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Tiger Leaps
Progress Update from Tenafly High School
May 11, 2015
English
Junior Hannah Goodfriend won
a 2015 NCTE Achievement
Award in Writing. Hannah was
one of eleven students in the
state of New Jersey and one of
141 students nationally to be
awarded
recognition
for
Superior
Performance
in
Writing. Papers were judged on
content, purpose, audience,
tone,
word
choice,
organization, development, and
style.
Tigers Tell Tales
Students in Ms. Lori Hampson’s
World Literature II CPA course
capped their study of Geoffrey
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales
by composing their own short
stories. Applying what they
learned through study of
Chaucer’s chronicle of the
Middle Ages, Ms. Hampson’s
students wrote 3-4 page stories
describing the people and
culture of 2015 America.
English Teachers Love History,
Too
Ms. Alexandra Helmis and Mr.
Gary Whitehead have been
selected
as
National
Endowment for the Humanities
Summer Scholars from a
national applicant pool to
attend one of twenty-one
National Endowment for the
Humanities
Landmarks
of
American History and Culture
Workshops.
Ms. Helmis will participate in a
workshop entitled “Empire City:
New
York
and
the
Transformation of American
Life, 1877-1929,” based at the
Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History
and
at
Columbia University in New
York.
Mr. Whitehead will participate
in a workshop entitled “Sailing
to Freedom: New Bedford and
the Underground Railroad.”
This
workshop
will
be
conducted at the University of
Massachusetts – Dartmouth
and at the New Bedford
Whaling Museum.
Social Studies
The Social Studies Department
continues to engage students
through
authentic
learning
experiences.
Seniors in Ms.
Barker’s United States History II
classes, while studying the
Holocaust, researched other
modern
genocides
and
delivered presentations to their
classmates. Topics included
the genocides in Armenia, the
Ukraine, Cambodia, Bosnia,
Kosovo, and Darfur. Students
focused particular attention on
US response to each of the
world events.
Juniors are
working on a guided research
paper on topics of the 19th
century such as child labor,
early football, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, and the California Gold
Rush. They are working on
evaluating websites for use in
research,
accessing
books
around Bergen County using
bccls.org and Google Books,
and visiting the Lalor Library for
1
physical books. Students are
now exploring online databases
for journal articles to advance
their research.
Ms. Loffredo’s 9th grade African
and Asian Civilizations &
Cultures classes were given the
opportunity to complete an
assignment based on the
current exhibit at the African
Art Museum in Tenafly.
Ms. Ashley Pryce has been
completing
her
student
teaching by working with Mrs.
Celli to fulfill the daily teaching
responsibilities
in
their
European History CPA classes.
Ms. Pryce has successfully
implemented various usages of
technology that have helped
students actively participate in
class discussions and activities.
One
outstanding
project
assigned to students by Ms.
Pryce involved a thorough
evaluation
of
the
new
technology and weaponry used
throughout the course of World
War I; students were required
to use newspaper articles
directly from that time period
found
on
the
ProQuest
Historical
Newspaper
Database. Students have also
had the opportunity to use
online applications such as Poll
Everywhere and have been
regularly exposed to current
events in Europe by using
websites such as the BBC and
others.
Mrs. Celli’s European History
Advanced class has been using
the Choices Program (which
was funded by a generous TEF
grant) to learn about and
evaluate the decisions made by
the leaders and political parties
during the Russian Revolution.
The mini-unit involves an
analysis of both primary and
secondary
sources,
which
culminates in a simulation and
debate. The unit is designed so
that all students have an
individual
and
specific
role/responsibility
to
fulfill,
requiring all students to actively
participate. This class has used
the Choices Program in a
similar manner in previous units
such as the French Revolution
and will be using it later this
year in our discussion of the
Weimar Republic, the Rise of
the Nazi Regime, the Cold War,
and terrorism in the 20th and
21st centuries.
Led by advisor Ms. Cutrone,
with assistance from Ms. Celli,
the THS Model United Nations
club’s trip to Washington, D.C.
was successful.
Twenty
students competed at George
Washington University with
three earning individual awards
for their performance.
Led by advisors Ms. Barker, Ms.
