Oakcrest High School

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Oakcrest High School
Address
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
1824 Dennis Foreman Drive

Mays Landing
,
Atlantic County
,
New Jersey
08330

United States
Coordinates39°27′05″N 74°40′47″W / 39.451345°N 74.679689°W / 39.451345; -74.679689Coordinates: 39°27′05″N 74°40′47″W / 39.451345°N 74.679689°W / 39.451345; -74.679689
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1957
School districtGreater Egg Harbor Regional High School District
NCES School ID3406060[1]
PrincipalMichael McGhee
Faculty90.4 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment980 (as of 2019–20)[1]
Student to teacher ratio10.8:1[1]
Color(s)  Royal blue
  gray[2]
Athletics conferenceCape-Atlantic League (general)
West Jersey Football League (football)
Team nameFalcons[2]
GEHRHSDAbsegami High School
Cedar Creek High School
Oakcrest High School
Community servedHamilton Township
Websitewww.gehrhsd.net/oakcrest

Oakcrest High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey. The school is part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, which is comprised of three secondary schools that serve students from Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Mullica Township, together with students from Port Republic and Washington Township (in Burlington County) who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships.[3][4]

The school name was chosen based on its site on the crest of a hill amid oak trees.[5] The school serves students from Hamilton Township, though students from elsewhere in the district are eligible to apply to attend magnet programs hosted at Oakcrest.[6] With the opening of Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City in 2010, students from Mullica Township, Port Republic and Washington Township no longer attend Oakcrest High School.[7][8]

As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 980 students and 90.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1. There were 439 students (44.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 99 (10.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Awards, recognition and rankings[]

The school was the 197th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[9] The school had been ranked 247th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 244th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[10] The magazine ranked the school 254th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[11] The school was ranked 232nd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[12] Schooldigger.com ranked the school as 254th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 5 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[13]

The school has a variety of programs, including Special Needs, a "High School-to-Work" program, College Preparatory, Advanced Placement (AP), and Performing Arts training.

For the 2005-06 school year, Oakcrest High School was recognized with the "Best Practices Award" by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "A Proactive Approach to Guidance and Career Services" Career Education program.[14]

Oakcrest's Team was successful at the Buena Regional High School and Egg Harbor Township High School competitions in spring 2006, the team finished first overall at the Gateway Toyota Academic Challenge at Monsignor Donovan High School in Toms River by defeating perennial competitor East Brunswick High School in the final round.

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 66th in New Jersey and 1,918th nationwide.[15]

Athletics[]

The Oakcrest High School Falcons[2] compete in the Atlantic Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools located in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties, operating under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[16] With 758 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range.[17] The football team competes in the Independence Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[18][19] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2018–2020.[20]

The school offers many sports to its students including football, fall cheerleading, field hockey, soccer, tennis, basketball, winter cheerleading, lacrosse, wrestling, crew, track and field, cross country running, powerlifting and baseball.[2]

The wrestling team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional championship in 1992 and 1993.[21]

The girls outdoor track and field team won the Group III state championships in 1997.[22]

The boys track team won the Group III indoor relay championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013.[23]

The boys outdoor track and field team won the Group IV state championships in 2011 and the Group III title in 2012.[24]

Marching band[]

In the 2005-06 school year, the high school's marching band, the Oakcrest Marching Ambassadors, took a record 37 first place trophies including a grand championship in the Cavalcade of Bands Liberty conference. The band has performed in numerous venues including the Miss America Parade in Atlantic City, the Festival of States in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a tour in Europe including Switzerland, France and Germany.

The school's marching band was Tournament of Bands Chapter One Champions in 1977 and 1988 (Group 2) and 1983-1987 (Group 1). The marching band was 1977 Atlantic Coast Champion in Group 2. They also took First Place in the Tournament of Bands Group 2A Atlantic Coast Championships in 2013.[25]

In 2015 the Ambassadors also won the Group 1A Atlantic Coast Championships for Tournament of Bands. With the show "Scheherazade", modeled after the Santa Clara Vanguard's show of the same name, during their 2015 season the Ambassadors had an undefeated reign and also set records for the school and tournament of bands itself. The Ambassadors won New Jersey Championships, Chapter 1 Championships as well Atlantic Coast Championships. The school has the highest record ever set by a 1A band with a final score of 95.92.

