William A. Shine Great Neck South High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William A. Shine Great Neck South High School |
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| Address | |
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341 Lakeville Road
, 11020
United States
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| Information | |
| Type | Comprehensive school |
| Founded | 1958 |
| School district | Great Neck Union Free School District |
| Principal | Adam Hopkins |
| Faculty | 117.61 FTEs |
| Enrollment | 1,322 (2023–2024) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 11.24:1 |
| Color(s) | Orange and blue |
| Team name | Rebels |
| Newspaper | The Southerner |
| Yearbook | Vista |
| Website | School website |
William A. Shine Great Neck South High School is a public high school in Lake Success, New York. People often call it Great Neck South or South High School. It is located on the Great Neck Peninsula. This school serves students in grades 9 through 12. These students live in the Great Neck School District.
Great Neck South is one of three public high schools in its district. The other two are Great Neck North High School and Great Neck Village High School. Great Neck South helps students learn faster with special classes. It also has classes for students with disabilities. The school first opened in 1958. It was known as Great Neck South High School until 2006.
For the 2023-2024 school year, 1,322 students attended the school. There were 117.61 full-time teachers. This means there were about 11 students for every teacher. In the same year, 276 students received free lunch. Another 27 students got lunch at a lower cost.
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School History and Campus
In 1949, the Great Neck School District bought a large piece of land. It was 124 acres in Lake Success. This land used to belong to Henry Phipps Jr.. He was a rich steel businessman. His family gave his mansion and 9 acres to the school district. This mansion is now the Phipps Administration Building. The district bought the rest of the land for $279,000.
In 1957, South High School was built on this property. It was built around the old mansion. When the land was given, there was a rule. Part of the land had to stay natural. The school followed this rule during construction. The school was designed by a New York company. It was called LaPierre, Litchfield & Partners.
A part of the Long Island Motor Parkway runs through the school campus. This was the first road in the U.S. built just for cars.
In 1958, Great Neck Senior High School changed its name. It became Great Neck North High School. This was to tell it apart from the new Great Neck South High School. Before 1979, Great Neck South High School taught grades 10 through 12. In 1980, 9th grade was added to the school. In 2006, the school was renamed again. It was named after Dr. William A. Shine. This honored his important work as superintendent in the Great Neck School District.
Before 1980, all students could leave campus during the day. This was called "open campus." In 1980, the school decided younger students needed more rules. So, only 11th and 12th graders could leave campus. Now, Great Neck South is mostly a "closed campus." But older students still have more freedom to move around the school grounds.
School Mascot and Flag Changes
In the past, before the early 1980s, South High School used a specific flag and mascot. The flag was a Confederate battle flag. The mascot was a gray rebel soldier. Students saw these as symbols of school spirit. They thought it was a fun way to show they were the "southern" high school of Great Neck.
However, a student named David Gurfein (Class of 1983) learned more about the flag's history. He realized it was connected to groups like the Ku Klux Klan. He understood that the flag had a painful meaning for many people. Because of this, he led an effort to change the mascot and flag. The school then replaced the Confederate flag and soldier. They chose a more general American Revolutionary War rebel and the Betsy Ross flag instead.
Academics and Learning
Great Neck South High School is known for its strong academics. Newsweek magazine ranked it high on its "Best High Schools in America" list in 2011. The school offers many challenging courses. These include Advanced Placement (AP) classes, honors classes, and accelerated courses. These classes help students prepare for college.
Students with disabilities attend special education classes. The school also uses modern technology to help students learn. For example, an Advanced Placement physics class successfully used audience response technology. This technology helps teachers see how well students understand lessons. The school district has now added this technology to other schools too.
Most students at South High achieve good grades. More than 90% of students earn a B average or better. In 2019, 98% of the graduating class went on to college. Also, 19% of students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. This program honors very talented students.
School Events and Activities
Cultural Heritage Night
One of the most popular events at Great Neck South is Cultural Heritage Night. Students put on a two-hour show. It features art, theater, and dance from many different cultures. It's a fun way to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of the students.
Blazing Trails-4-Autism
Great Neck South has also hosted the Blazing Trails-4-Autism event. This is a run/walk held on the school campus. In 2009, this event was chosen to be part of the USATF-Long Island Grand Prix. This means it was a recognized race on Long Island.
Rebel War
Rebel War is a fun tradition at the school. Students are divided into four teams based on their graduation year. They compete in different games. These games include speedball and tug of war. Team members wear their team colors. They also work together to design a class banner. The Rebel War event was canceled in some years before 2023 due to the COVID situation.
Student Population
Student Demographics
As of the 2021–22 school year, Great Neck South had 1,222 students. About 49.8% were male and 50.2% were female. Here's a breakdown of the student body:
- 843 students were Asian (69%)
- 11 students were Black or African American (0.9%)
- 102 students were Hispanic or Latino (8%)
- 243 students were White (20%)
- 23 students were multiracial (2%)
The student population at Great Neck South is mostly Asian American. There is also a large group of White students. Smaller groups include Hispanic and Latino Americans and African American students.
Grade Distribution
Here's how the students were spread across the grades in the 2021–22 school year:
- Grade 9: 288 students
- Grade 10: 300 students
- Grade 11: 307 students
- Grade 12: 327 students
Famous Alumni
Many notable people have graduated from Great Neck South High School. Here are a few:
- Scott Aharoni: A film producer and director.
- Dan Ahdoot: A comedian and actor.
- Nikki Blonsky: An actress who starred in the movie Hairspray.
- Peter de Sève: A well-known illustrator and animator.
- Quinn Early: A former National Football League player.
- Jamie Gorelick: A former Deputy Attorney General of the United States.
- Mark Green: A politician.
- David Gurfein: A U.S. Marine Corps officer and CEO of a nonprofit.
- David Miner: An Emmy Award-winning TV producer.
- Roy Niederhoffer: A successful investor and chairman of the New York City Opera.
- Bruce Paltrow: A writer and producer for TV and movies. He was the husband of Blythe Danner and father of Gwyneth Paltrow.
- John Schulman: A cofounder of OpenAI, known for creating ChatGPT.
- Talia Shire: An actress who starred in the Rocky movies.
- Bob Simon: A famous TV correspondent.
- Helen Slater: An actress, singer, and songwriter.
- Dawn Steel: A movie studio executive.
- Jon Taffer: A TV personality and star of Bar Rescue.
- Charles Williams: A former major league baseball pitcher.
- Alexander Wissner-Gross: A research scientist and entrepreneur.
- Sarah Sherman: A comedian and cast member on Saturday Night Live.
See also
