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[[Category:Public high schools in New York]]
[[Category:Public high schools in New York]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1928]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1928]]
[[Category:Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools]]
[[Category:Schools in Westchester County, New York]]
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[[Category:1928 establishments in New York]]
[[Category:1928 establishments in New York]]

Revision as of 21:00, 22 July 2014

Briarcliff High School
School shield
Address
Map
444 Pleasantville Road

Briarcliff Manor
,
New York
10510

United States
Coordinates41°08′03″N 73°48′45″W / 41.13417°N 73.81250°W / 41.13417; -73.81250
Information
TypeComprehensive public high school
MottoCommunity  • Service  • Excellence  • Fulfillment
Established1928[1]
School districtBriarcliff Manor Union Free School District
CEEB code330505
NCES School ID360534000268[3]
PrincipalDeborah French
Faculty50.31 (on full-time equivalent (FTE) basis) (as of 2010–2011)[3]
Grades9–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment587[5] (2013–14)
Student to teacher ratio10:1[7]
LanguageEnglish
Campus size43 acres[4]
Campus typeSuburban[4]
Color(s)
  Blue and orange
MascotBear
Team nameBriarcliff Bears
RivalPleasantville High School
AccreditationsNew York State Board of Regents, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[6]
NewspaperThe Briarcliff Bulletin
YearbookBruin
Tuition$13,800[2]
Communities servedBriarcliff Manor
Websitewww.briarcliffschools.org

Briarcliff High School (BHS) is a public secondary school in Briarcliff Manor, New York, serving students in grades 9–12. It is the only high school in the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District and is co-located with Briarcliff Middle School. The principal is Debora French and the assistant principal is Daniel Murphy.[8]

Briarcliff is noted for outstanding student achievement, testing scores and accomplishments, including a highly regarded science research program, world language and performing arts programs, University in the High School and Advanced Placement courses, and graduation and college attendance rates.[9] The school has a 10:1 student–teacher ratio, and 100 percent of students have proficiency in mathematics and English.[7]

The student body primarily consists of incoming graduates of Briarcliff Middle School. Additionally, students graduating from Pocantico Hills Central School have the option to attend high schools either at Briarcliff High School, Pleasantville High School, or Sleepy Hollow High School.[2]

History

A Spanish Renaissance-style school building
Briarcliff Grade School ca. 1930
Aerial view of a school campus
Aerial view of Briarcliff High School ca. 1980
School logo and seal
Logo of Briarcliff High School

Briarcliff Manor had served students up to the ninth grade from 1865 until 1918. Before 1918, Briarcliff students who wanted to proceed to high school would attend the nearby Ossining High School. At that point, Briarcliff introduced an advanced curriculum for high school students. In 1923, four students were the first in a Briarcliff school to receive high school diplomas. In 1928, with the income of more high school students, an extension was built to the Spanish Renaissance-style Grade School for use as Briarcliff High School. The building was located adjacent to the Walter W. Law Memorial Park. The enlarged school accepted students from Croton, Hawthorne, North White Plains, Valhalla, and as far as Granite Springs.[4]

As Briarcliff's student population expanded, the Law Park location did. In 1950, students from kindergarten to fifth grade were moved to the new Todd Elementary School. Even though the high school thus had more room at the Grade School, the population grew enough for the necessity of a new building. Plans were delayed until the 1960s, when Briarcliff had plans to purchase 55 acres of the Choate estate. Pace University meanwhile purchased the entire estate, and it remains as Pace Pleasantville. The Briarcliff Manor Board of Education took the matter to court and succeeded, and Pace sold 35 acres to Briarcliff. Briarcliff bought eight further acres, and the site was completed in 1968.[4]

The current high school building opened in 1971. In the 1980s, as school enrollment declined and costs increased, the Grade School building was leased to Pace University and the remaining students (grades six through eight) occupied a portion of the new High School building. In 1988, a plan for a larger village and school meeting and performance area was initiated. The new auditorium was completed in 1998.[4] After a bond vote in 2001, the current Briarcliff Middle School was constructed in the early 2000s adjoining to the high school.[10]

