I From the HSA Co-Presidents
From the HSA Co-Presidents I t’s November and as always, there are so many wonderful things happening at CHS! On November 13th we are pleased to host the Faculty/Staff brunch. It is one of the ways we thank our teachers and staff at CHS for their hard work and dedication to our students. All of the delicious food is donated by our CHS families . The event is coordinated by our co-chairs: Eve Peterson and Carla Ross . Please contact them, if you haven’t already, to contribute in some way to this wonderful event. HSA NEWS NOVEMBER 2014 www.columbiahsa.org A Publication of the Columbia High School Home and School Association Another important event is the Financial Aid Night on November 12th at 7pm. This program is put on by our Guidance Department and is a must for families planning for college. Every fall we look forward to watching our talented students perform in the Parnassian Production which is held over two weekends and should not be missed! This year's production is The Book of Days by Lanford Wilson The play will be performed on November 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. and at Sunday, Nov. 16, matinee at 2 pm. A great opportunity to see the Robotics Club in action is coming up this month as well. The Robo-CATastrophe competition will be held on November 16 starting at 10 AM in the main gym. The competition is what is called a Qualifier under the structure of the US FIRST organization, the international robotics organization. CHS Robotics club operates in the US FIRST division called “FIRST Tech Challenge” or FTC for short in New Jersey, which has over 100 teams. The event will run all day with over 36 teams. Tell your neighbors and younger kids to stop by as well. It’s a great chance to see the robots in action! On November 19, we will welcome our incoming 9th grade families (Class of 2019) for 9th Grade Preview Night. If you know of a current 8th grader, either at the middle schools or in private school, please make sure that they know about this event. This evening for rising 9th graders promises to be very informative. If you have not done so, please join the HSA by going to our website and filling out a form. You can pay the $22 membership fee on line through PayPal or printout the form and send in a check made out to CHS HSA. Have your student bring it to the main office at school or mail it to Columbia High School, 17 Parker Avenue, Maplewood, NJ 07040 attention: CHS HSA. The membership fee is our only fundraiser and it enables us to help fund improvements to the school through beautification, a Principal’s fund, the all school musical (Ragtime this year!), Midnight Madness and much more. In addition, HSA members are invited to attend our monthly board meetings . We would love for members to attend and find out more about the CHS Home-School Association! Please do not hesitate to contact your grade representativesnor either of us if you have any questions or concerns. Nancy O’Connell [email protected] Lisa Nolet [email protected] DATES TO REMEMBER NOVE MBER 3 4 6-7 8 12 13 20 HSA BOARD MEETING 7:30PM STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY SCHOOL CLOSED NJEA CONVENTION SCHOOL CLOSED SATS AT CHS FINANCIAL AID SEMINAR 7PM FACULTY/STAFF BRUNCH FALL BAND CONCERT 7PM GO COUGARS! Interview with new Art teacher Lisa Conrad ED: Where did you grow up and what is your educational background? LC: I was born in New Brunswick and grew up in various towns in Central New Jersey. I finally moved out of Central Jersey in my mid twenties when I decided to live in Philadelphia, Now I reside in Newark. I hold my Masters of Art in Art Education. ED: You are an artist yourself. Can you describe your art form and when you first decided you wanted to be an artist? Lisa Conrad LC: I decided to be an artist in the first grade. My teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said artist! My family joked at this and said I would be poor my whole life. When I make art, I love experimenting with different mediums and materials. I create in layers, and never throw any of my "bad art" out because I can always cut it up and re-create it into something new! I love using clay, making my own paper, and doing anything involving printmaking, including screenprinting, etching, and relief. ED: What did you do before you taught at CHS? LC: Before coming to Columbia HS, I opened my own printmaking studio in downtown Newark. We are a cooperative space where artists of all levels can come and use our equipment and facilities in our shop to make art. One of my favorite programs that we offer at the Newark Print Shop is our weekly open studio every Wednesday, where we open our doors to the public and invite anyone to come in and make fine art prints. ED: What year students do you teach? What has the experience of teaching at Columbia HS been like so far? LC: I teach Art I, which mostly consists of 9th graders, but is open to all grade levels at the high school. So far, I love teaching at Columbia! The students are great here. ED: What does a typical art class consist of? LC: Typically, we use a lot of the class time creating art and working on our projects. We also look at art, talk about art, critique art, and then of course make more art! ED: What is the most important thing about art that you hope to impart to your students? LC: I hope to impart to my students that art is for everyone. There are so many different ways to make art and such a varied array of art in the world to look at and be inspired by, that really, art is for everyone. One of my former students at Marshall Elementary said it best when she said: "If our world abandoned art the world would die because the world is art." 9 Freshman News Freshman families, by now you should be receiving all CHS HSA communications. If you know of anyone who is not, please tell them to send their email address to columbiaclass [email protected] so they can be added to the list. Jackie Lahey [email protected] Mary Brown mary.brown@ogilvy Sophomore News Junior News Greetings Sophomore parents, It was great to see so many of you at