chief`s report - Piscataway High School

CHIEF’S REPORT
PISCATAWAY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
Jason Lester, Principal
November 2015
MESSAGE FROM MR. LESTER
Warm greetings and salutations, family. We have much to be thankful for during the month of November. Many
of our fall sports and marching band programs came to a close this past weekend. We are proud of the
tremendous effort made by all of our students and coaches. The 1st marking period came to a close, and
students and teachers are making strong progress towards our school goals:
 By June 2016, Piscataway High School will see a 3% increase in the number of final course grades of
70% or higher earned by students as compared to the 2014-15 percentage increase
 By June 2016, discipline referrals will be reduced by 5%
 By June 2016, 80% of our teaching staff shall have modeled infusion of technology best practices in a
collegial environment that is focused on student engagement
A special thank you to all of the teachers that participated in the Faculty Talent Show as well as the organizers,
Mr. Horan and Ms. Dionisio. Your dedication and commitment to the students of PHS is truly remarkable.
Proceeds from the Faculty Talent Show are going to the Class of 2017 and to the Class of 2018. Please read
on as there have been additional great activities here at Piscataway High School.
Strength & Honor
PHS HAPPENINGS
Below was taken from the homepage of the Piscataway Township Schools District website:
White House Recognizes Piscataway Schools as a "Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
Posted on 09/16/2015
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics has named Piscataway Township
Schools a “Bright Spot in Hispanic Education.” Piscataway was one of only 230 school districts nationwide to
achieve this honor.
The announcement was made by Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the Initiative on September 15,
2015 at the launch of Hispanic Heritage Month and in honor of the Initiative’s 25th anniversary in Washington,
D.C. “There has been notable progress in Hispanic educational achievement, and it is due to the efforts of
these Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, programs and organizations working throughout the country to help
Hispanic students reach their full potential,” said Ceja.
Piscataway’s program, which covers students from preschool through high school and includes outreach to
parents as well as students, is included in the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics’
Bright Spots in Hispanic Education National Online Catalog. It can be found online at
www.ed.gov/hispanicinitiative.
Piscataway sees outstanding results for Hispanic students at every stage of their academic careers – from
preschool through high school. The early immersion program meets its stated goal to have children exit ESL by
the end of first grade. The ESL Endorsed Teacher Program embeds over 60 teachers at the K-5 level, allowing
ESL students to remain and grow academically in mainstream classrooms, and has become a model for The
College of New Jersey’s Endorsed Teacher Program.
At the high school level, Piscataway goes far beyond state and federal mandates with outreach that
includes after-school and Saturday programs to immerse students and their parents into the school community.
While student programs focus on building academic vocabulary and other academic skills to keep students
engaged and ready to learn in their daily classes, the district welcomes parents for classes in ESL, job
application and interview skills, and shows parents how to best navigate the American school system and the
college application process.
Hard measurements -- graduation rates, test scores, and AP participation and test scores are very positive
and climbing higher. In just two years, Piscataway doubled its percentage of Hispanic students taking AP
courses from 9% in 2013 to 18% in 2015. Hispanic students also saw a rise in AP overall scores from 3.38 to
3.81, with 56 percent of these students scoring in this qualifying range. In Spring 2015, three Piscataway high
school students were named in the College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program for their outstanding
PSAT results. Soft results – family immersion into the school community, cross-cultural friendships, and
leadership roles for Hispanic students, are equally important.
“We are extremely pleased that the White House has recognized our efforts on behalf of our Hispanic
student population,” said Piscataway Superintendent Teresa M. Rafferty. “I would like to commend our entire
staff, particularly our ESL and ESL Endorsed Teachers, for their dedication to our students.”
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
During the month of October, PHS celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing rich traditions from Latino
communities. Students sampled Latino cuisine, listened to segments of Spanish music on The Pulse,
participated in a poster contest and competed in a daily trivia contest. An assembly culminated the celebration.
Our very own Giovanni Reynoso engaged our students with a presentation on History and Cultural Expression
through Dance. Our guest speaker, Honorable Judge Dennis Nieves, Middlesex County Municipal Court,
whose inspirational charge to our students – “Who is going to take my place?” generated a swell of student
pride and planted the seeds of hope as they navigate adolescence and aspire towards excellence. The
Hispanic Heritage Month activities and celebration raised the awareness of the Latino communities and how
their contributions shape the landscape that is the United States.
STAFF IN-SERVICE
On November 11, 2015, our staff participated in an all-day In-Service. Teachers were divided into four groups
and rotated to four different workshops. Below is a description of the workshops they attended.