In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, shows titled "Ascension" and "A Dream Come True" won both NJ State and Region 1 Championships in the 1 Open class, again in Tournament of Bands.

The 2018 season was a season of success. The Ambassadors had moved up a group to 2A. With a show titled "Uncaged", they had had another undefeated season, followed by another State and Region 1 Championship victory, with an Atlantic Coast Championship victory for 2A, scoring a 95.810,the highest score achieved in group 2A. This was the second highest achieved in any A class by any band in Tournament of Bands,[26] second only to their 2015 show.

Administration[]

James Reina is the principal.[27]

Notable alumni[]

See also: Category:Oakcrest High School alumni

Notable faculty[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e School data for Oakcrest High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Oakcrest High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 6, 2017. "The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District serves the communities of Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township and participates in receiving relationships with Port Republic and Washington Township. The geographic area of the district is the largest in the state, covering 324 square miles. The student body of each of the district's three comprehensive high schools, Absegami High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Oakcrest High School, reflects the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity of this geographic area."
  4. ^ Oakcrest High School Class of 2018 Profile, Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District. Accessed January 26, 2020. "The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District is comprised of Egg Harbor City, Galloway, Hamilton and Mullica Townships. It is the largest school district, in area, in the state of New Jersey. It also serves students from Green Bank and Port Republic. The district operates three comprehensive high schools: Absegami, Cedar Creek and Oakcrest."
  5. ^ History of Oakcrest, Oakcrest High School. Accessed July 10, 2011.
  6. ^ Oakcrest High School 2016-17 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 18, 2018. "We are the home school for students who reside in Hamilton Township and students who reside in Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township, and Port Republic and Galloway Township are eligible to apply for either of our two magnet programs (Biomedical Sciences and Air Force JROTC in Aerospace Science and Leadership)."
  7. ^ Policy 5120 Assignment of Pupils Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District. Accessed October 27, 2014. "Pupils shall attend the school located in the attendance area of their residence. The attendance areas for the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District shall be as follows: 1. Pupils who reside in Egg Harbor City shall attend Cedar Creek High School. 2. Pupils who reside in Galloway Township shall attend Absegami High School. 3. Pupils who reside in Hamilton Township shall attend Oakcrest High School 4. Pupils who reside in Mullica Township shall attend Cedar Creek High School 5. Pupils who reside in Port Republic and Washington Township shall attend Cedar Creek High School."
  8. ^ Oakcrest High School 2010 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education, backed up by the Internet Archive as of June 14, 2012. Accessed October 30, 2014. "Oakcrest is a comprehensive high school located in Mays Landing that provides a secondary school education to four sending districts including Greenbank, Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, and Port Republic."
  9. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  10. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
  11. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2011.
  12. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  13. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 16, 2012.
  14. ^ Best Practices Award recipient for 2005-06, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 23, 2006.
  15. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Oakcrest High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 11, 2011.
  16. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  18. ^ Oakcrest Falcons, West Jersey Football League. Accessed February 1, 2021.
  19. ^ Minnick, Kevin. "Football: Entering 10th season, a new leader for state’s second-largest conference", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2019. Accessed September 5, 2020. "The WJFL was created in 2010 as a way to help teams play a full schedule and face opponents of similar size, ability and geographical location.... The league is comprised of 16 divisions and includes better than 90 high schools."
  20. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  21. ^ NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  22. ^ NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Girls, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  23. ^ History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  24. ^ NJSIAA Spring Track Summary of Group Titles Boys, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  25. ^ Tournament of Bands - Chapter One History, Tournament of Bands. Accessed July 5, 2007.
  26. ^ Tournament of Bands - ACC Champions Accessed September 9, 2019
