Roslyn High School

Roslyn High School
Roslyn High School, as viewed from Roslyn Road and Lincoln Avenue on March 4, 2020.
Location
475 Round Hill Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 United States
Information
Type	Public High School
School district	Roslyn Union Free School District
Principal	Scott Andrews
Faculty	82.01 (on an FTE basis) [1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,043 (2018–19) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	12.72 [1]
Color(s)	Blue, white
Song	"Roslyn High School Alma Mater", written by Ruth Seward and Bradford Frey
Mascot	Bulldog
Newspaper	The Hilltop Beacon
Yearbook	Harbor Hill Light
Website	www.roslynschools.org/HighSchool

Roslyn High School is a public high school in Roslyn Heights, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the only high school in the Roslyn Union Free School District, serving all of the district's students in grades 9 through 12.

History

The plaque commemorating the Mackay family's donation of the land that the school sits on.

The property that Roslyn High School sits on was donated in the 1920s by Clarence and Katherine Mackay, both famous figures in Roslyn's history. They owned a large estate in the area, known as "Harbor Hill" (of which the donated land was once part), and a plaque was created to commemorate the land donation. It was originally located in the lobby of the original school building, and is now located on the wall near the replacement building's visitor entrance. ^[2]

Additionally, Katherine Mackay was the first woman to serve on Roslyn's school board. ^[3]

Original building (1920s–1970s)

The original school building opened in 1925, designed by architect William Bunker Tubby in the Colonial Revival Style. ^{[4] [5]} It consisted of a columned main entrance, adorned on both sides by symmetrical wings. The main entrance was reached by a staircase leading from the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Roslyn Road. An extension was built off the back of the school in the 1950s during the postwar Baby boom, which stands to this day. ^[6]

The architect and the district commissioned the Olmsted Brothers to design the landscaping of the school's grounds. ^[7]

Current building (1970s–present)

The remaining section of the original school's front staircase.

Between 1970 and 1971, the original, Tubby-designed 1920s school building was demolished and replaced by the current structure, designed by Caudill Rowlett Scott. ^{[2] [5] [8]} However, there are numerous remnants of the old building that remain - most notably the middle segment of the stairway underneath the school (which made up the middle section of the original steps up to the original building's main entrance) and the main gymnasium (which was built with the original school for the same purpose). ^{[9] [ citation needed ]} Lecture Room B was the original school's auditorium, and the room behind it was the original stage. The school maintains a collection of historic photographs in "The Commons", including many of the old school. ^[10]

2004 Financial scandal

In February 2004, Rebekah Rombom, as editor-in-chief of The Hilltop Beacon, the Roslyn High School newspaper, was preparing the March issue when she was given information that a woman had stolen money from the school district two years earlier, but was allowed to resign quietly without criminal charges.

As Rombom researched the story for her newspaper, she discovered that the woman, who had embezzled at least $250,000, was Pamela Gluckin, the school district's former assistant superintendent for business, but she was told she could not use Gluckin's name in her article. She was also told that she needed to show the article to her principal and the director of community relations before publication; both read it and did not request any changes. ^[11] The publication of the article in the school's newspaper triggered a full-scale investigation that found officials had embezzled $11.2 million from the district over 8 years. Gluckin and Frank Tassone, the superintendent of the school district at the time, eventually pleaded guilty and went to prison. ^{[12] [13]}

Former Roslyn student Mike Makowsky dramatized the scandal in the 2019 HBO film Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman as Tassone and Allison Janney as Gluckin. ^[14] The film won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. ^[15]

2010s

Renovations

In the summer of 2017, the district embarked on a major renovation project at the high school, as part of a district-wide modernization initiative. ^[16] This renovation included completely gutting and renovating the first floor hallways, demolishing, replacing, and expanding the library, constructing an additional gymnasium, installing air conditioning in the world language and math/2nd floor science hallways, reconfiguring the front circle and constructing an entrance plaza (including an awning and vegetation) and security vestibule, expanding and resurfacing the faculty and student parking lots by relocating the district's bus garage to an area adjacent to one of the elementary schools, and creating a student lounge next to the school store. ^{[17] [18] [19]} Further renovations were completed during the summer of 2018. ^[20] Additionally, the center of the front circle would remain the home for one of the marble horse tamer statues from the Mackay estate, which was restored and re-dedicated on October 10, 2019. ^{[6] [21] [22]}

2020s

Science labs in Roslyn High School.

