Wikipedia

Union City High School (New Jersey)

Union City High School is a four-year[2] comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Union City, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Union City Board of Education. The four-story[10] school is located between Kennedy Boulevard and Summit Avenue, from 24th to 26th Street, with additional facilities a block south on Kerrigan Avenue.[2] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools through July 2023.[8]

Union City High School
Address
Map
2500 Kennedy Boulevard

Union City
,
Hudson County
,
New Jersey
07087

United States
Coordinates40°46′13″N 74°02′11″W / 40.7703°N 74.0363°W / 40.7703; -74.0363
Information
TypePublic high school
EstablishedSeptember 2008; 16 years ago (2008-09)[1]
School districtUnion City School District
NCES School ID341638003059[5]
PrincipalRyan Lewis[4]
Faculty179.0 FTEs[5]
Grades9-12[2][3]
Enrollment3,025 (as of 2022–23)[5]
Student to teacher ratio16.9:1[5]
Color(s)  Navy blue
  silver and
  white[6][7]
Athletics conferenceHudson County Interscholastic League (general)
North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Team nameSoaring Eagles[6]
RivalNorth Bergen High School
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[8]
NewspaperThe Egalitarian[9]
Websiteuchs.ucboe.us

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 3,025 students and 179.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 16.9:1. There were 2,161 students (71.4% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 346 (11.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[5] Based on 2021-22 data from the New Jersey Department of Education, it was the second-largest high school in the state (behind Passaic County Technical Institute) and one of 29 schools with more than 2,000 students.[11]

The school administratively formed in 2008, with athletic teams combined, but for the first year the students were still at their former buildings. Its current building opened in September 2009, at that time merging the student bodies of the city's prior two high schools, Union Hill High School and Emerson High School, and marking the first high school opened in the city in 90 years.[12] The school, which was built on the site of the former Roosevelt Stadium, cost $180 million, covers 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) and includes a rooftop football field.[13] The school's colors are navy blue and silver.[7]

Grade structure

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The Academy for Enrichment and Advancement

Union City High School holds Freshman through Senior students.[3] The Academy for Enrichment and Advancement (AEA), which is housed one block south on Kerrigan Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets, is a special interest academy that is part of the high school. The AEA provides classes for students of grades 9 - 12 who show interest in the fields of science and engineering,[14][15] and served as an alternative to José Martí Freshman Academy, which most ninth graders attended at the time.[16]

Since its inaugural school year, Union City High School has offered college-level courses to students, and through its partnerships with nearby colleges and universities, increased the number of such courses for the 2010–2011 school year, enabling students to accumulate up to 12 - 15 college credits by graduation that can be transferred to New Jersey public colleges.[17] In addition to Liberal Arts courses, students can take advanced placement biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy & physiology, forensic science, robotics, geometry, algebra 2, and calculus at the AEA. Students preparing for civil engineering and architecture careers can take pre-engineering, computer networking and computer aided design (CAD) at the AEA. The AEA offers a course in Mandarin Chinese added in 2016,[18][19] making it one of the few high schools in New Jersey to do so.[20] As of 2021, the Advanced Placement participation rate in the school was 13%.[21] The Academy was so successful that the student body outgrew the building. To meet their needs, the city converted José Martí Freshman Academy into José Martí STEM Academy, beginning with the September 2019 semester, which saw 700 students in grades 9-12 enter the school the first time. So great was demand that 500 students applied for the 130 spaces available for the following year's freshman class.[16]

History

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The site on which Union City High School sits was acquired by the city in the 1930s, having originally been the location of the Hudson County Consumers Brewery Company, which opened in 1901 and closed in 1928.[22] Through the efforts of Director of Public Affairs Harry J. Thorout and the Federal Works Progress Administration, which awarded the project $172,472, as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, it was turned into the art deco Roosevelt Stadium, which opened in 1937.[23] Though primarily a football stadium that served as a home to future National Football League greats Lou Cordileone and Frank Winters and College Football Hall of Famer Ed Franco, the stadium also housed events in semi-pro baseball, soccer, track, boxing, as well as numerous special events, such as an exhibition baseball game featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.[24] Roosevelt Stadium was also the home to the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Game between rivals Emerson High School and Union Hill High School, the two high schools that previously served the city. The last Turkey Game was hosted by the stadium in 2004.[23] Three subsequent Turkey Games were held at the Midtown Athletic Complex until 2007, after which the two high schools would be converted into middle schools.[7] José Martí Middle School, which is located on Summit Avenue at 18th Street, was converted into José Martí Freshman Academy.

