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John P. Stevens High School (abbr. JP or JPS) is a four-year comprehensive
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
that serves students in
ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...
through
twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
s from the northern end of
Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invention ...
, in Middlesex County,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States. It is one of two high schools in the Edison Township Public Schools District, the other being Edison High School. The school has been accredited by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...
Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1969 and is accredited through July 2029.John P. Stevens High School
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...
Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 26, 2022.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,643 students and 162.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...
of 16.3:1. There were 169 students (6.4% of enrollment) eligible for
free lunch A free lunch is the providing of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. It was once a common tradition in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with the ...
and 42 (1.6% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for John P. Stevens High School
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
. Accessed December 1, 2022.
For the 2018 school year, the school offered 22 AP courses, with 50% of students participating, and 90% of participants receiving a passing AP score. The school also offers 54 student clubs, 25 varsity sports, a choir, band, and orchestra. The school has a 97% graduation rate with 95% of students enrolling in college (80% in 4-year programs and 15% in 2-year programs).


History

John P. Stevens High School was named after New Jersey textile giant John Peters Stevens Jr., who had served nearly two decades on the district's board of education, from 1940 to 1959, and was involved in an extensive range of civic, educational and philanthropic activities. Stevens served as President of J.P. Stevens & Co., a textile firm founded in 1813 that was one of the nation's largest and is now part of
WestPoint Home WestPoint Home, Inc., is a supplier of fashion and core home textile products. WestPoint Home is headquartered in New York City with manufacturing and distribution facilities in the United States and overseas."WestPoint Home to Shutter Greenvil ...
. To avoid being confused with a
junior high school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
, the postnominal "Jr." was omitted from the school's name. Constructed at a cost of $2.7 million (equivalent to $ million in ), the new high school opened in September 1964 with 33 classrooms designed for an enrollment of 1,000, though delays in construction meant that the auditorium and other special classrooms weren't complete. Located in the
Oak Tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
neighborhood of the township, it rapidly expanded as the northern part of Edison grew, including residents from the Stephenville and New Dover communities. Originally, JPS was a senior high school, serving grades 10 through 12. In 1984, the Edison School District changed the junior high schools into
middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
s, adding 9th grade into JPS.


Students

The population of J.P. Stevens High School enters primarily from Woodrow Wilson Middle School and John Adams Middle School. From the time it opened through the 1980s, the school's students were mostly
Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...
, with an
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
minority coming from the
Potters A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas * Potter, Nebraska *Potters, New Jer ...
neighborhood. Beginning in the 1980s, J. P. Stevens saw increasing numbers of Indian-Americans. The largest group of students at J.P. Stevens is Asian American. The average class size of the school is about 37 students. The school's ratio of students to computers is 1 to 1 while the state average is 4 to 1. In the 2009–10 school year, on the Language Arts section of the
High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...
(HSPA), 53.1% of students scored proficient and 39.8% scored advanced. On the Math section of the test, 34.5% scored proficient and 54.1% scored advanced. The average
SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...
score was 1741 out of 2400. The
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
(AP) participation rate is 37.3%. The average attendance rate is 96.8%. The school had a suspension rate of 10%. 98.9% of JPS seniors graduated. 80% of the graduating seniors planned to go on to four-year colleges and another 16.9% of the graduating seniors expected to go on to two-year colleges.


Faculty

The faculty population of J.P. Stevens High School in 2022 is around 185 teachers, 5 administrators, 10 counselors, 2 college counselors, PATH Counselors, and a special services team. The student to faculty ratio is 13 to 1. The average faculty member gets paid $55,035 a year while the state average was $52,563.


Curriculum

J.P. Stevens students are required to take four years of English, four years of math, three years of science, three years of history (two of U.S. and one of world) and at least two years of a foreign language (including
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, French,
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, and starting the 2008–09 school year,
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
). In 2012,
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
and
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
were also added. In addition, health and physical education classes are required for every year in which a student attends J.P. Stevens. Starting with the Class of 2008, one year of "21st Century Life and Economics/ Financial Literacy" such as Foods or Technology Fundamentals is required as well as another year of the "Visual Performing Arts" such Chorus, Band or Visual Arts. J.P. Stevens has an Honors as well as a college preparatory track that features several
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
courses.


2008-09 curriculum reform

Responding to numerous voices within the community for community reform, the Edison Board of Education formed the High School Reform Committee. This committee recommended that for the 2009–10 school year, Foods I and Foods II be converted to Foundations of Food and Nutrition. International Foods will be converted to Culinary Arts. The committee also recommended the "addition" of two AP classes as well: The conversion of Visual Arts 3 in title to AP Studio Art and the addition of AP World History as a Junior year elective.


