Herricks High School
Encyclopedia
Herricks High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school
with 1450 students, accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the Middle States Association. The school is located in New Hyde Park, New York
, 20 miles east of Manhattan
. Dr. Jack Bierwirth, son of an ambassador in the Reagan Administration, is the superintendent
of the Herricks School District
and Dr. Jane Modoono is the Principal of Herricks High School.
Known for the "Herricks Prayer Case, Engel v. Vitale
," the Herricks School District (a.k.a. Union Free School District #9) was sued by five district property owners in 1959. "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country." was recited as a daily procedure on the recommendation of the NY State Board of Regents. This case was decided by the U. S. Supreme Court, which ruled the prayer unconstitutional in 1962.
courses. Over 300 students take AP exams each year. The courses include:
Other Advanced Courses include:
Many students regularly attend the NYSSMA Festival and a large number of them are accepted into the NMEA All-County, All-State, and All-Eastern Music festivals.
Herricks is also home to Chapter 1975 of the Tri-M
Music Honors Society, which won Chapter of the Year in 2005 for its member enrollment and participation. Herricks Tri-M is responsible for the creation of Herricks Idol, which is a take-off on American Idol
, originally hosted by Devin Doyle and Lucy Cohen, but for high school students.
After becoming immensely popular in Herricks, other high schools followed suit and created their own idols.
is the largest club in the school. Each year, Herricks has around 70-80 kids compete at the regional competition. Of those, about 40-50 make it to the state competition held in Rochester, New York. After competing at states, students who advance to nationals attend the International Career Development Conference. A president, vice president, vice president of competitive events, treasurer, secretary, historian and parliamentarian are elected by the membership of approx. 200 students each year. Mr. Claude Commisso is the advisor.
class was founded in 2005 by Chloe Graef. Later on, in 2006, it was expanded to be a club. The class and club are partially funded by the Foreign Policy Association and students participating in these activities go to several conferences where they "represent" countries. The class aims to promote the study of international affairs and current events. The Model UN class, while ever changing, has won several awards at many conferences. Their most recent award is the "Outstanding Small Delegation" award won at the Rutgers Model United Nations Conference (RuMUN) on November 15, 2009.
Herricks has a thorough sport
s program offering badminton
, softball
, baseball
, tennis
, soccer, wrestling
, volleyball
, lacrosse
, roller hockey
, basketball
, bowling
, fencing
, swimming
, track
and cheerleading
teams. The director of athletics is Jim Petricca.
In the 2006-2007 school year there was no varsity
football team due to the lack of players. During the 2007 season the Herricks Varsity football team won its first homecoming win in more than 5 years . However, the varsity football team has not won another homecoming game since then.
Herricks has a thorough sports program offering badminton, softball, baseball, tennis, soccer, wrestling, volleyball, lacrosse, roller hockey, basketball, bowling, fencing, swimming, track and cheerleading teams. The director of athletics is Jim Petricca.
The school's varsity soccer team is ranked among the top 15 in Long Island in winning percentage. They enjoyed a successful run to the Long Island Championship in 2005 after beating favorites Massapequa only to lose to Brentwood 3-2.
The High School opened in September of 1958 and had its first graduating class in 1960.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
with 1450 students, accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the Middle States Association. The school is located in New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park is a village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island.The population of the Village of New Hyde Park was 9,712 at the 2010 census...
, 20 miles east of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Dr. Jack Bierwirth, son of an ambassador in the Reagan Administration, is the superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of the Herricks School District
Herricks Union Free School District
The Herricks Union Free School District is a school district located in western Nassau County on Long Island, in New York State. The district lies within the Greater New Hyde Park area and serves a number of communities including Herricks, Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, Searingtown, North...
and Dr. Jane Modoono is the Principal of Herricks High School.
Known for the "Herricks Prayer Case, Engel v. Vitale
Engel v. Vitale
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 , was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that determined that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and require its recitation in public schools....
," the Herricks School District (a.k.a. Union Free School District #9) was sued by five district property owners in 1959. "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country." was recited as a daily procedure on the recommendation of the NY State Board of Regents. This case was decided by the U. S. Supreme Court, which ruled the prayer unconstitutional in 1962.
Courses
Herricks offers 25 Advanced PlacementAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
courses. Over 300 students take AP exams each year. The courses include:
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Biology
- Physics B, Physics C
- Calculus AB, Calculus BC
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Macroeconomics, Microeconomics
- US History
- US Government & Politics
- European History
- World History
- Language & Composition, Literature & Composition
- Computer Science
- French
- Italian
- Spanish 4AP, Spanish 5AP
- Chinese
- Studio Art, Photography
- Music Theory
Other Advanced Courses include:
- Math Research
- Science Research
- Social Studies Research
- English Scholars Program (ESP).
GPA
Herricks follows the 4.0 GPA system. It also has weighted GPA for students who take AP and Honors classes.Music and theater
Herricks has a highly-acclaimed music department. The music department is home to ten different performing ensembles, including several advanced groups: Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, and Chamber Choir.Many students regularly attend the NYSSMA Festival and a large number of them are accepted into the NMEA All-County, All-State, and All-Eastern Music festivals.
Herricks is also home to Chapter 1975 of the Tri-M
Tri-M
Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher...
Music Honors Society, which won Chapter of the Year in 2005 for its member enrollment and participation. Herricks Tri-M is responsible for the creation of Herricks Idol, which is a take-off on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, originally hosted by Devin Doyle and Lucy Cohen, but for high school students.
After becoming immensely popular in Herricks, other high schools followed suit and created their own idols.