 
Commencement ceremony for the school's first graduating class, June 23, 2010. At the podium is New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Roberto A. Rivera-Soto, giving the keynote speech.

On July 11, 2005, acting New Jersey Governor Richard Codey and Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack, along with other officials, broke ground in preparation for the new complex, budgeted at $180 million, of which $172 million was provided by the state, with Union City providing the remaining $8 million, making it one of the most expensive schools in New Jersey.[7][13] Cliffside Park-based RSC Architects, in partnership with architecture firm HOK New York, designed the 360,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) school, which includes 66 classrooms. Piscataway-based Epic Management served as the construction manager for the project.[25] In early March 2006, a large piece of the Hudson Brewery's original brick foundation was found intact, along with the base of a manhole still connected to an original sewer that opened underneath the brewery. The artifacts were removed for historic preservation.[26]

The merger of the two high schools into Union City High took place in July 2008, but due to a delay in the building process, for the subsequent school year classes remained at the predecessor school buildings, now Union City South (Emerson) and Union City North (Union Hill); students retained the same teachers at their respective campuses. The athletic teams however combined in 2008.[1] The Union City High School building opened for students on September 3, 2009,[27] marking the first high school built in Union City in 90 years.[12] The school's inaugural principal was David Wilcomes.[28] A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on September 25, and attended by Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and Senator Bob Menendez.[12][29] A subsequent opening gala was held September 26, and featured appearances from celebrities such as Harry Carson of the New York Giants and actor and Union Hill High School graduate Bobby Cannavale, and a performance by musician Tito Puente Jr.[30] A performance by Cuban singer Cucu Diamantes was cancelled by the city's Board of Education, causing controversy. The Board cancelled the performance in response to threats of protest by anti-Castro activists over Diamantes' performance in a concert in Havana, Cuba days earlier.[31][32]

 
The Student Sanctuary, seen shortly after it opened

The commencement ceremony for the school's first graduating class was held on June 23, 2010. Delivering the keynote speech to the 600-plus graduates was New Jersey State Associate Supreme Court Justice Roberto A. Rivera-Soto.[33][34] Subsequent commencement keynotes have been delivered by Judge Esther Salas,[35] and former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey.[36]

On October 28, 2011, the city broke ground on the school's $930,000, state-funded Student Sanctuary, a 16,900-square-foot (1,570 m2), triangular landscaped pedestrian plaza in front of the school at the corner of Kennedy Boulevard at 24th Street. On December 18, 2012, the school's 50-year time capsule was filled with items representing the school and then buried on the Sanctuary grounds, with a scheduled opening in 2061. The Sanctuary, which was designed by Becica Associates L.L.C., Borst Landscape and Design, and Environmental Resolutions Inc., was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 22, 2013, marking the completion of the school. It features a small amphitheater, a rain garden, a functioning waterfall, a fountain, brick-paved walkways, patios, and more than 100 different species of all-season shrubs and grasses, which provide research opportunities for the school's environmental sciences classes and its horticultural and environment clubs. The amphitheater is wired to host performances and other events.[37][38]

Faculty and staff

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Former athlete Otis Davis, who won two gold medals in track and field events at the 1960 Summer Olympics, works at Union City High School as coach, mentor, and verification officer.[39][40]

In July 2012, ESL teacher Kristine Nazzal was named Hudson County's 2012-13 Teacher of the Year by the New Jersey Department of Education. Nazzal was among 300 teachers who appeared on the September 23, 2012, episode of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams to discuss issues pertaining to education.[41][42]

In October 2015, Kimberly Moreno, who teaches anatomy, physiology and other health science courses at the school as part of a partnership with Rutgers University, was one of 40 educators in the United States awarded the Milken Educator Award, which gives $25,000 USD to early- to mid-career educators who demonstrate excellence in education, and potential for future accomplishments.[43]

Academic achievements

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UCHS teacher Kristine Nazzal, who was named Hudson County Teacher of the year in 2012, getting her copy of Improbable Scholars signed by Professor David L. Kirp at an event held at the school. In the book, Kirp spotlights Union City's education system, in particular UCHS.

