Bethlehem Central High School

Bethlehem Central High School
Location
700 Delaware Avenue Delmar, New York 12054
Coordinates	42°36′39.32″N 73°51′24.30″W
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Bethlehem Central School District
Dean	Anthony Malizia and Dave Doemel
Principal	Scott Landry and Heather Culnan
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	About 1,722
Color(s)	Orange and Black
Athletics conference	Suburban Council, Section II
Mascot	Eagle
Website	bcsd.k12.ny.us/high/BCHShome.html

Bethlehem Central High School is a public 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 366 on Newsweek's 2013 "America's Best High Schools."

History

The 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 although it still bears the inscription "Bethlehem Central High School".)

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 2014 construction project will be 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.

Extracurricular activities

The school's Science Bowl team finished first in their regional competition in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2015, 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 won the state tournament in 2006, 2010, 2013, and 2014, making it the only team to have won states two years in a row.

Bethlehem students have also consistently performed well at the National History Bowl, having placed highly in its national championship each year since 2012. However, the History Bowl team is not funded by the school. Members of the History Bowl team have also done well at all-subject Quizbowl events, having won several in the 2014-15 school year.

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 (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.

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.

Lab School

Founded by James Nehring in 1992, the Lab School of Bethlehem Central High School is a school-within-a-school with a total of about 111 students in grades 9 through 12. With a project based learning curriculum uncovered by a professionally based learning community of faculty, the Lab School subscribes to a "Mastery Learning" model, encouraging students to revisit material until they have a solid understanding. Senior students participate in an internship, which must meet various educational requirements set by the school; they keep journals of their hours and experiences and hand it in at the end of the year for a grade.

Each year, the Lab School takes several field trips. Destinations include the Capital Repertory Theater in Albany and the Adirondack Mountains YMCA Camps Chingachgook and Silver Bay. Each spring, the school takes a trip to either Williamsburg, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Boston; or Philadelphia. Every two years, juniors and seniors take a week-long trip to the Florida Keys to learn about marine biology. http://www.bethlehemschools.org/bchs/lab-school/

The Lab School has been coordinated by distinguished and visionary educators and leaders over the years including:

Jim Nehring, Founder and English Teacher 1992-1994

Jane King, Founding Teacher and Health and Science Teacher 1994-2005

Steve Smith, English Teacher 2005-2014

Mike Mitchell, Spanish Teacher 2014-Present

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame

Alumni recognized by the school for induction into its hall of fame include:

• Joseph Cannizzaro (1972), a New York State Supreme Court Justice
• Rear Admiral Dennis E. Fitzpatrick (1976), commanding officer of the USS John F. Kennedy
• Jo-Carol Block Davidson (1974), singer, songwriter
• Dr. Richard Jadick (1983), an osteopathic physician, completed a combat tour of duty in Iraq during 2004-05 as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve; Jadick saved the lives of more than 30 Marines who were wounded during combat in Falluja, Iraq, and in January 2006, received the Bronze Star with “Combat V” device for heroic valor
• Michael James Moran (1991), doctor of veterinary medicine
• Neal Shapiro (1976), former president of NBC News, where he oversaw global operations of NBC’s News division and news operations of MSNBC; won a George Polk Award, two Emmy awards and an Investigative Reporters and Editors award
• Eva Marie Saint (1942), actress who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in On the Waterfront (1954); she also starred in North by Northwest and other films, and has continued to work in movies and television into her 90s

Others

• Oliver Eslinger (1993), head coach of Caltech men's basketball
• Bill Karins (1992), NBC meteorologist
• Megyn Kelly (1988), Fox News anchor
• Chris Porco (2002), convicted murderer
• Matt Quatraro (1992), baseball player, coach, and manager
• Gerald Solomon (1948), chairman of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means
• Scott Sullivan (1979), WorldCom Inc.'s former chief financial officer, architect of its financial collapse

External links

• Bethlehem Central High School
• Bethlehem Central School District
• Alumni website