Amherst Central High School
| Amherst Central High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
4301 Main Street Amherst, New York 14226 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1930 |
| Locale | Suburban |
| Principal | Gregory Pigeon |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 802 (2012-11) |
| Color(s) |
Black, Orange and White |
| Mascot | Tigers |
| Yearbook | The Tower |
| Website | www.amherstschools.org |
Amherst Central High School (ACHS) is a public high school in Snyder, New York, a hamlet within the town of Amherst, which is within the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area. It is the only high school in the Amherst Central School District. Its enrollment is approximately 802 students.[1] The school opened in 1931;[2] construction on the current building began in 1929.
District
The high school served 802 students from grades nine through twelve for the 2012-13 academic year. The school's Parent-Teacher Association is a joint organization with the Amherst Middle School. The 15-square-mile (38.8 km2) Amherst School District has a population of 27,578 as of October 2012. The high school serves the school district which encompasses the neighborhoods of Eggertsville and Snyder, as well as small portions of the village of Williamsville and the town of Cheektowaga.[3]
In 1998 the high school was judged one of the 100 best in the country by Newsweek magazine, with students taking the highest number of Advanced Placement examinations in Western New York.[4]
Fine arts
Amherst is well known for the high quality of their music program. Instrumental music comprises a string department consisting of Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, Operetta Pit Orchestra, Sinfonia, and chamber ensembles. The band department consists of Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble, as well as smaller sectional ensembles. There is a vocal music department, which includes Concert Choir, Concert Chorale, Sweet Sixteens, and Varsity Singers. The music teachers are Mr. Craig Incontro-Band Director/Music Department Chair, Mr. Matt Pendrak-Orchestra Director, Mr. Justin Pomietlarz-Choral Director/Operetta Producer.
There is also an operetta program, which is essentially an annual musical. The operetta for 2016 was Grease. Previous shows Amherst has done include Guys and Dolls (2014-2015), Anything Goes (2013-2014), Les Misérables (2012-2013), Oklahoma! (2011-2012), Urinetown (2010-2011), Leader of the Pack (2009-2010), The Boy Friend (2008–2009), Into the Woods (2007–2008), Seussical (2006–2007), Damn Yankees (2005–2006), The Wizard of Oz (2004–2005), Once on This Island (2003–2004), Anything Goes (2002–2003), and Bye Bye Birdie (2001–2002), Hello Dolly (2000-2001), Fiddler on the Roof (1999-2000), Oklahoma! (1998-1999), Guys and Dolls (1997-1998), South Pacific (1996-1997). Amherst has been doing operettas annually since about 1932.
The drama club's past shows include A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life and The Diary of Anne Frank. Also in the spring of 2008, students directed short one-act comedies. These have since been made a seasonal tradition.
Athletics
Amherst had a championship men's hockey team (ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in 2009) and women's lacrosse teams, producing multiple Division I athletes every year. The men's hockey team won the federation six championship on 2/28/2010. This team made league history by winning the championship as the last place seed coming in. It also boasts championship tennis, field hockey, and basketball programs.
The school has a turf athletic stadium, the Dimp Wagner Athletic Field, which serves as the home playing surface for the Amherst Tigers football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse, women's field hockey, and many JV and modified teams. The stadium also plays host to many local high school play-off and championship games in various sporting events.
Amherst Central Alumni Foundation
Established in 1983, the Foundation funds experiences for students emphasizing projects that extend their horizons or involve helping others. The Foundation also funds mini-grants for teachers for special projects or equipment not otherwise funded by the school district.[5]
Notable alumni and former students
- Michael Angelakos, musician, lead singer and keyboardist for the band Passion Pit
- Amanda Blake, actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress Miss Kitty Russell on the CBS television series Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
- Jack Davis, industrialist
- Marc Evan Jackson, actor and comedian best known for his work in the Thrilling Adventure Hour
- Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Delaware North Companies; Forbes magazine ranked him #746 of the world's billionaires
- Andy Kulberg, musician, bass and flute for The Blues Project
- Nancy Marchand, actress most famous for her portrayal of Margaret Pynchon in Lou Grant and, in later life, Livia Soprano on The Sopranos
- Norman McCombs, recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
- Mark Rubin, safety for the St. Louis Rams and former safety and wide receiver at Penn State
- John Schuck, actor, primarily in stage, movies and television
- James Whitmore, film actor
- John H Johnson 4, CEO Edgeworth Economics Consulting and author
References
- ↑ "About Us". Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ↑ Walter S. Dunn, ed., History of Erie County, 1870–1970, [Buffalo]: Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, [1972], OCLC 375689, p. 146.
- ↑ "Amherst Central School District: Residency fact sheet". Amherstschools.org. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
- ↑ Peter Simon, "3 WNY Schools Make List of Nation's Top 100", The Buffalo News, March 26, 1998.
- ↑ "Amherst Central Alumni Foundation". Archived from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
Coordinates: 42°57′44.5″N 78°47′25.5″W / 42.962361°N 78.790417°W