Diaz, and Mr. Mirabito the THS
History Competition Club has
had a very successful year so
far. For the first time, several
students attended the National
History Bowl Competition in
Washington, D.C. from April
23rd-26th. These students have
qualified for nationals by
placing in local competitions
earlier this year. Several club
members also competed at the
state level National History Day
competition on May 2nd at
William Patterson University.
Students worked in two teams
to research and design an
exhibit about a leader who was
characterized by the theme
“Leadership and Legacy.” The
team of Daniel Stambler, Daniel
Hizgilov, Andrew Li, and
Haozhong
Jin
were
cochampions of New Jersey and
qualified for the national
championships in Washington,
D.C. with their exhibit on
Fiorello La Guardia. This team
also received a 2015 National
History Award from Bergen
County. All of our History Club
students have worked very
diligently practicing and honing
their research skills. This is a
time of exciting competitions
for the club, and the advisors
are enthusiastic about the
club’s future growth and
success.
The
Tenafly
Teen
Leads
Program in conjunction with the
Contemporary
Issues
and
Adventures for the Mind classes
has been engaged in many
projects
and
investigating
current issues since the fall. At
the end of January, students
presented multimedia news
programs designed to entertain
and inform. Using iMovie and
other graphical enhancements,
students presented programs
on
“Personal
Devices
in
Education,” “What is Boko
Haram?” and “United States
Relations with Cuba” to name a
few.
In February, students
began
research
and
investigation
into
the
components
of
successful
downtowns throughout New
Jersey in preparation for their
end of year project. Students
analyzed towns throughout the
state with a focus upon
elements that make their
downtowns vibrant and unique.
As part of their research,
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students attended a Tenafly
Mayor and Council meeting
during the month to witness
the legislative process involved
with making key decisions
affecting the town.
They
gained invaluable insight into
the interworking of Tenafly and
the
issues
facing
the
improvement of its downtown
business district. In accordance
with this research, students
were challenged with the task
of re-imagining Tenafly from
the ground up as part of a
“Tenafly 2.0” project. Taking
into consideration the town’s
current
geography
and
demographics,
students
in
competing “construction teams”
presented written proposals
and 3D renderings, both in
physical and digital form, for
businesses, infrastructure, and
recreational facilities that would
enhance Tenafly and appeal to
citizens
in
surrounding
neighborhoods. Recently, the
Teen Leads Club spent a Friday
at the end of April investigating
environmental issues affecting
Tenafly and the state of New
Jersey. The day began with a
tour of the DPW conducted by
its director Robert Culvert who
provided a hands-on experience
examining the many functions
of Tenafly’s Department of
Public Works, followed by a
presentation at the Tenakill
Brook by Hugh Carola, Program
Director of the Hackensack
Riverkeeper, regarding ways to
improve the quality of the
brook and its surrounding
wildlife.
Later in the day,
students were welcomed by
Mayor Rustin at the Borough
Hall to discuss zoning laws and
building codes with Tenafly’s
zoning director Robert Bymes.
In the afternoon, students
traveled to the Meadowlands
Environmental Center where
they
participated
in
a
conversation
about
New
Jersey’s landfills and the steps
that need to be taken, both
scientifically and legislatively, to
improve the state’s carbon
footprint.
Currently, the
students are working on their
final
project
proposing
improvements
to
Tenafly’s
downtown, which will be
offered
as
a
multimedia
presentation to the Mayor and
Borough Council in June.
Science
All are invited to this year’s
Science Research Symposium,
June 3rd in the THS Auditorium,
7pm.
All student research
projects will be highlighted
along with a special guest
keynote speaker, Dr. Sherman
Tim
Waddell,
Ph.D.,
distinguished
senior
investigator
in
medicinal
chemistry Merck Research Labs,
Rahway, NJ. Dr. Waddell will
talk about where do drugs (and
the chemists who make them)
come
from
and
some
reflections on science and
teaching.
Nice
news
from
Science
Research!
Senior
Natalie
Garbowski
was
awarded
Semifinalist recognition in the
Young Naturalist competition of
the American Museum of
Natural History (a national
competition). The topic of her
research was “The Effect of an
Experimental Oil Spill on
Hudson River Microbes”. She
has been performing her
research work for the past
three years at Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia
University
As the school year comes to a
close, I would like to thank all
the THS science teachers for
their dedication and extra time
that they put into making their
classes very successful and the
science clubs just as successful.
