Lawrence High School (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Lawrence High School is a four-year comprehensive
public high school
in the Lawrenceville
section of Lawrence Township
, in Mercer County
, New Jersey
, United States, serving grades 9-12 as part of the Lawrence Township Public Schools
. LHS was built in 1967. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1992.
Students from Robbinsville Township (known as Washington Township until 2007) had attended Lawrence High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship
which ended with the final group of seniors who graduated in the 2006-07 school year. Cranbury Township
had sent students to Lawrence High School until they began a relationship with Princeton High School
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment 1,158 students and 81 classroom teachers (on a FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.30.
The school colors are red and white. The school mascot
is the Cardinal
.
The school was the 120th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 124th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 123rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue. Lawrence High School had been ranked in the top 75 high schools in previous years' rankings. The new administration has begun a process of curriculum articulation, curriculum mapping, and other initiatives in an effort to reverse the decline.
, AP United States History
, AP Chemistry
, AP Biology
, AP Physics
, AP Music Theory
, AP English Literature, AP Calculus
(both AB and BC), AP European History
, AP United States Government and Politics
, and AP Studio Art
. The High School also offers Cisco I and II, a certified networking course from Cisco Systems
. LHS also offers many electives such as drafting, design and photography. There is also a vocational school that teaches every thing from firefighting to cosmetics.
, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
. The school has a very strong athletics program that includes some very successful teams. Lawrence Highs' most successful teams are: Football, Golf, Wrestling, Field Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, and Cross-Country.
The Boys Soccer program has won nine state titles and is second in the state with five consecutive titles (1967-1971).
The Lawrence Boys Swim Team won the Colonial Valley Conference in 2005 and 2007 with a 16-1 record both seasons. They were also the Mercer County Tournament Champions in 2005 and 2007 and Central "B" Division State Champions in 2008. The Girls swim team followed this success in 2006 by winning the Central "A" Division State Title with a 91-79 win against West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
.
The Boys Football team won the Colonial Valley Conference titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the team made it to the state playoffs as the top seed, only to be knocked off by 8th-seeded Moorestown High School
at home 19-14 in the first round of the tournament. In 2007, the team made it to state playoffs once again but were defeated by Middletown South at home in the first round, 16-6.
The Lawrence Wrestling Team was the CVC Valley Division champions most recently in the 2003-04 season. Lawrence Wrestling is most notably known for having the only state champion to come out of Mercer County, Mark Savino. Chris Lynne has been the coach alongside Jeff Verga for the past 31 years and has 210 dual match victories.
The Boys Lacrosse team is a team that has seen slow but steady growth over the past couple years. In the 2011 season, they managed their first ever .500 record season, ending 9-9 in regular-season play. This allowed them to make their first state playoff berth since the program's creation in 2006.
team that has won Cal-Open for the past six seasons, and Central Intelligence - a school-sponsored Call of Duty: World at War
team that involves a team of students. Lawrence High School's performing arts department includes instrumental and choral groups, an electric violin group, and a marching band, the Red Scare. In 2006 three Lawrence High School students participated in the American Choral Directors Association
All-Eastern High School Honor Choir which was under the direction of St. Olaf College
Choir director Anton Armstrong
. In 2008 three more students were selected to perform with the ACDA Eastern Division Choir under the baton of Timothy Seelig. More recently in 2009 one student Alyssa Wilkins was selected to perform with the ACDA National Honor Choir 1 in Oklahoma City under the direction of Christine Bass.
Lawrence High School's Mock Trial
team, led by history teacher Mark Rowe and local attorney Steve Goodell, has won 11 Mercer County Competitions and six Central Jersey Championships. The team also finished third in the state three times and second in the state three times over the past 14 years.
Lawrence High School's Debate team won the county championship in 2008.
Lawrence High School has a DECA
chapter.
Lawrence High School has a theater company. In the 2009-10 school year, the school put on Aida
as their spring musical. The theater program is run by director Lorie Baldwin, also the educator in charge of theater classes.
Lawrence High School is also active in the New Jersey Science Olympiad. Lawrence High School is currently the reigning two year champion of Robotics in the State in Science Olympiad.
Red Scare's main goal is to entertain and involve the audience in each and every show. In addition, the bands' field show is different every week. The program's main focus is to let the students govern most major decisions in setting the bands' direction.
The music program has been named in the Top 100 Communities in the Nation for Music Education for 2005, 2008, and 2009 by NAMM.
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...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887...
section of Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
, in Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, serving grades 9-12 as part of the Lawrence Township Public Schools
Lawrence Township Public Schools
The Lawrence Township Public Schools are comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States....
. LHS was built in 1967. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 1992.
