Newark Arts High School
| Newark Arts High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Magnet Public high school |
| Established | 1931 |
| School district | Newark Public Schools |
| Principal | Dr. Norma Fair-Brown |
| Faculty | 46.0 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9 – 12 |
| Enrollment | 697 (as of 2005-06)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15.2[1] |
| Color(s) | Green and Gray |
| Athletics conference | Colonial Hills Conference |
| Nickname | Jaguars |
| Information | 973-733-7391 |
| Website | School website |
Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in grades 9 through 12 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is located in the University Heights area of Newark.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 697 students and 46.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.2.[1]
The school was the 154th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2008 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools. The school was ranked 186th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[2]
History
Arts High School opened its doors to students in September 1931 as the first public high school in the United States specializing in the visual and performing arts.[3]
By the mid-1970s, Arts High School faced challenges from budget cuts affecting public schools in general, and those of the older cities in particular. The school also faced competition from other districts, such as the Montclair Public Schools in the suburban portion of Essex County, that was starting a high school magnet arts programs of its own.[4]
In 1983, Newark voters approved by referendum a $62.6 million bond package, which included $8 million to be used for a renovation and expansion project at Arts High School.[5] After an 18-month long renovation project, the school reopened in January 1996, with the addition of drama and science laboratories, and a preserved Art Deco-style auditorium.[6]
During 2006-2007,Arts High School celebrated its 75th Anniversary in year-long events. The celebrations began in October, 2006 with a 75th Anniversary Gala and Alumni Day. In December, 2006, sponsored by the Arts High Consortium (www.artshighconsortium) at the Newark Museum, the first Arts High Hall of Fame was established by President of Arts High Consortium Volora Howell and Willie Cole; notable inductees include Fashion Designer, Steven Burrows; Dancer/Choreographer, Savion Glover; and Singer/Actress Melba Moore. The finale, featuring "Savion Glover and Friends" celebrating National Tap Dance Day was held on Friday, May 25, 2007 in the school's auditorium. Mr. Glover, the choreographer for "Happy Feet", as a special treat, performed with some of Arts' students as they accompanied him on drums. Other activities included an art exhibit, fashion show, and student essay contest-"Arts High School is 75 years old! How have your experiences at Arts High School enriched your life both personally and socially?"[7]
Athletics
The Arts High School Jaguars compete in the Super Essex Conference, which includes public and private high schools in Essex,County
Sports Offered: Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, Indoor Track, Bowling, Softball, Baseball, Outdoor Track,
Contact AD Jim Waldron 973-733-8240 jwaldron@nps.k12.nj.us
Student body
As of the 2005–06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 697 students and 46.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.2.[1]
Administration
Core members of the school's administration are:
- Dr. Norma Fair-Brown, Principal[6]
Notable alumni
- Tisha Campbell-Martin (born 1968), actress.[6][8]
- Charles Calello, musical director.[6]
- Connie Francis (born 1938), singer.[6][9]
- Savion Glover (born 1973), actor, tap dancer and choreographer.[6][10]
- Mort Lindsey (born 1923), musical director.[6]
- Melba Moore (born 1945), R&B singer.[6]
- Woody Shaw (1944–1989), jazz trumpeter and composer.[6]
- Tame One (born 1983) (real name: Rahem Brown) Underground Hip Hop artist
- Wayne Shorter (born 1933), jazz composer and saxophonist.[6]
- Sarah Vaughan (1924–1990), singer.[6]
- Michael B. Jordan Actor. All My Children, The Wire.
- Frankie Negron Singer.
- Kat DeLuna Singer/Dancer
- William Armstrong (American artist) Painter, sculptor, scenic
- Volora Howell Executive Television Producer of Volora! BET J Network. Founder of the Arts High Hall of Fame
References
- ^ a b c d e Arts High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 18, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "NCES" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
- ^ The facility originally housed The Fawcett School of Industrial Arts in 1928 and renamed Newark Public School of Fine and Industrial Art more commonly known as N.S.F.I.A. The school became one of the most prestigious in the nation and branched into a college located on the fourth floor of the facility. While it is not clear if the school was originally a high school or a college, it was renowned for its distinct caliber of fine artists who were both teachers and scholars. Unfortunately, the college was forced to close and move from the facility due to funding in the early 1990's. It was relocated to Lyons Avenue, but never gained its original momentum and faded out all together. Arts High School 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 10, 2008. "In September 1931, Arts High School, erected at a cost of $1.25 million dollars during the Depression, opened its doors and became the first public high school for visual and performing arts in the United States".
- ^ Cook, Joan. "High Schools for the Arts, Hit Hard by Budget Cuts in the Cities, Beginning to Spring Up in the Suburbs", The New York Times, [{December 25], 1976. Accessed August 10, 2008.
- ^ via the Associated Press. "THE REGION; Newark Approves School Bond Issue", The New York Times, December 8, 1983. Accessed August 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k A Brief History, Newark Arts High School. Accessed August 10, 2008.
- ^ The Scope, Volume 15, Issue 2, Spring 2007
- ^ Carter, Kevin L. "TALK OF `MARTIN,' BUT NOT MARTIN \ TISHA CAMPBELL'S ``SITUATION WITH MARTIN LAWRENCE IS OFF LIMITS — BY ORDER OF THE COURT.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, may 15, 1997. Accessed August 18, 2008.
- ^ "OLD SCHOOL TIES", The Miami Herald, january 10, 1985. Accessed August 18, 2008. "Singer Connie Francis, fresh from her Miami appearance in the Orange Bowl Parade, returned to her old high school in Newark, N.J., this week for the first time in three decades to talk to students and old teachers, saying, Nostalgia always feels good. Francis, 46, said the bathrooms were the only things that had changed at Arts High School, which she attended in 1951 and 1952."
- ^ Jacobs, Andrew. "IN PERSON; 'Been Around'", The New York Times, December 17, 200. Accessed August 10, 2008. "I've been hanging, he said, as a small crowd gathered, some of them long-lost acquaintances from the days when Mr. Glover hung downtown after class had let out at Newark Arts High School."