NORTH HUNTERDON HIGH SCHOOL
Annandale, NJ
January 2022 E-Newsletter
Upcoming Events

The following is a list of important upcoming events:

  • January 3: School Reopens
  • January 4: Booster Club Meeting, 7 pm, Faculty Dining Room
  • January 6: ImPact Testing for Unified Basketball, 3-4 pm, Rm 135B
  • January 11: 8th Grade Student Orientation: Bethlehem, Union, Franklin townships & non-public schools
  • January 11: Music Association Meeting, 7-8 pm, Virtual
  • January 12: 8th Grade Student Orientation, Clinton Township & Clinton Public
  • January 12: 8th Grade Parent Orientation, 6:30pm, theater (subject to change)
  • January 12: PTSA Meeting, 7 pm, Room 120
  • January 17: School Closed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • January 24: End of First Semester and 2nd Marking period
  • January 25: Beginning of 2nd Semester and 3rd Marking Period
  • January 27: National German Exam 2:25-3:10 pm
Click here for NHHS School Events Calendar
Click here for 2021-2022 District Calendar
December Students of the Month
ELIZABETH KASTRUD
Class of 2022

President of the senior class, Elizabeth Kastrud, has been involved with multiple NHHS activities. As President, Elizabeth works towards a goal with her fellow class officers to make their peers happy. She played field hockey for the first three years of high school, and will finish this year playing lacrosse for one last season. Elizabeth is involved in Spanish Honor Society, where she tutors other peers in the school and supports fundraising activities. She is also involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Elizabeth is co-president with her friend Emma. Once a week, they create a lesson that helps integrate their faith with sports. The two of them then share their lessons of patience, kindness, and love to the other members. Elizabeth’s favorite classes at North have been Algebra II and AP Spanish. Algebra II with Miss DeVaney was always something to look forward to because of the people who were in the class. Miss DeVaney always told the class memorable and comical stories she had, but also made math class entertaining. Her term throughout the year was for us to be able to do “spicy problems,” which compares a challenging math problem to the level of spiciness of a pepper. The hotter the pepper, the harder the math problem. Elizabeth’s other favorite class is AP Spanish with Señor Zamora. The class never fails to make her laugh. Whether she was laughing with her table (jajajaja) or arguing whether or not “expensivo” is a word, her knowledge of the subject has grown but in a fun environment. Over the summer, Elizabeth had a full-time job in Delaware, and lived with her grandmother all summer long. When the school year started, she put all of her efforts into her studies and sports. Some of Elizabeth’s favorite memories at North came from sophomore year field hockey, freshman year homecoming, and the simple times shared between some of her best friends. Being a class officer has led Elizabeth to some of her best friends because they always seem to understand each other. Even the moments she spends socializing in Directed Study have been some of the greatest memories at North. While being in this school, Elizabeth managed to capture each moment and not let it go because when she was a freshman, the upperclassmen explained to her that high school goes by fast; remembering what they had told her, she planned to remember all the good times that came her way. Elizabeth was recently accepted into Boston College’s School of Education. She is very excited to attend BC, not only for the new opportunities that await in the Boston area, but to also find herself in their education program. The teachers at North Hunterdon, including her mom (she’s an el-ed. teacher), have inspired her to join the teaching workforce. She plans to continue studying her interests in History and Spanish.
EVAN KUSTER
Class of 2022

Senior, Evan Kuster plans on studying engineering at either the University of Dayton, Michigan, Northeastern University, Notre Dame or Villanova. Evan’s favorite class at North is AP Calculus BC because he enjoys the challenge and camaraderie of the class. Mr. Halldorson always makes difficult math concepts fun. Evan is Captain on both the Men’s Basketball Team and the Golf Team, here at North. He is a member of National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Social Studies Honor Society. Evan participates in Youth and Government (YAG) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He feels very fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in a Spanish Honor Society project that allowed him to speak directly with and learn from a member of the Migrant Farmworker Community. Evan conducted interviews with him and captured his stories in a podcast. Another favorite memory of Evan’s was the first day of school this year when all students and teachers were back together in person. Evan has taken piano lessons and performed in recitals for the past ten years. Occasionally, he accompanies his church choir. Evan plays competitive travel basketball and volunteers at the Flemington Food Pantry. He led a project to put solar panels on the food pantry that lowers their electric bill and received a Proclamation from the Board of County Commissioners for his effort. Evan has been a three-time summer volunteer at the Catholic Heart Work Camp, completing service projects for those in need. He is also a Gold Medal Candidate for the Congressional Award. Evan appreciates the dedication of his teachers and as he looks back on his years at North, he is proud that he and his classmates continue to power through the adversity of these unprecedented times.
December Athletes of the Month
ADDISON SCHMIDT
Class of 2022