The school was the 301st-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.[44] The school had been ranked 323rd in the state of 328 schools in 2012.[45] The magazine ranked the two predecessor schools 271st (Emerson) and 285th (Union Hill) out of 322 public high schools statewide, in the magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 288th (Emerson) and 233rd (Union Hill) in 2008 out of 316 public high schools statewide.[46]

University of California, Berkeley Professor David L. Kirp, in his 2011 book, Kids First, and his 2013 book, Improbable Scholars, praised Union City's education system for bringing poor, mostly immigrant children (three quarters of whom live in homes where only Spanish is spoken and a quarter of whom are thought to be undocumented and fearful of deportation) into the educational mainstream. Kirp, who spent a year in Union City examining its schools, notes that while in the late 1970s, Union City schools faced the threat of state takeover, as of 2013 they boast achievement scores that approximate the statewide average. Kirp also observes that in 2011, Union City boasted a high school graduation rate of 89.5 percent — roughly 10 percentage points higher than the national average, and that in 2012, 75 percent of Union City graduates enrolled in college, with top students winning scholarships to the Ivy League.[28][47] Kirp attributes Union City's success to among other things, the positive educational atmosphere of Union City High School generated by educators such as principal John Bennetti.[47][48][49] Deborah Short of the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C. singled out the school's initiatives, saying that the Union City High School "has created a culture that respects differences and promotes learning. The school expects its students to do well and it gives them lots of support."[50]

Facilities

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A science classroom equipped with an overhead projector and a SMART Board

The 360,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) school houses 66 classrooms equipped with Mac computers, automatic lights, SMART Boards[51] and Wi-Fi to enable students to use Laptop computers in their studies.[2][30]

The arts are served by two art class rooms devoted to painting, sculpture and pottery,[2] sewing machine-equipped rooms for fashion classes, television production facilities,[10] and three music classrooms, each of which is equipped with grand pianos.[52] Dancers have two separate rooms with floor to ceiling mirrors and ballet bars. The school's cafeteria is located on the second floor.[2]

The school's gym includes bleachers that seat 1,800 people, and a weight room accessible directly from the gym.[52] Elsewhere on the first floor is an aerobics room that houses cardio exercise machines.[12][25]

A centrally located Media Center is located on the first floor and includes dozens of Mac computers.[12] Although it was initially suggested to name the room after Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and United States Poet Laureate W. S. Merwin, who grew up in Union City,[53] it was eventually named for former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey.[12] It is located next to the outdoor Senior Courtyard. An American flag that stands in that courtyard, when raised, overlooks the athletic field.[2] The Media Center is also used for community functions, such as an April 2011 book signing by Professor David L. Kirp.[54]

The school's centerpiece is its 3-acre (1.2 ha) athletic field, called the Eagle's Nest, located on the second-floor roof,[55] an idea modeled on a field situated on top of a parking garage on the campus of Georgetown University.[56] The field features skyline views of the Empire State Building and Midtown Manhattan. The architecture of the athletic complex, which cost $15 million, was designed to resemble the former Roosevelt Stadium, which previously occupied the site. A number of classrooms on the third and fourth floors overlook the field, which rests on two floors of steel and reinforced concrete. The field's bleachers seat 2,100 spectators. The field's on-campus location eliminates not only the students' prior need to walk or be bussed from school to a separate location to play, but the need for the two prior schools to share the field. Although the merger of the former Union Hill Hillers and Emerson Bulldogs had experienced some difficulties a year prior when the students were still housed at separate high schools (called Union City High School's North and South campuses, respectively), the merge had been ameliorated by the move of the unified student body to the single new school.[2][7][10][25][57][58] The athletic facility has been singled out as one of the most unusual in the United States.[56][57][59][60] It was included in MaxPreps' 2012 list of "10 more high school football stadiums to see before you die".[55] Due to the athletic field's unique location, it deals with unusual logistical challenges, such as balls that land on the streets surrounding the school; space limitations that place the band close to the visitors' sideline, thus making it sometimes difficult to hear; and games that are interrupted by school fire drills.[56]

 
The school's 910-seat auditorium, which also serves as the Union City Performing Arts Center

The school's 910-seat auditorium also serves as the Union City Performing Arts Center. The Center opened on October 16, 2009 with a celebration that featured an art gallery of over 160 paintings, as well as performances by a number of musicians, poets and dancers. Included in the performances were a guitar solo by Francisco "Pancho" Navarro, who appeared in 2002 Salma Hayek film Frida, a dance performance by Tap Ole Dance Company that was choreographed by Megan Fernandez, who had appeared on the reality television program America's Got Talent, and a poetry reading by Graciela Barreto, who had been named poet laureate of Union City in September.[61][62] Drama classes are aided with a separate black box theater for small productions, which doubles as a community conference center.[2] Public events used by the auditorium including the 2010 swearing-in ceremony for Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack,[63] and the Union City International Film Festival, the first one of which was held in December 2010.[64] The school's athletic field and auditorium are made available to local residents in order to utilize the school as a community center for the city.[7]