Session I:
Workshop: Accommodations v. Modifications & Intervention v. Strategy
Presenter: Ms. Reigelsperger
When working with students in general or special education there are specific strategies, interventions,
modifications or accommodations that teachers can employ to increase academic success. For teachers, it is
imperative to understand the inherent differences and how purposeful implementation can enhance a student’s
classroom performance.
Session II:
Workshop: Technology at Work in our Classrooms
Presenters: Dr. Cetta, Gwen Sylvan, Brinder Soin, Volodar Lojko
This interactive workshop will explore ways in which technology can be integrated into daily classroom
instruction and practices. As we gain a better understanding and utilization of our BYOD environment, we seek
to assist in classroom management, promote creativity, increase student engagement, and organize our
courses utilizing 21st century skills.
Session III:
Workshop: Diversity-Connecting with Students, Part II
Presenters: Dr. Connelly, Ms. Gaines, and Ms. Stewart
Engaging students in the learning process is critical to any teacher’s success as an educator. However, we
strive to better understand where students are at within the continuum of the learning process. We seek to
assist teachers in identifying characteristics and traits that will help maximize learning opportunities for all
students.
Session IV:
Workshop: Understanding Student Perspective through the Eyes of a Dean & Behaviorist
Presenters: Mr. Bizzell, Ms. Hurt, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Rogers, and Dr. Gutches
We will examine and discuss how consequences are administered to students. Examine HIB at the high school
level. We will also look at antecedents that prompt negative behavior and impede the learning process within
the classroom. Finally, we will discuss strategies that can help promote positive behavior as well as academic
achievement.
GARDEN STATE SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION
Editor in Chief Gillian Hatcher took second place in the Editorials category for the statewide newspaper contest
run by the GSSPA (Garden State Scholastic Press Association). Her article was called "#OscarSoWhite and
Always Has Been," which criticized the Academy Awards for the lack of major awards going to people of color.
VOCABULARY TIDBIT
We are currently first in New Jersey for Vocabulary.com. We are 12th in the nation for words mastered. Great
work!!
ELEMENT ELECTION PROJECT
Mr. Shenkler’s class conducted an Element Election project. Students were assigned an element and were
instructed to research everything there is to know about that element, and present it as a political candidate.
Students gave a presentation in front of the class, and tried to convince the class that their element was the
best. Students then voted for the "Element of the Year." This year's winner was Sodium, as presented by Lexi
Franchi and Brittany Geoghan. Good going!
AFJROTC NEWS
Awards received by our AFJROTC cadets
Piscataway High School’s AFJROTC NJ-761 drill team, the Thunder Chiefs, competed in their first competition
of the season on Saturday, November 21st held by Jackson Liberty High School in Jackson, NJ. The team was
awarded with several trophies for their performances in precision military drill and academic testing.
1st Place – Team Academics
1st Place – Armed Dual Exhibition
2nd Place – Unarmed Dual Exhibition
3rd Place – Armed Color Guard
(Photo taken by c/MSgt Kevin Procell, Director of Public Affairs)
Piscataway HS NJ-761 visits the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On November 11th, 2015 cadets from Piscataway’s AFJROTC unit, NJ-761 had the opportunity to attend a
Veterans Day ceremony at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Holmdel, NJ. Cadets were
able to browse through the museum, interact with veterans, and even witnessed a heartfelt ceremony
dedicated to those who serve. Two paving stones inscribed with “Piscataway HS, AFJROTC NJ-761 2015”
were donated by NJ-761 and can be found along the walkway heading into the memorial site. Pictured center,
left is Brig. Gen Michael L. Cunniff, the Adjutant General of New Jersey. (Photo taken by c/Amn Renita Choo,
NCO of Public Affairs)
Cadets visited PWAY Senior Citizens Center
Spirits were high on November 10th, when cadets from Piscataway HS NJ-761 paid a visit to the PWAY Senior
Citizen Center in celebration of Veterans Day. The NJ-761 Choir and Orchestra gave an outstanding
performance, leaving their spectators in awe. In addition to their performance, cadets assisted in serving the
elderly their lunch time meal. (Picture taken by C/Amn Renita Choo, NCO of Public Affairs)
AENJ Early Winter Exhibit at NJPAC 2015
Piscataway High School art students Chrissy Papanier and Neha Patel had their artwork selected for the Art Educators of
New Jersey Early Winter Exhibit at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Their artwork is part of a 30 piece
exhibit that is hung in the Victoria Theater Lobby displaying k-12 artwork from around the state. Over 6,000 visitors to
NJPAC will see their artwork while it is on display.