Addison Schmidt has been running competitively for over eight years. Addison runs cross country and distance events for the cross country and track teams at North. Addison was a varsity contributor all four years and helped the Girl's Cross-Country team to two New Jersey State Titles in 2018 & 2019 and two Nike Northeast Regional Championships, as well as four straight NJSIAA Sectional Titles. Addison runs the 5k, 3200 meter, and 1600 meter races. Along with the rest of her team, she has participated in the NJSIAA Sectional, Group, and Meet of Champions races for cross country and track. She has traveled to the Nike Cross Regional meet in New York as well as the Nike Cross National meet in Portland, Oregon, which is held at the Nike World Headquarters. This meet was the most amazing experience in her running career so far! Addison enjoys being a team leader for both the cross country and track teams and loves pursuing new goals and times. Her strengths definitely include long distance races and being a leader for her team. During Addison’s freshman year, she was a member of the North Hunterdon Girls Swim Team. She was a competitive swimmer for over ten years and focused mostly on distance freestyle events and backstroke events. Addison became interested in running after participating in her middle school’s cross country and track program. She also wanted to run to supplement her training for swimming. Addison decided to try out for the North Hunterdon Cross Country Team her freshman year to see if she liked it, and realized that she really loved to run. She began to focus more on cross country and then tried out for track in the spring. Now, she competes for the North Hunterdon Girls Winter Track Team and the Girls Spring Track Team. Outside of sports, she is a member of National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, and Latin Honor Society. Addison also participates in the Student Ambassadors Club and volunteers outside of school. As of now, Addison’s college decision is undecided. She has applied to all of her choices and is waiting to make her decision. She would like to continue running throughout her college career, and plans to take part in running for the college she chooses. Addison is hoping to major in Communications or Media Studies, and possibly minor in Economics. North Hunterdon has given Addison a lot of opportunities as both a student and an athlete that are not available everywhere. She does not take any of that for granted. She is grateful for the friendships and teammate relationships that being a student at North has created for her.
SAMANTHA WAGNER
Class of 2022

Senior Samantha Wagner has been swimming competitively since she was ten years old. Samantha brings fun and excitement to the team. She is always cheering others on and an overall thoughtful and sweet teammate. Samantha prides herself on her sportsmanship and leadership skills. She thinks it is important to uplift everyone on the team as well as the people she is competing against. Samantha is a sprint freestyler, so she likes to do a variety of short-course freestyle events. She always looks forward to the Skylands and Hunterdon Warren Sussex Tournaments because there are many great athletes you are up against and the energy from everyone is amazing. Samantha hopes to finish this year’s season with a bang and create more amazing memories during her last swim season at North. She has swam on other club teams with the Plainfield Aquatic Club, Lopatcong Swim Team, and Hunterdon County YMCA Swim Team. Samantha has applied to a variety of schools along the east coast. She is very interested in general engineering, law, and public health and plans to explore some of these options once in college. Even though she is not swimming next year in college, she plans on interacting with something in athletics, whether that is being a statistician or joining a club swim team at her school. Samantha is the student leader of the NJ Area 4 Special Olympics and a co-executive of the North Hunterdon Unified Club. She is an executive member of the Interact Club and helps plan and carry out fundraising and service events. Samantha is a student leader for the Relay for Life event and oversees the Registration Committee. The people here at North have made the past four years a memorable experience for her. She is incredibly grateful for the people in the community that have always pushed her to achieve her goals and those who have stood by her side when she needed it most.
December Department Students
of the Month
English: Nate Tota '22 and Kira Lospinoso '25

Fine Arts: ​Aidan Chen '25 and Maya Schaeflein '22

Mathematics: Leah Lesko '25 and Selina Zhang '24

Music: Kathryn Komarek '23 and Jordan Pai '23

PE/Health: Brandon Suler '25 and Leona Joys '25

Practical Arts: Mary Speckin '25

Science: Jayna Kawas '25 and Simran Sharma '22

Social Studies: Elizabeth Kastrud '22 and Eugene Budsock '22

World Language: Kevin Carreira '25 and Carolyn Fine '25
December Good Citizens of the Month
English: Bella daCosta '22 and Winston Hess '22