Many science clubs enter
competitions as a culminating
project.
We are happy to
report so many successes.
Congratulations to the following
award winners:
Physics
Club
and
Mrs.
Woleslagle for a 2nd and
4th place finish in the state on
the TSA-TEAMS competition!
The Physics Club's 3 teams
were among the "Best in State"
for
their
performance
in
the Technology
Student
Association
(TSA)-Tests
of
Engineering Aptitude, Math,
and
Science
(TEAMS)
competition! This year's topic
was on ENERGY & ITS
RELATIONSHIP
TO
ENGINEERING. Students had
to solve novel problems and
use their own research on a
range of topics on alternative
and sustainable fuel sources.
The 11th/ 12th grade level
teams placed 2nd and 4th (out
of 34 teams) in NJ - beating out
NVD, NVOT, and Livingston!
The 9th/ 10th grade level team
placed 7th (out of 20 teams) in
NJ.
2nd place in NJ (11-12th grade
level)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Yeon Ho (Justin) Cho
Roy Dayan
Tom Eisenberg
Andrew Jung
Jeong Won (Sam) Kim
Arun Kingan
Chang Ju (Kevin) Nam
8. Mingwei (Sunny) Yin
4th place in NJ (11-12th grade
level)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Kenneth Acquah
Margaret Guo
Michael Hill-Oliva
Tae Wan (Paul) Kim
Chuang (Catherine) Liu
Tae Hoon (Ted) Min
Sirui (Sara) Sun
Jingyuan (Lucy) Xing
7th place in NJ (9-10th grade
level)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Joyce Chen
Haeun (Irene) Cho
Kaitlyn Espiritu
Haozhong Jin
Tian Yi Li
Min Soo Suh
Akane Takebayashi
Zemei (Emma) Zhou
2015 NJ Science League –
Tenafly HS- final results
Chemistry I, coach Mrs.
Woleslagle – 6th/140 teams Team plaque
Rachel Pomeranz – 15th/392
students – individual plaque
Caroline Kim –
28th/392
students - individual plaque
Roy Dayan 28th/392
students - individual plaque
Biology II, coach Dr. Kennedy
- 8th/131 teams - Team
plaque
Michael Hill-Oliva - 10th/305
students – individual plaque
Jackie Dragon 25th/305
students - individual plaque
Chemistry II, coach Mrs.
Firnberg - 9th/ 123 teams Team plaque
Dayoung Shin – 22nd/311
students – individual plaque
Physics I, coach Mr. Berman –
9th/108 teams - Team plaque
Physics C, coach Mr. Ushak
and Mrs. Coyle – 9th/64 teams
Biology I, coach Mr. Rendell
and Mr. Nelson – 16th/134
teams
Mathematics
Congratulations
Mathematicians!
Tenafly
scored the highest mark in
mathematics in Bergen County
on the SATs! Our score shows
remarkable understanding of
the
concepts
considered
important for higher education.
In February, Ms. Wissler and
Dr. Hu administered the AMC10 and AMC-12 tests, each a
prerequisite for the prestigious
AIME contest. One 8th grade
student who takes math at the
high
school,
Alex
Yoon,
qualified for the AIME.
The dinner meet for the BCML
was held at THS to close out
the competition year. This was
an opportunity for 300 students
out of about 1000 that compete
during the year, from the 25
schools in the Bergen County
Math League.
Tenafly’s Fan
Yang finished first in Group 3,
Justin Cho and Brian Lee
finished second in Group 3.
The school winner was Lucy
Xing.
Fan Yang, Brian Lee, Natan
Vidra, Minjae Cho, Sanghyeon
Kim, and Minkwan Seo formed
the THS team that placed first
in the π division of the AMTNJ.
In
the
mathematics
competitions
designed
specifically for freshman the
leaders are Haozhong Jin and
Daven Min.
AP Calculus and Statistics
exams
have
just
been
administered;
under
the
tutelage of Dr. Mayansky, Mr.
Laux, Mr. Moreng, and Ms.
DeMartino students in these
courses tackled the exams with
confidence.
Students in Geometry now have
94 Theorems in their toolboxes
to use in logical proof and
calculations, Algebra 2 students
are studying conic sections,
Precalculus
students
are
studying
polynomial
and
rational functions.
