NORTH HUNTERDON HIGH SCHOOL
Annandale, NJ
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December 2020 E-Newsletter |
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Upcoming Events
The following is a list of important upcoming events:
- December 1 - Booster Club Meeting, 7:00pm virtual
- December 2 - Senior Portrait and 9-11 Grade School Picture Retakes and Make-Ups, Theater, 11am-5pm
- December 7 - Virtual STEM Night for current 8th graders
- December 8 - 2nd marking period midpoint
- December 9 - NH Music Association virtual meeting, 7:00pm
- December 11 - Mind of the Athlete Program-Resiliency: Strength to Thrive
- December 16 - Afternoon Staff In-Service
- December 17 - Principal's Parent Advisory Committee Meeting, 6:30pm virtual
- December 18 - Deadline for Class of 2021 cap and gown orders
- December 23 - Winter Recess Begins, 11:55am dismissal
- December 24-January 1 - School Closed for Winter Recess (school reopens Monday, January 4, 2021)
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November Students of the Month |
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Maxwell Romano
Class of 2021
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Senior Maxwell Romano has won the Iron Lion Award for perfect attendance. Maxwell is involved with Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Concert Band. He is a member of National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, and Math Honor Society. Maxwell has been the section leader of the saxophone section of the Marching Band for the past two years and has also won the Director's Award for superior leadership. Maxwell’s favorite class at North Hunterdon was AP Chemistry with Dr. Wilhelm because he greatly enjoys Chemistry as a heavily math-based science. Dr. Wilhelm made class engaging with labs and other experiment-based activities. One of Maxwell’s favorite memories from NHHS was playing with the Marching Band at Giants Stadium his freshmen year and experiencing winning the State Championship. He will never forget the bus ride back to North, where they got a police and firefighter escort. Another one of his favorite memories was creating an evolution song parody of "Never Gonna Give You Up", by Rick Astley. Prior to the COVID shutdown, Maxwell volunteered weekly at the Tewksbury Library, assisting older people with technology, shelving books, working special events, and anything else the librarians needed. Next year, he plans on pursuing a STEM career path, with Actuarial Sciences and Computer Science being his two main interests. Maxwell does not know which college he wants to attend yet, but has applied to 12 different schools. |
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Emma Munro is Vice President of the Habitat for Humanity Club, as well as the Webmaster for Key Club. Emma is a member of Interact Club, National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, and Math Honor Society. Her favorite classes at North were Honors Biology and Honors Human Anatomy with Mr. Owdij. Emma loved these classes because Mr. Owdij makes the content really enjoyable and she loves learning about these subjects. Emma also enjoyed AP Chemistry and Biology with Dr. Wilhelm and Mrs. Flynn, respectively, because they had fun labs. The teachers and other students in the classes were really nice and made the classes great. Emma is a Girl Scout and recently completed her Gold Award. For this award, she ran a STEAM Club at the Midland School, which is for students with special needs. Emma had an activity relating to each letter of the acronym. For example, the students made necklaces that spelled out their names in binary code for Technology. Emma also visited Midland's Girl Scout Troop to do her activities with them. When the schools got shut down in March, her last session got cancelled and she made YouTube videos to share with the Midland community of her best activities. Emma also runs a service organization called Meals for Andrea, for a girl with Battens Disease and her family. Next year, Emma plans on majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She is applying to several schools in Northeastern cities such as Johns Hopkins, Stevens Institute of Technology, UPenn, and Case Western Reserve University. Emma’s favorite memories from North were Homecoming, especially junior year, and attending Milk Can games. |
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November Athletes of the Month |
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Alexandra Carlson
Class of 2021
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Alexandra Carlson has been an integral member of the Girls Cross Country team since she started her career here at North Hunterdon. Alexandra is a four-year Varsity Cross Country runner helping the girls team to three straight Skyland Conference, Sectional, Group 4, and New Jersey State Championships. She was on the Varsity squad that won the Nike Northeast Regional Championship that qualified for the Nike National Championships all three of her years. Most recently, Alexandra won the North II, Group IV Sectional title which helped the team also win the Team Sectional title. She is a leader that has developed over her years here at North. Alexandra is now a leader through not just words, but actions as well. Her strongest skill is speedwork. Alexandra has been running since sixth grade but started competitively running her freshman year. She also runs indoor and outdoor Track and Field at North. Next year, she plans to run Cross Country at the varsity level in college and also plans to run indoor and outdoor t rack. Alexandra has applied to Penn State, the University of Maryland, and LSU, but her number one school is Rutgers University. She plans to double major in Mechanical Engineering and Business Management. Alexandra enjoys spending time with her teammates outside of practices, like having team dinners. |