In the summer of 2021, Roslyn High School began another set of renovations, but this time with an emphasis on the science wing. Throughout the summer, Roslyn removed the older, 1970s-style science classrooms with modern, high tech rooms that encourage more in-depth science experiments and greater ease of teaching. Each classroom was equipped with three screens for teachers to project information onto and had fume hoods to allow for more advanced science raiments. Roslyn also built two new research rooms devoted to allowing students to perform natural science research projects. These multi-million dollar renovations have advanced the capacity for students to engaged in science and science-related activities at Roslyn. ^[23]

Demographics

As of the 2017–2018 school year, Roslyn High School had a total enrollment of 1,038 students, and had 87.04 full-time equivalent classroom teachers. The student/teacher ratio was 11.93-to-1. ^[24]

Below are various charts that further describe the demographics of the student body as of the 2017–18 school year, using the same public data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):

Breakdown of students, by grade:

Grade	Number of students (2017–18)
9	231
10	277
11	260
12	266
Ungraded	13

Breakdown of students, by gender:

Gender	Number of students (2017–18)
Male	553
Female	485

Notable alumni

• Arthur Agatston – developer of the South Beach Diet ^[25]
• Deborah Asnis – infectious disease specialist, discovered the first human cases of West Nile virus in the United States ^[26]
• Michael Crichton – author, film director ( The Andromeda Strain , Westworld , Congo , Jurassic Park , etc.) ^[25]
• Daniel Dorff – classical composer ^[27]
• Cheryl Machat Dorskind – fine-art photographer
• Howard Gordon – producer and screenwriter (Fox television series, 24) ^[28]
• Richard Haass – President of the Council on Foreign Relations ^[29]
• Ken Hechler – fiercely-liberal West Virginia congressman, assistant to Harry Truman ^[30]
• Paul Housberg – artist
• Jesse Itzler – musician, co-founder of Marquis Jet
• Henry Jackson – financier and founder of OpCapita
• William A. Jacobson – Cornell Law professor ^[31]
• Bobby Kotick – CEO, president, and a director of Activision Blizzard
• Edward S. Lampert – former chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings Corporation ^[32]
• Ken Langone – founder of The Home Depot, RHS class of 1953 ^[33]
• Michael Graubart Levin – New York Times best selling author and CEO, BusinessGhost
• Wendy Liebman – stand-up comedian
• Andrew Madoff – American financier and son of Bernie Madoff ^[34]
• Mark Madoff – American financier and son of Bernie Madoff ^[34]
• Chris Miller – screenwriter and National Lampoon contributor
• Frank C. Moore – artist
• Andrew M. Murstein – founder, board member, president, and largest shareholder of Medallion Financial
• David Nasaw – historian and author ^[25]
• Peter Pitegoff – Dean, University of Buffalo Law School and University of Maine Law School (2005-2015)
• Mike Pollock (1983) – voice actor ^[35]
• Michael F. Price Founder - Mutual Series Merged in to Franklin Templeton Investments in 1996^{[ citation needed ]}
• Darren Rovell – ESPN sports business reporter
• Jen Selter – fitness model
• Gregory B. Starr – UN security chief
• Judith Steinberg, M.D. – physician and wife of Howard Dean, the former Governor of Vermont (1991-2003) and DNC chair (2005-2009) ^[36]
• Gary Winnick – philanthropist, financier, and founder of Global Crossing ^[37]
• Jeff Wilpon – former COO of the New York Mets ^[38]
• Aleen Dreksler, Jordana Abraham, and Samantha Sage - founders of Betches, a digital media company

Mackay Horse Tamer statue

The restored statue in 2020.

As part of the construction of the Mackay estate, Harbor Hill , numerous statues were commissioned – including multiple marble horse tamer statues. After the Mackay estate was demolished, the statue that now resides at the high school was forgotten, only to be stumbled upon years later by a local artist, George Gách. In 1959, the district, at Gách's request, took possession of the Horse Tamer statue to ensure that it be preserved and maintained. The statue was soon restored and installed at Roslyn High School. For many years after the district took ownership, Gách continued to look after and maintain the statue. ^[6]

In 2012, the statue was temporarily removed from the school for an extensive rehabilitation, as it had been damaged by weathering and vandals. ^[6] In 2017, the school underwent an extensive modernization, and the front circle was reconfigured. A garden was created in the grassy island of the front circle, with trees, bushes and flowers, and the school’s flagpole. The restored statue was made the garden’s centerpiece, complete with a new stone pedestal. ^{[18] [19]}

