nhs principal`s newsletter

February 2013
Issue 2
NHS PRINCIPAL’S
NEWSLETTER
Monthly Message
Mid-Year Checkpoint - The Second Semester commenced on January 22nd. February brings with it
the planning process for next year’s schedule. Students have been meeting with their counselors to
decide on courses for next year. Our student clubs and organizations continue to be active within the
High School and the greater Nutley Community. Our winter sports teams are all experiencing
successful seasons with the Bowling Team winning the County Championships, the Wrestling Team
winning their County Championships, and our Hockey and Basketball programs are having stellar
seasons. To be consistently informed, please check our website weekly for important updates on all
academic and extracurricular activities that NHS.
Mock Trials - This past month the Nutley Mock Trial team participated in the annual Vincent J.
Apruzzese Mock Trial competition at the Essex County Courthouse. The team, which started this
year, did a wonderful job, earning high praises from the judges and attorneys who scored the
individual rounds. The team won one trial and lost one trial.
The team consisted of a plaintiff team: Audrey Biondi, Cara Joy Skelley,
Brigitte Vuong, and Matt Font and a defendant team: Phelan Yu, Julianna
Boniello, Fares Sukkar and Bruna Rivero. These students put in many
hours of preparation with the assistance of NHS alumni, attorneys Mauro
Tucci Jr. and Peter DeFrank. Kudos all on representing NHS well and for
a job well done!
Inclement Weather - In the event of school closure, delayed opening, or early dismissal, School
Messenger, our automated notification system, will call the phone number you have provided to us,
as well as send a message by email and text. The School Messenger system will leave a voicemail if
no one picks up the phone. Parents and students may also check the school’s website or call the
school’s main number, 973-661-8832 (press “2” for the high school and press “0” for the Main Office)
You can also listen to local radio stations 1010 Wins or check TV Channels 5 or 7.
Do we have your current address and phone number?
If you have changed your phone number or email address since September 2012, you must make an
appointment to update your information with our registrar, Mr. Natty Ferrara at 973-320-8494.
Denis Williams
Principal
[email protected]
973-661-8824
NHS Students of the Month
Ashley Gonzalez
Ashley, a senior, plans on attending Ithaca College to study communications
and public relations. She is very passionate about helping others and makes
every effort to be productive in this effort. A key volunteering role for Ashley is
her work with Relay for Life. For the past four years she has help to sponsor a
Relay team- driven by the fact that her best friend’s Mom survived a struggle
with cancer. As a Key Club member she has had the opportunity to branch
out in the volunteering world including providing assistance to the annual
Parks and Recreation Department clothing drives and as a volunteer runner in
the Spartan Run which helps raise money for Home for our Troops – a
charity that helps provide housing for injured and disabled veterans.
Ashley is also a member of the Cyber bullying Club which promotes anti-bullying awareness and is a
member of the NHS Track team. She is currently enjoying the challenge of Mr. Christadore’s
Business Law class and is looking forward to taking her volunteerism to the college setting. She
states that her passion for helping others provides her opportunities to meet new friends and makes
her feel good in the process- a sentiment that speaks volumes to her character.
Congratulations Ashley on your selection as student of the month and for your positive contributions
to NHS school community!
Isaak Lindenbaum
Isaak started his sophomore year off with an outreach program that
underscored his commitment to helping others who are less fortunate than
him. His program, SEEK (Sports Equipment Encourages Kids) aimed to
provide used or slightly used sports gear to those who may not be able to
afford it. The program had an overwhelming response from the community
with tons of gear being collected and passed out on a needs basis. Isaak, an
Honor Roll student, is a member of the JV Basketball and Baseball teams.
His favorite subject is History and loves the daily challenge that Mr.
DiGregorio provides in class. He is interested in journalism and may wish to
pursue it in college.
When not in school, he likes to hang out with his friends. Isaak joined Key Club this year because he
likes the volunteering opportunities it provides to help the community. He stated that his family values
positive contributions to society and volunteering allows him to honor that commitment.
Congratulations Isaak on your selection as student of the month and for your positive contributions to
the NHS school community!
