St. Thomas Aquinas High School (New Jersey) Explained

St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Streetaddress:1 Tingley Lane
County:(Middlesex County)
Zipcode:08820
Country:United States
Coordinates:40.5781°N -74.3764°W
Pushpin Map:USA New Jersey Middlesex County#USA New Jersey
Former Names:Bishop George Ahr High School
Established:1969
Principal:Harry Ziegler[1]
Principal Label1:Associate Principal
Principal1:Mark Fiore '95
Principal Label2:Vice Principal
Principal2:Robert Turco
Principal Label3:Athletics Director
Principal3:Jerry Smith
Enrollment:575 (as of 2021-22)[2]
Ratio:12.75:1
Us Nces School Id:00866669
President:Kevin Sacco
Conference:Greater Middlesex Conference (general)
Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team Name:Trojans
Newspaper:Satoma[3]
Yearbook:Insight
Tuition:$16,975 (2024-25)[4]
Colors: Scarlet and
white

St. Thomas Aquinas High School, formerly known as Bishop George Ahr High School, is a private four-year college preparatory and coeducational Roman Catholic high school for students from ninth through twelfth grades. It is located on a campus covering in the northern section of Edison, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.[5]

The school has an enrollment of 570 students and 45 classroom teachers,[6] for a student–teacher ratio of 12.75:1. Students attend the school from Middlesex, Union, Monmouth, and Somerset counties in Central New Jersey.

The administration and teaching faculty hold B.S. or B.A. degrees; a significant percentage have M.A. degrees; and some hold a Ph.D. degree. St. Thomas Aquinas High School is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education and is accredited by AdvancED.[7]

History

The school opened in 1969 as St. Thomas Aquinas High School. For the first year, the building was occupied by St. Thomas Aquinas High School on the first floor and St. Pius High School on the second floor, as St. Pius was still under construction. Originally a part of the Diocese of Trenton, St. Thomas Aquinas High School joined the newly-formed Diocese of Metuchen in 1981.

The school was renamed Bishop George Ahr High School in 1983, in honor of George W. Ahr, Trenton's longest-serving bishop.[8]

In fall 2006, a multi-million dollar addition opened, which featured a second gymnasium, two computer labs, a weight room, a new music room, and several classrooms and conference rooms.

On July 1, 2019, as part of several significant changes in honor of its 50th anniversary, the school reverted to its original name.[9]

Academics

Graduation requirements

Graduation from St. Thomas Aquinas High School requires a minimum of 130 credits.[10] Subjects required for graduation are as follows:

Theology4 years
English4 years
Mathematics4 years
Physical Education & Health4 years
Science3 years
Social Studies3 years
World Language2 years (3 recommended)
Fine Arts1 year
Computer Science1 year
Financial Literacy1 semester (senior year)
Career & College Education2 quarters (sophomore and junior years)

Course levels

St. Thomas Aquinas High School offers courses at the College Prep, Accelerated, Honors, and Advanced Placement levels.

Advanced Placement courses are offered in AP 2D Art & Design, AP Art History, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States History, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Physics B, AP Psychology, and AP Statistics.[11]

Athletics

The St. Thomas Aquinas High School Trojans[12] compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which comprises public and private high schools in the Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[13] Sports offered for men include: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, wrestling, and winter and spring track. Women's sports include: basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and winter and spring track.[12] With 510 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group II for public schools).[14] The football team competes in Division 2B of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.[15] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I for public schools) for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 64 to 223 students.[16]

The football team won the Non-Public A South state sectional championship in 1984, 1985 and 1986.[17] The 1984 team won the Parochial A South state sectional title with a 17–0 victory against Holy Cross Academy in the championship game.[18] The 1985 team finished the season with a 9–2 record after defeating Holy Spirit High School by a score of 10-6 by scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown in the Parochial A South championship game.[19] The team was champion of the Middlesex County Blue Division in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009.[20]

The girls' gymnastics team has won the team state championship in 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003–2007, 2010 and 2013; the 10 titles are the second-most of any school in the state.[21]

The boys bowling team won the overall state championship in 1995.[22]

The girls swimming team won the state Non-Public A South sectional championship in 1996, 1997 and 1998.[23] The school's swimming team won the Greater Middlesex Conference in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011.