The federally funded, social services nonprofit group, North Hudson Community Action Corporation's (NHCAC) pediatric health center, which is housed in the building, opened in early July 2010, in order to allow the corporation's facilities on 31st Street to expand its women's health and internal medicine capacity. The center was opened in July so that the patient flow could be monitored when students were not in school, in order to determine how to integrate the center's operations with the school's, educate students on managing their health, and allow them to utilize its services in order to decrease health-related absenteeism, once the school session resumed.[65] Union City Superintendent of Schools Stanley Sanger indicated that eventually, health screenings would be provided to all Union City students.[17] NHCAC runs a health screening facility six days a week by two doctors. The facility has a separate entrance/exit from the street, and is closed off to the rest of the school.[2] The 2,286-square-foot (212.4 m2) full pediatric facility includes four private examination rooms and an on-site laboratory. It is open to low-income Hudson County families and sees approximately 20-25 patients 18 and under daily, charging sliding scale fees for its services, though NHCAC President and city commissioner Christopher Irizarry expressed hopes to eventually increase that capacity to 50 patients a day. It is the third of NHCAC's ten such facilities in North Hudson, New Jersey to implement electronic health record-keeping, which allows patients to schedule appointments online, see doctors more quickly and facilitate quicker lab results and filling of prescriptions at pharmacies.[65]

The staff's parking garage, built a block south of the school, also serves nearby residents and business.[25]

Athletics

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The school's athletic field, called the Eagle's Nest, is located on the second floor roof.

The Union City High School Soaring Eagles[6] compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic League, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in North Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[66] Prior to the 2010 realignment, the school had been assigned to the North Jersey Tri-County Conference for the 2009-10 season.[67][68] With 2,713 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.[69] The football team competes in the Liberty Red division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[70][71] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,317 to 5,409 students.[72]

Union City High school fields interscholastic teams in football, wrestling, basketball, soccer, volleyball, bowling, baseball, cross county, swimming, softball, bowling, tennis and track and field.[6][73]

Union City High School's first head football coach was Joe Rotondi,[7][68] previously the coach at Union Hill High School,[58] who was appointed to the position when that school merged with Emerson High School for the 2008-09 season. Due to a less successful than anticipated record (5–5 in 2008 and 3–7 in 2009), he was replaced by former James J. Ferris High School coach Wilbur Valdez in early 2010.[74] Since opening, the school developed a rivalry with North Bergen High School, with Union City leading 6–4 through 2017. NJ.com listed the rivalry at number 30 on its 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football".[75] The Eagles went on to play the North I Group V sectional state finals against Montclair High School losing 35–14 in 2017[76] and losing to Piscataway High School 28-7 in 2018 in the North II Group V finals.[77] The team won their first North II Group V state sectional title in 2023 with a 24–17 against Phillipsburg High School in the championship game played at Maloney Stadium.[78]

The boys basketball team won the North I Group IV sectional final against Hackensack High School in a 58–54 victory in 2019, coming back from an 18-point deficit to win the program's first title.[79] The Soaring Eagles also won the 2019 Hudson County Tournament vs. Marist High School by a score of 64-55.[80]

The boys soccer team won the Hudson County Tournament final in 2018 against Harrison High School by a 4–1 score as the 13th-seed team in the tourney.[81]