Back to School Night and Sophomore Night over the last few weeks. I hope you all feel more comfortable and informed about what the school year has in store. I know we do! Don't hesitate to contact your child's guidance counselor with any questions or concerns. November is a brief and busy month. Here are a few dates to remember: W e hope everyone found Junior Parent's Night informative and useful as you and your child begin to think about life after high school. If you missed the evening, the presentation is posted in the Junior Parents section of the HSA Web site. Thank you for your support of the Homecoming Dance on October 25th. The day was a huge success! Your contributions of time, food and money helped to provide a welcoming environment as our Juniors and Seniors danced the evening away. -End of the first marking period - November 5th (please remember to check Powerschool for grading or attendance discrepancies prior to that date so changes can be made, if necessary) -School is closed November 4th for Staff Development -School is closed November 6th and 7th for NJEA -Parnassian Performance dates are November 16th, 21st and 22nd -Robotics Competition is on November 15th and 16th -Fall Band Concert is November 20th -School is closed half day on November 26th and full days on the 27th and 28th Please remember to check the HSA and CHS school website for other details and updates on school events and news. As we move toward the end of the first marking period, we encourage parents and students to regularly review the PowerSchool Portal for information on student's performance, attendance and fines owed. If there are issues, please contact your child's teacher or guidance counselor to discuss. Reminder that a Financial Aid Seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12th at 7pm in the Auditorium. This is a good opportunity to learn about funding your child's college education. In preparation for Senior Year....we ask that you please support the Class of 2016 Midnight Madness/Project Graduation by sending in this year's $25.00 contribution (total fee $100 per student). You can find information on Midnight Madness by visiting the HSA Web site. We hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Best regards, Kate and Maureen 10 Enjoy the Teacher Convention days. This is a great time to discuss and explore post-secondary options with your student. Kate Smith-Cooper [email protected] Maureen Davenport [email protected] Feel free to contact us with questions or concerns. Happy Thanksgiving. Hyacinth Miller and Gladiz Ricci [email protected] 3 12 Your Senior should have had their Senior portraits taken by Lors Photography. If they have not, or if you wish to scheduler re-takes, please call them at (908) 964-0847 and schedule a session at their nearby studio in Union. •The Guidance Department held Senior Night in October. It was a very helpful session, full of information you need to help your Senior apply to college and vocational programs. All of the information presented can be found on the Guidance Department website. The Columbia High School Guidance Department website is here: www.somsd.k12.nj.us. Go to the site, then click on Schools- School Sites and select Columbia High School. You can find the Guidance website under the “Departments” heading. •Make sure you use Naviance to stay on top of the college admission process: http://connection.naviance.com/columbia. This websitec ontains very useful tools for college planning. Your child’s grades, test scores and class rank will be entered on his or her account. Students can develop a post high school plan, enter their own notes on schools and explore college choices based on current information shown through scattergrams. If your student doesn't have a password and ID, have them contact his or her guidance counselor. •Numerous colleges and post secondary programs are visiting CHS every week. Be sure your senior gets a pass from the guidance department to stop by a visiting school's table and meet their representatives. •Midnight Madness registration, permission slips and payments are now being accepted. No CHS graduate will be denied participation due to financial hardship. Please reach out to Janet Crane at [email protected] or Carla Ross at [email protected] with questions. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Regina Schaefer [email protected] Blair Majtyka [email protected] Midnight Madness Your Midnight Madness committee continues to plan for a fun-filled and exciting graduation night event! Senior parents can help us by doing the following: 1. Make a payment and complete the forms - to register and give permission for your student to attend the Midnight Madness event on graduation night. You may also use the form to give donations and choose the t-shirt size for your student. We have also posted the form for 9th, 10th and 11th graders. Please start paying for a younger sibling and encourage your friends to do the same. USE THE PAYPAL BUTTON ON THE CHS HSA WEBSITE. 2. Participate in the fundraising activities. Midnight Madness/Project Graduation is an expensive event. We only charge $100 per student but the evening costs much more. We fundraise to make up the difference. Can drives will begin soon, as well as the spring activities of flocking, bows and signs. Please stay tuned and be on the look out for additional information. 