Staff Member of the Month
Mr. Jim Kelly has been a faculty member at NHS for the
past 15 years. As a member of the Business and
Creative Art Department, he runs the NHS TV studio
where he actively pursues a production agenda that
could rival CBS News. His professional commitment to
providing experiential learning opportunities for his
students is unwavering.
As a testament to this
dedication his students have responded over the years
by winning numerous Public Service Awards with their
video productions. He is also building a legacy within
the field of mass media as many of his former
students have graduated college and are climbing the
ranks in the areas of production and talent at different
media outlets.
An alumnus of Montclair State College, Mr. Kelly entered the teaching profession after seven years of
working at NBC News Productions. He felt driven by the need to give back what he learned to
students and became a teacher. He loved English classes when he was an NHS student, which is
where he discovered his love of writing. He thanks Mrs. Poole and Mrs. Hungler for helping him
develop as a student writer. He also thanks Mr. Affinito for being an inspiration for Mr. Kelly’s
approach to teaching and coaching kids.
His favorite aspect of teaching is feeding off the creativity of his students and the product they
produce. He stated, “Every day is unique in the excitement it brings”. He has noticed that as
technology has evolved, so has the creativity level of his students that continues to amaze him. He
respects his peers in the profession and feels that “each day our learning community is filled with little
success stories that no one ever sees.”
Aside from classroom teaching, Mr. Kelly was the Head Football Coach at NHS for seven years and
continues to coach Girls Softball at the Freshman and JV levels. He finds that coaching is an
extension of the classroom and allows him to have a unique interaction with his students. He takes
his passion for sports seriously and is a big Seton Hall Basketball fan.
With the rise of social media Mr. Kelly sees a whole new horizon of opportunities for his students and
he loves the challenge that it presents to him in his classrooms.
We appreciate that sentiment and his dedication to our students – KUDOS!
Departmental Students of the Month
The following students have been nominated by each department for displaying good citizenship,
responsibility, respect, and trustworthiness in the classroom, in addition to being positive contributors.
Business/Creative Arts
Katelyn McCann
Joseph Stickles
English
Virali Dave
Joelle Filippi
Math
Alana Meo
Joseph Iannini
Music
Allison Gumeny
Patrick Dudasik
Physical Education & Health
Jessica Sainz
Gavin Carroll
Science
Jessica Nuzzo
Mathew Kabat
Social Studies
Sherein Abdelhady
Phelan Yu
World Languages
Ashley Murphy
Melissa Rodas
Athletes of the Month
Dave Fierro
Senior Captain Dave Fierro was just recently chosen as player of the
week for the Star Ledger newspaper. As Dave's senior year heads toward
playoff time, the ice hockey team captain has led Nutley to the best record
in over a decade currently sitting at 14-1-3.
He has broken the school record for points, it was 96. Dave currently has
119. Nutley hockey has never been ranked in the star ledger top 20. With
Dave's help, Nutley sits #19.
Off the ice Dave Fierro currently holds a 3.5 GPA. Dave has been a true
leader for this program and should be commended for what he has done
for it.
Laura Lambroschino
Sophomore Laura Lambroschino is the girls bowling team’s anchor with a
current average of 146.88, she is currently 3rd in SEC. Her high game
was 236 and her high series was 534. Laura qualified 7th for individual
championships with a 400 series and she qualified 3rd for the step ladder
finals. Laura finished 4th overall in Essex County.
Laura comes from a bowling family, and this is her second year with our
program.
DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS
Business/Arts
Digital Photography
Digital I & II students will be working with the chamber of commerce to design their t-shirts for their
upcoming 5K Fun Run.
S.O.D.A. (Students of Digital Arts) is a group of Digital Photography students who enhance their
photographic skills by working on periodic fundraising projects for the Digital Photography program.
They have designed holiday gift tags, Valentines Day picture grams, and a secret surprise for April
Fool’s Day. Look for their unique projects around Mother’s day and the annual NHS Art Show.
International Business Practice Firm
IBPF created the ipod/iphone skins with NHS Logo/Design and entering the FDU Business Idea
Competition.
Financial Literacy
Students in Financial Literacy are entering a contest sponsored by entrepreneur, Warren Buffet
(Grow Your Own Business Competition) where they will invent a new product. Students are working
in groups to research & design a new product and write a business plan.
