CHIEF’S REPORT PISCATAWAY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Jason Lester, Principal October 2016 MESSAGE FROM MR. LESTER It’s beginning to look and feel like fall. The leaves are changing to autumn brown and orange , which provides us with a beautiful view as we drive through the great state of New Jersey. We are in full swing at PHS. I cannot emphasize this enough - the students in Piscataway are doing tremendous things inside and outside of the classroom. Our BioMedical Program received the 30 th Annual School Leader Award from New School Boards in late October. This is an outstanding job by the Science Department. Special thank you to Dr. Murphy, Dr. Szeto, and Ms. Wilson, the front line leaders of the program. We our very proud of Elise Merritt who is a 2017 National Merit Program Semifinalist as well as six other students that achieved the Commended Student status (Arth Baghel, Sarah Cianfrone, Danghuy Nguyen, Jovan Snyder, Catherine Wang, and Susan Wu), a fine group of young people. All students were involved in an array of activities during the Week of Respect through Violence Awareness and Prevention programs. The FBLA students hosted their annual Haunted House for younger students on October 28, which is always well attended. If you want to learn more about what students and teachers are doing in PHS please read on… Strength & Honor PHS HAPPENINGS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT National Merit Program The list below contains the name of our Semifinalist as well as those students named as Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Program. Congratulations to all! Semifinalist Elise Merritt Commended Students Arth M. Baghel Sarah L. Cianfrone Danghuy Nguyen Jovan L. Snyder Catherine D. Wang Susan Wu
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CHIEF’S REPORT PISCATAWAY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
Jason Lester, Principal October 2016
MESSAGE FROM MR. LESTER
It’s beginning to look and feel like fall. The leaves are changing to autumn brown and orange, which provides us with a beautiful view as we drive through the great state of New Jersey. We are in full swing at PHS. I cannot emphasize this enough - the students in Piscataway are doing tremendous things inside and outside of the classroom. Our BioMedical Program received the 30th Annual School Leader Award from New School Boards in late October. This is an outstanding job by the Science Department. Special thank you to Dr. Murphy, Dr. Szeto, and Ms. Wilson, the front line leaders of the program. We our very proud of Elise Merritt who is a 2017 National Merit Program Semifinalist as well as six other students that achieved the Commended Student status (Arth Baghel, Sarah Cianfrone, Danghuy Nguyen, Jovan Snyder, Catherine Wang, and Susan Wu), a fine group of young people. All students were involved in an array of activities during the Week of Respect through Violence Awareness and Prevention programs. The FBLA students hosted their annual Haunted House for younger students on October 28, which is always well attended. If you want to learn more about what students and teachers are doing in PHS please read on…
Strength & Honor
PHS HAPPENINGS
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
National Merit Program
The list below contains the name of our Semifinalist as well as those students named as Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Program. Congratulations to all! Semifinalist Elise Merritt Commended Students Arth M. Baghel Sarah L. Cianfrone Danghuy Nguyen Jovan L. Snyder Catherine D. Wang Susan Wu
KEY CLUB NEWS
The Piscataway High School National Honor Society Class of 2017 kicked off their year of service with a food drive. Eight hundred pounds of food was collected and donated to FISH, a food pantry serving the Piscataway and Dunellen area located on Williams Street in Piscataway. Pictured from left to right (PHOTO 2471) are NHS officers: Sameen Siddiqui, Treasurer, Chimdi Chukwu, Secretary, Kevin Carolina, President and Eyad Warraky, Vice President of Service.
SCIENCE Science Trip to Hacklebarney State Park
On October 21, Mr. Flynn and Mr. Bellew took 27 Advanced Placement Environmental Science students on a field trip to Hacklebarney State Park. The teachers developed some challenging questions for this group relevant to the AP curriculum, and based on their answers in the field trip handout, it was evident that their experience in the woods reinforced the concepts taught in the classroom. Furthermore, students were able to observe how animals (insects, salamanders, toads) interacted with plants and the abiotic aspects of the forest and other environmental science concepts such as food chains/ food webs, organism life cycles, bio-decomposition, water cycle, etc. Students were able to observe all of these concepts "hands-on" at Hacklebarney.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The social studies department has been busy this fall integrating Election 2016 lessons and activities into the classroom, including issues debates and a school wide Mock Election coordinated by Ms. McGowan through the New Jersey Council for Social Studies. The results are in! For President: Clinton/Kaine (D) - 72.4% Trump/Pence (R) - 12.3% Johnson/Weld (L) - 8.3% Stein/Baraka (G) - 7% For 6th Congressional District: Pallone (D) - 86.5% Sonnek-Schmelz (R) - 13.5% Should term limits be imposed for members of Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives? Yes - 74.7% No - 25.3% Should New Jersey’s gasoline tax be raised twenty-three cents per gallon to fund repairs and improvements to the state’s roads and transportation infrastructure? Yes - 30% No - 70%
COUNSELING NEWS Students, staff, parents, and volunteers from Piscataway High School Life Skills and Autistic programs participated in the New Jersey Pride Parade on Friday October 7. The students marched from the State House to West Lafayette with the Alliance Center for Independence. The purpose of the parade is to bring people and organizations together to celebrate pride among the disability community and to promote the belief that disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. The students presented a PWAY Pride banner and individual statements of pride and accomplishment.