3. Volunteer to assist with check-in that evening. Unfortunately, senior parents will not be allowed to attend the actual event but you will be able volunteer for check-in. Please help us to recruit parents of underclassman who would be interested in chaperoning this all-night event. Thank you in advance for your help! Janet Crane (973) 275-1499 [email protected] Carla Ross (973) 327-4394 15 class of [email protected] 2015 Midnight Madness/Project Graduation Co-Chairs For any payment and balance questions, please contact our Midnight Madness/Project Graduation Treasurer, Maggie Wierzbicki (201) 563-3807 [email protected] Columbia High School in the News HSA MEMBERSHIP: PLEASE JOIN! In addition to the classes that take place at Columbia High School every day, our school is home to a mind-boggling array of events and activities, and we want your news. Students, teachers, club leaders, coaches, parents, administrators -- if you have a great school-related photo, a lead for a story, or if you just simply want your school-related event promoted, please contact us by emailing Deidra McLaughlin at [email protected] Also, all new and returning parents who have Facebook accounts are invited to "like" the "Columbia High School Home and School Association" page. It's an easy way to keep up-to-date with school-related news and events, and to share feedback with other parents and members of the CHS community. The CHS Home and School Association (HSA) does not fundraise. We depend entirely on membership dues to fund programs that support many grade level and schoolwide activities throughout the year, including: CHS website, CHS e-newsletter, CHS HSA directory, FREE e-directory to HSA members, Grade level Parent Nights, CHS Scholarship Fund, Joseph Potts Foundation Scholarship for CHS students, Senior Recognition Night , Homecoming, Indoor and Outdoor Beautification of CHS , Faculty Breakfast and Brunch Hospitality, Midnight Madness and Achieve Foundation You can now become a member of the CHS HSA on line at www.columbiahsa.org Otherwise please complete the membership form and make your $22 check (no cash please!) payable to CHS/HSA. Include your e-mail address to receive an electronic copy of the HSA parent/student directory. Mail to: HSA MEMBERSHIP, Columbia High School HSA, 17 Parker Ave., Maplewood, NJ 07040 or drop off the form in main office. Any questions, contact Bonnie Czukoski at 973-202-6131or [email protected] . Volunteers Needed!! Want To Stay Connected At CHS??? This is great way to see what happens throughout the year. The envelope your student receives the first day of school will contain the Membership/Volunteer Sheet. Please take a minute and complete this very important form, and return it to CHS via your child or mail it BY SEPTEMBER 16th. Our parent volunteer efforts support so many wonderful events for our children; • Indoor & Outdoor Beautification • Library Volunteers • Achieve Tutors • Faculty Teas & Brunch • Homecoming Dance • Senior Night • Midnight Madness Powerschool is one of the many communication tools implemented by the district to achieve the district goal of improving communication between parents and teachers. The goal of forging a stronger partnership and increased participation among parents, faculty and administration in managing and monitoring student academic performance is of utmost importance! This portal will give you access to your student’s attendance, progress reports, teacher information and so much more! Those parents/guardians new to CHS will soon receive a document that contains your password that will allow you to access the system. Returning parents will use the same password. If you do not receive your login information within the next month, please contact Terry Woolard, Supervisor of Educational Media and Technology, at 973-762-5600, ext. 1143. Please plan to get involved. This is what makes CHS a great place! Any questions, feel free to contact me! Lori Mirabal VP of Volunteers [email protected] 5 Columbia High School Scholarship Fund News In June, CHSSF broke a record when we awarded 104 scholarships to CHS students and alumni totaling $136,900! A lovely reception was held for the scholarship recipients and their families. We also want to thank everyone who made our annual cocktail reception a big success. All of the money raised during this September event will go directly toward scholarships. A special thank you to our sponsors (Leah Gomberg of Sweet Life by Design and Chris and Donna Dickson of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage). Another thank you to our generous caterer, S&P To Taste, for the delicious food. It’s not too late to donate using the red flyer that was sent home in the CHS school envelope in September. Or you can donate by visiting our brand new website: www.chssf.org Cecelia Cancellaro Corresponding Secretary [email protected] 6 CHS HSA Board 2014-2015 Nancy O’Connell Lisa Nolet Lori Mirabal Bonnie Czukoski Mandee Goldner Cecelia Cancellaro Laura Reichgut Deidra McLaughlin Sheila Oliver Jackie Lahey Mary Brown Maureen Davenport Kate Smith-Cooper Hyacinth Miller Gladiz Ricci Regina Schaefer Blair Majtyka Laurie Pham Co-President (Outgoing) Co-President (Incoming) Vice President-Volunteers Vice President-Membership Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary Public Relations Special Education Liaison Freshman Rep Freshman Rep Sophomore Rep Sophomore Rep Junior Rep Junior Rep. Senior Rep. Senior Rep. Faculty Rep. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] COMMITTEES Joe Cummins Mary Jo DeFranco Lori Mirabal Amy Forman Janet Crane Carla Ross Margaret Wierzbicki Leah Gomberg Patty O’Connell Susan King Helen Kensinger Brenda Ehlers Stephanie Carmel Jim LoStuto Eve Peterson Carla Ross Jessie Wendt Jill Hammarberg Mandee Goldner Rivka Nelson Newsletter Editor Newsletter Design Programming Webmaster Midnight Madness Co-chair Midnight Madness Co-chair Midnight Madness-Treasurer Indoor Beautification Indoor Beautification Outdoor Beautification Outdoor Beautification New Parent Coordinator New Parent Coordinator Directory Faculty Brunch Faculty Brunch Faculty Tea Faculty Tea 8th Grade Preview Ex-Officio [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] HSA NEWS is a publication of the Columbia High School Home and School Association, 17 Parker Avenue, Maplewood, NJ 07040 Editor: Joe Cummins Design: Mary Jo DeFranco Newsletter Submissions: Send articles to Joe Cummins [email protected] Submissions are due by the 15th of each month. Community Flyer List for NOVEMBER 2014 All flyers containing detailed information on the topics below can be found on the district website: www.somsd.k12.nj.us or www.southorangemaplewood.org Click on www.columbiahsa.org 7 Community Digital Backpack November 2014
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