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Grace Gibney
Class of 2021
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Senior Grace Gibney has been cheerleading since she was four years old where she started at World Cup Allstars in Freehold, New Jersey. Grace’s strongest and most useful skill is her attitude. She is captain of North’s Cheer Team and is able to set a positive example to her teammates. Grace’s strongest routine is running a tumbling pass to a full twisting layout. In the team pyramid, she is a side base. Grace also competes doing standing back handsprings to a full twisting layout. She is excited for the teams very first virtual competition on December 16th! Outside of North, Grace cheers for the World Cup Suns three or more days a week. The Suns travel all across the country, competing in big arenas in states such as, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. The team has placed fifth at Worlds, the biggest cheerleading competition where they compete against teams from all over the world at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Center in Orlando, Florida. Grace is also involved in Interact Club and helped coach the Hunterdon Huskies Inspiration Team her freshman year. Next year, Grace plans to continue her cheerleading career in college. She is applying to colleges mostly in the south because her family lives there and most of her siblings go to school in the south. Grace plans on majoring in Exercise Science or Therapeutic Sciences. She loves to travel to different countries to learn and experience new cultures. Grace not only loves being an athlete, but a teacher to the little girls she has the pleasure of coaching at clinics and practices. |
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November Department Students
of the Month
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English: Gina DeSanctis '22 and Will Snider '22
Fine Arts: Evan Tomljanovich '21 and Luca Vaarkamp '21
Mathematics: Shrijani Chakroborty '21 and Ryan Shen '23
Music: Nate Tota '22 and Isabelle Layding '21
PE/Health: Annie Schumann '21 and Markus Tomson '22
Practical Arts: Leah Kemp '23 and Rachel Fitzpatrick '21
Science: Rebecca Miceli '21 and Carter Beswick '22
Social Studies: Ava Klepner '24 and Bryan Rooney '24
World Language: Nicole Mikruk '21 and Robert Fasciano '21
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November Good Citizens of the Month |
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English: Molly McDermott '22 and Emma Wunder '22
Fine Arts: Mari-Jane Charles '24 and Grant Goldan '24
Mathematics: Kaylee Clavijo '24
Music: Joseph McDevitt '21 and Annie Meyer '21
PE/Health: Annelise Wade '22 and Jacqueline Dougherty '23
Practical Arts: Ryan Walsh '23 and Emily Weed '22
Science: Magdalyn Hoffman '21 and Emma Stentz '22
Social Studies: Zoe Yen '24 and Selina Zhang '24
World Language: Sophie D'Errico '22 and Megan Long '21
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Top November Tweets from Dr. Greg Cottrell @nhprincipal
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Shout out to NHHS Student, Evan Kuster for helping to make this project happen.
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According to the CDC, more than 170 million doses of the flu vaccine have already been distributed across the country, and the United States is on track to have more flu vaccine available this season than ever before. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated, now is the time! Find a vaccine in your community: www.vaccinefinder.org.
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NHHS Teacher and ESP of the Year |
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North Hunterdon High School Teacher of the Year is Mrs. Therese Flynn of the Science Department. Mrs. Flynn has been an exceptional educator at North for 22 years. |
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Mr. Justin Matisak is the Educational Services Professional of the Year. Mr. Matisak is an integral faculty member with the Lion Pride Academy and has been at North Hunterdon since 2018. |
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Congratulations to Mrs. Flynn and Mr. Matisak! |
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Computer Science Education Week began in 2009 as a “call to action to raise awareness about the need to elevate computer science education at all levels.” Since then, tens of millions of students in over 180 countries now participate in the Hour of Code. Teachers around the globe participate in international professional development opportunities, and advocates make a concerted push for increased support and awareness for computer science education. "The Hour of Code is designed to demystify code and show that computer science is not rocket science—anybody can learn the basics," said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org. "Over 100 million students worldwide have tried an Hour of Code. The demand for relevant 21st-century computer science education crosses all borders and knows no boundaries."