Cisco
Students participated in the NYU - Poly Digital forensic competition and the NYU Poly Security Video
Competition.
Civil Architecture
Students continue to measure and design floor plan for Nutley High School Security Team.
English
Mrs. Hungler’s English I Honors class, while reading Alice in Wonderland, had a Mad Hatter's Tea
Party complete with riddles, doublets, and logic puzzles.
Sophomore Speech Research and Presentations
Junior Theme Research on American Literature
Senior Theme Research and Projects on British and World Literature
Science
The NHS science department is sponsoring an engineering club. This year we are building SeaPerch
robots and competing this spring at NY City College and Drexel University.
What is SeaPerch? MIT Sea Grant's new SeaPerch program introduces pre-college students to the
wonders of underwater robotics. Part of the Office of Naval Research's initiative, "Recruiting the Next
Generation of Naval Architects," this program teaches
students how to build an underwater robot (called a
SeaPerch), how to build a propulsion system, how to
develop a controller, and how to investigate weight
and buoyancy.
This endeavor is one of many exciting new projects
funded by the Office of Naval Research as part of its
National Naval Responsibility Initiative. The initiative
focuses on bringing academia, government and
industry to work together to ensure that the talent
needed to design the Navy's next generation of ships
and submarines will be there when needed.
See our webpage: http://www.nutleyschools.org/olc/class.aspx?id=8543&s=168
Social Studies
World History using iPads and Stratalogica to complete their Virtual Trip project.
Archaeology using the iPads to conduct virtual archaeology with the Theban Mapping Project.
Sociology is tracking recent news accounts of criminal activity
and performing a statistical analysis to discover patterns of
deviance according to social status, urban vs. suburban
locales, age, race, gender and type of crime.
This is the propaganda poster that scored the most votes in Mr.
Dwyer’s US History class recent project. The project asked
students to analyze WWI propaganda posters and then
recreate their own based on time-period appropriate imagery
and concepts. The students in this group were Ciara Nazaruk,
Janica Limpin, Kathryn Balitsos, and Jennifer Tapia. Votes
were cast by Mrs. Marcantonio's US II Honors classes.
Library News
Through the generosity of the Nutley High School PTO, the Nutley High School Library Media Center
has acquired six Nook eReaders. The Nooks are loaded with popular young adult fiction titles and
classic novels. They are available to loan for a two-week period.
The Nutley High School Library Media Center endeavors to help students develop skills that will
enable them to be independent and lifelong learners, able to adapt to changing modes of information
access. NHS Library Media Center already subscribes to dozens of subscription databases and has
access over 6,000 non-fiction Reference eBooks that students use for research. But another key
purpose of the Library Media Center is to fulfill the AASL (American Association of School Librarians)
Standard 4.1.1: Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth. Currently, over 35% of the
books circulated in the NHS Library Media Center are fiction. We would like to continue to promote
reading for personal growth while embracing technology. We are hope students will enjoy using the
Nook eReaders and that this pilot project can be expanded in the future!
More information about the Nooks including lists of books loaded on the eReaders and permission
slips can be found of the High School Library Webpage:
http://www.nutleyschools.org/olc/class.aspx?id=8390&s=96
If you have any questions please contact Susan Bresnan, Library Media Specialist for Nutley High
School [email protected]
Media AV News
LIGHTS – CAMERA – ACTION!
Students in TV Production III continued to get the message out with our 4th edition of “Know Your
Schools”. NHS Principal Denis Williams introduced the inaugural “student of the month”. Students
from each department, who were also honored, shared highlights of the NHS learning experience as
we approach mid-year.
Students in TV Production II introduced a new state of the art opening for the 2013 edition of Raider
Nation. Science Supervisor, Mr. Kent Bania, gave an overview of the first administering of mid-term
exams at Nutley High School. Our enthusiastic production staff at Raider Nation also interviewed
teacher of the month, Mrs. Marilyn Testa. NHS-TV was on the scene with Mrs. Testa, as she shared
the trials and tribulations within her professional and personal journey here in our learning community.
(See the highlights @ nutleyschools.org.)
ON REMOTE:
A production crew from NHS-TV captured all the live SEC Championship Wrestling at Codey Arena
in South Orange. Senior, Eric Davis, Junior, Nick Sullivan and sophomore, John Zietler spent a full
day shooting pins and takedowns as the Nutley Raiders captured the County Championship!