Students from Robbinsville Township (known as Washington Township until 2007) had attended Lawrence High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
which ended with the final group of seniors who graduated in the 2006-07 school year. Cranbury Township
Cranbury Township, New Jersey
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,227 people, 1,091 households, and 877 families residing in the township. The population density was 240.6 people per square mile . There were 1,121 housing units at an average density of 83.6 per square mile...
had sent students to Lawrence High School until they began a relationship with Princeton High School
Princeton High School (New Jersey)
Princeton High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Princeton Regional Schools district, which serves all public school students in the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township...
.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment 1,158 students and 81 classroom teachers (on a 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 14.30.
The school colors are red and white. The school mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the Cardinal
Cardinal (bird)
The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a family of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae ....
.
The school was the 120th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 124th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 123rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue. Lawrence High School had been ranked in the top 75 high schools in previous years' rankings. The new administration has begun a process of curriculum articulation, curriculum mapping, and other initiatives in an effort to reverse the decline.
Curriculum
Lawrence High School offers numerous honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes including AP Environmental ScienceAP Environmental Science
Advanced Placement Environmental Science is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences...
, AP United States History
AP United States History
Advanced Placement United States History is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program...
, AP Chemistry
AP Chemistry
Advanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
, AP Biology
AP Biology
In the United States, Advanced Placement Biology , is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course....
, AP Physics
AP Physics
AP Physics defines three categories of high school physics courses: A, B, and C. Category A refers to general introductory physics courses that are not mathematically rigorous...
, AP Music Theory
AP Music Theory
Advanced Placement Music Theory is a course and examination offered in the United States by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students who wish to earn credit for a college level music theory course.-The course:Some of the material covered in the course...
, AP English Literature, AP Calculus
AP Calculus
Advanced Placement Calculus is used to indicate one of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC....
(both AB and BC), AP European History
AP European History
Advanced Placement European History is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program...
, AP United States Government and Politics
AP United States Government and Politics
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, also known as AP US Gov & Pol, AP US Gov, AP Go Po or AP Gov, is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program...
, and AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:...
. The High School also offers Cisco I and II, a certified networking course from Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
. LHS also offers many electives such as drafting, design and photography. There is also a vocational school that teaches every thing from firefighting to cosmetics.
Athletics
Lawrence High School competes in the Colonial Valley ConferenceColonial Valley Conference
The Colonial Valley Conference is an athletic conference in Central Jersey composed of a group of high schools located primarily in Mercer County, New Jersey, with one member school in Monmouth County and one in Middlesex County...
, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
. The school has a very strong athletics program that includes some very successful teams. Lawrence Highs' most successful teams are: Football, Golf, Wrestling, Field Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, and Cross-Country.
The Boys Soccer program has won nine state titles and is second in the state with five consecutive titles (1967-1971).
The Lawrence Boys Swim Team won the Colonial Valley Conference in 2005 and 2007 with a 16-1 record both seasons. They were also the Mercer County Tournament Champions in 2005 and 2007 and Central "B" Division State Champions in 2008. The Girls swim team followed this success in 2006 by winning the Central "A" Division State Title with a 91-79 win against West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Princeton Junction in Mercer County, New Jersey, serving students in Grades 9 through 12...
.
The Boys Football team won the Colonial Valley Conference titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the team made it to the state playoffs as the top seed, only to be knocked off by 8th-seeded Moorestown High School
Moorestown High School
Moorestown High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Moorestown Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Moorestown Township Public Schools...
at home 19-14 in the first round of the tournament. In 2007, the team made it to state playoffs once again but were defeated by Middletown South at home in the first round, 16-6.
The Lawrence Wrestling Team was the CVC Valley Division champions most recently in the 2003-04 season. Lawrence Wrestling is most notably known for having the only state champion to come out of Mercer County, Mark Savino. Chris Lynne has been the coach alongside Jeff Verga for the past 31 years and has 210 dual match victories.
The Boys Lacrosse team is a team that has seen slow but steady growth over the past couple years. In the 2011 season, they managed their first ever .500 record season, ending 9-9 in regular-season play. This allowed them to make their first state playoff berth since the program's creation in 2006.
Extracurricular activities
Lawrence High features clubs such as Drama, LMTI, Anyone Club, International Alliance, Yearbook, Student Ambassadors, Teen Pep, Peer Leadership, GLASS, a student newspaper, Operation Smile, Channel Genius - a school-sponsored Counter-StrikeCounter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
team that has won Cal-Open for the past six seasons, and Central Intelligence - a school-sponsored Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
team that involves a team of students. Lawrence High School's performing arts department includes instrumental and choral groups, an electric violin group, and a marching band, the Red Scare. In 2006 three Lawrence High School students participated in the American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
All-Eastern High School Honor Choir which was under the direction of St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
Choir director Anton Armstrong
Anton Armstrong
Dr. Anton Armstrong is the conductor of the St. Olaf Choir as well as the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College of Northfield, Minnesota in the USA. Armstrong became only the fourth director of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990, continuing the tradition begun by the choir's...