ROMEO & JULIET
The "death" of two students is not usually worthy of applause, but at the high school production of Romeo & Juliet that is
exactly what happened. The Piscataway High School Drama Club, under the direction of Erik Hall, staged their
performance of one of the most famous plays of all time to a thunderous ovation. Romeo, played by senior Julian Matos,
and Juliet, played by junior Angela Romeo, rose at the end of the performance in the imagination of Jay Nash. During the
play, Jay, who portrayed Benvolio, was tasked with reading Romeo & Juliet during his detention. He then becomes so
wrapped up in the text that it becomes alive on the stage and he physically becomes immersed in the show.
The PHS production was especially significant because it was staged by students and teachers. This is not the first
time Mr. Hall has called upon the talent of the staff at the high school, and he feels, "including the teachers in certain
instances really makes for a better experience for both the cast and the audience."
The drama included the talents of: Danny Allen, Maki Bethea, Emily Brown, Allyza Capili, Justin Cere, Chimdi Chukwu,
teacher Lynn Diaz, teacher Dawne Dionisio, Jurnee Edwards, Joey Jusinski, teacher Danielle LaCugna, Julian Matos,
Jacob Medinets, teacher Joy More, Jay Nash, Diya Patel, Veronica Perez, Gillian Pruetz, Angela Romeo, Bruno Salgado,
Deion Woods, teacher/ director Erik D. Hall, teacher/ stage manager Lisa Sudfield, and teacher/production manager Matt
Viola.
ATHLETIC SIGNINGS
On Thursday, November 12, two of our student-athletes signed on with universities. We are proud to
announce that Sarah Ogilvie (pictured on the left) will be attending Central Connecticut State University for
softball. Maya Gulliksen (pictured on the right) signed on to attend West Chester University for field hockey.
Congratulations and best wishes to you both!
ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
The following article was in the New York Amsterdam News on November 5, 2015
Dalton hits the spot at Howard
Lois Elfman | 11/5/2015, 12:06 p.m.
Howard University outside hitter Courtney Dalton
It took a visit to the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., for Courtney Dalton from
Piscataway, N.J., to decide if it was where she wanted to play college volleyball. She wasn’t sure if an HBCU
school was right for her, but she realized it was absolutely a good fit.
Now in her freshman year at Howard, the outside hitter is enjoying a solid season, as the Bison have
dominated Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, with a record of 10-1. Dalton credited her teammates with
helping her make the transition to college volleyball, which definitely moves at a quicker pace than she was
accustomed to playing.
“I started volleyball pretty late,” said Dalton, who began playing club volleyball in ninth. “Volleyball in the
tristate area isn’t as big as in Texas or California. My volleyball IQ wasn’t as high as other girls on the team.
They were pretty patient with me. They did have to teach me a lot, but I’m a fast learner.”
Dalton appreciates Shaun Kupferberg’s blunt coaching. Nothing is sugarcoated and excellence is
expected. As an outside hitter, her job is to block the other team’s outside hitter, who is often the biggest hitter
on the opposing team.
She is well aware how pivotal good coaching is. After beginning her playing days at a small club near
home, Dalton’s game reached the level where she began attracting attention from Division I programs after she
joined Allegro Volleyball Club in Denville, New Jersey. She was on the Allegro 17 and Allegro 18 national
teams, both coached by Jamie Hor.
“He helped me develop as a volleyball player in a very short amount of time,” Dalton said. “Without him, I
wouldn’t be playing volleyball at the Division I level.”
Dalton is enjoying the immersion in African-American history and culture she is receiving at Howard. She
intends to major in biology and will likely apply to medical school. For now, she is grateful to be representing
her school in the college game.
“It’s late in the season and people are getting tired,” she said. “But we have to keep it together as a team
and find it in each other as teammates to push through the rest of the season.”
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 30 – PTSO General Meeting 7 pm, Choir Room
December 2 – Financial Aid Workshop
December 9 – Athletic Fall Awards Night
December 11 – ICCA Garba/Bhangra Night
December 12 – AFJROTC Drill Competition at PHS (1st ever!)
December 14 – FBLA Gingerbread House Making Event
December 16 – Winter Instrumental Concert
December 21 – Key Club Movie Night
December 22 – Interim Reports Viewable by 12 pm
Hanukkah – December 7 – 14
Christmas – December 25
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
Kwanza – December 26 – Jan 1