World Languages
The
World
Language
department welcomes back
Profesora Peláez-Martínez after
her maternity leave. She is
happy to be back at THS with
her Italian 3H and 4H classes
and her Spanish 4 CPA classes.
Recently,
Ms.
Sung
accompanied 3 of her students
to
the
annual Chinese
Language Competition for NJ
High
Schools
at
Rutgers
University, sponsored by the
Confucius Institute. At this
contest, the students were
tested on their pronunciation
and character writing, among
various
other
aspects
of
Chinese. Tenafly High School
was represented by Ji Eun
Chung, Yoon Beom Kim, and
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Haruyo Koeda.
The team
placed second this year, coming
in behind 1st place winner
Hunter College HS (yes—a NY
school in a competition for NJ
High Schools) and placing
ahead of 3rd place winner
Verona High School.
On the National Italian Exam,
Netai Schwartz won 2nd place at
the national level,
while
several THS students won
national honorable mention.
These
students
include:
Brianna
Coppolino,
Fina
Bertolotti, Eric Del Gizzo, Ron
Yakar,
Jacob
Janowski,
Alexander Notis, Brenna Arroyo,
Isaac
Herman,
Katherine
Kaplan,
Justine
Laufer,
Gensiana
Cicero,
Emma
Bochner, Melissa Noorily, Elle
O’Brien, and Giulia Betti.
THS students excelled on the
National Spanish Exam. For the
8th straight year, THS students
earned the first place trophy for
the most overall winners from a
single high school in the entire
state of New Jersey. Student
names and levels will be
published
in
the
next
newsletter.
THS students also excelled on
the National French Contest, Le
Gran Concours.
At level 1, Anna Lavi took a
Gold medal and Jessica Kaplan
took a silver medal. At level 2,
Gold medal winners are as
follows:
Talia Krumerman,
Emily Press, Amanda Pyun, Ah
Young Shin, Nadav Ziv. Silver
medal winners: Vivienne Lu,
Stephanie
Trolice,
Salma
Zouak, Nicole Frankel, Soo Min
Ham, Alison Zhitkov, Marc
Balderacchi, Kaitlyn Espiritu,
Ariel Fromm. Bronze medal:
Rebecca Yeh. At level 3, Gold
medal: Joyce Chen, Gal Nissan,
Susan Distler.
Silver medal:
Emily Gorelik, Emma Parish,
Akane
Takebayashi,
Divya
Menon,
Michelle
Phillippi.
Bronze medal: Christine Jeon,
Sarah Hassan, Chelsea Glasser.
At level 4, Gold medal: Ethan
Damman-Kampeas,
Michelle
Jin, Ramiro Morales.
Silver
medal: Nina Blake, Samantha
Camizzi, Alysha Hudson, Yena
Kwak,
Elle
O’Brien,Dana
Tsipenyuk, Iskander Turan,
James Yang Bronze medal:
Rebecca Glass, Victoria Hanks,
Ashley Kupferschmid, Timothy
Nehila. At level 5, Gold medal:
Teo Icliyurek, Eloise West.
Silver medal:
Celine Alpert,
Andreas Moriatis, Midori Yang.
Bronze medal: Peter Prastakos
Music
The Music Department recently
held their Spring Concerts. At
the concert on Friday May 14th,
there was a moving tribute to
Dr. K to thank her for the years
of advocacy for the Music
program as Principal of THS!
We would like to thank Dr.
Kontogiannis for her selfless
dedication to the students,
faculty and staff of Tenafly High
School.
Drama/Theater
Congratulations
to
Tenafly
Theater Production’s revival of
“The Sound of Music”. A special
thank you to Mr. Ahn-Cooper,
our Director for the wonderful
job guiding our students
through this production. To Mr.
Millar for being the Production
Manager as well as the
Orchestra and Choral Director
for the performance.
The
music and the singing were
magnificent! To Mr. Moger and
his crew for the stage
production and lighting! It was
an impressive sight to see our
students exceed everyone’s
expectations.
Mrs. Kirschbaum much success
in all of her future endeavors.
The reviews from everyone
have been very positive, and I
am thankful for the hard work
and dedication that you all have
put forth in making this
production an overwhelming
success.
Art
Congratulations
to
Mrs.
