Great Neck North High School
Encyclopedia
John L. Miller Great Neck North High School or simply "North High," or "North," is a public high school, including grades 9 through 12, in the village of Great Neck, New York
, operated by the Great Neck School District
. As of the 2010-11 school year, the school had an enrollment of 980 students and 81.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 11.6.
The school building was designed by the noted architectural firm of Guilbert and Betelle
.
According to Newsweek
magazine's 2006 list of "America's Best High Schools," Great Neck North High School was ranked 23rd.
More recently, Great Neck North High School is ranked 116th in the 2009-2010 New York High School rankings
The school is near the center of the main shopping center of Great Neck.
The first building named Great Neck High School opened in 1914. Its location was between the original Arrandale school and the original Great Neck Library (now Great Neck House). This school building, also built of brick, was demolished in 1976. The site of the west Arrandale building is now a parking lot for Great Neck House.
The main section of the present building on Polo Road opened in 1929. The school was still known as Great Neck High School, as engraved above the building's main entrance. As the student population grew, the school became known as Great Neck Junior-Senior High School and served grades 7–12. By 1936, there were 1228 pupils, only grades 8–12 of which could fit in the Polo Road building. Grade 7 was housed in the west Arrandale building. After World War II
ended, the school district's student population grew quickly. The Polo Road building was expanded in 1947, in general accordance with its architect's original plan.
As the population explosion continued, the district built new buildings. In January 1952, Great Neck Junior High School
was opened to serve grades 7–9, and the existing school was renamed Great Neck Senior High School, serving only grades 10–12. In 1958, a South campus including another high school and junior high school was opened. As a result, the existing high school was renamed Great Neck North Senior High School. In 1970, the school was renamed to honor Dr. John L. Miller upon his retirement after 28 years as superintendent of the school district. The new name was John L. Miller–Great Neck North Senior High School, though the full name was rarely used except for official documents.
The student population shrank after the Baby Boom
generation graduated in the 1970s, and grade 9 was moved back to the high school building. The current name of the school was then adopted: John L. Miller–Great Neck North High School. Also called "North".
As of 1988, Great Neck North has an "open campus" policy. Students in grades 10 through 12 may go in and out of campus. For 9th graders, during the first half of the school year they may only leave and re-enter during lunch. During the second half, ninth graders can leave and enter at all periods if they have parental consent. Rona Telsey, a spokesperson for the district, said in 1988 that "open campus" had not been a controversy for the school.
Great Neck (village), New York
Great Neck is a village in the town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, in the U.S., on the North Shore of Long Island. It sits on the New York City / Nassau County border...
, operated by the Great Neck School District
Great Neck School District
The Great Neck School District is a comprehensive community public school district primarily serving students in Great Neck, New York. It also serves students in some parts of Manhasset and New Hyde Park. It is Union Free School District Number 7 in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New...
. As of the 2010-11 school year, the school had an enrollment of 980 students and 81.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 11.6.
The school building was designed by the noted architectural firm of Guilbert and Betelle
Guilbert and Betelle
Guilbert and Betelle was an architecture firm formed as a partnership of Ernest F. Guilbert and James Oscar Betelle. The firm specialized in design of schools on the East Coast of the United States, with an emphasis on the "Collegiate Gothic" style....
.
According to Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine's 2006 list of "America's Best High Schools," Great Neck North High School was ranked 23rd.
More recently, Great Neck North High School is ranked 116th in the 2009-2010 New York High School rankings
The school is near the center of the main shopping center of Great Neck.
History
Great Neck High School was established in 1895, in a wood frame building on Arrandale Avenue at Middle Neck Road that also housed elementary school students. The wood building was expanded in 1900 but then destroyed by fire and replaced by a brick building in 1921. By this time high school students had moved into their own building, just to the west of the original Arrandale building. The site of the east Arrandale building is now a park and an apartment building for senior citizens.The first building named Great Neck High School opened in 1914. Its location was between the original Arrandale school and the original Great Neck Library (now Great Neck House). This school building, also built of brick, was demolished in 1976. The site of the west Arrandale building is now a parking lot for Great Neck House.
