Sept/Oct 2014 - Park Ridge High School

Park Ridge High School
The Owl Press
Welcome to the 2014-2015
September/
October
2014
school year! It has been a sad
start for all of us, due to the
tragic loss of Gary Mioli, our
beloved guidance counselor and
football coach. His contributions to our school district will
be sorely missed, but his memory will live on with us forever.
In the days following Mr. Mioli’s passing, I have been even
more mindful that people are
our school’s greatest resource.
Students, teachers, staff and
families make Park Ridge a
truly exceptional place. It was an incredible feat to watch as Park Ridge bonded
together to provide support to its school in
a time of need. I am very proud to be the
Principal of such a caring community.
At the start of each school year, I meet with
the students from each grade level and offer
three pieces of advice that can help to make
their years at PRHS as fulfilling and gratifying as possible. First, I encourage and challenge each one to become involved with the
Despite having to overcome hardship, rou- school community. Students can join one of
tines are certainly back in full swing here at our many clubs, team sports or campaign to
Park Ridge Jr./Sr. High School. Since the win an office in the student government. The
more students participate in their school, the
start of the year, I have spent much of my
time visiting classrooms where I witnessed more they will gain ownership and feel included in the entire process. Second, we fomany great endeavors from the students
cus on the importance of setting goals for the
and staff in just the first few weeks of
future and emphasize the many ways a solid
school. The 1:1 laptop program continues
to be a visible upgrade to the lessons being education can help realize those visions.
taught and creates a positive energy for our Lastly, I urge them to take full advantage of
students. The pursuit of excellence is once the academic and elective opportunities availagain underway and is as attractive as ever! able. I suggest that they become acquainted
with and connected to the Guidance Staff,
Student Assistance Counselor, their specific
One of my goals is to keep parents, stuteachers, coaches and administrators in order
dents and the staff of PRHS as informed
and prepared as possible. During the year, to obtain information and secure personal
support at all times.
we hold a variety of meetings for this purpose. “Conversation With The Principal” is
Park Ridge High School’s teachers are fully
held each quarter; the first is on Monday,
November 10th at 7pm, in room 105 of the prepared to inspire our students to be the
High School. [Please note that this meeting best that they can be by continually motivatis rescheduled due to a conflict on our cal- ing them to develop consistent work ethics
and to achieve their goals! I look forward to
endar]. Communication is key in all oranother rewarding year at PRHS and thank
ganizations. My hope is to create a dialogue between our parents and our admini- you for your cooperation and support!
stration on topics of importance that will
positively affect our students and impact
our school.
-Mr. Lederman, Principal
Park ridge mourns the loss of a
dedicated counselor and football coach
On Friday, September 12th the Park Ridge Community was devastated to learn of the passing of
Guidance Counselor and Head Football Coach
Gary Mioli.
Mr. Mioli was a well-respected Middle School Counselor and
beloved faculty member of PRHS. Mr. Mioli will have a lasting
impact on all students, both past and present, who have walked
the halls of PRHS. Mr. Mioli always talked about his love of the
job and how much of a privilege and honor it was to help guide
students through difficult times to achieve their true potential.
Arguable, Coach Mioli’s greatest contribution to Park Ridge
was his unwavering dedication to the football team. For 24
years, he was the Head Football Coach for the Owls. Coach Mioli received countless accolades for his work including multiple Coach of the Year Awards, League Championships, induction into Park Ridge’s HS Athletic Hall of Fame, and led the
Owls to their first and only State Sectional Football Championship in 1995.
Since his passing, Coach Mioli has been recognized
for his work with the Park Ridge Football program
by many organizations. Ticket sales collected at
the gate for Park Ridge, Hasbrouck Heights, and
his hometown of Cresskill were donated to the
family. His beloved New York Jets named him the
High School Coach of the week in late September.
Coach Mioli was also the first recipient of the National Coaches Day – Coach of the Year Award. This
award was presented at the Fall Pep Rally before
the Park Ridge community. Along with both honors came monetary awards totaling $4500.
But these honors are not the
most important legacy Coach
Mioli leaves behind. In difficult times – Coach Mioli asked
his players to live the mantra
of being a FAMILY. The reason
was - it is your FAMILY that
gets you through the tough
times. It is that FAMILY that
we lean on to get the Park
Ridge Community through
this difficult time. As we start
the healing process at Park
Ridge High School, we ask that
you continue to keep the Mioli
family in your thoughts and prayers.
