Bethlehem Central High School
Coordinates: 42°36′39.32″N 73°51′24.30″W / 42.6109222°N 73.85675°W
| Bethlehem Central Senior High School | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
| 700 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, New York 12054 |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| School district | Bethlehem Central School District |
| Principal | Charles Abba |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | About 1,722 |
| Color(s) | Orange and Black |
| Athletics conference | Suburban Council, Section II |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Website | http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/high/BCHShome.html |
Bethlehem Central High School is a high school in Delmar, New York, just south of Albany. Located at 700 Delaware Avenue, the school serves students in grades 9-12 from the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland. The school was ranked 1048 on Newsweek's 2010 " Top US High Schools."[citation needed]
The high school was established in 1932 at 332 Kenwood Avenue. Within 20 years, the original building was deemed too small, and the school moved to its current location in 1954. The former building now serves as the district's Middle School. But the building continues to bear the words "Bethlehem Central High School," which are carved into its rock, confusing some out-of-towners.
Contents |
[edit] Notable alumni
- Mitchell Kahl, class of 1976, Investments and Finance NYC.
- Megyn Kelly, class of 1988, Fox News anchor
- Scott Sullivan, class of 1979, WorldCom Inc.'s former chief financial officer and chief architect of its financial collapse.
- Bill Karins, Class of 1992, NBC meteorologist.
[edit] Hall of Fame
2005 Inductees
- Rear Admiral (select) Dennis E. Fitzpatrick '76 - became commanding officer of the USS John F. Kennedy in October 2004. He joined the Navy in 1981 as a pilot. In 1989, he was named Instructor Pilot of the Year. He earned a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and in 1999 was selected for the Nuclear Power Program. As of April 1, 2008, he has been nominated for appointment to the rank of Rear Admiral (lower half). Fitzpatrick is currently serving as head, Fleet Warfare Requirements and Program Planning Division, N80, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. Dennis’s at-sea tours include executive officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt during a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom after September 11 and as commanding officer of USS Shreveport. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal with Combat "V"; Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three Gold Stars and Combat "V"; Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and various unit and campaign awards.
- Neal Shapiro '76 - Former president of NBC News, where he oversaw the global operations of NBC’s News division and the news operations of MSNBC, the 24-hour cable news television network. For eight years, Neal served as executive producer of Dateline NBC, helping the program win awards and become the first primetime network newsmagazine to appear several nights a week. Among the stories he helped cover were the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine tragedy and the terrorist attacks on September 11. He was executive producer of several acclaimed news specials, including reports on corporate layoffs in America, migrant farm workers and welfare reform. Shapiro began his career in broadcast journalism at ABC News, where he served in various producer capacities and earned a George Polk Award, two Emmy awards and an Investigative Reporters and Editors award.
- Jo-Carol Block Davidson, '74: singer, songwriter and stage performer in the San Francisco area, prominent neighborhood activist and civic leader. Davidson worked to preserve local parks, most notably San Francisco’s Cayuga Park, and woked to raise awareness of AIDS and funds to seek a cure. When she died suddenly in 2003, the California State Assembly issued a proclamation honoring her humanitarian and civic work and service to the arts.
2006 Inductees
- Eva Marie Saint '42 - Academy Award-winning actress who played graceful leading ladies in many films starting in the 1950s. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in On the Waterfront (1954) and is best known for her roles in A Hatful of Rain (1957), North by Northwest (1959) and Exodus (1957). Saint also appeared in several made-for-TV movies and won an Emmy in 1990 for her role in the miniseries “People Like Us.” Most recently played the role of Superman's mother in the film Superman Returns. She also has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Saint is also involved in charities such as the Epilepsy Foundation, and she and her husband offer an annual award to future filmmakers.
- Joseph Cannizzaro '72 - a New York State Supreme Court Justice, graduated from Albany Law School in 1982 and spent his career as an assistant public defender, a private practice attorney and a principal law clerk. In 2000, he was elected to the New York State Supreme Court. Cannizzaro was active in his community as a little league team sponsor, a religious education instructor and a member of the Albany City School’s PTA and The Parents Association at LaSalle Institute. Cannizzaro died in 2005.