  27. ^ Administration, Oakcrest High School. Accessed September 17, 2018.
  28. ^ James, Michael. "Oakcrest graduate Brandon Bell named captain at Penn State", The Press of Atlantic City, August 24, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2016. "Oakcrest High School graduate and Penn State University linebacker Brandon Bell was named defensive captain Tuesday for the Nittany Lions' upcoming season. Bell is a senior from Mays Landing who graduated from Oakcrest in 2013 and was a Press first-team All-Star."
  29. ^ "Bell Sworn In As New 2nd District Senator", New Jersey Senate Democrats, October 5, 2017. Accessed November 10, 2017. "Senator Colin Bell was sworn into the New Jersey State Senate today, where he will represent the people of the 2nd Legislative District... He grew up in Hamilton Township, where he attended Hamilton Township public schools and then graduated from Oakcrest High School."
  30. ^ DeRosier, John. "Colin Bell sworn in as senator, hoping to lead Democrats in November election", The Press of Atlantic City, October 5, 2017. Accessed November 10, 2017. "Bell graduated from Oakcrest High School in 1999 and received his bachelor's and law degrees from American University in Washington, D.C."
  31. ^ Cory Bird Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Databasefootball.com. Accessed May 9, 2007.
  32. ^ Jackson, Vincent. "Former Mays Landing resident earned first Grammy Award statue in February", The Press of Atlantic City, March 3, 2019. Accessed July 22, 2020. "Darhyl 'DJ' Camper Jr., who has had multiple Grammy nominations over the years, has met many starry-eyed teenagers who want to have a career as a recording artist.... Camper, a 2008 Oakcrest High School graduate, chose to work with H.E.R. because their personalities meshed, and they caught a vibe when they decided to see how they would jell in the recording studio."
  33. ^ Weinberg, David. "Mays Landing competitive eater devours his competition", The Press of Atlantic City, July 10, 2017. Accessed July 18, 2017. "Mays Landing native Carmen Cincotti accomplished that gastric milestone last week at the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, New York, on Fourth of July. The 2011 Oakcrest High School graduate downed 62 wieners en route to a second-place finish."
  34. ^ McKee, Don. "10 Inquirer Grid Stars On South Jersey Roster", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 15, 1987. Accessed May 7, 2008.
  35. ^ Bitzer, Hannah. "Mays Landing native Ronnie Faisst hoping to upgrade medal collection at X Games tonight", The Press of Atlantic City, June 30, 2012. Accessed September 2, 2019. "Mays Landing native and freestyle motocross star Ronnie Faisst hopes to grab something today that just barely eluded him at the last two Summer X Games - a silver or gold medal. Faisst, a 1993 graduate of Oakcrest High School, is happy with the bronze medals he won the last two years but is ready to do even better."
  36. ^ Fleming, Michael. "Miss America Finalist From Mullica Finds Success In Guam Discotheque", The Press of Atlantic City, November 15, 1990. Accessed September 2, 2019. "Lipford, who grew up in the Elwood section of Mullica Township, was a 1974 Miss Atlantic City and was Miss Delaware in 1976.... Lipman [sic], a 1973 Oakcrest High School graduate who studied theater at the University of Delaware, also formed Headhunters, an employment service company..."
  37. ^ Frank, Reuben. "Marshall ready for big things at Olympic Trials", NBC Sports, June 23, 2012. Accessed September 2, 2019. "Marshall grew up in tiny Quinton Township in Salem County and graduated in 2001 from Oakcrest High School, where she won the New Jersey Meet of Champions titles in both the long jump and triple jump as a senior."
  38. ^ Lulgjuraj, Susan. "'The Mighty Macs,' based on Oakcrest High grad Cathy Rush, set for release today", The Press of Atlantic City, October 21, 2011. Accessed October 28, 2011. "Cathy Rush invited friends to her home in Ventnor a couple of years ago to watch an advance copy of the movie The Mighty Macs....Rush, a native of West Atlantic City in Egg Harbor Township, saw the filming of this movie.... 'My stomach dropped,' said Rush, a 1964 Oakcrest High School graduate. 'It was the most disconcerting thing because it was real.'"
  39. ^ McGarry, Michael. "Oakcrest grad Cody Stashak pitching his way up Minnesota Twins system", The Press of Atlantic City, April 9, 2017. Accessed July 21, 2019. "Stashak, 22, played the outfield and pitched at Oakcrest, a high school not typically regarded as a baseball power."
  40. ^ Narducci, Marc. "Colman rides fast track to NFL", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2, 2014. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Doug Colman has kept moving in the coaching profession, and the pace is quicker at each level.... Colman spent a year as an assistant coach at Oakcrest, then took over the Absegami program in 2003."
  41. ^ "Former Widener Football Coach Bill Manlove Elected to College Football Hall of Fame", Widener Pride football, May 24, 2011. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Manlove began his coaching career as an assistant at Gloucester City High School from 1957-59 before becoming head coach for five years. He moved to Oakcrest High School as head coach and was an assistant at Lafayette College from 1967-68 before taking the job at Widener."

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