The main section of the present building on Polo Road opened in 1929. The school was still known as Great Neck High School, as engraved above the building's main entrance. As the student population grew, the school became known as Great Neck Junior-Senior High School and served grades 7–12. By 1936, there were 1228 pupils, only grades 8–12 of which could fit in the Polo Road building. Grade 7 was housed in the west Arrandale building. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended, the school district's student population grew quickly. The Polo Road building was expanded in 1947, in general accordance with its architect's original plan.
As the population explosion continued, the district built new buildings. In January 1952, Great Neck Junior High School
Great Neck North Middle School
Richard S. Sherman Great Neck North Middle School or simply "North Middle" is a junior high school, comprising grades 6 through 8. It is located on 77 Polo Road in Great Neck as part of the Great Neck School District...
was opened to serve grades 7–9, and the existing school was renamed Great Neck Senior High School, serving only grades 10–12. In 1958, a South campus including another high school and junior high school was opened. As a result, the existing high school was renamed Great Neck North Senior High School. In 1970, the school was renamed to honor Dr. John L. Miller upon his retirement after 28 years as superintendent of the school district. The new name was John L. Miller–Great Neck North Senior High School, though the full name was rarely used except for official documents.
The student population shrank after the Baby Boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
generation graduated in the 1970s, and grade 9 was moved back to the high school building. The current name of the school was then adopted: John L. Miller–Great Neck North High School. Also called "North".
As of 1988, Great Neck North has an "open campus" policy. Students in grades 10 through 12 may go in and out of campus. For 9th graders, during the first half of the school year they may only leave and re-enter during lunch. During the second half, ninth graders can leave and enter at all periods if they have parental consent. Rona Telsey, a spokesperson for the district, said in 1988 that "open campus" had not been a controversy for the school.
Notable alumni
- Jon AvnetJon AvnetJonathan Michael "Jon" Avnet is an American director, writer and producer.-Early life:Avnet was born in Brooklyn, the son of Joan Bertha and Lester Francis Avnet, a corporate executive and electronics distributor. He attended Great Neck North High School in Great Neck, New York...
(born 1949), movie director/producer - David BaltimoreDavid BaltimoreDavid Baltimore is an American biologist, university administrator, and Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine. He served as president of the California Institute of Technology from 1997 to 2006, and is currently the Robert A. Millikan Professor of Biology at Caltech...
(born 1938), Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner - Nikki Blonsky (born 1988), actress who starred as Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 film version of HairsprayHairspray (2007 film)Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
attended North for her freshman year but then left and attended the Village School and did her theatrical work at Great Neck South High School. - Andrew ChaikinAndrew ChaikinAndrew Chaikin is an American author, speaker and space journalist. He currently lives in Vermont.He is the author of A Man on the Moon, a detailed description of the Apollo missions to the moon...
(born 1956), author, speaker and space journalist - Steven A. CohenSteven A. CohenSteven "Steve" A. Cohen is an American hedge fund manager. He is the founder of SAC Capital Advisors, a Stamford, Connecticut-based hedge fund focusing primarily on equity market strategies....
, manager of 'SAC' hedge fund - Mary L. CleaveMary L. CleaveMary Louise Cleave is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She also served from 2004 to 2007 as NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate.-Personal :...
, AstronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, Associate Administrator of NASA'sNASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Science Missions - Kenneth ColeKenneth Cole (designer)Kenneth Cole is an American clothing designer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his father, Charles Cole, owned the El Greco shoe manufacturing company. Before learning the family business and starting his own company in 1982, Cole studied law at Emory University.- Birth of a shoe company :Kenneth Cole...