Pacheco’s
Photography
students Tomer Aberbach, Yuri
Han, Maia Katz, Elizabeth
Densen, Hailey Ryan, and Brian
Guevara whose artwork and
photography were highlighted
in "The New Jersey English
Journal" publication; which is
edited by Dana Maloney,
English Teacher at THS.
Mrs. Kirschbaum’s Digital Arts
class produced posters that
incorporated facts about the
debate between GMO’s and
Organic Foods. This unit was
part of a STEAM initiative
where students grew lettuce in
a hydroponic garden in the
classroom.
Students also
researched GMO’s and Organic
Foods and provided facts about
each.
On a sad note, we are saying
goodbye to Mrs. Kirschbaum
who will be retiring at the end
of the school year. We wish
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Family and Consumer
Sciences
The THS Mini TOTS program
will have their graduation
ceremony on May 19th in the
PITT! Congratulations to Ms.
Ragland on a job well done
with this program.
Library Media Services
Smartphone Friendly Since the library’s website has
been converted to Word Press
interface it displays nicely on a
smart phone.
During
Mr.
Hegarty’s recent class visits,
students were asked to take
out their phones and go to
www.librarymedia.net to access
and search the collection of
books.
Smartphones
accompanied students right up
to the location of the book.
In addition, Mr. Garcia has
converted the entire THS-TV
video collection so now you
may watch your favorite THSTV produced program on your
very own smartphone.
Seasonal Spaces Sophisticated seasonal student
assisted displays are Tenafly
High Schools answer to the
“maker space” craze now
sweeping the library world.
During the winter we had the
model railway and currently we
feature an egg hatching display
space.
Students from Dr.
Kennedy’s and Ms. Vieira’s
classes have “adopted” eggs
and placed them in the
incubator. Meanwhile students
are invited to write on a
accompanying blackboard the
word “egg” in a language they
may be familiar with. During
hatching time, we will start
streaming video and audio of
the hatching eggs – available
on your very own smartphone.
PARCC Testing –
During 14 days of PARCC
testing, library laptops were
pre-set on tables, flat panel
monitors were used to indicate
“seal code” and time left, and
the library’s PA system was
used by proctors.
In the
future we are considering
internalizing the power to
eliminate
the
need
for
extension cords.
Spine Labels and Bar Codes
Ms. Rohrbeck’s ongoing project
to bring uniformity to the
collection of books progresses.
As time allows, she has been
replacing spine labels and bar
codes. Students will now see a
bright and clear spine label on
many books as well as a
compatible bar code for express
check out.
A Display Center –
The library media center is
hosting various student works
from the art department.
Currently artwork form Ms.
Allen, Ms. Kirschbaum, and Ms.
Pacheco are on display. The
library media center is happy to
display student work from all
departments.
Teleconferencing –
Last week we were happy to
accommodate
a
Skype
teleconference for Ms. Barker’s
social studies class. With the
use of the extra-large monitor
in the TV studio and an
external
microphone,
her
students
were
able
to
effectively communicate with
Ms. Barker’s guest. We would
be happy to accommodate
more of these teleconferencing
events.
Physical Education
Athletics
LACROSSE
Boys lacrosse is 7 - 3 in their
first year as a program. The
team has won their last five
games in a row.
The boys team will advance to
play in the Bergen County
Tournament.
TENNIS
Tenafly boys tennis team is off
to a great start with an 8 - 0
record. The tigers had 3 big
wins last week defeating Fair
Lawn, Ridgewood and Mahwah
consecutively. The tennis team
is ranked near the top of
Bergen County.
BASEBALL
Baseball will have an ambitious
schedule, playing 9 games over
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the next 11 days. Five of the 9
teams are ranked in the top 20
by the Bergen Record.
BOYS GOLF
Boys Golf is entering the
challenging part of the season
schedule as they try to qualify
for state and county Golf
tournaments.
Currently, the
Bergen
County
Coaches
Association computer rankings
show Tenafly in 10th place
within the county.
Twenty
teams will qualify.
GIRLS GOLF
Tenafly improved to 5 - 0
yesterday
with
strong
performances from Julia Pak
and Han Na Jeon to help the
Tigers
defeat
previously
unbeaten Holy Angels.
SOFTBALL
The softball program made the
most of their pre-season time
indoors, including a special
weekend boot-camp organized
with softball trainers from the
Diamond
Academy
and
S.A.M.P.L.E fitness trainers.
