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Ward Melville High School is the high school in the Three Village Central School District of Suffolk County, New York on Long Island. Serving grades 10 through 12, it is fed by the two junior high schools in the District: Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School and Robert Cushman Murphy Junior High School. It is named after businessman and philanthropist Ward Melville.

The building was originally designed to have 290,700 square feet with capacity for 2,000 students, and two new wings were recently built (in 2000) to accommodate for the growth of the student body over the years. Each of the three grades currently has approximately 560 students.

Ward Melville is a very high-ranking U.S. public school. The district provides for numerous clubs and activities after school, including notable musical/theater arts program, and most sports teams. Students at Ward Melville can select from almost all of the Advanced Placement Program courses offered nationwide. Due to the rigorous coursework available and wonderful guidance department, Ward Melville students do very well in the college process, with a number going to each of the best colleges every year. Approximately three percent of the class are awarded National Merit scholarships, and many more receive national awards from various sources.

WMHS has been recognized as a School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education and carries this designation on each student's transcript and diploma.

Located fifty miles from Manhattan in the Three Village area, Ward Melville High School (WMHS) is situated in one of the most picturesque and inviting communities of Long Island's North Shore. The presence of the State University of New York at Stony Brook affords students a unique opportunity to participate in intellectual activities and co-curricular programs. Ward Melville High School has the distinguished honor of receiving Newsday's First Place Award for Community Service. More than 90% of the 2001 graduates pursued advanced education. Ward Melville High School is recognized for its large number of National Merit Finalists and has achieved national, state and local recognition for its academic, music, athletic and arts programs.

The Guidance and Career resource Centers serves students in grades 10, 11. and 12. The Career Guidance Resource Center provides comprehensive information on careers, colleges. employment, financial aid, military services, scholarships, and summer enrichment programs. The Career Guidance Resource Center has served as a mode center for schools throughout Long Island.

Active student support services include teams of counselors, building administrators. special education teachers school nurses, speech therapists, a psychologist, a social worker, and other specialists as needed to serve al students.

The proximity of Ward Melville to the State University of New York at Stony Brook has encouraged the school to house a very strong science research program. This program annually produces many winners in the Intel Science Talent Search, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and other science competitions. The Varsity Science Olympiad team, which is entirely student-run, is one of the best in the nation. In 2006, Ward Melville tied for the greatest number of Intel Semifinalists in the United States.

The sport which has been most successful at Ward Melville is the Men's and Women's Lacrosse teams.

Curriculum Highlights

English

Ward Melville High School's English program has been recognized as a Model of Excellence by the National Council of Teachers of English for its comprehensives full year and semester elective program.

Advanced Placement - These courses are available to superior English students and comprise college level work in both literature and writing. Two college level courses are offered: A.P. Literature & Composition (grade 12) and A.P Literature & Composition (grades 11-12).

Honors - These challenging courses in grades 9-11 are for students with exceptional ability in the language arts. In-depth studies of selected authors. schools of writing and historical contexts with appropriate writing assignments and research skills are part of the curriculum. Talented writers may pursue publishing and contest opportunities through the "Independent Writing for Publication" course.

Regents (Full Year) - These courses include English 9. Sophomore English, Comprehensive and Senior English.

Regents (Electives) - A wide variety of elective courses concentrate on specific language art areas such as within speaking. literature and dramatic arts. Among the seventeen electives currently offered are Bible as Literature. World Literature, Argumentation and Debate. Acting

Workshop. Writing: Fiction and Poetry. Journalism, and Women in Literature.

Academic Intervention - Academic Intervention Service is integrated into all full year courses in grades 10 and 11 for students who require additional assistance to meet NY State graduation requirements.

Social Studies Distinguished faculty members are consistent recipients of academic fellowship and awards.

Advanced Placement - These courses are offered in American Government. American History. Comparative Government and Economics, European History. Microeconomics and Psychology are available to students in grades 10 - 12.

Honors - A ninth grade course. Global Studies I Honors is designed for students with above average ability in social studies: basic regents topics are covered in greater depth.

Regents (Full Year) - These courses include Global Studies I. Global Studies II. U.S. History and Government, and Participation in Government.