Herricks DECA
Herricks DECADECA (organization)
DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
is the largest club in the school. Each year, Herricks has around 70-80 kids compete at the regional competition. Of those, about 40-50 make it to the state competition held in Rochester, New York. After competing at states, students who advance to nationals attend the International Career Development Conference. A president, vice president, vice president of competitive events, treasurer, secretary, historian and parliamentarian are elected by the membership of approx. 200 students each year. Mr. Claude Commisso is the advisor.
Herricks Model Congress
Every year, the World Affairs Club organizes the Herricks Model Congress, which is hosted at the high school over a weekend that usually falls on the latter part of the school year, around February and early March. This club is focused around debating issues through the use of bills and parliamentary procedure, thus creating a "model congress". This club is overseen by advisors, and directed by an executive board of student officials. A general chair, associate general chair, delegate chair, agenda chair, and finance chair are elected each year. The club becomes a delegation which debates and competes in foreign congresses, both college congresses and those associated with the United Model Congreses. As a member of United Model Congress (UMC), Herricks follows the guidelines set by the UMC and also regularly attends the congresses in it.Quiz Bowl
The Herricks Quiz Bowl team has been successful in the 'Long Island Challenge', a televised trivia contest and show in the tri-state area. Herricks has won the Challenge once. Craig Lagnese originally ran the program until 2009.USCI
Herricks participates annually in the national 'We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution' competition. The Herricks team was first formed in 2004 by social studies teacher Jodi Volper, now Mrs. Thompson. Within the school, the class is called United States Constitutional Issues and can be taken as an 11th or 12th grader for 1/2 an elective credit. In 2005 and 2006, the team represented Herricks in the State level competition, both times coming in fifth place in New York . Mrs. Thompson's team recently received second place in New York State.Model United Nations
The Model United NationsModel United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
class was founded in 2005 by Chloe Graef. Later on, in 2006, it was expanded to be a club. The class and club are partially funded by the Foreign Policy Association and students participating in these activities go to several conferences where they "represent" countries. The class aims to promote the study of international affairs and current events. The Model UN class, while ever changing, has won several awards at many conferences. Their most recent award is the "Outstanding Small Delegation" award won at the Rutgers Model United Nations Conference (RuMUN) on November 15, 2009.
Mock Trial
Herricks has a Mock Trial team, which is composed of 12 members: six lawyers and six witnesses. The Mock Trial team presents a fictitious case but using proper law procedure and conduct. It allows students to master verbal communication and further grasp the abstract concepts of the United States Constitution. Competing with schools from all around New York State, the primary objective is to win the Nassau County championship to advance to the State Championship in May. In the 2005-2006 school year the team advanced to the quarter-finals for the county led by school advisers, John McManus and Mrs. Wolf and attorney adviser, Chris Cartier . Competitions continuously run throughout the year, starting about early to mid February with a two-round preliminary trial. The 2006 year was the first time the Mock Trial team was able to advance to the playoffs beyond this preliminary trial, and they also accomplished this during the 2007-2008 year (top 8) and the 2010-2011 year (top 16). Members work constantly during the week though regular meetings are held every Wednesday by AP Psychology and Social Studies teacher, John McManus and Christine Wolf.Herricks has a thorough sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s program offering badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, soccer, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
, 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...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, 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...
, swimming
Swimming (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...
, 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...
and cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
teams. The director of athletics is Jim Petricca.
In the 2006-2007 school year there was no varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
football team due to the lack of players. During the 2007 season the Herricks Varsity football team won its first homecoming win in more than 5 years . However, the varsity football team has not won another homecoming game since then.
Herricks has a thorough sports program offering badminton, softball, baseball, tennis, soccer, wrestling, volleyball, lacrosse, roller hockey, basketball, bowling, fencing, swimming, track and cheerleading teams. The director of athletics is Jim Petricca.
The school's varsity soccer team is ranked among the top 15 in Long Island in winning percentage. They enjoyed a successful run to the Long Island Championship in 2005 after beating favorites Massapequa only to lose to Brentwood 3-2.
Publications
Herricks has several publications. These include the Highlander newspaper, and the OPUS literary magazine. All publications are written and operated mainly by students.History
Herricks High School stands on Watermelon Hill. The land near the area was a burial ground for the Pearsall family starting in the 17th century, but the burial grounds were later removed.The High School opened in September of 1958 and had its first graduating class in 1960.
Notable alumni
- Robert SitkoffRobert SitkoffRobert H. Sitkoff is the John L. Gray Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he is the only faculty member specializing in trusts and estates . He previously served as professor of law at New York University School of Law and Northwestern University School of Law , where he joined at age...
, Professor - Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S... - Nadine Faustin, Three Time Olympian for the Republic of Haiti (2000,2004,2008)
- Matthew SenreichMatthew SenreichMatthew Ian "Matt" Senreich is an American screenwriter, television producer and director, best known for his work with animated television series Robot Chicken, which he co-created with business partner Seth Green. Senreich and Green together run the production company Stoopid Monkey...
, Co-Creator/Executive Producer of Adult Swim's Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
. - Jon LevineJon LevineJon Levine is a singer/songwriter best known as keyboardist and primary songwriter for the Canadian band Philosopher Kings. His brother is Jason Levine, of the pop band Prozzäk, and the former bassist of the Philosopher Kings. He is also the musical director for the childrens television show...
, President & CEO of Interstate Funding Corporation - Joe RothJoe RothJoe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
- film executive, producer and film director. Co-founder of Morgan Creek Productions, Chairman of 20th Century Fox (1989–1993), Caravan Pictures (1993–1994), and Walt Disney Studios (1994–2000) before founding Revolution Studios in 2000. - Liam McHugh - Sports journalist; Versus, NBCUniversal