School funding

The school received 88% of the money from local taxes. The total cost per pupil in the school district was $11,964.


Awards, recognition and rankings

In ''
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''s listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 127th of the 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 23rd among all high schools in New Jersey and tenth among the state's non-magnet schools. In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' ranked the school 294th in the nation among participating public high schools and 23rd among schools in New Jersey. in fact, famous singer/songwriter
Andrew Fromm Andrew Fromm is a songwriter from Edison, New Jersey, currently living in Franklin, Tennessee in the Nashville area. He is married to Beth Hood and they have a son, Hudson. Career Andrew Fromm is a successful songwriter living in the Nashville ar ...
graduated from this school in 1993. In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', the school was ranked 33rd in New Jersey and 1,151st nationwide. According to '' U.S. News & World Report'', J.P. Stevens High School was ranked 36 in New Jersey in 2012, and has a national rank of 781. In 2013, JP Steven's state ranking rose to 32 and its national ranking rose to 467. The school was the 30th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''
New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 80th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 65th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 52nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 82nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 97th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 7 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (88.3%) and language arts literacy (95.1%) components of the
High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...
(HSPA). The graduating class of 2013 had 31 National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists and 62 Commended Students. In 2014, the band director, Andrew DeNicola, was a top 10 finalist for the 2014 Grammy Music Educator Award. In 2015,
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
featured J.P. Stevens as "The $2.5 billion high school", highlighting three e-commerce companies founded by recent graduates.King, Hope
"The $2.5 billion high school"
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
, August 31, 2015. Accessed January 18, 2022. "Chieh Huang, Matt Salzberg, and Ken Chen graduated just a few years before me. They're the co-founders of Boxed, Blue Apron, and Nature Box -- three startups with a combined valuation of more than $2 billion. This wasn't a prep school, and it wasn't in the Valley. We grew up in central New Jersey. We went to J.P. Stevens, a public high school in Edison."


Extracurricular activities


Robotics

Team 2554, The Warhawks, is a
FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...
team that started in the 2007–2008 school year at John P. Stevens High School. The team consists of two major sub-teams: Marketing and Build; the marketing sub-team is responsible for bringing in the money to maintain tools and buy parts for the robot, which is done through sponsorships from other companies and local fundraising events. The build team is responsible for building the competition robot. As a part of FRC, the team competes in 2 district events in the First Mid-Atlantic Region, competing against other teams in the region. The team also participates in off-season competition events, such as Brunswick Eruption, after the official season is over. In addition to robotics competitions, Team 2554 performs community outreach events that encourage young kids to pursue a career in STEM, by teaching the basics of robotics and performing live demonstrations. During the Summer of 2021, they had over 2,100+ signups from children from all across the globe. During the
FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...
during 2020-2021, The Warhawks, had made it to Global Finalists, for the Global Innovation Challenge, sponsored by Star Wars: Force For Change. They placed within the top 20 teams out of 800+ teams internationally.


Athletics

The J.P. Stevens High School HawksJohn P. Stevens High School
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) 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 championsh ...
. Accessed October 20, 2020.
compete in the Red Division of the
Greater Middlesex Conference The Greater Middlesex Conference is an athletic conference comprising 34 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County, New Jersey area. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Ath ...
, which operates under the supervision of the
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) 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 championsh ...
(NJSIAA). With 1,849 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. The football team competes in Division 5D of the
Big Central Football Conference The Big Central Football Conference is a football-only athletic league of high schools in Central New Jersey. The 60-team league was formed in 2020. History The Big Central consists of the members of the former Mid-State 38 Conference and the foot ...
, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex,
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
,
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
and
Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...
counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2018–2020. The school competes against nearby rivals such as
East Brunswick High School East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in tenth through twelfth grades in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. ...
, Edison High School and Woodbridge High School. The school participates together with
Metuchen High School Metuchen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Metuchen Scho ...
in a joint ice hockey team in which Edison High School is the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year. Interscholastic sports offered include: The football team won the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title in 1977, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985 and 2001. The 1977 team finished the season with a 10-0-1 record and won its first playoff-era title with a 35–0 victory against
Middletown High School North Middletown High School North, home of the Lions, is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of the tw ...
in the Central Jersey Group IV championship game. The 1978 team won the Central Jersey Group IV title with a 14–7 win against
Watchung Hills Regional High School Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional comprehensive high school, comprehensive state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset County, New Jerse ...
. In 2001, the team finished the season with a 12–0 record after winning the Central Jersey Group IV title with a 14–7 win against
Old Bridge High School Old Bridge High School (formed from combining the former Cedar Ridge and Madison Central High Schools) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Old Bridge Township in Middlesex ...
in the championship game on a touchdown scored with just over a minute left in the game; the 2001 team earned consideration from the ''
Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees * John Curley, former pre ...
'' as one of "the best in GMC history". Janet Smith won the girls' 5,000 meter race at the 1983 Kinney National High School Cross-Country Championships held in
Balboa Park, San Diego, California Balboa Park is a historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California, United States. In addition to open space areas, natural vegetation zones, green belts, gardens, and walking paths, it contains museums, several theaters, and the San Diego ...
, with a time of 16 minutes 43.7 seconds. With victories as Group IV individual cross country champion from 1980 to 1983, Smith became the first girl to win an individual state championship in four consecutive years. The softball team finished the 2000 season with a 24–6 record after winning the Group IV state championship, defeating runner-up Clifton High School by a score of 4–0 in the tournament finals. The wrestling team won the North II Group IV state sectional championship in 2004


