River Dell Regional High School

River Dell High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school, part of the River Dell Regional School District, which is shared with the neighboring communities of Oradell and River Edge in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Located in Oradell, River Dell High School has been a four-year high school since 1994, and is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

River Dell High School
Location
River Dell High School
River Dell High School
River Dell High School
55 Pyle Street
Oradell, NJ 07649

United States
Coordinates40.944425°N 74.034642°W / 40.944425; -74.034642
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"Dedicated to academic excellence and social responsibility."
NCES School ID3412260[1]
Principaltbd
Faculty90.0 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,042 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio11.6:1[1]
Color(s)     Black and
     gold[2]
Athletics conferenceBig North Conference
Team nameGolden Hawks[2]
WebsiteSchool website

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,042 students and 90.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. There were 8 students (0.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 4 (0.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

President Ronald Reagan spoke at the high school in June 1984, where he advocated on behalf of a drinking age of 21 as a minimum standard.[3]

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1997–98 school year, River Dell High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[4] the highest award an American school can receive.[5][6]

The school was the 31st-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.[7] The school had been ranked 104th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 27th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[8] The magazine ranked the school 37th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 113th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 16 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (87.5%) and language arts literacy (94.40%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[10]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 63rd in New Jersey and 1,866th nationwide.[11]

In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 819th in the nation among participating public high schools and 60th among schools in New Jersey.[12]

Curriculum

River Dell High School offers students a wide variety of college preparation, honors, and Advanced Placement courses. River Dell offers a Junior MBA program in which students are eligible to earn a scholarship after taking five business-related courses and completing a project if they intend to major in business in college.

River Dell requires every student to take three years of mathematics, two years of foreign language (French, Spanish, Italian, or Mandarin Chinese), four years of English, three years of science and three years of history. Concurrently, as requirement by the state of New Jersey, students must fulfill 5 credits in business, technology, and life skills related classes. The school offers 13 Advanced Placement courses, ranging from Chemistry, to Art Portfolio, a senior internship and mentor ship where students are allowed to get a hands on feel for various professions, and various Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) offering a student a chance to earn college credits.

River Dell is based on a day with six 56-minute periods on a four-day rotating bell schedule. Each student is given their own laptop to use for classwork both for school and home use. The school has a large number of electives and courses.

Facilities and programs

Construction was completed as the result of a 2003 referendum that allowed a $28.9 million school renovation project. Many of the facilities in the school were inaccessible during the construction. Following the completion of the construction in the spring of 2007, the school had a new wing, which included six science and eight general classrooms, two music rooms, and two gymnasiums. Enhancements to the library, art rooms, technology and computer labs, and athletic fields were also included.[13]

Starting with the class of 2009, each freshman has received a hybrid tablet PC–notebook computer for use during their four years of high school. In June before the 2008–09 school year, the Board of Education voted to buy 1,100 HP laptops so that every student in all four classes could use a new laptop. These replaced the former Tablet PCs that were given out with a traditional laptop computer.[14]

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The River Dell Regional High School Golden Hawks[2] compete in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[15] With 786 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015–16 school year as North I, Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 786 to 1,074 students in that grade range.[16] The school had previously competed in the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL) American Conference, made up of schools located in Bergen County and Hudson County.[17][18] The school colors are black and gold.[2]

The school is the host school / lead agency for joint ice hockey and boys' / girls' swimming programs with Westwood Regional High School, under an agreement that expires at the end of the 2018–19 school year.[19]

The school won the NJSIAA's 2015-16 Group III ShopRite Cup, having won first-place finishes in girls volleyball, both boys and girls winter track, and boys spring track and field, a second-place finish in football, third place in boys cross country, fourth in girls cross country, and having no disqualifications in the fall or spring seasons.[20]