The baseball team won the 2006 Non-Public South A sectional championship over St. Augustine, 16–15.[24]

The wrestling team won the Parochial B South state sectional title in 2007 and the PArochial A South title in 2011.[25] The team won the 2007 Non-Public South B sectional championship with a 46–27 win over Holy Cross.[26]

The softball team took the 2009 Non-Public South A sectional title, shutting out both Holy Spirit High School and Camden Catholic High School, and won the tournament final over Gloucester Catholic High School to win the team's first sectional title for nine years.[27]

The girls soccer team won the Non-Public A state championship in 2013 with a 1–0 win in the tournament final against Immaculate Heart Academy, which came into the game ranked fourth in the state by The Star-Ledger.[28] [29]

The varsity cheerleading team won the National Championship and best overall Grand Champion in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 11, 2017.[30]

Performing Arts

The St. Thomas Aquinas Drama Department oversees production of at least three full-length performances each school year[31] with opportunities throughout the year both onstage and offstage.

Fall opportunities include the “Shakespeare and the Classics” program which begins rehearsals In late summer to produce a play in mid-September. Then, in November, the department puts on another full-length play or musical. Recent Fall Productions include "Into the Woods," "Noises Off!" and "Little Shop of Horrors."

In the spring, the department presents a large-scale musical. Recent performances include "Something Rotten," "The SpongeBob Musical," and "Legally Blonde: The Musical."

The Music Department includes a Marching Band with Color Guard (the Marching Trojans), a symphonic band (the Concert Band), a mixed chorus (the Concert Choir) an a cappella group (the Director’s Select Chorus), a Liturgical band, and a jazz ensemble (the Jazz Band).[32]