Regents (Electives) - Students have an opportunity to select from a diversity of stimulating elective courses. These electives include You and the Law I & II. Vietnam. Great Moral Issues. Critical Issues. Psychology. Mock trials and the Holocaust. College credit is available upon satisfactory completion of Economics and. Law I. through LIU, C.W. Post Campus.

Developmental - Social Studies Developmental course work at each grade level studies the topics outlined in the Regents program and emphasizes techniques and skills needed to become a successful student.

Academic Intervention - Academic Intervention Service is integrated into all full year courses in grades 10 and 11 for students who require additional assistance to meet NY State graduation requirements.

Mathematics

The academically competitive student mathematics team has won numerous state, regional and national awards.

Advanced Placement - College level courses are offered in Calculus AB, Calculus BC & Computer Science.

Honors - These challenging courses include Sequential Math III and Math I 2X. Regents (Full Year) - This is a three year New York State Regents curriculum which emphasizes logic, algebra, geometry, probability, statistics and trigonometry. Courses include Sequential Math I, II and III.

Regents (Electives) - Upon completion of 11th grade mathematics, students may pursue study in either Precalculus I, Precalculus II, Calculus, Introduction to Computer Science - Visual Basic, Statistics or Intermediate Algebra. '' Non-Regents'' - These courses include Exploring Mathematics, and Sequential Math II.

Academic Intervention - Academic Intervention Service are available to all students who do not pass NY state regents exams.

InSTAR Intel Science, Technology and Research.

This is a three year program developing students' skills in approaches to scientific research, hypothesis design an testing, and data analysis. This program culminates in the senior year with the submission of an independent mentored research project to the Intel Science Talent Search.

Science

Laboratory oriented science courses, offered at 'various student ability levels, have captured student enthusiasm, interests, and curiosity. AP and regents examination results confirm the high level of student competency.

Advanced Placement - College level courses are offered in Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C, and Environmental Science.

Honors - Courses in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics are designed for students with above average ability in science basic regents topics are covered in greater depth.

Regents (Full Year) - These courses offer strong laboratory articulation in Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Regents (Electives) - Electives include Astronomy , Forensic Science, Horticulture, Long Island Ecology, Marine Biology and Microbiology.

Non-Regents - Courses are offered in Chemistry and Unified Science.

Global Language Language Other Than English / L.O.T.E.

A well established program of Foreign Travel enhances the numerous course offerings.

Advanced Placement - College level courses in Spanish, French, German, and Latin offer intense conversational, structural and composition experiences with selected advanced readings in preparation for the Advanced Placement examinations.

Honors - Courses begin at Level IV and are offered in French, German, Latin and Spanish.

Accelerated/Honors - L.O.T.E. A. an enriched. fast paced course. is designed for those students who have completed at least a two year sequence in another foreign language. Students may continue with L.O.T.E B, where they may take a second L.O.T.E.

Comprehensive Regents This sequence is offered in French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

Regents (Full Year) - Courses are available in French, German. Latin and Spanish. Regents examinations are given at the conclusion of level III.

Art Art students actively participate in and receive meritorious recognition from local and state competitions and organizations.

Advanced Placement - A college level course in Art History is offered. Our articulation agreements with post secondary instructions grant students college credit for some art courses in specific career strands.

Honors - Portfolio Preparation is design for juniors and seniors who are interested and serious art students seeking advanced work with an art career in mind.

Regents (Full year and elective semester courses) - The comprehensive foundation courses in Studio Art. Media Art. Creative Crafts and Art History and Appreciation are supplemented with sequential courses to satisfy either a or 5 credit program of study.

Music Our music groups have continually achieved local, state and national recognition. Our Ensembles consistently earned Superior Ratings in Competition.

Honors - These courses include AP Music Theory, Camerata Singers, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Lab III and Wind Ensemble. In each course, admission is by audition only and student evaluation includes performances and rehearsals scheduled beyond school hours.

Regents (Full Year) - Courses include Choral Ensemble, Comprehensive Foundations of Music I & 11, Jazz Lab I & II, Minnechorale (audition only), Orchestra, and Symphonic Band (auditions for some people).

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Ward Melville High School include:

External links

Educational institutions established in the 1960s | High schools in New York | Suffolk County, New York

 

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