The football team was awarded the sectional championship by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in 1961 (as co-champion), 1964, 1967 (co-champion), 1970, 1971 and 1972 (co-champion).[21] Since the playoff system was introduced in 1974, the team has won the North I Group II state sectional championships in 1985, 1987 and 2007.[22] River Dell's 2007 football team went undefeated, compiling a final record of 12–0, with a defense that allowed 28 points all season long. On December 1, 2007, the team won the North I, Group II state sectional championship with a 12–7 win over Pascack Valley High School, in a game played at Giants Stadium. The win was the team's first section title since 1987.[23][24] The River Dell football team went undefeated in the BCSL American Division losing in the state sectional semi-finals to Jefferson Township High School. River Dell's 2009 football team played Ramsey High School for the North I, Group II state sectional championships at Giants Stadium, losing by a score of 36–10.[25] After three consecutive losses in section finals, the football team won the North I, Group III state sectional title in 2016 with a 26–20 overtime win in the tournament final against Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.[26] The team won its second consecutive title—and the program's fifth—in 2017, with a 28–7 win at MetLife Stadium in the North I Group III state sectional championship game against top-seeded Ramapo High School, a team that had beaten River Dell by a score of 23–20 earlier in the regular season.[27][28]

The wrestling team won the North I Group III state sectional championship in 1985 and the North I Group II title in 2008.[29]

The field hockey team won the North I Group III state sectional title in 1995.[30]

The girls' soccer team finished the season with a record of 21-2-1, winning the BCSL championship, the 2006 North I, Group II state sectional title and defeated Haddonfield High School by a score of 1–0 to win the Group II state championship in the team's first ever finals.[31][32]

The girls' basketball team won the 2007 North I, Group II state sectional championship, edging Pascack Hills High School 38–36 in the tournament final.[33]

The varsity wrestling team won the 2009 BCSL American Division championship. River Dell's boys soccer team won the BCSL American and state sectional championships.

The school has had a distinguished cross country program, led for many years by coach Bill Keith. The girls team has won two Bergen County Group Championships (1983-Group III, 1985-Group II) and two league titles (1984-NBIL, 2000-BCSL American). The boys team won the Bergen 2 title in 1987 and captured the Bergen Group III Championship in 1999, 2000, and 2002, with the school's lone state sectional title coming in 1999. The team also dominated the BCSL American Division in the 2000s, with titles in '00, '02, '03, and '05. The boys team had 17 consecutive dual meet wins in the 1999 and 2000 seasons, and in 2000 recorded the lowest score in the league championship meet (30) in 35 years.[34]

The school instituted a random drug testing program for all students participating in any and all extra curricular activities and/or sports. River Dell was one of three schools in New Jersey that received a grant of $43,100 in 2008 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy towards the cost of operating the program, which detected two students with drugs in their system and another student who had been using alcohol among the 77 students test in the 2007–08 school year.[35]

Clubs

River Dell offers 47 extracurricular clubs ranging from Dance to Marching Band to Media Club to Debate. Its Chemistry Olympics A and B teams placed 11th and 9th in 2009.

River Dell is noted for its yearly play and musical. River Dell has put on its own rendition of the Greek Mythology Olympiaganza and the musical Willy Wonka. In previous years, River Dell has put on performances of Grease, The Wiz, Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, Into the Woods and Guys and Dolls. More recent production include "The Addams Family" and "Chicago". Students are placed based on auditions.

River Dell select choir, currently under the direction of Jeffery Wilson (2018 -), has been frequently adjudicated and has won numerous awards, including gold awards at the New York Choral Festival in 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2010. Three of those festivals were located in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the other was in Carnegie Hall. Every year, the choir features members who participate in Bergen County, all-region, all state, and all-Eastern chorus. Previous director was Kathryn Zintel, who is now only teaching at River Dell Middle School.

The River Dell Marching Band (RDMB) is currently under supervision of Michael O'Reilly. In past years, the band has performed the music of Fusion: The Music of Cirque du Soleil, Steely Dan, Sound's of Santana, James Brown, the Who, and the Nightmare Before Christmas. The band has earned two first-place finishes, while capturing several caption awards including three best percussion awards. The band plays in various parades and festivals throughout the country. The band's more previous shows have included "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Espionage". The 2019–2020 season show is "Carnival '19".