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS NEWS Superchiefs are Super!
Piscataway Superchief Marching Band took 2nd Place at the US Bands State Championship, winning the caption award for Best Visual Performance. The kids were very happy with their performance and, although it
was a cold & very windy night, they still achieved a high level of performance. Go Superchiefs!
THE WEEK OF RESPECT & SCHOOL VIOLENCE AWARENESS WEEK
Respect & Kindness Goes a Long Way!
The goal is to place an emphasis on recognizing the diversity at PHS and respect ourselves, respect others, and respect our school community.
Respect Week 10/3/16 - 10/7/16 During the Week of Respect, Ashton Burrell, a graduate of Highland Park High School and Lincoln University, addressed the entire student body encouraging each student to show respect for themselves and for the entire school community. He shared his story of overcoming obstacles of disrespecting himself and his teachers. Ashton explained how he discovered his passion and love for helping others at the early age of 19 while attending Lincoln University. He has written his first book Impact, which was released in September 2016.
Ashton has received the Highland Park Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and Spread the Word 2nd Annual Humanitarian Award. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson honored Ashton with their MLK Community Service Award. Ashton’s ability to connect to the students provide a strong sense of connection and pride here at PHS.
School Violence Awareness Week (10/17-10/21)
PHS Students pledge Against School Violence:
As a student of Piscataway High School I will treat people as I wish to be treated. I believe that everyone has
the right to a free and safe school community
Therefore, I pledge to:
Understand that PHS is a Special Place
Inspire the Best in Myself and Others
Care About Others by Demonstrating Acts of Kindness
And Stand Up Against Bullying Whenever & Wherever I See It.
Congratulations to the Class of 2017 for winning our Pledge Campaign; Bivi Baby, Angelimani
Class of 2019 supporting our Pledge Campaign: Donna Bardecker & Anisa Kamara
Class of 2020 supporting the Pledge Campaign; Katarina Rodriguez & Isabel Almerco
School Violence Awareness Assembly
Det. Higgins & Det. Myers joined Dr. Gutches, PHS Behaviorist, during a School Violence Awareness training for the 9th and 10th graders. The training addressed what is school violence, facts about school violence, things that contribute to school violence and what students can do to prevent school violence at PHS.
Dr. Gutches provides resources such as www.DOSOMETHING.ORG .
This website is one of the largest online organizations for young people to get involve with making a social change.
If You Feel Down? Talk to a trained crisis counselor. Text “DS” TO 741-741. Free, 24/7. Confidential.
Det. Higgins explains his role as the School Resource Office for PHS along with the importance for everyone to feel safe in school. “If you see something going on in school say something.” He encouraged the students to continue to have pride in themselves and PHS.
Det. Myers explains how social media impacts on school violence. Students should think first before posting anything on social media.
Random Act of Kindness Initiative
As a part of our goal to place emphasis on recognizing the diversity at PHS and respect ourselves, respect others and respect our school community during the Month of October teachers & staff were provided with Anti-Bullying Bracelets to recognize students during as a part of this Initiative.