The entire program worked
very hard over the two days
and had a great time. Since
the opening of the season, the
Freshmen team is 1 - 2 and the
JV
team
is
3 - 1. All are learning every
day
and
making
improvements.
The Varsity
team is being led by captains
Kaitlyn May and Mara Pattison
and seniors Brooke Pinnel and
Ali Arfmann. Pitcher Megan
Zaccario has also been very
solid on the mound for the
Tigers and has already earned
68 strike outs in the first eight
games.
SPRING TRACK
Boys shuttle hurdle relay won
their division at the Bergen
county relays as did the girls
sprint medley relay.
Boys; Jay Jung, Kyle Brambani,
Matt Soffer, Ben Sten. Girls
Lucy Kahn, Olivia Pandolfo,
Nikki Shaner, Samira Sujak.
•
•
Go Tigers!!!!
School Counseling
It’s been 10 years since College
Board redesigned the SAT. In
October 2012, David Coleman
became the new president of
College Board. He was well
aware of “complaints coming
from
all
College
Board
constituencies:
Teachers,
students, parents, university
presidents, college-admissions
officers, high school counselors.
They were all unhappy with the
test and had valid reasons” (NY
Times,
March
6,
2014).
Coleman who helped start a
non-profit organization in 2008
called Student Achievement
Partners played a vital role in
developing the Common Core
State Standards. It is therefore
not surprising that the new and
improved SAT is designed to
align with these standards.
•
•
Changes in the SAT will impact
the Class of 2017 (current 10th
graders). In the fall of 2015 the
new PSAT will be released and
in March 2016 the new SAT will
debut.
Major changes
• The new SAT will return
to 1600 point composite
score based upon 800point
math
and
“evidence-based reading
and writing” sections
The essay will become
optional-it will be 50
minutes long with an
emphasis on reading,
analysis, and writing
skills. Students will be
required to produce a
written analysis of a
provided source text.
Relevant
words
in
context-students will no
longer be asked to
memorize
obscure
words rather students
will be expected to
determine the meaning
or implications of words
and phrases in the
contexts in which they
are being used. This
includes
applying
reading, writing and
math skills in the areas
of science, history/social
studies.
Math-the new SAT will
have
sections
were
mental
math
is
emphasized
and
calculators cannot be
used. The test will focus
on problem solving and
data analysis with more
emphasis on algebra
and some trigonometry.
No penalty for guessing
and only four choices!
The old SAT multiple
choice questions had 5
choices and an incorrect
response resulted in a
deduction of 1/4point.
(The Redesigned SAT
Suite of AssessmentsCollegeboard.org)
College Board has entered into
a
partnership
with
Khan
Academy to provide free test
practice
programs
and
resources. Visit their website
https://www.khanacademy.org/
test-prep/sat. Juniors can also
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access this resource to help
hone skills on the current SAT.
Many students and parents are
grappling with the decision of
which test to take…old SAT,
new SAT or/and the ACT. Most
people familiar with both tests
claim the new SAT is very
similar to the ACT. Students in
the Class of 2017 choosing to
take the old SAT will need to do
so by January 2016-mid way
through their junior year. The
advantage to taking the old
SAT is that it is familiarstudents know what the old
SAT looks like and they know
how to study for it, however
many students will not be
academically ready to take it so
early.
Avoid anxiety and
reduce test stress by speaking
with your child’s counselor
about the changes in the
college admissions test. It is
important to remember that
more than 800 four-year
colleges admit students without
an SAT or ACT score. These
schools are referred to as being
“test optional” or “test flexible”
students are encouraged to
visit http://www.fairtest.org or
visit the THS school counseling
webpage
for
additional
information and resources.
Tenafly High School Counselling
Department is hosting a parent
information session on the
changes in the PSAT and SAT
at 7 pm on Wednesday May
20th in the Library Media
Center.
Support Services
PUTTING SAFETY FIRST:
Fostering a safe and secure
school
environment
for
students and staff is the
primary concern of school
officials who are trained not
only in responding to school
emergency situations and in
identifying potential threats to
school security, but also in
proactively working with the
school community to build a
healthy and supportive school
climate by encouraging trusting
and respectful relationships
among all stakeholders, i.e.
students, staff and parents.
