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History

 

Shoreham-Wading River High School is located approximately seventy miles east of New York City on the beautiful North Shore of Long Island. The State University at Stony Brook and the Brookhaven National Laboratory located nearby offer a myriad of resources and opportunities for higher learning, research, internships and employment. Our district is comprised of three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

Exemplifying unity, the new district organized committees made up of community members to provide input on major areas of the future high school program. The district chose architects and involved the professional staff in preparing preliminary designs for the new school. Due to increasing student enrollment throughout the early part of the 1900's, several multi-district reorganization plans were discussed to meet the anticipated need for a secondary school during the 1960's and 70's. On July 1, 1973, the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District No. 1, Town of Riverhead and Brookhaven, was created. During this same year, a new middle school opened its doors to students. On October 24, 1973, resident voters approved the funds for the new high school and building began. The high school opened its doors to students in September of 1975, and sits on 40 acres of land given to the district by the federal government.

The very foundation of the Shoreham-Wading River High School rests on the concepts of unity and progress. Unity was chosen because the school was the result of the first collaborative effort between Shoreham and Wading River, in the education of their children. Progress represents the connection between the past and future of the school.

Shoreham-Wading River is a secondary school with an enrollment of approximately 800 students in grades nine through twelve. Students with vocational interests have access to several BOCES centers for training in highly specialized and technological fields of study. The high school is the center of the community. The public library, community fitness and nautilus center, exercise trail, evening tennis courts and community athletic fields are incorporated in this sprawling sixty-acre high school campus.

The high school library is an active state of the art program with 60,000+ volumes and 30 computer stations for reseach. The library program prides itself on supplying primary source materials and a critical thinking skills curriculum.

Our computer labs are equipment with 20-30 computers in each lab. Programs include word processing, spread sheets, databases, computer aided design, desktop publishing, and multi-media software. . A more detailed technology initiative is available.

Current News

Summer Fun and Friendships with Roundout

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The Shoreham-Wading River School District’s Roundout program is once again a place for friendships, socialization and camaraderie for community students. The popular, annual summer recreation program features a wide range of activities, including games, outdoor adventures, teambuilding and art projects in Wading River School. The students also take part in several different theme days.

The sessions take place for three morning hours from mid-July through mid-August, and students enter the building ready to embrace that day’s activities. The program also allows students to socialize, play with and get to know students they will attend school with this year. Superintendent of Schools Mr. Gerard Poole got in on some action with a perfect whiffle ball pitch that led to a homerun!

Much of the organized play is provided by the student volunteers, who attended the summer program as campers and enjoyed it so much they came back to share the fun with the younger students.

Click here to view the Summer Fun and Friendships with Roundout slideshow.

Date Added: 7/30/2025

District Appoints Debra A. Ferry as Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics

The Shoreham-Wading River School District announces Debra A. Ferry, CAA, as its new director of health, physical education and athletics.  thumbnail267421
The Shoreham-Wading River School District announces Debra A. Ferry, CAA, as its new director of health, physical education and athletics. Ms. Ferry brings extensive educational and athletic leadership experience from her previous role as director of athletics at Half Hollow Hills Central School District.

At Half Hollow Hills, since 2016 Ms. Ferry has led athletic programs across four schools with over 125 teams. She developed and mentored over 190 coaches while introducing new programs including unified sports, boys and girls bowling, and flag football. Her creation of a mandatory Code of Conduct Night promoted responsibility and community partnerships.

From 2007-2016, Ms. Ferry served as director of health, physical education, nursing and athletics in the Port Jefferson School District. She created a High School Wellness Physical Education course incorporating modern fitness trends and successfully built a lacrosse program from community level to middle school and junior varsity teams.

Ms. Ferry currently serves as 2nd vice president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, a prestigious eight-year term through 2032. She previously held the position of Section XI female representative to NYSPHSAA from 2015 to 2023 and served as president of Section XI, demonstrating her influence in shaping state athletic policy.

Her academic credentials include a Master of Science in school administration and supervision from Touro College in 2006 and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education K-12 from SUNY Cortland in1993 and 1995. She holds school district administrator and school administrator/supervisor certifications, plus certified athletic administrator certification from NIAAA, received in 2010.

Ms. Ferry’s coaching background includes head girls varsity field hockey coach from 2002 to 2007 and head junior varsity girls lacrosse coach from 1999 to 2006 at Northport High School, plus collegiate coaching at SUNY Cortland and roles with the Long Island Region of the Empire State Games and the United States Field Hockey Association.

“We are pleased to welcome Ms. Ferry to the Shoreham-Wading River School District,” Superintendent of Schools Mr. Gerard Poole said. “With her combination of administrative expertise, teaching background and hands-on athletic experience, she is positioned to enhance our district’s integrated approach to student health, physical education and athletics.”
 

 

 

Date Added: 7/24/2025

Champions in the Classroom: SWRHS Recognized as a State School of Distinction

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All 25 Shoreham-Wading River High School varsity athletic teams earned the Scholar-Athlete Team Award during their respective sports seasons this school year, paving the way for the school to again be named a New York State Public High School Athletic Association School of Distinction for the 2024-2025 school year.

The prestigious honors represent the culmination of a school year marked by outstanding achievement in the classroom for Shoreham-Wading River varsity athletes. Shoreham-Wading River is one of only 17 schools in Section 11 and one of only 110 in New York State recognized with the honor.

Date Added: 7/21/2025