Brentwood High School (Brentwood, New York)

Brentwood High School is a secondary school in Brentwood, New York. It is one of the largest high schools in New York State, on the southern shore of Suffolk County, Long Island.

History

1951-1970

The first class to graduate from Brentwood High School was the class of 1957. Prior to this, public school students in the district attended Bay Shore High School.

Brentwood High School began with the Ross Building, with its tennis courts and state of the art swimming pool. It was named for William H. Ross, M.D., psychiatrist, founder in 1898 of the Ross Health Resort (now Ross Healthcare, still located on Suffolk Avenue).

The Sonderling Building was completed and open for students in September 1964.

The first senior class to graduate in Brentwood was the graduating class of June 1965.

During the summer of 1968, temporary portable classrooms were constructed between the Ross and Sonderling Buildings, housing the language and health classes. The Guy di Pietro Building was later constructed in between the two main buildings and named in honor of the late Social Studies Department Chairman, who became the Superintendent of Schools in 1966, and remained so until his death.

On January 11, 1968, then-Senator Robert F. Kennedy visited the Brentwood High School and spoke to 800+ students, parents and faculty in the Sonderling auditorium. After giving a short address, he opened the floor to questions and asked his own questions of the audience.

In the autumn of 1968, more than half the female students staged a Dress Code protest. They wore pants. So many were sent to the office (then run by the sole principal, Stanley P. Yankowski), by their classroom teachers, that the Dress Code was changed.

In 1969, the female students were still not permitted to be pregnant and "showing" and attend school. Parents were notified to sign the student out of school and be home schooled or take an equivalency test by attending night school. (Abortions had not yet been legalized.)

1970-1980

From 1974 to 1989, the student body was large enough that the two primary buildings, Ross and Sonderling, were treated as two distinct high schools. Students from North Middle School and West Middle School went to Sonderling, while students from East Middle School and South Middle School went Ross. The graduating classes for the years 1980 through 1984 were around 700 each for Ross and Sonderling. By 1987, it had dropped to 450 each.

Brentwood High School was the site of the Maslow-Toffler School of Futuristic Education, an alternative high school, from 1974 to 1983.

In 1975, WXBA-FM, the high school radio station was founded at Brentwood High School. The concept and original creation, planning and opening launch event was that of founder "student" Robert King, with many including students, teachers, school leadership, and a number of Radio stars like Big Wilson. WXBA's first general manager became Long Island radio personality Bob Ottone, now the public address announcer for the Long Island Ducks. The initial output of WXBA was ten watts (which means that the signal barely made it three miles from the school under some conditions), then was upgraded in the summer of 1981 to 180 watts. Students would undergo a training program, usually during the summer between ninth and tenth grade, as DJ's, news readers, and engineers.

Brentwood High School established an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC) in 1977. As of the fall of 2006, it was one of only two Long Island high schools to offer the program.

The Green Machine marching band came into creation during the mid-1970s.

The Associated Press reported in 1980 that a week after the principal, Stanley P. Yankowski, instructed homeroom teachers to take down the names of students who do not stand for the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the practice was stopped after a teacher complained to the New York Civil Liberties Union

1981-1990

WXBA moved to expanded facilities in the newly built G. Guy DiPietro Learning Center during the 1988-89 school year.

The Brentwood Science Olympiad team competed in the New York State Science Olympiad tournament held at West Point on April 16, 1988. According to Newsday, "[t]he team finished second in Suffolk County, third on Long Island and 13th out of 147 schools in the State of New York."

In 1988, Brentwood's AFJROTC unit was named honor unit by the U.S. Air Force. "Only the top 20 percent of all units in the nation are considered for recognition as honor unit. In addition, Lt. Col. Arthur Bennett and Master Sgt. James Waide have been named outstanding instructors," according to a Newsday report.

Newsday, the mainstay Long Island newspaper, awarded Brentwood High School the High School of the Year Award in 1989.

1991-2000

In 1991, a plaque was hung listing military personnel who hailed from Brentwood. In 1999, 56 solar panels were installed on the Ross Building.

2001-present

In 2004, The New York Times reported that Brentwood would be one of four Long Island school districts (the others being Hempstead, Lawrence and Manhasset) that would be audited by the state comptroller in the wake of charges of theft made against school administration officials in Roslyn.

On Veterans Day in 2005, Newsday covered the dedication of a memorial to 15 graduates of the high school who had died during the Vietnam War. From top to bottom, the names and graduation years are: Richard P. Lancaster, Jr. (1960); Jose Vazquez (1963); Edward LaBarr (1964); James Seidensticker (1965); Peter Colicchio (1966); Frank Sardina (1965); Nicholas Fritz (1965); Michael Cacciuttolo (1966); Gary Guasp (1964); Daniel Hommel (1965); Joseph Funk (1964); Lawrence Soltan (1966); David Scolnick (1966); John Rosa (1968); and Thomas Wynne (1967).