Administration

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The school's principal is Ryan Lewis. His core administration team includes three assistant principals.[4]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b Hack, Charles (April 16, 2008). "New Union City High School building delayed until 2009". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thorbourne, Ken. "Eagles ready to soar at new Union City High School", Archived January 13, 2023, at the Wayback Machine The Jersey Journal, August 30, 2009. Accessed February 9, 2017. "When Union City students enter the big first floor atrium with the huge Soaring Eagles logo on the floor Thursday Sept. 3, they better have a map or a hand-held GPS device to help find their way through the new, nearly $200 million high school. Tenth through 12th grade students will attend Union City High School on Kennedy Boulevard, from 24th to 28th streets."
  3. ^ a b Schwartz, Art. "Back to school in Union City; Kids, teachers gear up this week", The Hudson Reporter, September 1, 2013. Accessed February 9, 2017. "Union City High School (Grades 10 – 12)"
  4. ^ a b Administration, Union City High School. Accessed February 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e School data for Union City High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Union City High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Hu, Winnie. "A Fine New Field Lifts Spirits", The New York Times, September 11, 2009. Accessed June 3, 2016. "Both end zones display 'Union City' in the school colors, navy and silver."
  8. ^ a b Union City High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed December 31, 2022.
  9. ^ The Egalitarian, Union City High School. Accessed March 9, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "HOK Partners with RSC Architects on Union City, N.J. School", Contract magazine, November 18, 2009. (subscription required)
  11. ^ Kausch, Katie. "N.J.’s biggest high school has 3,350 students. See how your school compares.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 31, 2023. Accessed August 31, 2023. "Another 28 New Jersey schools have at least 2,000 students, according to 2021-2022 enrollment data released by the state Department of Education.... 2. Union City High School Number of students: 2,980"
  12. ^ a b c d e f Pizarro, Max. "Stack honors McGreevey at new high school opening", New York Observer, October 3, 2009. Accessed February 9, 2017. "'No one was a bigger advocate for Union City than Governor McGreevey and we should never forget that,' Stack told the massive crowd, mobilized for a Stack-led walk-through of the massive $200 million facility on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, the first high school built in Union City in 90 years."
  13. ^ a b Hu, Winnie. "After 88 Years of Rivalry, the Last as Us and Them", The New York Times, November 22, 2007. Accessed August 28, 2017. "But today's so-called Turkey Game signals the end of the tradition. Next fall, the two schools will merge in a new $176 million building.... The new Union City High School takes up four-and-a-half acres in the center of the city, squeezed between row houses and commercial strips. It will have a football field and bleachers built on the roof so that players will no longer have to share the facilities at José Martí Middle School."
  14. ^ Academy for Enrichment and Advancement, Union City High School. Accessed February 9, 2017. Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "REGISTERED SCHOOLS 2009 as of 11-16-2009", New Jersey Science League. Accessed June 3, 2013. Archived October 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ a b West, Teri (June 3, 2020). "Union City's José Martí STEM Academy makes a mark in its first year". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Diaz, Lana Rose. "School days are here again: UC students will return to class on Sept. 9", The Hudson Reporter, September 5, 2010. pp. 1 and 14. "Sanger said that the district has built upon its partnerships with nearby colleges and universities to provide more college level courses to high school juniors and seniors. 'They can move towards their high school diploma and garner college credits', said Sanger. 'So it is very possible for Union City High School students to leave with 12-15 college credits without any cost to them that are transferable to many colleges in New Jersey.'"[dead link‍]
  18. ^ World Languages, Union City High School. Accessed August 28, 2017.
  19. ^ Dia, Hannington. "What's new at schoolUC, WNY kids talk about returning; Mandarin language to be offered in UC", The Hudson Reporter, September 4, 2016. Accessed August 28, 2017. "Elementary and high school students in Union City can also look forward to a new Mandarin Chinese language program."[dead link‍]
  20. ^ Rundquist, Jeanette (May 3, 2009). "More N.J. schools teach Mandarin Chinese". NJ.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  21. ^ "Overview of Union City High School". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  22. ^ Rosero, Jessica (March 19, 2006). "There's beer down there! Construction on high school unearths brewery foundation". The Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023. Hudson County Consumers Brewery Co. first opened during the summer of 1901 at 481-515 Summit Ave., West Hoboken (now Union City), just off of Hudson Boulevard (now Kennedy Boulevard).... With the outlawing of alcohol, the brewery turned to manufacturing ice but then it closed in 1928. Afterwards, the property was acquired by the city of Union City in the early 1930s and the brewery was leveled to make room for the famed Roosevelt Stadium, which first opened in 1937 and served as the site of the popular annual Thanksgiving football game between Union Hill and Emerson high schools."
