Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

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Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, Elizabeth, NJ.jpg
Address
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
27 Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza

Elizabeth
,
Union County
,
New Jersey
07201

United States
Coordinates 40°39′48″N74°12′39″W / 40.66333°N 74.21083°W / 40.66333; -74.21083
Information
Type Public high school
Established1928
School district Elizabeth Public Schools
NCES School ID340459003049 [1]
PrincipalMona Wanis [2]
Faculty86.0 FTEs [1]
Grades 9-12
Enrollment1,070 (as of 2022–23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio12.4:1 [1]
Campus Urban
Color(s)  Purple and
  gold
Athletics conference UCIAC
MascotThe Liberty
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools [3]
Website www.epsnj.org/jefferson

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is a public high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey in Union County in the United States, specializing in the visual, performing, and media arts. Located in historic Midtown, the school serves students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Elizabeth Public Schools.

Contents

Located across the street from Elizabeth's City Hall and the monuments of Winfield Scott Park, and Martin Luther King Jr monument, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is the oldest building of all the Elizabeth Public Schools high school academies. Jefferson Arts was first built in 1928 as an all-boys high school and named for the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. In 1977, the former Thomas Jefferson High School (for boys) merged with the newly constructed Elizabeth High School main complex; the school was renamed Thomas Jefferson House of Elizabeth High School. [4] The school is now a high school academy and the center for the district's visual and performing arts programs. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 2013. [3]

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,070 students and 86.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. There were 715 students (66.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 136 (12.7% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. [1]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was named a Model School in the Arts by the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership in 2013. [5] During the spring of 2014, the school was awarded the Healthy Schools Silver Award by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Program. [6]

Additionally, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy students have been nominated and received awards in numerous, local and regional competitions including:

The school was the 321st-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. [11] The school had been ranked 328th in the state of 328 schools in 2012. [12]

The 2016 High School Challenge Index published by The Washington Post, a continuation of high-school rankings formerly published in Newsweek, identified Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy as the 46th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 statewide; the school was ranked No. 1157 nationally. [13]

Curriculum

Students enrolled in the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy complete both a college preparatory academic curriculum, as well as a studio program in the visual, performing or media arts. The school's curriculum is geared toward preparing students for postsecondary education and developing their creative talents. [14] The school's academic program includes:

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy's Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges. Specially designed for students who may need academic support or who may be the first in their families to attend college, students in the AVID program participate in a daily elective course that offers academic support and college preparation. AVID students also engage in regular tutorials, college preparation sessions and trips, career readiness experiences, and other activities to support their academic and personal growth. Participation in the AVID program is by application only.

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy offers five studio programs in the arts. These include:

Graduation requirements

Graduation requirements for students at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy include:

The Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy website offers more details about graduation requirements and course sequence. [15]

Admissions

Each studio program at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy requires an audition and entry interview. Requirements include the following:

Audio and Visual Media . Students create a short video explaining why they wish to study media and television production. This video may be submitted by mini-DV tape, DVD, or uploaded electronically by directions explained at the audition. All videos must be labeled clearly with full name, ID number, and present school. Genuine interest and creativity should be highlights of this video. Cameras are available at audition sessions for those who wish to create a video on-site.

Creative Writing . Students prepare a portfolio that includes three poems, one work of fiction and a reflection page. The poems should be of substantial length (at least 15 lines). The work of fiction may be a first draft, but must be of considerable ambition or length (at least 400-500 words). The reflection is an overall response on students' goals, current works in progress, and previous literary and writing experiences.

Performing arts . After an interview, students select an audition focus:

Theater . Students perform a one- to three-minute memorized monologue (i.e. a speech made by one person portraying a character and directed at the audience; the performer may pretend that the audience is the other character). Monologues may be dramatic or comedic. The audition focuses on how well the performer portrays a character while delivering the monologue. Students are asked to refrain from dressing in costume or bringing props for auditions.

Visual arts . Students submit a portfolio of original artwork including at least five pieces that show evidence of visual experience and demonstration of artistic strengths and talents, including the capacity for learning different media. Portfolio pieces and sketch books should display a student's abilities with use of color, composition, two-dimensional and three-dimensional concepts, creativity, tone, and presentation. They may be original or representational drawings from life demonstrating ability for entry into Drawing & Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Creative Crafts, and Graphic Design concentrations.

Athletics

Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy students participate in sports that represent all Elizabeth high school academies under the banner of the Elizabeth Minutemen. [16] Elizabeth athletic teams compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, a high school sports association that operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). [17] With 5,049 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. [18]

Administration

The school's principal is Mona Wanis. Her core administration team includes three vice principals. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 School data for Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Contact Us, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy. Accessed March 3, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ Horowitz, Ben. "Elizabeth Awaits Coed High School", The New York Times , July 10, 1977. Accessed July 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ Model Schools in the Arts, New Jersey Arts Education Partnership. Accessed March 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ Alliance for a Healthier Generation. https://schools.healthiergeneration.org
  7. ↑ Music in the Parks. http://www.musicintheparks.com
  8. ↑ MSU Theatre Night Awards. http://www.montclair.edu/arts/theatre-and-dance/productions-and-events/theatre-night-awards/
  9. ↑ Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards. http://www.papermill.org/education/rising-star-awards/about-rising-star-awards.html
  10. ↑ TCNJ K-12 Student Art Exhibition. http://tcnjartgallery.pages.tcnj.edu/2013/06/02/k-12-juried-student-art-exhibition-opens-june-2-100-300
  11. ↑ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly , September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  12. ↑ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2012. Accessed November 24, 2014.
  13. ↑ "America's Most Challenging High Schools". apps.washingtonpost.com. 2016. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy - Studio Programs". Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  15. ↑ jefferson.epsnj.org
  16. ↑ Elizabeth High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. ↑ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  18. ↑ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
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