Over the past several months
this school year, students and
staff have participated in or
attended
workshops
or
presentations with a focus on
student safety.
One of the
critical aspects of maintaining a
safe school environment begins
with helping students to make
good decisions - for example,
educating them about the
dangers of risky behaviors and
the
lifelong
effects
of
experimentation with controlled
substances.
In early January, the Bergen
County Narcotics Task Force,
sponsored by the Bergen
County Prosecutor’s Office,
delivered an educational lecture
to the freshman class on
“Heroin and Opiate Abuse for
Students”.
Students were
instructed in the dangers of
experimentation
with
prescription medications and its
correspondence
with
the
increase in heroin use among
young people. Students were
presented with facts and reallife stories on the chilling
effects of drug use.
The
importance of maintaining open
communication between teens
and adults and developing good
decision-making skills were
stressed.
In mid –April, as part of the
Freshman Seminar program,
the 9th graders attended a
presentation
on
“Social
Assurity” by Alan Katzman. His
message
centered
around
helping students to navigate
the social media world in a
positive way – to avoid the
pitfalls and potential dangers of
posting “selfies” and photos of
weekend parties, etc. and,
instead, to begin using social
media to start building a
portfolio during their high
school
years
for
college
admissions, i.e. using social
media as a kind of personal
branding platform to start
showcasing
their
talents,
interests and achievements.
THS staff attended several
workshops
centered
on
recommended approaches to
fostering a positive school
climate through preparedness
via external and internal
measures, awareness training
and enhanced communication
within our school community.
Keeping up-to-date with best
practices
statewide,
AntiBullying Specialist, Janet Gould,
and Supervisor of Students,
Donna Lewis, participated in a
workshop
entitled
“Understanding the Real Role of
the School Safety Team” which
addressed some fundamental
questions about the role of the
school
climate
team
in
alignment with other major
school reform efforts in helping
to promote a positive and
healthy school climate that
supports student achievement
as well as the well-being of all
students.
Keeping
abreast
of
new
legislation
and
recent
developments in federal and
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state standards for student
safety, our Student Supervisor
attended
a
workshop,
“Emerging Federal and State
Standards for Student Health
and Safety” sponsored by Legal
One and the Madison Institute.
Experts in education, law
enforcement and mental health
addressed major developments
in
federal
education
law
covering issues related to case
law and USDOE guidance on
bullying and cyberbullying;
social media use for students
and staff; identifying students
at risk; school security; safety
concerns with First Amendment
rights
and
New
Jersey’s
approach/response to these
issues as compared with
neighboring states.
In early January, THS VicePrincipal Cory and Supervisor
Lewis participated in gang
awareness training – a seminar
designed
to
teach
administrators to recognize
signs of gang involvement or
gang activity in public schools.
An
additional
workshop
attended entitled “Addressing
Student Mental Health Issues”
focused on suicide prevention
and the role of school
personnel in addressing suicidal
ideal and student safety.
THS SRO Detective Barnes and
Supervisor Lewis were also
attendees
at
a
seminar
presented by the NJ State
Police, The NJDOE, the NJ
Office of Homeland Security,
Bergen County Prosecutor’s
Office and the Bergen County
Police on school security. Some
of the topics related to school
security included: the role of
SROs in schools, improving
response time in emergency
situations and identifying and
addressing
schools.
security
gaps
in
In late April SAC Janet Gould
and Supervisor Lewis attended
the SNAP conference, an
annual
conference
for
educators and law enforcement
officials, sponsored by the
Bergen County Prosecutor’s
Office.
This year’s theme,
“Preparing Students for Life
after High School”, reviewed
current trends in drug abuse
and discussed the positive and
negative impacts of social
media
on
adolescents.
Additionally, strategies were
offered to help educators in
connecting students to the real
world and in equipping them to
meet the challenges and
demands of adult life.
Ultimately, student safety rests
with
open
and
effective
communication
among
all
parties involved.
Students,
parents and staff are reminded
to communicate any safety or
security concerns to school
officials.
Students
are
encouraged to access support
for emotional needs from their
parents
and/or
school
counselors or administrators.
Building
relationships
and
maintaining strong partnerships
– student to student; student to
teacher; student to parent; and
parent to school can help to
sustain a sound school culture
and help to ensure a safe and
secure school climate.
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