Model United Nations

The Model United Nations club, JPSMUN, has performed well for years, and has consistently ranked among the top 10 high schools in America. It has earned the special distinction as being the only public high school on the list. The team has received Outstanding Large Delegation and Best Small Delegation awards, as well as a few prestigious Best Large Delegation awards. These include that of HMUN 2012 and RUMUN 2016. Recently, the team has also won Outstanding Large Delegations awards at WAMUNC & VAMUN 2017, and also ILMUNC 2018. In January 2022, the team won the Best Large Delegation award at ILMUNC for the first time in its history. In February 2022, the team won the Outstanding Large Delegation award at NAIMUN. The team hosts three in-house conferences for the purposes of competition and training each year. The team is well recognized and decorated across the circuit. Several members of the team earned national records for consecutive Best Delegate awards.


Quiz Bowl

The Quiz Bowl team, STARS (now JPS Quiz Bowl) has been successful. The team has made Top 16 of 68 in the Bridgewater-Raritan Invitational Tournament of Excellence (BRITE) three times in a row and once was a quarter-finalist. In 2009, for the first time, the STARS were named Champions in BRITE and placed 30th out of 119 at Questions Unlimited's National Academic Championship. It has qualified for nationals thrice. It competes in Tri-State area events and has branched out to other competitions, namely History Bowl, in which it placed 51st in 2018, and 24th in 2019. In 2021, JPS Quiz Bowl tied for 31st place at HSNCT nationals, with the B team having tied for 49th place and the History Bowl team having placed 21st. The Quizbowl team has additionally placed highly at regional tournaments, including first place at Princeton University's PHSAT XXVIII. In the 2022-23 season, the JP Stevens Quiz Bowl team was ranked 8th in the country.


Music


Chorus

The J.P. Stevens Choir has won numerous awards, including Best Overall Choir at National and State competitions. In 2017, JPS Chamber Choir and A cappella Ensemble both participated in the Interkultur Sing 'N'Joy Princeton International Choir Competition. A cappella Ensemble was named Category Winner for the Sacred Music Category and Chamber Choir was named Category Winner in the Mixed Choir level 1 Category. Chamber Choir was also the Grand Prize Winner, with an endowed prize of US$2000. Moreover, the Chamber Choir received the Special Prize of an autographed copy of the first four measures of
Morten Lauridsen Morten Johannes Lauridsen (born February 27, 1943) is an American composer. A National Medal of Arts recipient (2007), he was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994 to 2001, and is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus ...
's "O Magnum Mysterium," presented by the composer. Many students from the choir are accepted into the Regions II Choir, the NJ All-State Choir, All-Eastern High School Honor Choir, and Governor's School of the Arts. * Concert Choir * A Cappella Ensemble * Men's Ensemble * Treble choir * Chamber Ensemble


Band

The J.P. Stevens High School
band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
program has approximately 200 students participating in several ensembles, including a marching band, jazz ensemble, and wind ensemble. The program enjoys the majority of its success with its wind bands and jazz ensembles. Its wind ensemble is a perennial participant at the New Jersey Concert Band Gala and Mid-Atlantic Honors Wind Band Festival. In addition, its jazz ensemble has won eleven state championships, including a three-peat from 2009 to 2011 and a four-peat from 2016 to 2019. The program consistently places a good proportion of its students in regional and statewide honor bands. In addition, its alumni have been educated at top tier music schools and conservatories around the country, notably at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the Berklee College of Music, and the University of North Texas, among others. Its alumni, most notably
David Bryan David Bryan Rashbaum (born February 7, 1962) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboard player for the rock band Bon Jovi, with which he also co-wrote songs and performed backing vocals. In 2018, Bryan was inducted into ...
, have also performed with the CBS Orchestra, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, the Mel Lewis/Thad Jones Orchestra, and Bon Jovi, among others. The program annually hosts Bandboozle, a benefit dance that helps VH1's Save the Music, and had hosted a Comedy Night in honor of a late student in order to give out the Adonis Smith Memorial Scholarship. The Comedy Night had been hosted on numerous occasions by Kel Mitchell.


