Franklin High School (New Jersey)
- This article is about the Franklin High School in New Jersey. For others of a similar name, see Franklin High School (disambiguation)
| Franklin High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
500 Elizabeth Avenue
Somerset, NJ 08873 , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public School |
| Established | 1961 |
| School district | Franklin Township Public Schools |
| Principal | Orvyl Wilson |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | approximately 2,100 |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Golden Warrior |
| Newspaper | The Beacon |
| Website | www.franklinboe.org/fhs |
Franklin High School (FHS) is a comprehensive four-year public high school located at 500 Elizabeth Avenue, in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, New Jersey, United States. The high school is part of the Franklin Township Public Schools.
History
The original Franklin High School, now Franklin Middle School, was opened in 1961. Prior to that, the district sent its high school students to Princeton High School, Bound Brook High School, and New Brunswick High School among others. The original Franklin High School was designed to accommodate 1,600 students. By the mid 1990s, the student population had grown to over 2,000 making overcrowding a serious issue. In 2001, the residents of Franklin Township voted for the construction of a new High School. Construction began in 2003 and finished in September 2005. In that same month, the new Franklin High School opened its doors.
Academics
Courses
FHS offers a wide selection of courses to suite all types of students. Honors level courses in the core content areas and in the areas of the Fine and Performing Arts and of Technology. The school offers business and vocational programs offering training and practical application in real world situations. Students can earn certification in Cisco Systems, acquire television production and studio recording skills, and participate in a variety of internship and co-op experiences offered through local area businesses. Students may chose to attend Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School either part-time or full-time. There students learn the core curriculum along with various skills such as auto shop and culinary arts.
At the high end, the school offers Advanced Placement Program (AP) college-level courses. Any student can take an AP course as along as he has the prerequisites completed. It is not uncommon for sophomores to take AP United States History. The AP courses FHS has are (as of the 06-07 school year):
Certain students who have completed the majority of courses in a department have a chance to take college courses in local colleges. In the past, seniors have taken courses in Princeton University, Rutgers University, and Raritan Valley Community College.
Curriculum
Franklin High School students need to earn a total of 120 credits to be eligible for graduation. The vast majority of the year-long courses give 5 credits each while a half-year course offers 2.5 credits. The exceptions to this rule are the science classes with labs. An extra credit is given for each lab day in the 5-day cycle. Honors science classes with one lab and AP sciences classes with two labs give the students 6 and 7 credits, respectively. The credit spread for incoming classes is as follows[1]:
| Department | Minimum Credits |
|---|---|
| Language Arts | 20 |
| Mathematics | 15 |
| Science | 15 |
| Social Studies | 15 |
| Physical Education, Health, or JROTC | 20 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 5 |
| World Language | 5 |
| Career Education or Life Skills | 5 |
| Electives | 20 |
| Total Minimum Credits | 120 |
Academic Excellence
Franklin High School students have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program, Advance Placement Scholar Awards, Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars Program. Students have been accepted to Bard College, Brown University, California Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Cornell University, Drexel University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, United States Military Academy, University of Pennsylvania, among many other universities.
Athletics
Franklin High School competes in the Skyland Conference, which is comprised of nineteen public and parochial high schools covering Hunterdon County, Somerset County and Warren County in west central New Jersey and operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).
Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities provide an excellent medium for FHS students to explore their interests, learn, and help the community. Most "clubs" meet after school when additional buses are available for after school transportation. Some clubs such as Brass Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble,and Model United Nations meet at night, in which cases the students are responsible for their own transportation. Clubs offered at Franklin High School include:[2]
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Administration
Members of the school administration are[3]:
- Orvyl Wilson - Principal
- Rod Brundage - Vice Principal Grade 12
- Yolanda Toney-Lockley - Vice Principal Grade 11
- Lawrence Zambrowski - Vice Principal Grade 10
- Evelyn Rutledge - Vice Principal Grade 9
References
- ^ Franklin High School Course of Study, accessed September 11, 2006
- ^ Clubs and Activities, accessed September 12, 2006
- ^ Franklin High School Staff, accessed September 10, 2006
External links
- Franklin High School website
- School Performance Report for Franklin High School, New Jersey Department of Education
- Franklin High School Model UN (FHSMUN)
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Franklin Township Public Schools