- Dr. Richard Jadick '83 - an osteopathic physician, completed a combat tour of duty in Iraq during 2004 and 2005 as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, assigned as a battalion surgeon to the First Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Jadick is credited with saving the lives of more than 30 Marines who were wounded during combat in Falluja, Iraq. In January 2006, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “Combat V” device for heroic valor. He was profiled in a cover story in Newsweek magazine. Before attending medical school, Jadick was a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.
[edit] Current events
In 2006, the school forbade students to wear hats, hoods, bandannas, and handkerchiefs, saying that these can be gang symbols. This policy was met with considerable student protest, culminating in a petition that accumulated more than 1000 signatures in one day. The issue drew coverage in the Times Union and local television news formats.
The school's construction project is complete after several months of construction. Several additions have been added by contractor Sano-Rubin Construction Services. A gymnasium and gate station have been added. Also several wings on the second and first floors and three science labs have been added. As well, they have moved the Pupil Personnel Services, expanded the Counseling Center, expanded and moved art rooms, expanded the cafeteria, and moved the fitness center.
The school's Science Bowl team finished first in their regional competition in the 2005-06, 2008–09, and 2009-10 school years, earning them trips to the national competition in Washington, DC.
Bethlehem High School has produced excellent Masterminds teams that have won several championships in their league. The Bethlehem Masterminds team recently won the state 2010 Masterminds tournament, becoming state Section II champions.[1]
[edit] Athletics
Bethlehem Central believes that sports foster education, and supports more than 20 sports across three seasons. The district belongs to the New York State Athletic Association and competes as a Class AA school in Section II. BC's league affiliation is with the Suburban Scholastic Council, in which it competes in the gold division.
The Eagles compete in the following sports:
- Baseball
- Men's and Women's Basketball
- Men's and Women's Bowling
- Cheerleading (Is now a club due to the 2010 Budget vote)
- Men's and Women's Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Gymnastics
- Men's Golf
- Ice Hockey
- Men's and Women's Indoor Track
- Men's and Women's Lacrosse
- Men's and Women's Soccer
- Softball
- Men's and Women's Swimming
- Men's and Women's Tennis
- Men's and Women's Track
- Men's and Women's Volleyball
- Men's Wrestling
- Masterminds (Brain Sport)
- Science Academic Bowl (Brain Sport)
- Science Olympiad (Brain Sport)
On June 20, 2006, funds for Ice Hockey, Cheerleading, and Gymnastics were cut from the budget. Supporters held multiple fund raisers the teams, allowing all of them to play their sports by the season. The 2007 budget restored funding for these teams.[2]
In 2006, the boys' soccer team made the Final 4 in the state championship. Four members of the girls' swim team made the state championship as well, placing 3rd in the 200-yard Medley Relay. That same year's boys' 200 freestyle relay was ranked 2nd in New York State and named All American.
The boys' Indoor and Outdoor Track teams are recognized as one of the best in the suburban council. In 2010, the boys Indoor Track team sent five athletes to the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston.
[edit] Lab School
Founded by James Nehring in 1992, the Lab School[3] of Bethlehem Central High School was headed by Jane King until the 2005-06 school year, when she chose to take a job in Clifton Park, NY overseeing the creation of a biomedical curriculum. Its current head is Stephen Smith, who also oversees the school's newspaper, The Talon.
The Lab School is a school-within-a-school and has a total of around 111 students in all four grades (9-12). It is focused more on hands-on projects and has an overall passing average of an 80 or above per year, instead of the regular 65. Students also participate in an internship their senior year. This internship must meet various guidelines as set forth by the school in order to meet various educational requirements. Throughout this internship, the participating student must keep a journal of their hours and experiences and hand it in at the end of the year for a grade.
Each year, there are several field trips that the Lab School takes. These include several trips to the Capital Repertory Theater in Albany, NY, the YMCA Camp Chingachgook and the YMCA Silver Bay Camp (both in the Adirondack Mountains). Each Spring there is an educational trip taken to either Williamsburg, VA, Washington, D.C., Boston, or Philadelphia. Every two years, the Juniors and Seniors take a week long trip to the Florida Keys for a marine biology experience.