Orchestra

The John P. Stevens orchestra program has over one hundred members Each year a number of students audition and are selected to participate in both CJMEA Regions II and All-State Orchestra. The orchestras compete each year in various orchestra festivals. The J.P. Stevens High School Orchestra Program consists of three orchestras, including a number of string quartets. Chamber Orchestra includes up to 35 students who are selected by audition and perform standard orchestral literature. Concert Orchestra has more than 60 students and Symphonic Orchestra over 80 students. Students who play in the string quartet are selected by audition and perform for weddings and other fundraisers around the community.


Theatre company

The John P. Stevens award-winning theatre company has been an ongoing program in the school for many years now. Since the foundation of the company, several Broadway and off-Broadway shows have been performed; some notable include: '' Grease'', ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...
'', ''
Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life of Pepin the Hunchback * Pippin T ...
'', ''
The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown (writer), William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's childr ...
'', ''
Leader of the Pack "Leader of the Pack" is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich. It was a number one pop hit in 1964 for the American girl group the Shangri-Las. The single is one of the group's best known songs as well as a ...
'' and '' Urinetown: The Musical''. The theatre company's production of ''Urinetown'' garnered several honorable mentions and nominations by the NJ
Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...
Rising Star Awards. Other productions by the company from the past include ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'', ''
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 ''The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940'' is a comedy by John Bishop (screenwriter), John Bishop. The play was first performed at the Circle Repertory Company in their theatre at 99 Seventh Avenue South in New York City, later moving to Broadway thea ...
'', ''
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specifica ...
'', ''
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...
'' and ''
Working Working may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community Arts and media * Working (musical), ''Working'' (musical), a 1978 musical * Working (TV series), ''Working'' (TV s ...
'' among others. The theatre company put on a production of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's '' Inherit the Wind'' in November 2007. The company put on perhaps their most successful and lauded show ever: the Stephen Sondheim musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' in April 2008. Since then, they have put on ''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...
'', ''
Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'', ''
The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...
'', and ''
Jekyll & Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
''. In the fall of 2010, the company performed the play, ''
Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the wo ...
''. In 2011, the company performed the rock opera hit ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'' and ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...
''. In 2019, their musical was '' Chicago: The Musical'' and their Fall Play was ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''. In the fall of 2019, their fall play was '' Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play''. Their musical for the 2020 school year was ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over a ...
'', but the production was cut to two show nights due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Likewise, due to the pandemic, the company did not have a formal fall show, but opted to present a series of online one-acts under the title of "Virtuality." In spring 2021, the company's spring musical was '' The Theory of Relativity'', a musical about the importance of relationships and connectivity, teaching lessons that everyone needed to hear amidst a global pandemic. The fall play for the 2021-22 school year was ''
Almost, Maine ''Almost, Maine'' is a play by John Cariani, comprising nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. It premiered at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine in 2004, where it broke ...
'' by John Cariani, and the musical was '' Mamma Mia!''.


"More Ways Out" improv troupe

The "More Ways Out" improv troupe meets every Thursday after school, to practice along with other students the art of "staying on ones toes". In the past years the "More Ways Out" improv troupe has won best in state numerous times. Most recently, the troupe went to New York City for an improv workshop encountering many professionals, as well as attending the NYC comedy festival.