Name: Mr. Robert Andresen
Name: Ms. Tina Bacolas
Position: Maternity Leave Replacement/8th Grade Social
Position: Supervisor of Instructional Technology
Studies
College/Major: Virginia Tech, Biology & Chemistry
College/Major: Ramapo College of New Jersey, History
Fun fact: I am a fitness fanatic
Fun fact: In high school, I competed as the captain of the varand love doing anything outsity bowling team and once rolled a high score of 299.
doors, especially camping :)
What I am enjoying most about PRHS so far: Park Ridge
What I am enjoying most
High School’s sense of community. All of the teachers have
about PRHS so far: Helping all
been so supportive, sweet, and helpful. It has been wonderful
the little owls become more
getting to know the staff that makes this school exemplary.
connected and collaborative
Equally as important are my students who have made my first through technology!
months here enjoyable by working hard and bringing a level of
excitement and energy to our class.
Name: Ms. Dara Burns
Position: Paraprofessional
College/Major: Montclair State University, German
Fun fact: I speak German.
What I am enjoying most: Getting to know the students and
staff, and the diversity of my work.
Name: Mr. Samuel Lebreault
Position: Special Education Science Teacher
College/Major: Montclair State University, Masters of the
Arts in Teaching with a Dual Certification in Biological Sciences and Special Education
Fun fact: I love to go downhill mountain biking.
What I am enjoying most: The welcoming staff and polite
students
Name: Ms. Jeannie Mills
Position: Maternity Leave Replacement/7th Grade Mathematics
College/Major: Rutgers University, Bachelor’s of Arts, Master’s in Business Administration
Fun fact: I love to ski.
What I am enjoying most: From seeing my students get
psyched to win a ticket in the “ticket raffle” to watching the
staff do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I am really enjoying the
people at PRHS. You are a fun bunch and I am glad to be here!
Name: Mrs. Christine Panepinto
Position: Maternity Leave Replacement/Guidance Counselor
College/Major: Assumption College, Bachelor’s in Psychology, Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling, Guidance Counseling Concentration, Certification of Advanced Graduate
Studies
Maquarie University, Sydney , Australia: Semester abroad
Fun fact: I went skydiving
What I am enjoying most: The students, staff and parents
have been so welcoming – thank you!
Name: Ms. Mary Jo Parente
Position: Paraprofessional
Fun fact: I speak Italian (My parents were born in Italy)
What I am enjoying most: How friendly and helpful the staff
has been!
Name: Ms. Jullian Ruberto
Position: Spanish III Teacher
College/Major: SUNY Oneonta, Bachelor’s in Secondary
Education; Mercy College, Master’s in Teaching ESL
Fun fact: I studied in Spain for a summer while in college.
What I am enjoying most: The great students and staff!
Name: Ms. Katie Saxton
Position: Vocal Music Director & Media Production Teacher
College/Major: The College of New Jersey, Bachelor’s in Music Education with a concentration in Voice,
Fun fact: I am a big New York Rangers fan!
Name: Mrs. Theresa Simpson
Position: Maternity Leave Replacement/English, Special
Education
College/Major: SUNY Cortland, Bachelor’s in English Education; Hofstra University, Master’s in Literacy Studies
Fun fact: I have been dancing since I was 7 years old and
currently am a dance teacher at a local studio. I love to travel
and I have been to Hawaii, St. Marten, Puerto Rico, Bahamas,
and Tortola.
What I am enjoying most: The staff at Park Ridge has been
extremely welcoming of a new staff member and have made
me feel very comfortable. The students are great, they are
eager to learn and have a genuine personality about them as a
whole.
What I am enjoying most: Getting to know the wonderful student body, as well as experience
the amazing daily progress of the
vocal ensembles.
Park Ridge High School
Marching Band
On October 12th, the Park Ridge Marching Band won the Bergen County Invitational Competition in Bergenfield, which is organized by the US Bands Association. Park Ridge won all caption awards which include-Best Music, Best Visual, Best Color Guard, Best Percussion and Best Overall Performance. The Band
outscored Cresskill, River Dell, North Bergen, Northern Valley Regional HS Demarest, Fort Lee, Manhasset
LI, Hicksville LI, Northern Valley Regional HS Old Tappan and New Milford High Schools. The Marching
Band presently has the highest score of all Group IIA Bands in the State of New Jersey.
The Marching Band has several outstanding senior members that Mr. Popolizio would like to recognize.
They are Mark Ciccaglione, Julia Ciccaglione, Ashley Floris, Mike Gannaio, San Kim, Annarose Lemba, Marcus Loo, Elias Marcopoulos, Samir Tawalare and Christina Vargas.