(born 1954), clothing designer - Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
(born 1939), movie director - Richard Epstein (born 1943), James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law at the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
- Phil HankinsonPhil HankinsonPhil Hankinson was an American basketball player. He was born in Augusta, Georgia.Hankinson attended what is now Great Neck North High School in Great Neck, New York, where he scored 28.7 points and pulled down 17 rebounds per game in 1968-69, his senior year.A 6'8" forward, Hankinson played at...
(1951–1996), former NBA player for the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... - Ilan HallIlan HallIlan D. Hall is an American chef, best known as the winner of the second season of the Bravo television network's reality series Top Chef.Hall is a native of Great Neck, New York...
(born 1982), winner of the second seasonTop Chef (season 2)Top Chef: Los Angeles is the second season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Los Angeles, California, and concluded in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. The season premiered on Bravo on October 18, 2006 and ended on January 31, 2007. Padma Lakshmi took over as host,...
of the Bravo television network's reality series Top ChefTop ChefTop Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants... - Emily HughesEmily HughesEmily Anne Hughes is an American figure skater. She is the 2007 U.S. National silver medalist and was a member of the 2006 Olympic team. She is a younger sister of Sarah Hughes, the 2002 Olympic champion.-Personal life:...
(born 1989), figure skater, member of the U.S. Figure Skating Team 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... - Sarah HughesSarah HughesSarah Elizabeth Hughes is an American figure skater. She is the 2002 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World bronze medalist in ladies singles.-Personal life:...
(born 1985), gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist in women's figure skatingFigure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
at the 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout... - Michael KarlanMichael KarlanMichael Karlan is a party planner and founder and president of Professionals in the City. Professionals in the City is a social and networking group with more than 200,000 members and that hosts more than 1,000 events a year....
, founded Professionals in the CityProfessionals in the CityProfessionals in the City is the United States' largest socializing and networking organization. It offers professionals in major cities an opportunity to unwind and meet other professionals who share their interests outside of the workplace. PNC is based in Washington, DC, with branches in New...
networking group - Andy KaufmanAndy KaufmanAndrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
(1949–1984), comedian / actor (played Latka Gravas in TaxiTaxi (TV series)Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
) - Minae MizumuraMinae Mizumurais a critically acclaimed novelist currently writing in the Japanese language. Educated in the US, she wrote her first published work in the English language, a scholarly essay on the literary criticism of Paul de Man. She is often portrayed as a Japanese novelist who questions the conventional...
, novelist, essayist, critic - Laurie PuhnLaurie PuhnLaurie Puhn is an American writer, family and divorce lawyer-mediator and television personality. She hosted i on New York, on WPXN-TV from 2006-2007....
(born 1977), TV host, author - Dan RavivDan RavivDan Raviv is an American journalist. He is a national correspondent for CBS News, heard regularly on the CBS Radio Network. He has also done TV reports from Washington, D.C...
(born 1954), CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
Correspondent and host of the Weekend RoundupCBS News Weekend RoundupThe CBS News Weekend Roundup is a weekly news show that airs on the CBS Radio Network, designed for a one-hour time slot, though it has an actual length without commercials of about forty minutes...
on the CBS Radio NetworkCBS Radio NetworkThe CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio .... - Ziggy SteinbergZiggy SteinbergZiggy Steinberg was in college when he wrote stand-up comedy material for David Steinberg , George Carlin and Debbie Reynolds. His first script for television was the "Neighbors" episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1974...
(born 1945) screenwriter, essayist, producer - Christine WangChristine WangCristine Wang is a Taiwan-born American architect, new media curator, art critic, and founder of the Wang Museum of Technology.Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, she moved to New York City in 1971, first to Queens, then Great Neck, Long Island...
(born 1967), architect, curator, artist - Jared EvanJared EvanJared Evan, is an American musician, singer/songwriter, producer, rapper. He was born on September 21, 1989 in Nassau County, New York. He is currently signed to Zone 4 under Interscope Records. The song "Frozen" which Jared wrote and produced, appeared on the Lebron James documentary soundtrack ...
(born 1988) singer,songwriter, rapper. - Adam Kantor, broadway actor from RentRent (musical)Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
and Next to Normal