  23. ^ a b Rosero, Jessica. "Farewell to historic stadium Union Hill, Emerson play final matchup at celebrated facility", The Hudson Reporter, December 14, 2004. Accessed February 9, 2017. "A tradition that has spanned eight decades, the annual Thanksgiving Day Game between Emerson High School and Union Hill High School has always been the culmination of the football season for Union City. This year's game, however, also marked a special place in the town's history, as it was the last Thanksgiving game to be played at the famed Roosevelt Stadium.... The WPA granted $172,472 for the stadium, and in 1936 employed 350 men to begin the construction. On Nov. 12, 1937, city, county and state officials gathered with about 11,000 people to dedicate the new stadium, which had been referred to as the 'Depression Baby.'"[dead link‍]
  24. ^ Hague, Jim. "Scoreboard: The end of an era in Union City" Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, December 7, 2004. Accessed June 11, 2024. "Over the years, it housed some great events, like an exhibition baseball game that featured a traveling bunch of vagabond ball players by the names of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Or the time a Cuban baseball team played a game of solidarity and goodwill, with appearances from legendary Hispanic performers like Tony Oliva, Minnie Minoso and Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. There were tractor pulls and car shows over the years, carnivals and concerts. There were ceremonies and graduations, political rallies and religious celebrations."
  25. ^ a b c d Lee, Evelyn. "Union City High School project nears completion", NJBiz, September 11, 2009, copied at RSC Architects. Accessed February 9, 2017. Archived February 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Rosero, Jessica. "There's beer down here! Construction on high school unearths brewery foundation", Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, March 21, 2006. Accessed June 10, 2024. "The stadium has since been demolished, and the remaining foundation and manhole will probably be removed, but while construction crews continue to excavate the site, officials will be on the lookout for other hidden treasures for preservation."
  27. ^ Rappaport, Melissa. "Back to school; New buildings, new amenities for 2009" Archived June 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, August 30, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Cullen, Deanna. "Seeds for Success: UCHS to graduate Ivy League-bound students" Archived 2017-08-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, May 8, 2011. Accessed June 10, 2024. "Much of the credit goes to the woman with, as Principal David Wilcomes puts it, 'the formula' – science teacher and Project SEED mentor Nadia Makar."
  29. ^ Thorbourne, Ken. "Music stars to help celebrate new Union City High School", The Jersey Journal, September 30, 2009. Accessed February 9, 2017.
  30. ^ a b Rappaport, Melissa "A look inside; Union City High School has commemorative opening ceremony" Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, October 4, 2009. Accessed February 9, 2017. "School Business Administrator Anthony Dragona said the event brought in nearly 450 guests that included celebrities such as NFL Hall of Famer and NY Giant Harry Carson, who shared a few words about the importance of an education in his life; Union Hill graduate Bobby Cannovale, an actor; and Tito Puente Jr."
  31. ^ Rappaport, Melissa (October 4, 2009). "Cucu can't sing at local event". The Hudson Reporter. pp, 1 and 19.[dead link‍]
  32. ^ Staff. "Refresh your memory on local news; Hudson County's biggest happenings in 2009, by town" Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, December 27, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2024. "Union City: New high school... During the opening day gala event for the school, controversy ensued. Cucu Diamantes, a well known Cuban singer, was asked not to perform via a letter sent by the school board's attorney because Diamantes had previously been involved in a 'Paz sin Fronteras' (Peace Without Borders) concert in Havana, Cuba a few days earlier, and anti-Castro activists threatened a protest."
  33. ^ Diaz, Lana Rose. "All for one; UCHS graduates prepare for first commencement ceremony together", Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, June 20, 2010. Accessed June 11, 2024. "More than 600 high school seniors in Union City will receive their diplomas this Wednesday, June 23, at 7 p.m. The students are the first class to graduate from the newly built Union City High School, which merged Emerson and Union Hill high schools."
  34. ^ Diaz, Lana Rose. "Congrats, class of 2010!" Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, July 4, 2010. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  35. ^ Egli, Katharine. "Union City High School Graduation 2012", The Jersey Journal, June 19, 2012. Accessed August 28, 2017.