The Marching Band will be competing at
the Metlife Stadium Regional Championships on November 1st. Past Marching
Band performances include the New Jersey State Band Festival at Wayne Hills HS
and the Montclair University Band Festival held on October 26th.
The Marching Band’s annual
cheesecake/pie/cookie dough
fundraiser is running from
October 8th to November 3rd.
A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Popolizio for being a 2014 Grammy
Music Educators Award Quarterfinalist! Out of 7,000 nominees from all over the
United States, Mr. Popolizio was selected as one of the top 200 in the nation. Mr.
Popolizio was acknowledged by the New Jersey State Educators Association as
well as the Governor’s Office for this outstanding accomplishment.
Learning in Different
Environments..
Taking advantage of the first day of Autumn, Mr. Desiderio
(pictured right) and Mrs. Chamber’s Environmental Science
class went outdoors to explore the biodiversity of the PRHS
Campus. The field study was part of a lab entitled What’s
That Niche? The class was fortunate to have encountered
many interesting specimens that were representative of native ecology. One of the highlights of the fieldwork was Mr.
Desiderio fishing a turtle out of the Pascack Brook. The class
learned that, despite a high degree of local development,
there is a thriving ecosystem to further study. Both the students and teachers are excited for future labs.
CBI :Community Based Instruction Field Trip
Students, teachers, and paraprofessionals took a
field trip to Life Time Fitness in Montvale on
October 22nd. The group took a spin class lead by
PR parent and cycle guru Brian Mahoney. It was
fast moving and fun. The class stressed cardio
fitness for staying healthy. The group was then
treated to healthy protein shakes and a lesson in
healthy eating and nutrition. The staff at Life
Time Fitness could not have been more
welcoming !
The Interact Club will
be collecting cans and other
non-perishable items for
their annual Thanksgiving
food drive from Monday,
November 17th through
Friday, November 21st.
The Fine & Performing arts
DRAMA: This year's fall drama will be Charlotte's Web... Under the direction of Lynn Weltler, one of the most beloved tales about friendship and
sacrifice comes to life in the form of a sensitive farm girl and her family, a
multi-talented spider and her web of truths, a gluttonous rat with a heart of
golden cheddar, and of course - America's first favorite pig, Wilbur. Starring
seniors Tanya Chernyak as Charlotte, Ally Manikas as Edith Zuckerman, Pranav Ramakrishnan as Mr. Arable, and Samir Tawalare as Templeton the Rat; also, Sophia Verducci
and Patrick Smith will man the PRHS light and sound boards for the last time. Runs
Thursday, November 13 thru Saturday, November 15th @ 7:00 PM. Tickets are $5 at the
door. Our senior citizens show matinee will be Wednesday, November 12 @ 1 PM.
The Visual Arts Department was contacted by the Park Ridge Green Team, an organization
which advocates for and creates sustainable and environmental initiatives for the benefit of the
town, to create artwork that will be used in an informational sign by a rain garden which was
planted next to Mill Pond. The Portfolio class, which includes Amy Bravo, Tanya Chernyak,
Mikaela Heyboer and Anthony Vanacore, decided to take on the assignment and took a walk
over to the site on Monday, October 20th during class.
The Green Team had given them the names of all the
plants, shrubs and trees that were planted in the garden.
These plants
were then researched by the
students on
their laptops in
order to draw
sketches of
them. The student illustraFar right:
Baptista
Australis,
Anthony
Vanacore
Right:
Hibiscus,
Amy Bravo
tions will be
included on the
sign. The creation of this artwork for
the Green Team is a great example
of how school and community can
work together.
PARK RIDGE’S MUSICAL THEATER ON TELEVISION
Park Ridge students will be featured on Classroom Close-up, NJ. Classroom Close-up,
NJ, an eleven-time Emmy award-winning show, is a co-production of the New Jersey
Education Association and NJTV with additional funding by PSE&G.
Now in its twenty-first season, Classroom Close-up, NJ features innovative programs
going on in public school classrooms. Each half-hour program shows how caring
school professionals inspire and motivate students. Each week, the excitement of
learning comes live as teacher, children and parent work together for success.
Park Ridge Schools were selected for a Classroom Close-up, NJ segment because of the
unique curriculum Musical Theater's course. The show will discuss the new Musical
Theater course and features parts of the June performances of Wanda's World, a musical by Beth Falcone and Eric H. Weinberger. The segment will highlight
the collaboration of administrators, teachers, students and the Park Ridge Education
Foundation (PREF).
