Curtis High School

History

Curtis High School is named after nationally prominent Republican writer and orator George W. Curtis, who lived nearby. The school was the first public building built following the consolidation of Greater New York. It was part of a plan to erect a major high school in each of the outlying boroughs, with Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, Morris High School in the Bronx, and Flushing High School in Queens being the other three. It was designed by the architect C. B. J. Snyder. The cornerstone was laid in 1902, it was completed and opened 1904. The original building of brick and limestone is dominated by a large square turreted tower inspired by English medieval models. The first principal was Columbia graduate Oliver Durfee Clark, who served 1904 to 1906. The second principal (1906–1912) was Harry Freeman Towle, a graduate of Dartmouth College. Additions were made to the building in 1922, 1925 and 1937. John M Avent (Columbia Graduate, author) was principal from 1924 to the late 1940s. Curtis was designated a New York City Landmark on October 12, 1982. The gym and cafeteria wings were added at a later date as additions to the original building's neo-Gothic architecture.

Academics

Curtis offers an International Baccalaureate Scholarship Honors programs IB-DP and IB-CP with accelerated curriculum and Advanced Placement courses, and courses include nursing, NJROTC, performing arts, visual arts, business/computer institute, CoOp, human and legal studies, and journalism.

Extracurricular activities

Curtis offers a robotics team, National Honor Society, chess club, Key Club, black and Hispanic awareness clubs, film club, Moot Court, the Curtis Players, jazz band, orchestra, dance, symphonic band, the Curtis Log (newspaper), Crosswinds (yearbook), math team, criminal law and justice mentoring program, peer mediation and conflict resolution programs.

Sports

Curtis fields over thirty varsity teams, including a swimming team, as well as golf, bowling, volleyball, soccer, basketball, wrestling baseball/softball, tennis, track/cross country, gymnastics, lacrosse and football teams. In addition, Curtis club teams include boys' varsity and junior varsity, and girls' varsity Ultimate teams. The Curtis High School Track was named after Abel Kiviat and the Baseball Field was renamed Bobby Thomson Field in 2007

Enrollment

Curtis has a total enrollment of about 3,006 and is open to residents of New York City entering either ninth or tenth grade. Enrollment requirements vary depending on which of the ten "houses" the student is going to be enrolled. There are zoned programs where enrollment is based mostly on geography, with Staten Island residents having priority over all other boroughs. Within Staten Island, geographical areas closer to the school have priority over all other areas of Staten Island. Most other programs rely either on the prospective student's grades and city standardized tests or specialized enrollment tests.

The school's population is 38% African American, 31% Hispanic, 22.9% White and 7.5% Asian.

Feeder patterns and admissions

All New York City students entering high school must apply to schools, as there are no zoning boundaries for high schools in New York City. Only special zoned programs have geographical restrictions whereby certain areas of Staten Island have priority over all of the rest of New York City.

Notable alumni

Parental support

Parents collaborate with the school's administration and its staff through monthly PTA meetings, PTA newsletters, School Leadership Team meetings, Gear-Up, Principal's Consultative Council, Health Fair, HIV AIDS Team, and the football, track, robotics and performing arts parents clubs.

Community support

Partnerships:

• Liberty Partnership Mentoring Program (CSI)
• Gear-Up
• Discovery Institute (CSI)
• Brooklyn Polytechnic University Center for Youth in Engineering and Science
• Curtis HS Career Connections
• Global Ambassadors
• Corporations:
  • Infinity Broadcasting
  • MIX 102.7 FM
  • O’Melveny & Myers Law Firm
• Higher education institutions:
  • College of Staten Island
  • St. John's University
• Cultural/arts organizations:
  • Snug Harbor
• Community-based organizations:
  • NYCID
  • Liberty Partnership
  • P.A.S.S.
• Hospital outreach:
  • Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home
  • Staten Island University Hospital
  • St. Vincent's Hospital
  • Egger Nursing Home
• Financial institutions:
  • Federal Reserve Bank Mentoring Program

Schoolwide awards and recognition

• 7-time PSAL Girls' Bowling Championship
• 13-time PSAL Boys' Cross Country City Championship (1928, 1929, 1930 [nationals], 1931, 1933, 1935, 1938)
• 8-time PSAL Boys' Football Championship (1998, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2016, 2017,2024)
• 3-time PSAL Boys' Golf City Championship
• 2-time PSAL Girls' Cross Country City Championship
• 3 time Boys' PSAL Indoor Track City Championships, (first one in 1909 with help of Olympic Silver medal winner Abel Kiviat),1928
• Boys' PSAL Bowling Championship
• Girls' PSAL Basketball "A" City Championship (2011, 2012, 2013)
• Girls' PSAL Golf City Championship
• 2-time Girls' PSAL Lacrosse City Championship (2015, 2016)
• Boys' PSAL Lacrosse City Championship (2016)
• Boys' PSAL Basketball "A" City Championship
• Boys' PSAL Wrestling "A" City Championship
• 4-time Girls' PSAL Wrestling Championship (2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
• Boys' PSAL Soccer Championship (1915, 1917)
• Boys' PSAL Baseball Championship (1943, 1961, 1962)
• Boys' PSAL Tennis Singles Championship (1917)
• Boys' Lacrosse Semi Finals NYC (1915,2017,2019)

Other

Curtis alumn Jason Defazio was killed on 9/11. He worked on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center at Cantor Fitzgerald.

References

References

1. (2011). "Curtis High School". SchoolDigger.
2. (April 21, 2016). "Father Capodanno Biography".
3. (20 November 2021). "Remembering an 18-year-old Staten Islander who died in a 'gallant, one-man attack' during WWII".
4. "Jeb Stuart Magruder – Curtis High School Association of Alumni & Friends".
5. (27 March 2009). "2nd annual Mitzvah Awards set for May 4".
6. "Bioguide Search".
7. "Loring McMillen – Curtis High School Association of Alumni & Friends".
8. (2 December 2009). "'Bad Girls Club' Season 4 premiere recap (video): Staten Island in da house".
9. "The Giver Summary".
10. (27 March 2011). "Amy Vanderbilt, arbiter of social graces, began her career at the Staten Island Advance".
11. "Emily Genauer's Criticism Published for the First Time on Pulitzer.org".
12. (16 October 2018). "Renowned interior designer, Mario Buatta: 'The Prince of Chintz' dies at 82".
13. (19 September 2019). "Vintage photos of Staten Island public high school students".
14. (15 May 2015). "How old do they look? (Staten Island edition)".
15. (26 December 2022). "See yourself in any of these 34 vintage photos from Curtis High School?".
16. "Discography – Richie Castellano".
17. "David O. Stewart – Curtis High School Association of Alumni & Friends".
18. (5 October 2012). "Michael Henry Heim, Literary Translator, Dies at 69".
19. (4 August 2013). "Staten Island soccer legend Jack Hynes dead at 92".
20. "Frank Fernandez".
21. "James Jenkins Stats, Position, College, Transactions".
22. "Dominique Easley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College".
23. "Halil Kanacevic College Stats".
24. (27 March 2011). "Our only Olympic Medalist got his start at Curtis HS".
25. "Hassan Martin College Stats".
26. "Hank Majeski Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
27. "Steve Gregory Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College".
28. "Mouhamadou Gueye Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more".
29. "Vernon Turner Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College".
30. "Anthony Varvaro Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".
31. "Shemiah LeGrande - Football".
32. (3 June 2022). "'Zay Day' -- Local hoops star Isaiah Wilkerson hosting community celebration to end gun violence".
33. "Irv Constantine Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College".
34. "Terry Crowley".
35. "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Elmer Ripley".