In the summer and fall of 2011, several renovations took place, affecting primarily the high school on the property. All front-facing windows of the high school were replaced with energy-efficient windows, and a permanent-storage building was constructed on the northeast side to store auditorium and maintenance supplies. As well, many of the computers in the school have been replaced with thin client computers.[11] As of 2013, the high school's track and grass football field are being replaced with a new track and a football field of artificial turf. In 2013, the school's cardiovascular and weight lifting center was improved with more machines and equipment, increased space, new flat screen televisions, and more.[12] In 2014, the school's fields on the property were remediated due to the use of contaminated fill.[13] The football field is complete with artificial turf; the track will be completed in mid-July and the artificial turf baseball and hockey fields by Labor Day. The lower soccer field will be reconstructed after the fall 2014 soccer season. Work on the softball field was finished in fall 2013. A security plan is to be submitted to the New York State Education Department; it includes plans to upgrade the main entrance doors, construct vestibules and greeter stations.[14]

The high school newspaper The Briarcliff Bulletin was founded in 1948. It has been in print for over 60 years.[15]

Enrollment in Briarcliff High School since 1952
Year 1952–1953 2000–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–2005 2005–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012–2013 2013–2014
Enrollment 224 448 489 534 560 601 679 657 N/A 654 N/A 591 606 552 587
1952–1953[16]  • 2000 to 2006[17]  • 2006–2007[18]  • 2008–2009[19]  • 2010 to 2014[5]

Theater

An auditorium and school buildings
The Dr. Frances G. Wills Auditorium

School productions include the Fall Drama, the Spring Musical, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Camerata, Clifftones, Overtones, Chamber Orchestra, and Garage Orchestra.[19] The school is known for its award-winning annual musicals.[20] The high school produces musicals and dramatic productions, and presents them at the Briarcliff Auditorium, which was built in 1998 and seats 500.[10] In 2010, it was named after former Superintendent Frances Wills. The auditorium has hosted other Briarcliff shows and events, including the Centennial Variety Show, which was performed in a sold-out two-night run from April 26 to 27, 2002. The Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society arranged the show for the village's 2002 centennial celebration.[1][10] The school was the first US high school to perform the British musical The Hired Man, from March 7–9, 2014.[21]

Sports

Athletic Teams at Briarcliff High School[22] V = Varsity, VB = Varsity B, JV = Junior Varsity F = Freshmen, Mod = Modified
Sport Level Season Gender
Baseball V, JV, F, Mod Spring Boys
Basketball V, JV, F, Mod Winter Boys, Girls
Bowling V Winter Boys, Girls
Cheerleading V Fall, Winter Girls
Cross country running V, JV, Mod Fall Boys, Girls
Field Hockey V, JV, Mod Fall Co-ed
Football V, F, Mod Fall Boys
Golf V, JV Spring Co-ed
Ice hockey V Winter Co-ed
Lacrosse V, JV, Mod Spring Boys, Girls
Soccer V, JV, Mod Fall Boys, Girls
Softball V, JV, Mod Spring Girls
Swimming/Diving V Fall, Winter Boys, Girls
Tennis V, JV Spring, Fall Boys, Girls
Track and field V, JV, Mod Winter, Spring Co-ed
Volleyball V, JV, Mod Fall Girls

Besides intramural sports, Briarcliff High School has junior varsity and varsity teams in sixteen sports, playing under the name Briarcliff Bears.[23] In 2010, the soccer team became nationally ranked by ESPN as a top-50 national team.[24]

Courses

The school offers courses in five languages: Spanish, Latin, French, Conversational Italian, and Mandarin Chinese. Electives include:[19]

School ranking

The school is 31st out of over 1,100 schools on the 2014 U.S. News & World Report rankings for New York, and 156th out of over 19,400 schools nationally.[7][25] In the 2013 U.S. News & World Report, Briarcliff High School was 31st out of 1,100 schools in New York, and 170th out of over 21,000 schools nationally.[26] Newsweek rankings for the school include 42nd nationally in 2000,[27] 96th nationally and 17th in New York in 2005,[28] and 106th nationally, 20th in New York, and 28th in New England in 2013.[29] As well, Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District is rated as the fifth-wealthiest school district in the United States, and the third-wealthiest in New York. Briarcliff High School students greatly exceed averages on New York State Assessment tests, with almost 100% of Briarcliff students having recorded passing grades.[30]

Alumni

Middle-aged man posing in a suit
John Hersey

Notable alumni of Briarcliff High School include Michael Azerrad, an author; Clifford Carter, a musician;[31] John Hersey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and journalist who grew up in Briarcliff and attended the public schools;[4][32][33] Brice Marden, a minimalist painter who grew up in the village and is a graduate of Briarcliff High School from 1965;[34][35] and Tom Ortenberg, the CEO of Open Road Films, and the former president of Lionsgate Films.