Classroom Close-up, NJ, airs on NJTV every Sunday at 7:30AM, 12:30PM and 7:30PM
and Saturday at 5:30AM. The segment will air on December 14 & 20 and January 18 &
24. Cable customers can find NJTV on channel 8 and Verizon Fios users can view the
segment on channels 23 or 523 (HD).
PARK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE STUDENTS VOLUNTEER
“To TRICK OR TREAT because HUNGER is a VERY SCARY thing”
The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and its student honorary organization, the International Thespian Society, are pleased to announce that Park
Ridge High School's Thespian Troupe 4629 participated in Trick or Treat So
Kids Can Eat. Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a national community service program for ITS-member schools to collect canned and
dry goods for local charities and food banks.
Theatre students from Park Ridge High School dress in costumes to collect food
donations during the local Trick or Treat activities on Halloween. These donations will benefit the Pascack Food Center. Troupe 4629’s contributions give the
organization the ability to feed local people in need.
The High School Bonfire is rescheduled for
Wednesday, October 29th at 6:30 p.m.
Athletic Updates
Girls Soccer is currently 16-2 with big wins over rivals Emerson,
Cresskill, and Tenafly in the County Tournament. The girls recently defeated Hawthorne Christian 5-0 on Senior Night. The team
has won the NJIC Patriot Division Championship for the third
straight season. They will host the opening round of the State tournament.
Boys Soccer is currently 9-6-1 with wins over Cresskill, Midland Park, Palisades Park
and a first round upset victory over Elmwood Park in the Bergen Cup. The Boys also tied
division power HCA 1-1 on Senior Night, and qualified for the State tournament.
Congratulations to
Chris Brown for
receiving the
County’s Athletic
Director of the
Year award!
Girls Volleyball is currently 8-8 with wins over
rival Emerson, Hawthorne Christian and Palisades Park to qualify for the County Tournament. The team is battling for a place in the
State Tournament and will have their Senior
game on Thursday, October 30th vs. Midland
Park – 5:15
Girls Tennis is currently 10-6 with wins over
Midland Park, Immaculate Conception and
Emerson. The team advanced to the Quarterfinals of the State Tournament with an upset
win over Waldwick. The girls Senior match will
be Tuesday, October 28th vs New Milford @ 4pm
Cross Country – the Boys and Girls Cross Country
teams have both been running well. Both teams recently ran at the County Invitational and are preparing for the State Tournament.
Football / Cheerleading / Band – The Football team
recently defeated North Arlington 21-13 to improve to 3-2. The Owls hosted Becton on Friday,
October 24th at 7:00pm. This was the Homecoming Game and Senior Night. Thank you to all who
supported the Football, Band and Cheerleading
teams.
Follow Park Ridge High
School Athletics on
Twitter
@PRowlsathletics
Or
Watch live streams of
PRHS Games on
www.highschoolcube.co
Mrs. Baitala and Mrs. Martucci both gave birth
to girls on September 24th. Our Owl family is
excited to welcome Aisling Teagan Finn (above)
and Alexa Lynn Martucci (below). Aisling Teagan Finn was born at 10:06 am, weighing 7 lbs 8
oz and measuring 20 inches long. Alexa Lynn
Martucci was born at 8:37am, weighing 8 lbs 7 oz
and measuring 19.5 inches. Both moms and babies are well and the big sisters are happy to have
their little sisters home. These Owl babies are
already showing off their Park Ridge pride.
Mrs. Heller and her husband are proud to
announce the birth of their first baby boy!
Max Rainier Heller (above) was born on
July 21, weighing 7 lbs and measuring 19.5
inches long. This little guy is all
smiles!
Auf Wiedersehen, German Friends!
After an amazing three and a half weeks with the nineteen German exchange students
in October, it will be really hard to say good-bye to them. The German exchange students have become such a regular part of our lives; they have attended our classes
cheered on our sports teams, gone out with us to the mall and movies, and met us for
doughnuts often. When they leave it will feel for many of us like something is missing.