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.stahs.net/about/principals_welcome Principal's Welcome
  2. https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&ID=00866669 School data for Bishop George Ahr High School
  3. https://www.stahs.net/satoma Club & Organizations
  4. http://www.stahs.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=57089&pageId=431555 Tuition and Financial Aid
  5. https://diometuchen.org/schoolfinder School Finder
  6. https://www.privateschoolreview.com/st-thomas-aquinas-high-school-profile/08820 St. Thomas Aquinas High School
  7. http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/accreditation/summary?institutionId=54197 St. Thomas Aquinas High School
  8. Web site: St. Thomas Aquinas High School. www.stahs.net. August 1, 2019. As of July 1, Bishop George Ahr High School will once again be known as St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Bishop Ahr was founded as St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 1969, and although the name was changed to Bishop George Ahr High School in 1983, we have always proudly remembered the school’s beginnings..
  9. Tufaro, Greg. "Bishop Ahr High School renamed St. Thomas Aquinas again", Courier News, Jul 1, 2019. Accessed September 24, 2020. "The leadership of Bishop George Ahr High School announced Monday that the diocesan school will return to its original name, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, effective immediately. A co-educational college preparatory school within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, founded in 1969, was renamed Bishop George Ahr High School 14 years later."
  10. Web site: Graduation Requirements . 2023-01-03 . www.stahs.net . en-US.
  11. Web site: Academic Program of Study . 2023-01-03 . www.stahs.net . en-US.
  12. https://www.njsiaa.org/bishop-ahr-high-school Bishop Ahr High School
  13. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-10/2020-2021-lc-officers-schools.pdf League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021
  14. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/general-classifications-2018-2020.pdf NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020
  15. Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
  16. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022-08/Football%20%2722%20%26%20%2723.pdf NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024
  17. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-football.pdf NJSIAA Football History
  18. Viggiano, Bob. "Bishop Ahr rolls to convincing win over Holy Cross", Courier-Post, December 2, 1984. Accessed February 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "It didn't take Bishop Ahr High School football coach Tony Aschettino long to figure out that a break or two was going to decide yesterday's South Jersey Parochial A championship game. For the first 24 minutes Bishop Ahr and Holy Cross slugged it out toe to toe. with neither giving an inch. But the second half was a different story as the visitors took advantage of a couple of breaks and rolled to the championship with a convincing 17-0 victory."
  19. Wagner, Lee. "Doctor's prescription gives Bishop Ahr championship", Courier-Post, December 8, 1985. Accessed February 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Junior running back Mike Doctor's 48-yard touchdown reception with 9:32 left led defending champion Bishop Ahr to a hard-fought 10-6 win over Holy Spirit here yesterday as the Trojans captured the South Jersey Parochial A championship. Doctor's reception brought Bishop Ahr (9-2) back from 6-3 half time deficit in a game that featured hard-hitting defense on the part of both squads."
  20. Haley, John. "Middlesex County Football Blog: All-time GMC champions chart", The Star-Ledger, November 4, 2009. Accessed October 3, 2011.
  21. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-12/19-gymnastics-history.pdf History of NJSIAA Girls Gymnastics
  22. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-bowling.pdf History of NJSIAA Boys Bowling Championships
  23. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/20-swimming-history.pdf NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History
  24. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=161273&tclass=Non-Public%2C%20South%20A 2006 Baseball - Non-Public, South A
  25. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-11/2020-wrestling-history.pdf NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History
  26. http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=200640&tclass=Non-Public%2C%20South%20B 2007 Team Wrestling Tournament - Non-Public, South B
  27. Iezzi, Bill. "Plate call pulls plug on Rams' hopes", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 3, 2009. Accessed October 3, 2011. "Ahr (24-2), the second seed, won its first sectional trophy since 2000, when its coach, Missy Magyar, was a junior playing shortstop for the Trojans.... The Trojans, who shut out Holy Spirit, 13-0, and Camden Catholic, 2-0, to advance to the final, demonstrated that they could get their bats on the ball one through nine."
  28. https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/21-girls-soccer.pdf NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer
  29. https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/article/bishop-ahr-1-at-immaculate-heart-0-njsiaa-group-tournament-final-round-non-public-a-girls-soccer/#/0 "Girls soccer: Unranked Bishop Ahr knocks out No. 4 Immaculate Heart, 1-0, for first Non-Public A title"
  30. Web site: Champs - Bishop George Ahr High School Cheerleaders. March 22, 2017. Greater Media Newspapers. March 25, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170323230951/http://www.gmnews.com/2017/03/22/champs-bishop-george-ahr-high-school-cheerleaders/. March 23, 2017. dead.
  31. http://www.stahs.net/fine_arts/drama Drama Department
  32. http://www.stahs.net/fine_arts/music Music Department
  33. http://www.edkalegi.com/Biography.html Biography
  34. http://redbgahs.enschool.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=389043&id=0 "Woodbridge Mayor Challenges BGAHS"
  35. https://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/714/About-Mayor-McCormac About Mayor McCormac
  36. Staff. "D.C. Law Firm Names Morrisey as Partner", The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains - Fanwood Times, March 11, 2004. Accessed July 4, 2018. "The former Westfield resident grew up in Edison, where he graduated from Bishop Ahr/St. Thomas Aquinas High School."
  37. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060809&content_id=1601486&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Mets sign RHP Kevin Mulvey
  38. https://www.wsulancers.com/sports/fball/2010-11/bios/popino_matt_47qv?view=profile Matt Popino
  39. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news/24897044/ "Edwards-Williams"
  40. Staff. "Darrin A. Winston, 42, of Clarksburg in Millstone Township", Asbury Park Press, August 17, 2008. Accessed September 4, 2008. "Winston, who was 42, starred at Bishop Ahr High School in Edison before moving on to Rutgers."
  41. Sullivan, William J. "Former Rutgers baseball star Darrin Winston dies of leukemia", The Star-Ledger, August 16, 2008. Accessed July 4, 2018. "Winston, a product of Bishop Ahr High School in Edison, has six children and one grandchild."

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