During Computer Science Education Week, NHHS students will participate in the Hour of Code activities either at home or in their classes. Students will log onto https://hourofcode.com/us to try different activities. They will have the opportunity to program a game using Scratch-like drag and drop steps, learn the basics of JavaScript and Python programming languages, or make an app to share. Students can build a galaxy in Star Wars, create a MineCraft adventure, make Anna from Frozen ice skate in different patterns, or help Moana and Maui as they sail through unknown territory across the ocean. Another website that offers computing activities is Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org/hourofcode. They are encouraged to complete activities on their own in addition to whatever they do in class. Students will find publications as well as other interesting activities related to Computer Science displayed in the school library.
The computer courses that are available for students in the district for the 2020-2021 school year are Introduction to Computer Programming in Java, Introduction to Python Programming, Introduction to Computer Science through Gaming, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, Web Design/Animation I & II, Introduction to Robotics, and other technology based courses. Our hope is that by participating in the hour of code, students may choose to explore computer science by selecting one or more of the courses we offer.
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Thank you to all who participated in the annual Blood Drive, which was held on November 25th. We collected 175 pints of blood. Great job, North! |
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Subscribe to North's Athletic YouTube Channel |
Never miss a live stream game or event by subscribing to the North Hunterdon Athletic YouTube Channel by clicking on the link below. Past and future games that are live streamed can be viewed by going to the channel.
Please subscribe to their channel so you don’t miss any events.
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NHEF Mission
The NHEF 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.
(Virtual) Running of the Lions 5K Run / Walk - Team Celebration
NHHS Boys Cross Country was the 2020 winner with the most team registrants! The team was rewarded after a Saturday practice with a socially responsible outdoor, take-away continental breakfast celebration! NHHS Boys XC is now in possession of the Annual tradition Reggie Cup Trophy! (See Photo at right).
Looking forward to next year's Running of the Lions! Who will take the Reggie Cup in 2021?!
Helpful tips on our website:
The NHEF consulted with an IT professional to share tips on optimizing home internet performance.
Please visit www.nhhsfoundation.org and review this valuable info we obtained to share with our NHHS Community!
How Can You Support the NHEF?
Do you own a business or work for a business that supports non-profits? Please see our Annual Sponsorship Form.
Coming together with support goes a long way! The NHEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.
Please consider the NHEF when making your End of Year Donation plans. Your gift will benefit educational programs aimed at all NHHS students.
Thank You
Our heartfelt thank you to all who support the efforts of the North Hunterdon Education Foundation. We extend our kindest wishes for a wonderful, healthy holiday season and a Happy New Year! We look forward to providing more educational opportunities for all students in 2021.
A special message to NHHS teachers and staff: Thank you for your passion to teach both in the classroom and via Zoom -- your continuous efforts, daily enthusiasm, and creative inspiration enables our students to grow! We are grateful to the staff and proud of the North Hunterdon High School community during this unprecedented time.
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In early August, the plans for the fall sports season included a daunting, uphill battle with twists and turns, bumps and unprecedented challenges. Still, with the support of so many here at North and within sports organizations across the state, our “little engine that could” made it to the top and celebrated VICTORY on the other side. On behalf of all the athletes, thank you to the coaches, trainers, bus drivers, referees, administrators, parents, siblings and student fans who supported us throughout this season. We are thrilled to have had the chance to play.
Here are some of the highlights of our North fall sports season 2020:
North Cheer experienced more changes and challenges than most...new coaches, new rules, new and multiple practice schedules/routines/locations. Still, they never let any of it dull their enthusiasm at football games when cheering for our North athletes. Despite not having a "normal" season, they continue to focus on their competition routines in hopes of competing this year and going to Nationals in 2021!