. In 2008 three more students were selected to perform with the ACDA Eastern Division Choir under the baton of Timothy Seelig. More recently in 2009 one student Alyssa Wilkins was selected to perform with the ACDA National Honor Choir 1 in Oklahoma City under the direction of Christine Bass.
Lawrence High School's Mock Trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
team, led by history teacher Mark Rowe and local attorney Steve Goodell, has won 11 Mercer County Competitions and six Central Jersey Championships. The team also finished third in the state three times and second in the state three times over the past 14 years.
Lawrence High School's Debate team won the county championship in 2008.
Lawrence High School has a DECA
DECA (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,...
chapter.
Lawrence High School has a theater company. In the 2009-10 school year, the school put on Aida
Aida (musical)
Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical....
as their spring musical. The theater program is run by director Lorie Baldwin, also the educator in charge of theater classes.
Lawrence High School is also active in the New Jersey Science Olympiad. Lawrence High School is currently the reigning two year champion of Robotics in the State in Science Olympiad.
"Red Scare" marching band
The Lawrence High School "Red Scare" Marching Band is the school's marching band, which provides entertainment at school football games, local parades, competitions and in cities across the country. The "Red Scare" was established in September 2001 by Eric Haltmeier and Lee Neamand, and has numerous musicians in their band who have performed at the regional and state level.Red Scare's main goal is to entertain and involve the audience in each and every show. In addition, the bands' field show is different every week. The program's main focus is to let the students govern most major decisions in setting the bands' direction.
The music program has been named in the Top 100 Communities in the Nation for Music Education for 2005, 2008, and 2009 by NAMM.
District Media Center
Lawrence High School houses Lawrence Township Public School's District Media Center. The media technician, Tom Ervin, administers a program that allows students who are interested in media technology to develop their knowledge and skills in the media field. The media center records and edits high school sports events and concerts that are aired on local Comcast Channel 19 and Verizon Channel 37.Administration
Members of the school's administration are:- Principal: Dr. David A. Roman
- Assistant Principal: Al Gilson
- Assistant Principal: Dave Milinowicz
Noted alumni and faculty
- Thom BrayThom BrayThomas Edward "Thom" Bray is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Murray "Boz" Bozinsky in the detective TV series Riptide....
(born 1954, class of 1972), actor and writer. - Scott Brunner (born 1957), former professional quarterback for the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Dan LaveryDan LaveryDan Lavery is a professional musician who has been nominated for two Grammy-awards as part of the band Tonic. Lavery joined Tonic after the band had recorded Lemon Parade, and has been a part of Tonic ever since. When Tonic went on hiatus in the 2004, Lavery embarked on songwriting for motion...
, musician in the band TonicTonic (band)Tonic is an American rock band that has earned two Grammy nominations to date. The band was formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album Lemon Parade...
who graduated LHS in 1984. - Glenn "Mooch" MyernickGlenn MyernickGlenn "Mooch" Myernick was an American soccer player and coach. He won the 1976 Hermann Trophy as that year’s outstanding collegiate player. He then spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League and one in Major Indoor Soccer League. Myernick also earned 10 caps with the U.S. national...
(1954-2006), former professional soccer player and United States Soccer captain. In 1999, he was named by The Star-LedgerThe Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1970s. - John NalboneJohn NalboneJohnathan Gregory "John" Nalbone is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
(born 1986), tight end who has played for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Patricia RussoPatricia RussoPatricia F. Russo is an American businessperson most widely known for having served as chief executive officer of Lucent Technologies and its successor, Alcatel-Lucent, a large communications equipment manufacturer. She currently serves on the board of directors of HP, General Motors, Merck & Co....
(born 1953), former CEO and Chairman of Alcatel-LucentAlcatel-LucentAlcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
. - Jon StewartJon StewartJon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
(born 1962), comedian and host of Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
. - TellerTeller (magician)Teller is an American magician, illusionist, comedian, writer, and the frequently silent half of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller, along with Penn Jillette. He legally changed his name from "Raymond Joseph Teller" to just "Teller"...
(born 1948), silent half of Penn and Teller taught English and Latin at the school.
External links
- Lawrence High School Official Website
- Lawrence Township Public Schools website
- Data for the Lawrence Township Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...