Students in the NHS-TV program produced the annual closed circuit production of the Senior Fashion
Show. Technical support provided by TV II students enables the Class of 2013 to see other
performances as they prepare off the runway in a terrific night of fun at the Mayfair Farms. Students
developed remote shooting skills in a live production.
UPCOMING:
NHS TV II Students will take their expertise on location at John H. Walker Middle School. A miniproduction crew will be producing “A Day in the life of a 7th Grader” informational video for the
upcoming March 26th sixth grade parent orientation. Students will be meeting with Principal, Mr.
Cortright to assemble a storyboard that is sure to win an Emmy!
REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY:
The NHS-TV Program is proud to announce their Champion School Program venture they will
collaborate with the Department of Public Safety in a joint campaign. The campaign, which will be
judged state wide for initiative and innovativeness on keeping our roads safe from “distracted drivers”,
enables our broadcast students to produce a 10-minute documentary. The documentary process
engages the production crew in a real life application while meeting deadlines and standards in the
artistic framework.
ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS
BOYS BASKETBALL
 Autin Kunz was selected to the All-Tournament team at the Hilltopper Holiday Tournament at
Summit High School
GIRLS BASKETBALL
 Varsity record 11-3, tied for first place in SEC Liberty Div at 5-2. Currently ranked in top ten for
Essex County
 Seeded 8th in Essex County Tournament
 Currently in 6th place in our state section
BOYS BOWLING
 Placed first and are Essex County Champions
 Vincent Amato, Christopher Monda, Virali Dave qualified to move on to the Individual
Champion round
 1st Annual RLS Media.com Bowling Classic Bowling Tournament. Nutley was ceded 1st in a
step ladder baker format. NHS defeated Montclair 2 games to 0 to win the first ever RLS
Bowling Classic. This was broadcasted on RLSMedia.com.
GIRLS BOWLING
 Currently in first place in SEC American Division
 Placed 3rd in Essex County Athletic Directors Bowling Championship
 Laura Lamboschino, Sarah Valvano qualified to move on to the Individual Championship round
CHEERLEADING
 First place at Ramapo College Cheer and Dance invitational on Jan. 5
 First and Grand Champion at Lyndhurst High School Competition on Jan. 12

First place at Meadowlands Challenge Competition at Secaucus High School on Jan. 26
defeating Paramus Catholic for the first time
ICE HOCKEY
 David Fierro was selected the Star Ledger Athlete of the Week in the Jan. 31 issue of the
newspaper. David is currently Nutley’s all time leading scorer and has since broke the 100
point mark for his career.
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Team won the Essex County Winter Classic at Codey Arena. Knocked off unbeaten #10 in the
state M.K.A.
Hockey record is currently 14-1-3
INDOOR TRACK
 Jon Braun won the 600m run at the Back Invitational at Drew University on Jan. 5
 Fourth place medals won by Elias Sabeil in high jump, Gianna Duncan in shot put
 SEC Championships---medalists were Jon Braun placing 3rd in the 800, Elias Sabeil placing 4th
in high jump and Gianna Duncan placing 4th in shot put
WRESTLING
 Won the Essex County Wrestling Championships
 Individual winners---Vincent Mainiero, Robert Trombetta, Brandon Keena earning his 100th
career victory, Anthony DeLorenzo
 Robert Trombetta broke school win record
Athletic Eligibility
Students and parents should be aware of the rules for athletic eligibility entering into the second
semester. Click here for more information:
http://www.nutleyschools.org.schools.bz/userfiles/185/Classes/6466/NHS%20Athletic%20and%20CoCurricular%20Eligibility-1.pdf
STUCO News
The Student Council meets every Tuesday morning in the gymnasium to
discuss upcoming events, fundraisers and any other important activities
occurring at Nutley High School.
Currently the Student Council is sponsoring the Penny War competition
between the classes. Point values are given for each penny collected with
each class keeping 25% of what is collected with the rest being donated to
local charities—Break the piggy bank!
Planning for April Spirit Week is in the works as is preparation for the Annual Decathlon.