Fine Arts: Boden Laman '24 and Anna Bennington '25

Mathematics: Aubrey Bonomo '23 and Luke Fischer '23

Music: Will Snider '22 and Prerna Shankar '22

PE/Health: Sabrina May '24 and Maddie Ruscher '23

Practical Arts: Victor Farino '24

Science: Bella Cappuccio '22 and Taylor Joshi '25

Social Studies: Kyle Warta '22 and Vanessa Moline '22

World Language: Shannon Lacey '24 and Jade Martin '23
Top December Tweets from Dr. Greg Cottrell @nhprincipal
Today is the grand opening of our new NHHS Mobile School Store!! Made possible thanks to a grant from the @NHHS_NHEF
Congrats to our newly selected teacher of the year, Mr. Owdij and ESP of the year, Mrs. Semanchik. They are both outstanding educators who positively impact students everyday! #LionPride
Congrats to all of the NHHS students that participated in the Clinton Christmas Parade! #LionPride.
Congrats to all of the NHHS students that participated in the Clinton Christmas Parade! #LionPride.
Congrats to the NHHS WHAM Team on winning the fall trivia competition. Team members are Jack Pope, Eugene Budsock, Matt Twohy, Anita LaBelle & Prerna Shankar. #LionPride
Congratulations to Elizabeth Kastrud and Evan Kuster for being named Students of the Month and Addison Schmidt and Samantha Wagner for being named Athletes of the Month. #LionPride
Thanks to Mr. Maginnis for today's Lion Pride Pep Talk. He focused on being thankful and letting students know that the staff cares about them. #LionPride
The NHHS Jazz Ensemble, Show Choir and String Orchestra gave a concert for middle school students at Clinton Public School. Spreading the holiday cheer. #LionPride
Health Office News
January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month. Start out the New Year on the right foot by refocusing on your health. The holiday season can take its toll on your waistline, so it's only fitting that January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month.

Please click here for more information on tips to maintaining a healthy weight.
NHHS Teacher and Esp of the Year
North Hunterdon High School Teacher of the Year is Mr. Michael Owdij of the Science Department. Mr. Owdij has been an exceptional educator at North for 9 years.
North Hunterdon High School Educational Services Professional of the year is
Mrs. Ann Semanchik of the Special Education Department. Mrs. Semanchik has been part of North Hunterdon for the last 18 years!
First Semester Classes-
Final Exam Schedule
January 13 and 14 - Fine/Practical/Performing Arts, and TechEd.

January 18 and 19 - English, Health, Physical Education, and Science

January 20 -21 - Social Studies, Business, Math

Emergency School Closing - Winter Weather
In the case of actual or predicted inclement weather, the decision to close school, delay an opening or dismiss early is made after the Superintendent confers with various area superintendents, county road officials, police departments, and maintenance departments, in addition to several weather services. Any change to the normal schedule due to inclement weather will be communicated to parents and staff via the methods listed below.
If school is canceled:
A decision will usually be made before 5:30 a.m.
All afternoon and evening athletic events and activities will be canceled, unless otherwise specified. Outside groups using the facility will also be canceled. To check the rescheduling of athletic events, please visit the athletic department’s website or Twitter feed for the most up-to-date information
If school is delayed:
A decision will usually be made before 5:30 a.m.
School will begin two hours later at 9:45 a.m.
All bus routes will be delayed exactly 2 hours from their original pick-up times.
The decision is based upon safe traveling conditions predicted for later in the morning.‌
When school is delayed, there will not be an AM Polytech session. PM Polytech will be held as usual.
If school is dismissed early:
Students will usually be dismissed at 11:55 a.m. if weather conditions call for an early dismissal.
The decision will be made by 10:45 a.m.
PM Polytech will be canceled.

Please note: when schools are dismissed early, all afternoon, evening, and athletic activities are canceled.
The high school district uses an automated notification system called School Messenger to contact parents and staff members in the event of an emergency or if the school day schedule will be changed, such as a school closure due to snow. School Messenger contacts the phone numbers listed in our system for each student’s family and our staff members, sends an email to parents, and can also send a text message.

For more information on other resources to find out if school has been canceled, delayed, or will be dismissed early please click on the link below:
Ski & Snowboard Club
The Ski/Snowboard Club will be traveling to Blue Mountain after school on the following dates: January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 3, with make-up dates of February 10 and 17. On the mornings of the ski/snowboard club trips, members should drop off their equipment on the baseball side of the building, lower lot inside garage doors. Any questions, please contact advisor Mrs. April Jones at ajones@nhvweb.net and Mrs. Cheryl Vida at cvida@nhvweb.net
Congratulations!
NHHS library clerk Pat Stark was named the Outstanding Library Assistant of the Year by the NJ Association of School Librarians on Dec. 6 at the organization’s annual conference in Atlantic City.

