red Cross, Spike Ball Club and Kick Boxing.

West Morris Central has three student-run a cappella groups, the Noteworthies, the Loreleis, and the Howlers. The Noteworthies are an all-male singing group established some time between the 1970s and 1980s. Not long after came The Loreleis, an all-female singing group. The Howlers are the mixed male and female singing group. During the school year, the groups perform in various local placesand in June, they host their own Cabaret in which they sing all of the music they have rehearsed and taught themselves in the second semester of the school year. The students sometimes create their own arrangements to be performed at Cabaret.

West Morris participates in the National Honor Society, as well as the French National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and Chinese National Honor Society.

WMCHS is also home to Central Theatre, West Morris' theatre troupe. They produce four shows each year: one in the fall, one in the spring, and two during the summer.

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for West Morris Central High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
  2. Parent - Student Handbook 2019-2020, West Morris Central High School. Accessed October 31, 2019.
  3. School Profile 2019-2020, West Morris Central High School. Accessed October 31, 2019.
  4. West Morris Central High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 30, 2015.
  5. About, West Morris Central High School. Accessed August 14, 2019. "Originally known as the Highlanders, many West Morris Central teams have taken on the name Wolf Pack."
  6. Home Page, Paw Print Newspaper. Accessed September 21, 2015.
  7. About West Morris, West Morris Central High School. Accessed February 12, 2020. "The West Morris Regional High School District consists of two high schools: West Morris Central High School, serving residents of Washington Township West Morris Mendham High School, serving residents of Mendham Borough, Mendham Towhship, Chester Borough, and Chester Township."
  8. West Morris Regional High School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Established in 1958, the West Morris Regional High School District operates two schools, West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School. The regional district serves the students of five Morris County communities: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central High School, and students from the Chesters and the Mendhams attend West Morris Mendham High School."
  9. West Morris Central High School, International Baccalaureate. Accessed August 26, 2014.
  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 August 28, 2012.
  12. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed July 14, 2011.
  13. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  14. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 2, 2012.
  15. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  16. Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2012", The Daily Beast / Newsweek, May 20, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2012.
  17. Mrs. Bush's Remarks at the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award Ceremony, Office of the First Lady press release dated October 14, 2005.
  18. League & Conference Affiliations 2016-2017, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
  19. Home Page, Iron Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed November 26, 2014.
  20. Staff. "Villa Walsh players go ape over new mascot", Daily Record (Morristown), September 24, 2004. Accessed July 24, 2011. "The official nickname for the West Morris athletic teams is the Highlanders but many of the school's sports teams, including recently the girls' soccer team, have requested to be called the Wolfpack following the school's football team."
  21. History of Boys Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 19, 2017.
  22. 2015 Soccer Championships Program, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed March 14, 2017.
  23. Goldberg, Jeff. NJSIAA Football Playoff Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 19, 2015.
  24. 2001 Football Championship - North II, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed October 20, 2007.
  25. Brooks, Maurice. "Football", Daily Record (Morristown), December 4, 2004. Accessed July 24, 2011. "Critchley's theft was the signature play in a hard-fought Section 2, Group III championship game won by West Morris 10-7."
  26. Hague, Jim. "West Morris Captures Football Championship: North 2, Group III Championship", Daily Record (Morristown), December 4, 2009. Accessed July 24, 2011. "Burton carried the ball 16 times for 158 yards and scored a touchdown, returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and threw a 47-yard touchdown pass, leading West Morris to a 28-19 victory over Passaic Valley in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group III championship game at Giants Stadium."
  27. 2001 NJSIAA Girls' Lacrosse - North A, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 26, 2007.
  28. 2002 Softball Tournament - North II, Group III, NJSIAA. Accessed April 26, 2007.
  29. "West Morris Central Spring Review: Highlanders softball, boys lacrosse shine in 2013", Observer-Tribune, June 21, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2019. "Courtney Chase delivered the two-out game-winning single in the 10th inning as West Morris edged Mendham 5-4 in the North 2, Group 3 sectional championship."
  30. 2007 Boys' Lacrosse - Group II, NJSIAA. Accessed October 20, 2007.