Congratulations to the following students who received a bracelet:
Last Name First Name GR
First Name Last Name GR
ABDULFATTAH AFIFSHEIKH 11
MACAULEY NORMIE 11
ALMERCO ISABEL 9
MANTHA SHRUTI 11
AMORES JOCELYN 10
MCCOMB WILLIAM 12 ARIAS JENISA 11
MORRIS JANAE 10
ASHAN SAAD 12
NANDAXUMAR SWETHA 11
BABY BIVI 12
NATH TEJA 10
BABY BIVI 12
NELSON MALCOM 9 BARDECKER DONNA 10
NESLER JESSICA 11
BATEMAN ANGELIMANI 12
NIGAM MEGHA 12
BETHEA MAKI 11
PAPANIER CHRISTINE 12
BROOKS RONALD 12
PATEL NEHA 12
BUCCI NICHOLAS 12
PATEL KAVITA 12 BYNUM GARY 9
PATEL RUSHALI 12
CHAPMAN BRIANNA 12
PATEL HIMANSHUKUMAR 12
CANTON GIOVANNI 9
PEREZ RUTH 11
CAPILI ALLYZA
MONIQUE 12
PLYLER NICHOLAS 12
CARLON HUNTER 12
PUTAL AL NASRI 12
CAROLINA KEVIN 12
REYNOLDS KIARA 11
CEPEDA FAITH 12
RIVERA EVIAN 12
CIFUENTES
ESCOBAR EMELYN 9
RODRIGUEZ KATARINA 9 DEEPAN MIA 9
ROLLACK KAYLA 10 D'SOUZA SUSANA 12
RUCKI DOMINIQUE 9 FLORES JEA MARIE 12
SALMON MATTEW 11 FOWLKES LOUIS 12
SELINGER KATHRYN 12
FRANK GARY 12
SHARMA MANAV 10
GALL ZACHARY 9
SINGH ERIC 12
GARVIN
DILLARD JONAY 10
SNYDER JOVAN 12
GRAB MICHAEL 10
SPANN JASMINE 12
GREENE Olivia 12
SUBRAMANIAN JANANI 12
HANZICH ADALAINA 12
SUKUMARAN SANJNA 11
HENRY TAYLOR 12
TAY XAVIER 12
HOLMAN NADIR 10
TORRES Nathalie 12 HOPPELER JOHN 12
TRICARICO MATTHEW 11
HUSAIN SYEDA 11
VALENTIN RICHARD 12 JACKSON JUWON 10
WALSH ZOE 11
KAMARA ANISA 10
WANG CATHERINE 12
LALANI AJAY 9
ZEEB ALYSSA 9
LOPEZ ANYA 12
ZELLER LYDIA 11
STAFF NEWS Mrs. Leibowitz, Lt. Governor, NJ District of Kiwanis
Pictured: Birju Dhaduk, Brianna Harris, Kristen Nyampong, Eileen Zhu, Nic Bagwandeen, along with Mr. Fuhr and Mrs. Leibowitz
Congratulations to Mrs. Laura Leibowitz for being appointed Lieutenant Governor of Division 6 of the NJ District of Kiwanis! Mrs. Leibowitz has been the faculty advisor to the Piscataway High School Key Club for over 25 years and has served as a zone administrator for the New Jersey District of Key Club, which is a youth sponsored program of Kiwanis International. Kiwanis International is a global organization of members dedicated to serving the children of the world, with more than 660,000 members strong. Annually, they raise more than $100 million and dedicate more than 18.5 million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children. Members of every age attend regular meetings, experience fellowship, raise funds for various causes and participate in service projects that help their communities. Members also make an impact throughout the world by participating in Kiwanis International’s Global Campaign for Children, The Eliminate Project: Kiwanis eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. Key Club, the oldest and largest service organization for teens, teaches leadership through service to others. Builders Club for adolescents provides students with opportunities to develop leadership, improve self-esteem, increase civic engagement and learn life skills through service. There is a Key Club at Piscataway High School and a Builders Club at Schor Middle School. Mrs. Leibowitz’ was elected to one of the key leadership positions in the New Jersey district. Her responsibilities include helping clubs maintain or increase their membership, opening new clubs, ensuring participation in club leadership education, and increasing club members’ engagement and morale. Community members interested in joining Kiwanis can contact Mrs. Leibowitz at [email protected] or visit www.kiwanis.org
IMPORTANT DATES: Oct. 31 – Nov. 4 Spirit Week November 5 PHS Homecoming Dance 6 pm, Patton Café November 8 Election Day. Teacher In-Service – no school for students November 9 End of the first Marking Period November 10 & 11 NJEA Convention. School Closed November 14 PHS PTSO Meeting, 7 pm Commons November 16 ICCA Volleyball Tournament, 2 pm Patton Gym November 18 Daytime Conferences. Half-day for Students November 18 PHS Faculty Talent Show, 7 pm PAC November 19 PHS Fall Play, 2 pm & 7 pm PAC November 20 PHS Fall Play, 2 pm & 7 pm PAC November 21 & 22 Evening Conferences, Half-days for Students November 23 Half-Day for Students & Staff November 24 – 25 Thanksgiving Holiday. School Closed