On January 31, 2009, River Dell's Academic Decathlon team took 3rd in New Jersey's region II, advancing to New Jersey's State Academic Decathlon, a feat which has not been achieved since the 2001–02 school year. They repeated this feat again in 2010.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:[36]

  • Lorraine Brooks, Principal
  • Jack Hynes, Assistant Principal
  • Jeffrey Principe, Assistant Principal / Supervisor of Guidance

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for River Dell Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. River Dell Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 25, 2015.
  3. Weisman, Steven R. "Reagan Calls For Drinking Age Of 21", The New York Times, June 21, 1984. Accessed October 16, 2017. "President Reagan got a glimpse of a New Jersey high school's program to combat drunken driving today and called for a nationwide minimum drinking age of 21.... Mr. Reagan addressed this issue in his appearance at River Dell High School in Oradell, N.J."
  4. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 through 1999–2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  5. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  6. "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  7. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  8. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012.
  9. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed June 9, 2011.
  10. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010–2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
  11. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: River Dell Regional High School", The Washington Post. Accessed September 11, 2011.
  12. Streib, Lauren. "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast, May 6, 2013. Accessed May 9, 2013.
  13. School board election guide: River Dell Regional, The Record (North Jersey), April 13, 2006
  14. River Dell to Continue Student Laptop Program, The Record (North Jersey), June 11, 2008.
  15. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2019-2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 29, 2020.
  16. General Public School Classifications 2015–2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed December 12, 2016.
  17. New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009–2010, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2011. Accessed November 23, 2014.
  18. School Info, Bergen County Scholastic League American Division, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 6, 2009. Accessed August 29, 2011.
  19. NJSIAA 2017 - 2019 Co-Operative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 12, 2018.
  20. 13th Annual ShopRite Cup 2015–2016 Final Standings, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 22, 2017.
  21. Conrad, JJ; and Iseman, Chris. "NJ HS football championships: How past finalists fared", The Record (North Jersey), November 27, 2016. "Although the state established the current playoff format in 1974, titles have been awarded for decades. Here are the most decorated North Jersey teams playing for a title this weekend, listed by their state championship totals:.... River Dell (9): 1961 (co-champs), 1964, 1967 (co-champs), 1970, 1971, 1972 (co-champs), 1985, 1987, 2007"
  22. Goldberg, Jeff. NJSIAA Football Playoff Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 19, 2015.
  23. Gross, Andrew. "Stingy Golden Hawks hold off PV", The Record (North Jersey), December 2, 2007. Accessed December 5, 2007. "So River Dell – 6–4 last season and 3–7 in 2005 – completed a 12–0 season, allowing just 28 points."
  24. 2007 Football - North I, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 3, 2007.
  25. Kinney, Mike. "Ramsey 36, River Dell 10", The Star-Ledger, December 4, 2009. Accessed June 27, 2011. "Paced by the brilliant running of senior halfback Zach Donnarumma, Ramsey shook off a long TD run by River Dell on the game's second play, rolling to a 36–10 victory last night for the NJSIAA/Gatorade North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 championship before a crowd of 8,018 at Giants Stadium."
  26. Stypulkoski, Matt. "River Dell ends sectional final woes with overtime win over Old Tappan", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 3, 2016. Accessed December 8, 2016. "After three straight heartbreaks in the sectional final, River Dell finally found championship success on Saturday night, as it downed Old Tappan in overtime, 26–20, in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 final at MetLife Stadium."