  36. ^ Sullivan, Al (June 28, 2015). "McGreevey speaks at Union City graduation" Archived August 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  37. ^ Pope, Gennarose. "Urban oasis for Union City High school breaks ground for Student Sanctuary" Archived July 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, November 6, 2011. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  38. ^ Diaz, Christian. "Learning outdoors, among waterfalls" Archived July 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, June 9, 2013. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  39. ^ Hague, Jim. "Truant officer was Olympic hero Emerson High has gold medalist in midst" Archived August 20, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, May 14, 2006. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  40. ^ Pope, Gennarose. "A truant officer… and an Olympian; Two-time gold medalist inspires students to achieve" Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, March 18, 2012. Accessed August 19, 2017.
  41. ^ Pope, Gennarose. "Educational excellence; UC High School instructor named Hudson County's Teacher of the Year" Archived August 29, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, September 30, 2012. Accessed June 11, 2024. "Nazzal has taught in Union City, whose population is 85 percent Hispanic, since she student taught language arts 14 years ago at Union City's Emerson High School. Just last month, she was named Hudson County's Teacher of the Year for 2012-2013 by the NJ Department of Education."
  42. ^ "Presenting the 2012 Hudson County Teacher of the Year Kristine Liguori-Nazzal" Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Hudson County TV. August 14, 2012. Accessed June 11, 2024.
  43. ^ Finch, Elise. "New Jersey Teacher Surprised With National Teaching Award", WCBS-TV, October 13, 2015. Accessed August 28, 2017. "The assembly at Union City High School started off like many others, with a color guard and the Pledge of Allegiance. But a few minutes in, it was clear this gathering was different, an elaborate ruse to present one teacher with an honor that's described as 'the Academy Award of teaching.' Kimberly Moreno was surprised Tuesday with the prestigious Milken Educator Award, CBS2's Elise Finch reported."
  44. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  45. ^ "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical". New Jersey Monthly. August 16, 2012.
  46. ^ "2010 Top High Schools". New Jersey Monthly. August 16, 2010.
  47. ^ a b Kirp, David L. (February 9, 2013). "The Secret to Fixing Bad Schools". The New York Times.
  48. ^ Kirp, David L. (2011). Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming Children's Lives. (1st edition). Public Affairs, pp. 88, 90, 92, 111-112, 137, ISBN 158648947X
  49. ^ DeChiaro, Dean (March 31, 2013). "Tortoise beats hare". The Hudson Reporter. Archived May 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ Kirp, David L. "How Union City Is Shifting the Arc of Immigrant Kids' Lives", The Nation, April 8, 2013. Accessed June 9, 2024.
  51. ^ Wright, E. Assata Wright. "The year in development", The Hudson Reporter Newspapers: 2009 Year in Review, December 27, 2009. Accessed August 28, 2017. "Union City High School moved into its new 360,000-square-foot digs on Kennedy Blvd. at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. The new school building is now home to the combined Emerson High School and Union Hill High School. The complex features 66 classrooms, a media center, a courtyard, and a 990-seat performing arts center."
  52. ^ a b O'Connor, Julie. "Wonders and blunders: Amid glitzy new schools built by N.J. are old ones crumbling. Can Gov. Christie fix things?", The Star-Ledger, March 27, 2011. Accessed June 9, 2024. "Union City High School... • World-class gym with bleachers for 1,800 • Three music rooms, each with a grand piano"
  53. ^ Diaz, Lana Rose. "Merwin speaks; Union City native named U.S. poet laureate", The Hudson Reporter, July 11, 2010. Accessed August 28, 2017. [dead link‍]
  54. ^ "Briefs: UC High School to hold book signing this Wednesday", The Hudson Reporter, April 10, 2011. Accessed August 28, 2017. "A book signing for Kids First, a new book by early childhood education and development expert David Kirp that showcases outstanding educational 'game changing' programs in unlikely places, will be held this Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Union City High School."
  55. ^ a b Krider, Dave. "10 more high school football stadiums to see before you die", MaxPreps, October 18, 2012. Accessed February 9, 2017.
  56. ^ a b c Spiewak, Stephen. "Photos: Union City High School football stadium sits on school's roof", MaxPreps, October 17, 2014. Accessed March 31, 2024. "The high school, a combination of two now-defunct schools, Emerson and Union Hill, drew inspiration from a field on the campus of Georgetown University that lies on top of a parking garage." [dead link‍]
  57. ^ a b Hague, Jim (September 23, 2008). "Union City going through growing pains New program trying to meld teams of old". The Hudson Reporter.
  58. ^ a b Hague, Jim (September 20, 2009). "It's up on the roof for Union City". The Hudson Reporter.
  59. ^ Samuels, Doug (October 17, 2004). "Photos: This high school built their stadium on the roof of the school". Football Scoop.
  60. ^ Smith, Cameron (November 22, 2013). "Friday Field of Dreams: Take the elevator to Union City's Eagles Nest". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  61. ^ Rappaport, Melissa. "Live! UC inaugurates performing arts center", The Hudson Reporter, October 25, 2009. Accessed August 28, 2017. "It was an evening of arts and performances at the grand opening of the Union City Performing Arts Center, which also serves as the auditorium of the new Union City High School on Kennedy Blvd." [dead link‍]
  62. ^ "Union City Performing Arts Center" Archived January 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed February 9, 2014.