The day the exchange students leave everyone involved will have a hard time seeing
them go. They have already taken up space in our lives, in our homes, and in our
hearts. The Germans are very thankful to everyone in Park Ridge for showing them
such a warm welcome and letting them take part in “real American life”. Many of you
have really extended yourselves to them and they will not forget your kindness and
hospitality. To show their appreciation, before the German students leave they will
cook authentic German dishes for their host families at a Potluck Dinner. They will
also give everyone a recipe book so that they can recreate anything they particularly
enjoyed eating. The German students have also uploaded a daily diary of their stay in
Park Ridge to their school’s website so that everyone can follow along in their adventures. This diary will be a great memory-book for all! (http://fsg-pfullingen.de/pages/
schulleben/austausch-mit-park-ridge/online-diary-2014.php)
It is hard to express how much everyone will miss each other. In this instance, the
German phrase “Auf Wiedersehen” (until we see each other again) is much more fitting
than the English “good-bye”. Everyone can hardly wait until the Wiedersehen this
summer, when Park Ridge students visit the German students in Germany!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Boys & Girls State 2014
Mark Ciccaglione, Erini Papas, Samir
Tawlare, and Sydney Sheridan are
named Commended Students
in the 2013 National Merit
Scholarship Competition!!
A special thanks to the American Legion and Auxiliary for continuing to sponsor and educate our students through NJ Boys and Girls State. Congratulations to the 2014 participants: Lilli Abraham, Sophie
Hassell, Annarose Lemba, Kristen Sileo, Scott Galdi,
Owen Giannangeli, Zachary Lucanie, Jovanni Nunez,
and Samir Tawalare.
Governor’s School 2014
Through a highly competitive and rigorous selection process, Marcus Loo
was chosen to attend the prestigious NJ Governor’s School of Engineering
and Technology at Rutgers University. This month long residential program is designed for the purpose of collaborative exploration in advanced
engineering and technology topics through research and experiential learning. This intensive coursework culminates with a published research paper and presentation of topic.
Marcus’ cohort opted to study alternative energy sources by creating chemical reactions
with common household products to power a model car. Marcus and his colleagues presented their research, the Optimization of a Chem-E-Car, to parents, Rutgers faculty and
school officials. Mr. Lederman attended Marcus’ presentation as the representative of
Park Ridge High School. The study by Marcus et al can be found in its entirety at http://
www.soe.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/imce/pdfs/gset-2014/Optimization%2Bof%
2Ba%2BChem-E-Car.pdf.
Applications for the 2015 Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology should be
available in mid-November.
Mrs. Tara Saykin Joins Park Ridge Guidance
The Park Ridge Guidance Department is pleased to welcome Mrs. Tara
Saykin for the middle school interim counseling position. Mrs. Saykin
comes to us from the El Rodeo School in California where she worked for
eight years. Mrs. Saykin has attained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees from Boston University where she performed her counseling internship in the inner city public schools of Boston. Mrs. Saykin can be
reached at (201)573-6000 x. 5503 or TaraSaykin@parkridge.k12.nj.us.
$cholarship$
Senior parents and students should be actively checking the PRHS Guidance website for scholarship opportunities. This website is updated weekly
and already includes various local scholarships like the Elks, which is due
in early December!
Thursday, March 26th
is our next College
Planning Workshop
Career and college help at your finger tips
The Guidance Department subscribes to a web-based program called Naviance. This program enables students from grades 9-12 to access information about colleges and careers from their laptops.
This software is easy to navigate and offers an array of college search options. An additional feature
that was added to the program last year is the reporting of recent admissions data for Park Ridge
High School graduates. The comparison graph feature in Naviance allows students to gauge how s/he
stacks up against previous PRHS applicants. This function is paramount in the college list building
process as it assists students in determining what colleges and universities are reaches, good matches
and safeties. The college search features are especially beneficial to juniors and seniors who are looking to match specific attributes such as selectivity, majors, enrollment, region or state.
Additional components that Naviance offers to students are self-assessments related to learning style,
career interests and personality inventories. Students receive Naviance training and become familiar
with the program through in-class seminars and assignments in Freshman Focus. Parent accounts are also available.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Homework Club Schedule:
Afternoons:
Tuesday 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM – in A102
Wednesday 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM – in A102
Thursday 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM – in A109
Mornings:
Tuesday 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM - in A109
Wednesday 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM- in A209
Thursday 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM - in A209
National Honor Society tutors are on
hand to assist with homework
October 29th
October 31st
PRHS Bonfire
Halloween
November 1st
November 5th
November 6-7th
November 10th
November 13-15th
November 17th
November 19th
November 27-28th
MetLife Stadium Marching Band Competition
End of Quarter 1
Teacher’s Convention
Discussions with the Principal
Fall Drama, Charlotte’s Web
BOE Meeting
NHS Induction; Op Grad Meeting
School Closed, Thanksgiving Break
December 4th
December 10th
December 11th
December 15th
December 24-31st
Fall Sports Awards
MS Holiday Concert
HS Holiday Concert
BOE Meeting
School Closed, Holiday Recess