The re-dedication ceremony for the restored Horse Tamer statue took place in the front circle of Roslyn High School on October 10, 2019. The ceremony included several speeches and was a major community event. ^{[6] [21] [22]}

References

1. School data for Roslyn High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 7, 2021.
2. "Our Community / Plaque Commemorates Mackay's Donation of Land for Roslyn High School". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
3. "Ceremony Celebrates Return of Horse Tamer, Roslyn UFSD. Accessed March 2, 2020.
4. Gerry, Roger (1993). Roslyn Landmark Society Annual House Tour Guide. Roslyn Landmark Society. p. 611. Architects of national reputation have continued to work in Roslyn. William Bunker Tubby, who was related to a prominent local family...
5. Gerry, Roger (1993). Roslyn Landmark Society Annual House Tour Guide. Roslyn Landmark Society. p. 611. He [William Tubby] designed three major buildings in Roslyn, all in the Colonial Revival Style. These are the Roslyn Presbyterian Church, 1928, the Roslyn National Bank and Trust Co., 1931, and the Roslyn High School, 1926. Unfortunately the latter was recently demolished to make way for the new high school.
6. "A Very Special Delivery". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
7. "Olmsted Associates Records: Job Files, 1863-1971; Files; 7328; Roslyn High School; Roslyn, N.Y., 1924-1925". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
8. "New School Plan Revealed in Roslyn". Newsday . September 27, 1967. p. 24 – via ProQuest.
9. "Roslyn High School (1925) | Projects | Roslyn Landmark Society". www.roslynlandmarks.org. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
10. "The Roslyn Times 2021 "Guide to Roslyn" features a "Then & Now" series and cover photo from the Roslyn Landmark Society". Roslyn Landmark Society. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
11. Rombom, Rebekah (27 June 2004). "On Top of the News at Roslyn High". New York Times. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
12. Vitello, Paul (2006-10-11). "Former Schools Chief of Roslyn Gets 4 to 12 Years in Fraud". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-05-15.
13. "Roslyn school district embezzlement". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
14. Kenigsberg, Ben (2020-04-23). "'Bad Education' Review: Adding Fraud to the Curriculum". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-12-15.
15. "Bad Education". Television Academy. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
16. "Bond Referendum" (PDF). Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
17. "Capital Projects / Our Capital Program". http. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
18. "Roslyn High School Site Plan". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
19. "Roslyn High School Illustration". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
20. "Update: September 2018". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
21. "Ceremony Celebrates Return of Horse Tamer". Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
22. "Horse Tamer Rededication Ceremony Program" (PDF). Roslyn UFSD. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
23. "Upgrades to Roslyn schools back under construction". The Island Now. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
24. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for ROSLYN HIGH SCHOOL". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
25. Scotchie, Joe (January 19, 2007). "Remembering a Great Writing Teacher". The Roslyn News. Archived from the original on 2013-07-18.
26. Colker, David (2015-09-21). "Deborah Asnis dies at 59; helped detect West Nile virus in U.S." Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2015-10-10.
27. Van Gelder, Lawrence (1982-04-04). "THE ANSWER WAS: BE A COMPOSER". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-01-31.
28. Gay, Verne (2016-08-12). "'24: Legacy' showrunner talks new spinoff". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
29. Zahn, Max (2017-03-29). "Richard Haass, Roslyn H.S. graduate and president of Council on Foreign Relations, releases book - Roslyn Times". The Island Now. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
30. "Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress; Hechler, Kenneth William". bioguideretro.congress.gov.
31. "Roslyn High School: Class of 1979 Reunion (31th)". Classmates.
32. "Eddie Lampert | Biography, Sears, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
33. The Harbor Hill Light Yearbook, 1953. Roslyn High School. 1953.
34. "Editorial: Greed is sometimes good on the North Shore". The Island Now.
35. "The Royal Crown Players - ALUMNI".
36. "Boston.com / News / Nation / Dean's wife focusing on career, not campaign". archive.boston.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
37. Holson, Laura M. (2000-10-12). "Fast Times at Global Crossing; Enjoying the Spotlight While Building An Upstart in Telecommunications". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-08-18. And in Roslyn High School's 1965 yearbook, he [Winnick] was dubbed 1/4 Hawaii because he and his three closest friends used to spend hours listening to the Beach Boys.
38. Toobin, Jeffrey (22 May 2011). "Madoff's Curveball". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-08-18. Jeff Wilpon went to Roslyn High School and inherited his father's passion and talent for the game...

External links

• Official website

40°47′32″N73°38′23″W / 40.79222°N 73.63972°W / 40.79222; -73.63972