  31. History of the NJSIAA Boys' Lacrosse Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  32. Staff. "West Morris 42, Hanover Park 34 — Morris County Tournament (High school Girls' Basketball scores & results)", The Star-Ledger, February 27, 2009. Accessed March 2, 2012. "Third-seeded West Morris, No. 19 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, improved to 22-2 by winning its third MCT final and first since 1993. It was its 12th straight victory in a streak that includes triumphs over Morris Knolls and Columbia, the teams it lost to earlier in the season. Top-seeded and No. 17 Hanover Park fell to 22-2."
  33. NJSIAA Girls Volleyball History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 31, 2019.
  34. Fenton, Kelly. "West Morris Central girls' volleyball team wins crown", Observer-Tribune, November 20, 2009. Accessed July 24, 2011. "After falling to Northern Highlands a year ago in the Group 3 finals, the Lady Highlanders wanted another shot. While they would have played whoever was across the net from them on Saturday in the Group 3 championship at William Paterson University, they were happy to see those other Highlanders make it through their side of the bracket. For one game and the first part of the next, it appeared the script was headed for a repeat of last year. But West Morris rallied, and won its first-ever volleyball group title, beating Northern Highlands 18-25, 25-20 and 25-17."
  35. Havsy, Jane. "West Morris reached all its goals", Daily Record (Morristown), December 17, 2009. Accessed July 24, 2011. "During preseason, the West Morris volleyball players wrote their goals on the white squares of a poster made up to look like a checkered flag. West Morris lived up to all three, winning the MCT for the first time since '07, a share of the inaugural NJAC-American Division, and finally earning the first NJSIAA Group III title in school history."
  36. Havsy, Jane. "Volleyball: West Morris upsets Old Tappan to win Group III title", Daily Record (Morristown), November 10, 2018. Accessed October 31, 2019. "West Morris didn't just leave the William Paterson Recreation Center with the NJSIAA Group III volleyball trophy on Saturday.... West Morris upended three-time defending champion Old Tappan, 25-18, 25-20, to earn the awards."
  37. Staff. "West Morris makes it four titles in a row", Daily Record (Morristown), November 1, 2003. Accessed July 24, 2011. "Devon Brothers and her West Morris volleyball team were not superstitious leading up to Saturday's Morris County Tournament final against Morris Knolls "We were just thinking 'four times in a row,'"Brothers said. [...] she had 24 assists, four kills and four aces to lead West Morris to its fourth-straight MCT title 25-14, 25-21, 25-8 over the rookie Golden Eagles."
  38. Havsy, Jane. "West Morris volleyball returns to the top", Daily Record (Morristown), October 27, 2018. Accessed October 31, 2019. "The Wolfpack defeated host Randolph, 25-19, 24-26, 25-23, in one of the most dramatic finales in MCT history. It is West Morris' first championship since 2014, the 13th in 19 years."
  39. History of the NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 19, 2017.
  40. "West Morris girls soccer records 16th shutout to win North 2, Group 3 title, 1-0 over Somerville", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 12, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed October 31, 2019. "Webb, along five fellow seniors, also got their second taste of sectional championship after capturing in 2013, but the goalkeeper said there is a bit of extra significance for her on this title.... 'Every title is great," added Rossi, who also led West Morris to a sectional crown in 2011."
  41. "Girls Soccer - 2015 NJSIAA North 2, Group 3 Tournament", NJ.com, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 22, 2016. Accessed October 31, 2019.
  42. Knego, Lauren. "Somerville girls soccer falters in quest for sectional title", Courier News, November 12, 2015. Accessed October 31, 2019. "The second-seeded Pioneers fell to top-seeded West Morris 1-0 in the NJSIAA North 2 Group III sectional final. Somerville was looking for its first sectional title in two years, while the Wolfpack (20-1-1) won its first crown since 2013."
  43. Duggan, Dan. "Rutgers fullback Michael Burton's path from walk-on to the NFL Draft paved by determination", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 2, 2015. Accessed August 13, 2015. "And that dedication is how Burton has transformed from a walk-on out of West Morris Central High into a potential NFL Draft pick."
  44. Howell Jr., Tom. "News Teen fights for safer roads after friend's death", New Jersey Herald, November 22, 2008. Accessed August 13, 2018. "Kyleigh, a star athlete at West Morris Central High School, died when an Audi TT driven by a 17-year-old boy careened into a tree on Fairview Avenue in Long Valley."
  45. Arentowicz, Terry P. That Empty Feeling: The Real Story of One 72-Hour Rescue Mission Into Laos, p. 66. AuthorHouse, 2013. ISBN 9781491836262. Accessed November 6, 2017. "The youngest member of Young's crew was Sergeant Larry W. Maysey. The Pararescue specialist had graduated from West Morris Regional High School in Chester, New Jersey, only two years prior to being sent to Viet Nam."
  46. "Fox News Yearbook: Carley Shimkus grades her senior year photo, explains hilarious 'hippie phase'". Fox News. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  47. Garber, Phil. "Mendhams, Long Valley heavy into top ranks of Trump campaign ", Observer-Tribune, August 31, 2016. Accessed November 22, 2016. "And last week, Trump's campaign hired Bill Stepien, 38, of Long Valley, a graduate of West Morris Central High School and Rutgers."
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