See also

Template:Wikipedia books

References

  1. ^ a b Briarcliff Manor: The First 100 Years – The Centennial Variety Show. Village of Briarcliff Manor. 2002.
  2. ^ a b Rosenberg, Merri (June 1, 1997). "School Districts Try to Attract Tuition-Paying Students". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Search for Public Schools - Briarcliff High School (360534000268)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Cheever, Mary (1990). The Changing Landscape: A History of Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough. West Kennebunk, Maine: Phoenix Publishing. ISBN 0-914659-49-9. LCCN 90045613. OCLC 22274920. OL 1884671M.
  5. ^ a b "Briarcliff High School Program Review and Longitudinal Achievement Results for Pocantico Students" (PDF). Briarcliff High School. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  6. ^ "Briarcliff High School". Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Commission on Elementary Schools. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Briarcliff High School - Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  8. ^ "High School - Briarcliff Manor UFSD". Briarcliff Manor School District. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  9. ^ "Facilitators - Center for Educational Leadership" (PDF). Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c Briarcliff Manor Centennial Committee (2002). The Briarcliff Manor Family Album: Celebrating a Century. Cornwall N.Y: Village of Briarcliff Manor.
  11. ^ Lee, Tien-Shun (September 3, 2011). "Lots of Summer Renovations at Briarcliff Schools". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  12. ^ "Briarcliff Improving Its School Facilities". Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor Patch. September 24, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  13. ^ Nocella, Michael (January 22, 2014). "Briarcliff Schools Bond Vote Passes 363-42". Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor Patch. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  14. ^ Hanson, Alesha (June 26, 2014). "Briarcliff Schools Release Capital Projects Update". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  15. ^ "Briarcliff Bulletin Goes Online". The Briarcliff Bulletin. September 27, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  16. ^ Our Village: Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. 1902 to 1952. Historical Committee of the Semi–Centennial. 1952.
  17. ^ "Comprehensive Plan - Village of Briarcliff Manor" (PDF). Village of Briarcliff Manor. November 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  18. ^ "Similar School Groupings for the New York State School Report Card for 2006–07 Outcomes - Group 52" (PDF). New York State Education Department. August 22, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  19. ^ a b c Kaishan, James. "Briarcliff High School - Pocantico Hills Report". Briarcliff Manor School District. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ^ Gross, Jane (May 4, 2003). "In High School, Putting on a Show Means Broadway Dazzle". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  21. ^ "Briarcliff First U.S. High School to Present The Hired Man, March 7-9". Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor Patch. February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  22. ^ "Briarcliff Manor UFSD 2013–2014 Athletics" (PDF). Briarcliff Manor School District. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  23. ^ "Briarcliff High School Football". MSG Varsity. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  24. ^ "Girls Soccer". ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "New York High Schools". U.S. News & World Report LP. 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  26. ^ Template:Wayback
  27. ^ Tuinstra, Rachel (March 12, 2000). "In Brief; Top High Schools". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  28. ^ "The Complete List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools". Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on May 10, 2005. Retrieved January 22, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "2013 America's Best High Schools". IBT Media, Inc. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "America's Richest School Districts". Fox Business. 24/7 Wall St. June 8, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  31. ^ Lee, Tien-Shun (September 29, 2011). "Briarcliff Teen a Musical Superstar". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  32. ^ Weingarten, Marc (2010). The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, and the New Journalism Revolution. Random House LLC. ISBN 978-1-4000-4914-1.
  33. ^ Dee, Jonathan. "John Hersey, The Art of Fiction No. 92". The Paris Review. The Paris Review. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  34. ^ Marden, Brice (October 3, 1972). "Oral history interview with Brice Marden, 1972 Oct. 3" (Tape-recorded). Interviewed by Paul Cummings. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved January 20, 2014. {{cite interview}}: Unknown parameter |program= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |subjectlink= ignored (|subject-link= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ Vincent, Tom (June 24, 2011). "Briarcliff High Honors Notable Past Grads". River Journal. River Journal Inc. Retrieved January 22, 2014.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Briarcliff_High_School&oldid=618033810"