Curtis High School
Encyclopedia
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
is one of seven public high schools located in Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was founded on February 9, 1904 and was the first high school on Staten Island.
History
Curtis High School is named after nationally prominent writer and orator George W. CurtisGeorge William Curtis
George William Curtis was an American writer and public speaker, born in Providence, Rhode Island, of old New England stock.-Biography:...
, who lived nearby. The school was the first public building built following the consolidation of Greater New York. It was part of a plan to erect a major high school in each of the outlying boroughs – Erasmus Hall High School
Erasmus Hall High School
Erasmus Hall Campus High School is a four-year public high school in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States operated by the New York City Department of Education....
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Morris High School in the Bronx, and Flushing High School
Flushing High School
Flushing High School is a four-year public high school in Flushing, in the New York City borough of Queens. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Education....
in Queens were the other three. It was designed by the architect C.B.J Snyder and built between 1902 and 1904. The original building of brick and limestone is dominated by a large square turreted tower inspired by English medieval models. Additions were made to the building in 1922, 1925 and 1937. Curtis was designated a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
on October 12, 1982. The gym and cafeteria wings were added at a later date as additions to the original building's neo-Gothic architecture.
Academics
IB Scholarship Honors program withaccelerated curriculum and advanced
placement (AP) courses; magnet programs in
Nursing, Medical Technology, ROTC,
Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Sports
Administration, Business/Computer Institute,
CoOp, Human and Legal Studies, Journalism
Institute and School for International
Services.
Extracurricular activities
CHS has 26 varsity and junior varsity teams,a Robotics Team, National Honor Society,
Chess Club, Black and Hispanic Awareness
Clubs, Moot Court, The Curtis Players, Jazz Band,
Orchestra, Dance, Symphonic Band, The
Curtis Log (newspaper), the Crosswinds
(yearbook), Math Team, Criminal Law and
Justice Mentoring Program, Peer Mediation
and Conflict Resolution Programs.
Sports
Curtis fields 26 varsity teams, including a swimmingSwimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
team, as well as golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
/softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
/cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
teams. In addition, Curtis club teams include boys' varsity and junior varsity, and girls' varsity Ultimate
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
teams.
Enrollment
Curtis has a total enrollment of about 2,830 and is open to residents of New York City entering either ninth or tenth grade. Enrollment requirements vary depending on which of the 10 ‘’houses’’ the student is going to be enrolled. There are zoned programs where enrollment is based mostly on geography with Staten Island residents having priority over all other boroughs. Within Staten Island, geographical areas closer to the school have priority over all other areas of Staten Island. Most other programs rely either on the prospective student’s grades and city standardized tests or specialized enrollment tests.Feeder patterns and admissions
All New York City students entering high school must apply to schools, as there are no zoning boundaries for high schools in New York City. Only special zoned programs have geographical restrictions whereby certain areas of Staten Island have priority over all of the rest of New York City.Notable alumni
- Lois LowryLois LowryLois Lowry is an American author of children's literature. She began her career as a photographer and a freelance journalist during the early 1970s...
, children's author, Newbery MedalNewbery MedalThe John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
winner twice. - Vincent Robert Capodanno, US Navy Chaplain, received the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. Blvd is named for him. - Joseph F. Merrell Jr. (1926–1945) Posthumously Awarded United States Medal of Honor for combat in WWII. A Ferry is named for him.
- Jeb Stuart MagruderJeb Stuart MagruderJeb Stuart Magruder has had careers as a businessman, civil servant, political organizer, and Presbyterian minister. He is also a published writer...
, Watergate conspirator in the Nixon Administration - Amy VanderbiltAmy VanderbiltAmy Vanderbilt was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy...
(1908–1974) Author of the best selling Complete Book of Etiquette (1952). A native of Staten Island - Selita EbanksSelita EbanksSelita Ebanks is a Caymanian fashion model. She worked for Victoria's Secret and as a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2005-2008.-Early life:...
, Victoria's Secret Model - Bobby ThomsonBobby ThomsonRobert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...
, retired baseball player for the New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, famous for "The Shot Heard Round the World" - James Jenkins, former football player with the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
- Abel KiviatAbel KiviatAbel Richard Kiviat was an American middle distance track event middle distance runner.-Career:...
, Olympic Silver medalist - Steve GregorySteve GregorySteve Gregory is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute.Steve Gregory was born in the UK. At St. Paul's School he learned guitar and piano and played clarinet in the school orchestra. He turned down a place at the...
, football Player for the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Vernon TurnerVernon TurnerVernon Maurice Turner is a retired American professional football player who played running back for six seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL....
, former player for the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Shemiah LeGrandeShemiah LeGrandeShemiah LeGrande is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2008...
, current player for the Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... - The RZA, hip-hop recording artist and producer, a member of the legendary Wu Tang Clan
Parental support
Parents collaborate with the school'sadministration and its staff through: monthly
PTA meetings, PTA newsletters, School
Leadership Team meetings, Gear-Up,
Principal's Consultative Council, Health Fair,
HIV Aids Team, the Football, Track,
Robotics & Performing Arts Parents Clubs.
Community support
Partnership with O’Melveny & Myers LawFirm, Liberty Partnership Mentoring
Program (CSI), Gear-Up, Discovery Institute
(CSI), Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
Mentoring
Program, Brooklyn Polytechnic University
Center for Youth in Engineering and Science,
Curtis HS Career Connections, St. Vincent's,
Seaview and S.I. University Hospitals and
Global Ambassadors.
Corporate: Infinity Broadcasting, MIX 102.7 FM, O’Melveny & Myers Law
Firm
Higher Education Institution: College of Staten Island
College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of and is one of the 11 senior colleges in the City University of New York. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate's degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional...
, St. John’s
University
Cultural/Arts Organization: Snug Harbor
Community Based Organization: NYCID, Liberty Partnership
Hospital Outreach: Staten Island University Hospital
Staten Island University Hospital
Staten Island University Hospital is a major tertiary referral center on Staten Island, in New York City.SIUH is a two-campus, 785-bed teaching hospital consisting of a North Campus, a South Campus, and the now closed Concord Campus....
, St. Vincent’s
Hospital, Egger Nursing Home
Financial Institution: Federal Reserve Bank Mentoring Program
Schoolwide awards and recognition
- 7-time PSAL Girl’s Bowling Championship
- 6-time PSAL Boy's Cross Country City Championship
- 5-time PSAL Boy's Football Championship (1998, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2009)
- 2-time PSAL Boy’s Golf City Championship
- 2-time PSAL Girl's Cross Country City Championship
- Boy's PSAL Indoor Track City Championship
- Boy's PSAL Bowling Championship
- Girl's PSAL Basketball "A" City Championship
- Girl's PSAL Golf City Championship
- Girl's PSAL Lacrosse City Championship
- Boy's PSAL Basketball "A" City Championship
- Boy's PSAL Wrestling "A" City Championship