The award is presented annually to an outstanding library aide, assistant, or clerk by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, the statewide professional society for certified school librarians. Recipients are nominated by their school’s librarian

Pat is a resident of Lebanon Township. She has worked in the district since 2003 and assumed the position of library clerk at North Hunterdon High School in 2012. As the library clerk, Pat is often the first face students see when they walk in the library. Among her responsibilities are checking books out, checking books in, reshelving books, supervising library volunteers, scheduling library use, and assisting with clerical tasks.

“Pat’s work ethic can be summarized as: If a job needs to be done, it needs to be done right. She brings an incredible level of skill, dedication, and professionalism to serving our students and our library.”

Congratulations Pat!
Booster Club
Happy New Year! While most of us were enjoying the “break”, our winter athletes were hard at work practicing & competing! Way to show your Lion Pride!!!!
Look to support North Athletics and various teams with upcoming fundraisers. Look for details about upcoming Clothing Drives, Raffles, Dine to Donate, and more!!!

Don’t forget Booster Club membership is ongoing all year and can be found on our website at North Hunterdon Booster Club. Are you following us on social media? Don’t miss out on all the great events coming up and stay informed of all the amazing things happening with the teams!
Facebook: North Hunterdon Booster Club (be sure to answer the questions!)
Instagram: NHHS Booster Club
Twitter: @NHHSBoosterClub
GO NORTH!

For more information visit nhhsbc@gmail.com or to join the Booster Club visit: https://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/booster/join-the-nhhs-booster-club/.

Music Association
Happy New Year! We hope you all had a joyful and healthy holiday break and will keep music on your mind as 2022 begins!
 
The North Hunterdon Music Association is so grateful for the support of our members and volunteers and we are always looking for new ideas to keep the organization growing. Our membership dollars, along with fundraising efforts, help provide programs, services, and scholarships that encourage and enrich all our music students. There is still time to become a member for this school year! Click HERE to visit our website and learn more about who we are, what we do, and how to become a member.  
 
We’d love to see you at our next NHMA meeting - Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
We meet at 7 pm in the band room or via Zoom.

VISA Holiday Gift Card Raffle-WINNERS!!

Thank you to all who participated in the NHHS PTSA Holiday Visa Gift Card Raffle. Mr. Petraglia assisted and drew the tickets for this raffle on Friday, December 17th at North Hunterdon High School. Congratulations to the winners listed below and again, thank you all for supporting the PTSA!
Below are the Visa Gift Card winners:
 
1st PRIZE: $ 1,000 GIFT CARD  Regan Russell (ticket #16018)
 
2nd PRIZE: $ 750 GIFT CARD  Coppeto Family (ticket # 07356)
 
3rd PRIZE:  $ 500 GIFT CARD  Lazaro Obay (ticket #04236)
 
4th PRIZE:  $ 250 GIFT CARD  Sherry Anderson (ticket # 15840)

PTSA Meeting We welcome parents, students, and teachers to join us. The next PTSA meeting is on January 12  at 7 PM in Room 120. We hope to see you there.

Amazon Smile    Shop Smile.Amazon and a portion of your purchase go to PTSA! Every time you shop all year long, you support our school! It’s simple and easy to set up. Click here now for more information on how to get started! 


Stay connected
 
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NH Education Foundation
NHEF Mission
The NHEF's mission is to enhance education by funding innovative programs and experiences for all students. The NHEF provides funding for teacher grants and develops programming centered on the college application process to help students and parents.
 
 
 8th Annual Running of the Lions 5K & Walk 
Save the date! The NHEF Annual Running of the Lions will take place on April 10th, 2022. Look ahead for more information. Participants can run the 5K or WALK - Springtime fun for everyone!
 Please follow the NHEF on Facebook (@NHEdFoundation) and Twitter (@NHHS_NHEF) for announcements and tips.  
Checking in with us means so much!
NHEF Grants in Action:
The NHEF proudly funded the purchase of the mobile cart for the new NHHS Mobile School Store!

The North Hunterdon High School Business and Special Education Departments are teaching students all aspects of operating a mobile retail business.

Let's talk about the NHEF Family Pledge Donation Campaign!
To make your donation please refer to the Family Pledge Donation Form: https://nhhsfoundation.org/donate/
 
Please consider the NHEF as your plan for your support in 2022!
Coming together with support goes a long way and benefits educational programs aimed at all NHHS students.
 
The NHEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible

Thank You! We wish everyone a Happy 2022 New Year!  Our heartfelt thank you to all who support the efforts of the North Hunterdon Education Foundation.  
Happy New Year!
North Hunterdon High School
1445 State Route 31, Annandale, NJ 08801
(908) 713-4199