Marine Academy of Science and Technology
Encyclopedia
The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (M.A.S.T.) is a coeducation
al four-year magnet
public high school located in Sandy Hook
, in Monmouth County
, New Jersey
, United States
, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school offers learning in all subjects, specializing in marine technology and science. It is one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District
(MCVSD). The M.A.S.T. program requires each student to participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(NJROTC)every year as well as an Annual Military Inspection (AMI) in the spring.
The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time program which has since grown to become a full-time diploma-granting program. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering. The school offers small classes with close personal attention.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 276 students and 26.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student-teacher ratio
of 10.2.
The Marine Academy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
and a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
. For the 1997-98 school year, the Marine Academy was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education
, and was selected by the Department of Education as a New American High School
for the 1998-99 school year; these are just two of the many honors and awards the innovative program has received throughout its years. On April 15, 2007, in honor of the Marine Academy's 25th Anniversary, a proclamation by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
declared April 15 as "Marine Academy of Science and Technology Day" in Monmouth County.
Historic Area, as part of the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The school is adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse
, the oldest working lighthouse in the country, and is within walking distance of several beaches. The campus includes thirteen newly renovated buildings and various laboratories devoted to Marine Biology, Oceanography, C.A.D., and Multi-Media Laboratory. The buildings were previously mess halls and latrines for the "Tent City" that was set up at Fort Hancock for a time during World War II
. A Technology Workshop, a Media Center containing a Computer Classroom, a Naval Science Building, and other classrooms round out the facilities. Also, there is hands on instruction on the school research vessel, the R/V Blue Sea. The "R/V Blue Sea" is currently berthed at the Coast Guard Station on Sandy Hook. This vessel is extensively used throughout many core classes in the curriculum including marine biology, marine chemistry, marine physics, oceanography.
for both those years.
Each year, cadets at MAST are subject to a Physical Fitness Test (PFT). The standards for this exam are based upon Navy guidelines. Grades are based upon a point scale and range from Unsatisfactory to Outstanding. These superlatives translate into number grades and are a portion of the Naval Science grade for credit. Additionally, satisfactory PFT performance is criteria for advancement and promotion.
At the end of each year, qualified cadets are promoted to a rank and billet commensurate with academic performance, ability, and PFT results. The MAST unit is organized into a battalion with four companies and a headquarters section. The highest rank a cadet can achieve is Cadet Commander.
and 3 cans of caulk (although, humorously, some are said to have used over 11.) On the day of the Armada, Plum Island is flooded with reporters from local newspapers and news channels. During the 2008 Armada Challenge, 8 boats survived, 3 sank, and 1 disintegrated afterwards. Some names of teams from the 2008 challenge include Boogzy-Boo and The Conundrum Crew, The Polar Bear Rescue Squad, Six Chicks, Tippy Turtlez, and The Lady Vikes.
The June 2009 Cardboard Boat Armada would be the last Armada to be held at the Marine Academy. The freshmen Technology teacher who organized the project has cited environmental impacts as a reason for discontinuing the project. It has also been stated that the potentially dangerous fumes emitted by the rubber cement and paint were another factor in the termination of the project. The end of the year project will instead be changed to another project that fits the current curriculum, such as possibly designing a skimboard.
s:
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al four-year magnet
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
public high school located in Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay...
, in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school offers learning in all subjects, specializing in marine technology and science. It is one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Monmouth County Vocational School District
The Monmouth County Vocational School District is a vocational public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving the need to provide area students with relevant skills to implement technology and to develop as lifelong learners.As of the 2007-08 school year, the...
(MCVSD). The M.A.S.T. program requires each student to participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a Federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools across the United States...
(NJROTC)every year as well as an Annual Military Inspection (AMI) in the spring.
The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time program which has since grown to become a full-time diploma-granting program. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering. The school offers small classes with close personal attention.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 276 students and 26.9 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
Student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
of 10.2.
The Marine Academy is fully 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...
and a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology is an alliance of specialized high schools in the United States whose focus is advanced preparatory studies in mathematics, science and technology....
. For the 1997-98 school year, the Marine Academy was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, and was selected by the Department of Education as a New American High School
New American High Schools
The New American High Schools initiative, started in 1996 under the direction of the United States Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, is a national recognition program for United States secondary schools.-Description:...
for the 1998-99 school year; these are just two of the many honors and awards the innovative program has received throughout its years. On April 15, 2007, in honor of the Marine Academy's 25th Anniversary, a proclamation by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
declared April 15 as "Marine Academy of Science and Technology Day" in Monmouth County.
Location and Campus
M.A.S.T. campus is located in the Fort HancockFort Hancock, New Jersey
Fort Hancock is a former United States Army fort at Sandy Hook, located in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. This coastal artillery base played an important part in the defense of New York Harbor and played a role in the...
Historic Area, as part of the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The school is adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Sandy Hook Lighthouse
__notoc__The Sandy Hook Lighthouse, located about one and a half statute miles inland from the tip of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. It was designed and built in 1764 by Isaac Conro...
, the oldest working lighthouse in the country, and is within walking distance of several beaches. The campus includes thirteen newly renovated buildings and various laboratories devoted to Marine Biology, Oceanography, C.A.D., and Multi-Media Laboratory. The buildings were previously mess halls and latrines for the "Tent City" that was set up at Fort Hancock for a time during 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...
. A Technology Workshop, a Media Center containing a Computer Classroom, a Naval Science Building, and other classrooms round out the facilities. Also, there is hands on instruction on the school research vessel, the R/V Blue Sea. The "R/V Blue Sea" is currently berthed at the Coast Guard Station on Sandy Hook. This vessel is extensively used throughout many core classes in the curriculum including marine biology, marine chemistry, marine physics, oceanography.