  63. ^ Arrue, Karina (May 18, 2010). "Union City Mayor Brian Stack and commissioners take their oaths of office" NJ.com/The Jersey Journal.
  64. ^ "UC International Film Festival to be held this weekend". The Union City Reporter. December 2, 2010, p. 4.
  65. ^ a b Diaz, Lana Rose (July 25, 2010). "Low-cost health care for kids: Community pediatric center based in high school building". The Hudson Reporter. pp. 1 and 9. "Earlier this month, the non-profit North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC) and the Union City Board of Education held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for NHCAC's new pediatric health center located at Union City High School on Kennedy Blvd."
  66. ^ League & Conference Affiliations 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  67. ^ New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009-2010, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2011. Accessed November 24, 2014.
  68. ^ a b Union City Soaring Eagles, GridIron New Jersey. Accessed September 6, 2010.
  69. ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  70. ^ Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
  71. ^ Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
  72. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  73. ^ Athletics, Union City High School. Accessed August 28, 2017.
  74. ^ Hague, Jim "Valdez tabbed as Union City new grid coach; Former Ferris coach ends bizarre set of circumstances", The Hudson Reporter, May 7, 2010. Accessed November 24, 2014.
  75. ^ Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "30-North Bergen vs. Union City - Union City High opened in 2008 and immediately opened its series against North Bergen with five straight old-school slugfests that culminated in 2011.... All-time series: Union City leads, 6-4"
  76. ^ Lanni, Patrick. "Montclair cruises past Union City to win N1G5 title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 1, 2017, updated August 1, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2021. "Senior Danny Webb returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, and the early spark ignited an early advantage as Montclair, No. 6 in the NJ.com Top 20, cruised to a 35-14 victory over Union City in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 final Friday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford."
  77. ^ "Football: Union City falls to Piscataway in N2G5 title game", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 17, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2021. "Several crucial special teams miscues, coupled with the inability to finish drives deep inside Piscataway territory, ultimately proved to too much for Union City. The home-standing Chiefs would capitalize on them, and went on to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title with a 28-7 victory on an overcast Saturday afternoon."
  78. ^ Boyle, Desmond (November 11, 2023). "Union City football captures 1st sectional title with hard-fought win at Phillipsburg". NJ.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  79. ^ "Union City boys rally from 18 down to stun Hackensack for first sectional crown (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 5, 2019, updated August 22, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2021. "Not a single Union City basketball player, fan, administrator, alumnus or janitor wanted to leave the floor in the mayhem which followed the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 boys basketball tournament championship game.... Freshman guard Maurice Odum, who sparked the Eagles with his tireless effort on both ends of the floor in the second half, finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists in leading third-seeded Union City to its first-ever sectional championship after a dramatic 58-54 victory over defending champion and ninth-seeded Hackensack on Tuesday in Union City."
  80. ^ Hague, Jim. "Union City reigns supreme in Hudson County boys’ hoops; Johnson leads Soaring Eagles to first-ever county crown", The Hudson Reporter, March 7, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2021. "One night later, the Soaring Eagles did the unthinkable, as the fourth-seeded Soaring Eagles knocked off second-seed Marist, 64-55, to win the school’s first-ever county title, thanks to Johnson’s 22 points."
  81. ^ Bernstein, Jason. "No. 13 Union City races past Harrison to win first Hudson County title (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 25, 2018, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed December 21, 2021. "In a game that was played at a breakneck pace for 80 minutes, third-seeded Union City, No. 13 in the NJ.com Top 20, never slowed down, never relented, and won its first ever Hudson County Tournament championship, defeating fifth-seeded Harrison, 4-1, in the final last night at the Caven Point Athletic Complex in Jersey City."
  82. ^ "Boys soccer: Chris Bermudez leaves Red Bulls Academy to play for Union City", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 23, 2016, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed January 10, 2022. "After graduating 16 seniors from last year's 16-5-1 squad, things weren't looking good for Union City early in the summer. Then coach Bill Shapiro received the news that Chris Bermudez would be playing high school soccer for the Soaring Eagles after competing on the Academy circuit for Red Bulls Academy."
  83. ^ Steven Gonzalez, Penn State Nittany Lions football. Accessed June 2, 2024. "Hometown: Union City, N.J. High School: Union City"
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