Ginny Clevenger is Communications High School in its purest form.
No other entity, object or being comes close. “Clev,” as students call the beloved physical education teacher who has been with the school since its inception, is the essence of CHS.
And when she says goodbye at the end of this year, retiring after 23 years of impacting the lives of thousands of students, the school will have to fill an insurmountable void.
“Clev embodies the CHS spirit,” senior Danielle Lirov of Marlboro said.
“She’s had a huge impact on CHS,” Principal James Gleason added.
“At the end of the day, [Clev and I] are just good friends,” senior Amanda Riordan of Point Pleasant Beach chimed in.
“She’s more than a teacher, she’s also a person.” Clevenger graduated from West Chester University with a health and physical education degree before working at the Meridian Hospital Fitness Center for 10 years. She saw an advertisement in the Asbury Park Press for an opening at CHS, was interviewed by Gleason and then-superintendent Timothy McCorkell and got the job.
“I went to my first faculty meeting at Allied and someone spoke about lesson plans and rubrics,” Clevenger said. “I sat there not ever having heard the word rubric.”
Clevenger, along with Gleason and history teacher Sharyn O’Keefe, is one of the three original staff members of the school who still work at CHS. She helped guide the school toward its current identity.
“When [CHS] first opened, we weren’t really sure what we were yet,” Clevenger said. “It was interesting the first four years.”
Clevenger’s most indelible mark on CHS originated in 2004, in her fitness center, when a student was made fun of for having red marks on her shoulders after using a piece of exercise equipment.
“[Other students] were calling her a beast, which at that time was a derogatory term, so I had to spin it,” Clevenger said. “I tried really hard to make it a good thing, and I think the kids over the years have accepted it and bought into it.”
The slogan was born: CHS students are BEASTs – Brave, Empathetic, Active, Supportive and Tolerant. And it’s still here, 19 years later –– a beast walks the halls of CHS as the unofficial mascot.
As the unofficial school historian, Clevenger has a mental encyclopedia of former CHS students who reside all across the country. Before the juniors and seniors attended CHS’s prom on May 19, they attended an assembly about road safety from Sgt. Jack Gramlich of the Wall Township Police Department, who graduated from CHS in 2008. Of course, Clevenger knew everything about him.
“She knows everything about CHS and keeps in touch with so many alumni,” health and physical education teacher Jennifer Baldaccini said. “When she found out it was a detective from Wall [who was coming to present], she pulled out a picture of him from the archives.”
Baldaccini started teaching at CHS in 2021 and will replace Clevenger, along with an additional teacher. Baldaccini sat in on district interviews and assisted with finding the new teacher. She has been asked if she will continue some of Clevenger’s traditions, like the senior flags of college acceptances around the cafeteria, and said she will if the seniors request it.
“Clev has been a great mentor for me at CHS,” Baldaccini said. “It’s going to be sad to see her go, but at the same time, I’m happy that she can go live her best life.”
Gleason extended his well-wishes for Clevenger after noting the immense impact she has had on CHS, including the Beast and flag traditions.
“Mrs. Clevenger has served the school well and I hope she has a healthy and productive retirement,” Gleason said. “I hope she does the things she loves to do.”
At this year’s Color Wars on June 2, students participating in the Art Challenge were asked to draw sidewalk murals using chalk depicting Clevenger as a superhero.
Art teacher Shelley Ortner, who was in charge of the challenge, said they made the challenge to honor Clev and all of the colors she has donned over her years at CHS.
“We wanted to make you into a superhero because to CHS you’re our superhero,” senior Maddie Lee of Atlantic Highlands, who participated in the art challenge, said.
The Color Wars trophy has also now been renamed the Clevenger Cup –– the purple team was the first to take home the brand new trophy.
Clevenger rides off into the proverbial sunset after a storied career at CHS, one where she has taught thousands, written a poem for every graduating class, invented a school mascot, created a pogo-stick contest, dressed as a senior every year for Halloween, encouraged students to lead dance classes, created fake sports and, most importantly, fostered an loving environment where even the most unathletic students could practice proper physical fitness and have fun. She certainly did, at least.
“Did we follow every rule for soccer? No. But were you all laughing and having a good time? Yes,” Clevenger said. “I’ve had fun every day.”