NJROTC
All students at the Marine Academy participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC). The unit is designated as an Area 4 school and participates in many inter-unit competitions, the most prominent of which is the Drill Team. Motivated cadets can participate in several disciplines including Freshmen, Color Guard, Armed Platoon, Unarmed Platoon, Unarmed Exhibition, and Armed Exhibition. In the past, MAST has been successful at three area competitions; Neptune, Linden, and Area 4. Exceptional performance in the Area 4 Drill Competition (placing first in 2008 and 2010) has qualified the school for national competition in Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
for both those years.
Each year, cadets at MAST are subject to a Physical Fitness Test (PFT). The standards for this exam are based upon Navy guidelines. Grades are based upon a point scale and range from Unsatisfactory to Outstanding. These superlatives translate into number grades and are a portion of the Naval Science grade for credit. Additionally, satisfactory PFT performance is criteria for advancement and promotion.
At the end of each year, qualified cadets are promoted to a rank and billet commensurate with academic performance, ability, and PFT results. The MAST unit is organized into a battalion with four companies and a headquarters section. The highest rank a cadet can achieve is Cadet Commander.
Awards
- For the 1997-1998 school year, Marine Academy of Science and Technology received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.
- MAST was one of two high schools recognized in state, in 1st year of NJ "Star School" program in 1993-94. MAST has been honored twice since with the New Jersey Department of Education's the highest recognition for a New Jersey school, in both 1997-98 and 2003-04.
- For the 1998-1999 school year, MAST received additional national recognition as the New American High School.
- Best Practice Award (1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001,& 2003)
- New Jersey Governor's School of Excellence Award, October 2005
- Intel Scholastic 21st Century Schools of Distinction, 2004 finalist
- Toyota Tapestry Award, 2002
- Designation as NJROTC Honor Unit/CNET Unit or Distinguished Unit with Honors: more than 15 years in succession
- In 2005-06, the school averaged a 1875 combined SAT score, sixth highest of all public high schools statewide.
- In April 2010, the MAST Ocean Bowl team competed at the National Ocean Sciences BowlNational Ocean Sciences BowlThe National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a national, high-school science competition sponsored by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and managed by the which started in the 1970s. It uses a quiz-bowl format, with lockout buzzers and extended team challenge questions to test students on...
under the guidance of Coach Barbara Boyd and placed 2nd in the nation.
Annual Cardboard Boat Armada
In early June, M.A.S.T. hosts its Freshman Cardboard Boat Armada at Plum Island, on Sandy Hook. The project is part of the Technology: Problem Solving and Design class but is cross-curriculum. Beginning in mid to late April, teams of up to seven freshmen are subject to design and build a cardboard boat, along with enough cardboard paddles to support their team. The teams are limited to a specific amount of cardboard based on their combined total weight, and are also limited to a can of rubber cementRubber cement
Rubber cement is an adhesive made from elastic polymers mixed in a solvent such as acetone, hexane, heptane or toluene to keep them fluid enough to be used. Water-based formulas, often stabilised by ammonia, are also available...
and 3 cans of caulk (although, humorously, some are said to have used over 11.) On the day of the Armada, Plum Island is flooded with reporters from local newspapers and news channels. During the 2008 Armada Challenge, 8 boats survived, 3 sank, and 1 disintegrated afterwards. Some names of teams from the 2008 challenge include Boogzy-Boo and The Conundrum Crew, The Polar Bear Rescue Squad, Six Chicks, Tippy Turtlez, and The Lady Vikes.
The June 2009 Cardboard Boat Armada would be the last Armada to be held at the Marine Academy. The freshmen Technology teacher who organized the project has cited environmental impacts as a reason for discontinuing the project. It has also been stated that the potentially dangerous fumes emitted by the rubber cement and paint were another factor in the termination of the project. The end of the year project will instead be changed to another project that fits the current curriculum, such as possibly designing a skimboard.
Career academies
Marine Academy of Science and Technology is one of five career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School District. These are referred to as sister schoolSister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...
s:
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(AAHS) in Neptune TownshipNeptune Township, New Jersey-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,690 people, 10,907 households, and 6,805 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,366.8 people per square mile . There were 12,217 housing units at an average density of 1,485.4 per square mile... - Biotechnology High SchoolBiotechnology High SchoolBiotechnology High School is a comprehensive magnet public high school in Freehold Township, New Jersey, operating as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District ....
(BTHS) in FreeholdFreehold Township, New JerseyFreehold Township is a Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 36,184. Freehold Township was first formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21,... - Communications High SchoolCommunications High SchoolCommunications High School is a four-year magnet public high school and career academy as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District in New Jersey. CHS is located in Wall Township next to Wall High School. The school opened in 2000 with its first freshman class, and graduated its first...
(CHS) in Wall TownshipWall Township, New JerseyWall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 26,164.Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851... - High Technology High SchoolHigh Technology High SchoolHigh Technology High School, or HTHS, founded in 1991, is a four-year Magnet public high school located in Lincroft, New Jersey, operated as a cooperative effort between the Monmouth County Vocational School District and Brookdale Community College...
(HTHS) in LincroftLincroft, New JerseyLincroft is a part of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the Lincroft census-designated place had a population was 6,135.-Geography:Lincroft is located at ....
External links
- Marine Academy of Science and Technology
- Monmouth County Vocational School District
- Data for the Monmouth County Vocational School District, 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...