In October 2006, Brentwood High School's Green Machine won in the category of Large School III at the New York State Field Band Conference in Syracuse, New York. With a score of 83.75 they defeated their rivals Walt Whitman Wildcats, and the Sachem Flaming Arrows.

On October 28, 2007, the Green Machine defended its New York State Championship in Large School III at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. For 2 consecutive years the Brentwood Green Machine has won the NYSFBC Governors Cup. They won at the Carrier Dome with a score of 86.10.

On November 16, 2008, Brentwood High School Soccer won the NYSPHSAA Boys Soccer Championship - Class AA defeating Clarence 2-1.

On June 12, 2009, Brentwood High School Softball won the NYSPHSAA Girls Softball State Championship - Class AA defeating Fairport which included Nicole Flint pitching a perfect game.

On November 1, 2009, with a score of 89.95 Brentwood Green Machine Marching Band received 2nd place in the NYSFBC. Competing in the "Large School II" category. Defeating the Huntington Blue Devils, Horsehead's Blue Raider marching band, and many others.

On December 5, 2009, the Green Machine Marching Band represented Brentwood in C.W Post's production of "BABES IN TOYLAND" at the Tilles Center in Brookville, NY.

On April 14, 2010, Brentwood High School Students Ijeamaka Anyene, William Genova, and Lauren Herrera were awarded the Bronze Medal at the International Sustainable Word Project Olympiad.

On October 31, 2010, the Green Machine Marching Band won the NYSFBC Governors Cup in Large School II at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York with a score of 90.20.

General knowledge

School Information

Brentwood High School is among the nineteen elementary and secondary schools in the Brentwood Union Free School District in Suffolk, NY. Brentwood High School educates students from grades 10-12 (9th graders attend the Brentwood Freshman Center) and also has an adult continuing education programs. According to city-data.com, the school has a total of 3532 students attending: 1371 from 10th grade, 991 from 11th grade, 806 from 12th grade, and 275 from adult continuing education. The high school has two auditoriums, two gymnasiums, and six cafeterias. The school is divided into 3 centers, Ross center, Sonderling center, Dipietro learning center. Students who came from East or South middle schools are assigned under the Ross center and students who came from West and North middle schools are assigned under the Sonderling center although students attend classes in both buildings as well as with students of either building. The Dipietro learning center holds art and music classes. It also has a weight room and a gym, as well as a lecture center.

When the middle schools were opened, they were known as junior high schools.

Sports

• Baseball (Boys Varsity/JV, Girls Varisity/JV)
• Basketball Boys Class A Long Island Champions (2004, 2014, 2015)
• Cheerleading
• Fencing Team (Boys, Girls)
• Football (Boys Varsity/JV)
• Lacrosse Frank Urso, All-American, Class of 1972, after high school went off to play at the University of Maryland and was on the hall of fame, helping the team win its second NCAA Championship in 1975.
• Soccer Boys Varsity New York State Class A Champions 1958, 1989, 2008, 2010 (undefeated).
• Softball New York State Class A Champions, 2009.
• Tennis (Boys Varsity/JV, Girls Varsity/JV)
• Winter Track (Boys and Girls)
• Spring Track (Boys and Girls)
• Volleyball (Girls Varsity/JV)
• Wrestling (Boys Varsity/JV/Youth)
• Swimming (Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity)

Notable alumni

1960-1981

• Jef Raskin (Jeffrey Frank Raskin, died Feb. 2005) widely acknowledged as the "Father of the Macintosh", a noted computer scientist and expert on the human/computer interface, inventor, conductor, artist, writer and businessman, (graduated 1960)
• Robert Gallucci, former US Ambassador at Large (1994â€"1996), currently Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University (graduated in 1962)
• Edward Webber, Suffolk County, NY Police Commissioner June 2012 to present 2014. (graduated 1964)
• Leonard H. Tower Jr., a founder of the Free Software Foundation (graduated in 1967)
• Jack Scalia, actor (graduated in 1969)
• Michelle Franqui, Miss New York State 1972 (graduated in 1971)
• Mitch Kupchak, former basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers (graduated in 1972)
• Frank Urso, member, Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Hall of Fame and National Lacrosse Hall of Fame (graduated in 1972)
• Reggie Fils-Aime, current President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America (graduated in 1979)

1981-2000

• Rahadyan Sastrowardoyo, staff editor, The New York Times (graduated in 1981)
• James "Buddy" McGirt, boxer (graduated in 1982)
• Parrish Smith, rapper; also performed as part of the group EPMD (graduated in 1986)
• Craig Mack, rapper (graduated in 1988)
• Jai Rodriguez, member of Queer Eye (graduated in 1997)
• James McGirt Jr., boxer (graduated in 2000)

See also

• Maslow-Toffler School of Futuristic Education

Notes

External links

• Official site