National Honor Society
After a busy fall planning and implementing the senior induction, the National Honor
Society is currently focusing on coordinating the spring induction for eligible juniors.
The Society is also working toward planning it's involvement in this year's Relay for
Life. The National Honor Society is excited about the busy schedule ahead for the
remainder of the year.
Community Service Corner
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Teens for Jeans – Jean Collection Drive for underprivileged teens in the U.S.
Troops—Outreach For Vets
Vincent Church Food Drive
Eye glass collection for the Lions Club
Senior Zach Calluori is coordinating an iPod Donation Program to support Music & Memory
Shovel out Seniors – Coordinated with the Mayor’s Office
Club News
KEY Club
Key Club celebrated Key Club Awareness Week the last week of January by posting informative
flyers about Key Club around school. We are also had a bake sale on Thursday, January 31st.
In February a group of students will be participating in the "Read to Lead" program where we read to
children in the extended day program at Radcliffe School from 3:30 to 4:30 pm for three Wednesdays.
In addition to reading, the students draw and get their faces painted. It is a great opportunity for our
Key Clubbers to relate to the younger students and improve their leadership skills.
March brings the annual St Patrick's Day Parade on March 2nd. A group of our Key Clubbers will be
wearing the green and marching to the beat of those awesome bagpipers.
Key Club will be organizing the annual Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 19th in the small gym.
Students and faculty alike are asked to "Save 3 Lives" by donating blood. We hope to exceed last
years' total of 100 units of blood.
Last but not least, Key Club is celebrating our 50th year as a club by having a dinner with our
sponsoring Kiwanis Club on Wednesday, March 13th. All former Key Clubbers, officers and advisors
are welcome. Contact Mrs. Trainor for more information at [email protected].
FEA
Will be having a February bake sale. Plans are under way to host an FEA Alumni breakfast in March,
where former NHS FEA members who are in the teaching profession share their experiences. March
will also see the annual “Shadow Day” where members are assigned to shadow the schedule of
teachers throughout the district.
Interact Club
Interact is currently conducting an animal food and supplies drive for the Montclair Animal Shelter
(which services Nutley) through February 15th. Collection bags are in all the homerooms. We
collected 16 large bags of winter clothing, benefiting Xavier Men's Shelter in NYC and the Nutley
Family Service Bureau, in December.
Academic Team
Prepping continues this month for March Competitions!
gay
Gay/Straight Alliance
Plans are under way to host “Pink Out” Day to promote Anti-Bullying initiatives and awareness
throughout the building. Promotional T-shirts are being sold for 8 dollars with proceeds going to local
charities. If you are interested in purchasing a shirt please contact Mrs. Paul at
[email protected].
Health to Careers Club
The Health Careers Club will be sending the proceeds from the recent bake sale to St. Jude's
Children's Research Center. Eleven students are scheduled to return to UMDNJ on February 27th for
the second session of the Dental Assisting Training. We will also be hosting Children's Dental Health
Month Activities at both Lincoln and Radcliffe Schools on February 13th. This is a full day field trip.
Human Relations Club
The Human Relations Club will be making Valentine's Day cards for the residents of Nutley Parkside
Apartments.
From the Nurse’s Office
FRIGID, COLD WEATHER ADVISORY
Dress in layers while outdoors and remember to wear a hat to help retain body heat. If you get wet,
either from heavy sweating while working or from rain or snow, change into dry clothes as soon as
possible.
Eat well and drink adequate fluids during periods of cold stress. Avoid drinking alcohol since it can
accelerate the loss of body heat.
Many cold-weather injuries result from falls on ice-covered sidewalks and other surfaces around the
home. Use rock salt or other chemical de-icing compound to keep walkways, steps, driveways and
porches as ice-free as possible.
If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, follow your doctor's advice about shoveling snow or
performing other hard work in the cold.
When using a snow blower, read the owners' manual and follow all safety guidelines.
If you will be outdoors in the sun for an extended period, remember to use sunscreen and
sunglasses, particularly if you are at higher altitudes.
Stock your car with emergency gear, such as cell phone, jumper cables, flashlight, sand or kitty litter
for extra traction, ice scraper and small shovel, and flares and other warning devices. For long car
trips, carry food, water, extra blankets and required medications.