  27. Conrad, JJ. "River Dell captures second straight N1G3 title, defeats Ramapo", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 2, 2017. Accessed December 3, 2017. "From there, River Dell rolled, putting the finishing touches on a 28–7 victory, avenging a regular season loss to Ramapo, to claim its second straight North 1, Group 3 sectional title at MetLife Stadium.... The Golden Hawks used a dominant defensive effort (three turnovers) to avenge a regular season loss to Ramapo and defeat the Green Raiders, 28–7, in Saturday's North 1, Group 3 final. Appearing in its fifth consecutive sectional final, River Dell claimed its fifth championship in program history."
  28. "Football - 2017 NJSIAA North 1, Group 3 Playoffs", NJ.com. Accessed December 3, 2017.
  29. History of the NJSIAA Team Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 22, 2017.
  30. History of the NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 22, 2017.
  31. 2015 Soccer Championships Program, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017.
  32. Narducci, Marc. "This one is a heartbreaker for Haddonfield The Bulldogs fell, 1–0, to River Dell, which got an early goal and then put a lid on Bulldogs star Maggie Lupinski.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 19, 2006. Accessed June 19, 2012. "That was the fate of the Haddonfield girls' soccer team yesterday as the Bulldogs lost to River Dell, 1–0, in the Group 2 state championship at the College of New Jersey.... An example of how Haddonfield controlled much of the play is the fact that the Bulldogs had 11 corner kicks, compared to just three for River Dell, which finished 21-2-1 while playing in its first state final."
  33. 2007 Girls Basketball - North I, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007.
  34. Paul Schwartz's All Time Lists. Accessed August 29, 2011.
  35. Kindergan, Ashley. "Random drug tests at River Dell High School boosted by federal dollars", The Record (North Jersey), June 8, 2008. "River Dell Superintendent Patrick Fletcher said the money will fund better testing that can detect smaller amounts of drugs and alcohol in students' systems. River Dell is one of at least three high schools in northern New Jersey to start up random drug testing programs last year."
  36. High School Administration, River Dell Regional High School. Accessed January 22, 2020.
  37. Levin, Eric. "A Woman on Top", New Jersey Monthly, January 2008. Accessed June 23, 2008.
  38. Roberts, Jeff. "Oradell's Ginny Capicchioni first woman on men's USA lacrosse team", The Record (North Jersey), April 12, 2011. Accessed July 29, 2015. "The Oradell resident knows what awaits her and Team USA next month at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Prague.... Capicchioni never played lacrosse at River Dell, which did not field a girls program at the time."
  39. Twersky, Marty. "New Jersey Sports; No Hero's Welcome", The New York Times, January 27, 1973. Accessed January 18, 2020. "An all‐round athlete at River Dell High School in Oradell, N. J., Capsouras was known more for his wrestling than his weight lifting. In his senior year, he placed third in the Jersey wrestling championships, and received several scholarship offers."
  40. Klein, Alvin. "In Person; Family, Faith, Food and Fun", The New York Times, October 11, 1998. Accessed October 16, 2017. "'Since I was a kid, I was the class clown,' Mr. DiPietro said. 'I wasn't cool. I wasn't the jock. I made them laugh, and that was always a way to get people to like me.' Before Rutgers, he attended Oradell Public School and River Dell junior and senior high schools."
  41. Ryan, Joe. "U.S. attorney nominee has more than a decade of experience as a prosecutor", The Star-Ledger, June 14, 2009. Accessed January 18, 2016. "Fishman graduated in 1974 from River Dell High School, where, according to the yearbook, he had been on the math team and soccer team and was editor of the school newspaper, the Ridellion."
  42. Steve Goepel, The Pro Football Archives. Accessed December 10, 2018. "Born: 1/22/1949 Teaneck, NJ; High School: River Dell (Oradell, NJ)"
  43. Puma, Mike. Parcells made struggling franchises into winners, ESPN.com. Accessed October 11, 2006. "When he entered River Dell High School in 1955, Parcells was one of the biggest kids in his class at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds."
  44. Roberts, Jeff. "Where are they now? Billy Paultz of River Edge", The Record (North Jersey), December 21, 2010. Accessed June 27, 2011. "Paultz would play 15 professional seasons, and his teams made the playoffs each year. The 6-foot-11 center was selected to the ABA's All-Time Team in 1997 after three All-Star appearances and a 1974 championship with the New York Nets. Not bad for a kid from River Dell High School who didn't play until he was a senior in 1966."
  45. Billy Paultz player profile, Basketball Reference. Accessed December 5, 2006.
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