Other

SerenAIDe is an annual, entirely student-run, benefit concert organized to raise money and awareness for victims of
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
(Lou Gehrig's Disease). This event takes place in the first week of May. The concert was inspired by the choral director's husband's struggle against this disease. Over the last three years the students have successfully raised over $24,000 towards the ALS foundation and the Jewish Community Center of
Belle Mead, New Jersey Belle Mead is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Montgomery Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States."High school lauds its top alumni; J.P. Stevens hopes Hall of Honor inspires students"
''
Home News Tribune The ''Central New Jersey Home News Tribune'' is a Daily newspaper serving Middlesex County, New Jersey. The paper has an average daily weekday circulation of about 49,000. The newspaper is the result of the 1995 merger of ''The Home News'' of ...
'', April 24, 1998. Accessed January 18, 2022, via
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...
. "The Hall of Honor includes, in alphabetical order, Peter J. Barnes III, Class of '74; Jeffery R. Brown, '71; John Cipolla, '80; Jeffery S. Dinetz, '76; Gregory Edwards, '65; Sylvie L. Muldoon, '73; Lisa Lattal Ogorzalek, '74; Margaret Milcsik Palatini, '68; Christopher J. Petrucelli, '80; Mark L. Polansky, '74; Michael S. Sherber, '75; Jon L. Shevell, '75; Mayor George A. Spadoro, '66, and Michael R. Turner, '69."
*
Peter J. Barnes III Peter J. Barnes III (April 26, 1956 – February 22, 2021) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate, where he represented the New Jersey's 18th legislative district, 18th ...
(born 1956, class of 1974),
New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts.Jeffrey S. Mandel, New Jersey Appellate Pra ...
judge who served in the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
and
New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
, where he represented the 18th Legislative District. *
David Bryan David Bryan Rashbaum (born February 7, 1962) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboard player for the rock band Bon Jovi, with which he also co-wrote songs and performed backing vocals. In 2018, Bryan was inducted into ...
(born 1962), who plays the keyboards in the
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
. * Alan Chez (born 1961, class of 1979), trumpet player vocalist for the CBS orchestra on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
''. *
Jun Choi Jun H. Choi (born May 17, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and politician and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the ...
(born 1971), former
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Edison. *
Steven Fulop Steven Michael Fulop (born February 28, 1977) is an American politician serving as the 49th and current mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. A Democrat, he was formerly the Councilman for Jersey City's Ward E. On May 14, 2013, Fulop defeated incumben ...
(born 1977, class of 1995), Mayor of
Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Chris Petrucelli Christopher Joseph Petrucelli (born May 9, 1962) is an American soccer manager who is currently the head coach of the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League. Playing career Raised in Edison, New Jersey, Petrucelli attended J. P. ...
(born 1962, class of 1980),
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
who is currently the head coach of the
Chicago Red Stars The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
in the
National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...
. *
Mark L. Polansky Mark Lewis "Roman" Polansky (born June 2, 1956, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a former NASA astronaut. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke, because he shares a last name with direct ...
(born 1956, class of 1974),
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
astronaut. * David Rosenthal (born 1961) keyboardist, music producer and songwriter. *
Matt Salzberg Matt Salzberg is a businessperson and entrepreneur, known for co-founding Blue Apron (where he was CEO), Embark Veterinary and Suma Brands. He is currently founder and Managing Partner at Material, a venture fund focused on systematic company creat ...
, businessperson and entrepreneur who co-founded
Blue Apron Blue Apron Inc. is an American ingredient-and-recipe meal kit company headquartered in New York City, operating its services exclusively in the United States. It offers weekly boxes containing ingredients, which also includes suggested recipes th ...
(where he was CEO), Embark Veterinary and Suma Brands. *
Akhil Sharma Akhil Sharma (born July 22, 1971) is an Indian-American author and professor of creative writing. His first published novel '' An Obedient Father'' won the 2001 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. His second, ''Family Life'', won the 2015 Folio Priz ...
(born 1971), author and professor of creative writing who wrote the novels '' An Obedient Father'' and ''
Family Life Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
''. *
George A. Spadoro George A. Spadoro is an American Democratic Party politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 18th Legislative District. Early life and education George A. ...
(class of 1966), politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, and two terms in the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
, where he represented the 18th Legislative District. *
Joel Stein Joel Stein (born July 23, 1971) is an American journalist who wrote for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He wrote a column and occasional articles for ''Time'' for 19 years until 2017. Early life Stein grew up in Edison, New Jersey, the son of a sale ...
(born 1971, class of 1989), journalist, media personality and columnist for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''. *
Jeremy Zuttah Jeremy Kwasi Zuttah (born June 1, 1986) is a former American football center (American football), center. He played college football at Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of t ...
(born 1986, class of 2004),
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
football player."Sports Briefs"
''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...
'', January 24, 2004. Accessed October 9, 2007. "Jeremy Zuttah of Edison's J.P. Stevens, rated the No. 34 best offensive guard in the country by Rivals.com, will attend Rutgers, according to his high school coach, Frank Zarro."


References


External links


School webpageJ.P. Stevens High School BandJPS Warhawks - FIRST Robotics TeamJ.P. Stevens High School page
fro
Edison Township Public Schools
*
Data for J.P. Stevens High School
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

J.P. Stevens Hawks AthleticsJ.P. Stevens Choir
{{Authority control Edison, New Jersey 1964 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1964 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Public high schools in Middlesex County, New Jersey Schools in Middlesex County, New Jersey