To date the Boys Cross Country season included winning the conference divisional meet on 10/21. At the 11/2 conference championship meet, we were one of only two teams that qualified five individuals to run in that meet. Since it was an individual championship there was no team scoring at this meet. The varsity, JV and freshman teams were all victorious at the 33 team Garrett Invitational on 10/24. Our team is ranked third in the state among all schools, the highest we've ever been ranked under Coach Higgins. At the time of writing this update, the team had three meets left (two especially huge ones!) including on 11/25 the top 10 teams in the state will be racing in the Holmdel Invitational (2020 pandemic version of the Meet of Champions) and on 12/5 we'll be back at Holmdel for the East Coast Championships, sponsored by the Garden State Track Club.
Girls Cross Country continued their third year undefeated in championships, placing first in the only championship race available in NJ this year with a dominant score of 25. At the Skyland qualifiers, four of the thirty-six available slots were filled by NHHS Girls Cross-country runners!
The Field Hockey team celebrated numerous team and individual milestones this season. At the start of the season the team was unranked but steadily jockeyed for position with the highest ranking of 11th in the state. The team was especially pleased with its win over Voorhees for the first time in over 30 years. On a personal level, sophomore Lauren Master and junior Ryan Anderson reached 100 points and junior goalie McKenna Laman blocked 200 saves.
The Football team persevered well throughout this COVID-affected season. With both the first and last games cancelled (the first was rescheduled with one day’s notice!), the team demonstrated a strong sense of resilience to power through the season. With a new, more challenging schedule for the year, the team finished with a 2-5 record. These two wins were incredibly important ones against local rivals. The Lions defeated Hunterdon Central for the first time in 14 years by a score of 28-21. Senior Jacob Lavigne earned Conference Player of the Week Honors with 13 tackles and an INT returned for a TD. The second win was in the 45th annual Milk Can Game which the team won for the 9th year in a row, 35-6. Junior Nick Glucksman and Sophomore Alex Uryniak combined for 225 yards and 3 TDs, and Sophomore Kente Edwards won the prestigious MVP award by forcing 4 turnovers (3 INTs). Senior captains Austin McHugh, Jacob Lavigne, Spencer Peck, and Jai Vatsayan did an amazing job leading the team from the summer through the end of the fall, and all four were major contributors to success on both sides of the ball.
Boys Soccer completed a successful fall season during a difficult COVID-19 situation. The Freshman boys, coached by newbie, Mr. Ruscher, went 4-5 for the season. JV, coached by Mr. Furman, also new to the sport, went 6-2-4! Varsity battled hard all season being led by senior captains Kyle Weiss and Andrew Shore, and wound up with five athletes named in our conference including First Team: Kyle Weiss, Tony Riello; Second Team: John Giovanucci, Tiku Maliqi and Honorable Mention: Tanner Rogers. Finally, we say good-bye and good luck to 14 hard working, dedicated seniors!
Girls Soccer regular season ended with a 8-2-1 record. They received the #2 seed in their regional sectional bracket. The team received a bye in round 1, beat Franklin in the Quarterfinal round with a score of 4-0 and advanced to play Watchung Hills in the Semifinals on 11/20. The girls have been playing hard, and both the coaches and girls are extremely thankful that we were able to have this season! The JV girls soccer team also had a great season. They finished with a record of 8-2-1.
Congratulations once again to everyone!
Families can join the Booster Club at any time and can join online or by the paper membership form found online at NHBC Membership - Thank you for your continued support!
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Holiday greetings from the North Hunterdon Music Association!
While we are limited in activities this year, the kids are still actively making great music. Please consider supporting the NHMA in one or more of the following ways as we continue to support our students and staff in their musical endeavors.
Membership - Ring in the season with a membership to the NHMA. Click "Become a Member" and receive a one-year renewable membership for just $25 for the whole family. Your support helps fund scholarships for our students.
Fundraising Opportunities - Please consider supporting the NHMA by purchasing winter greenery from the Mickman Wreath Company (http://giftitforward.com and use code NORTHHNJ001) or by using Amazon Smile and selecting North Hunterdon Music Association as the organization when you make any purchase.
Clothing Drive – Saturday, December 5th 10am-2pm (Parking lot by the tennis courts). Accepted items include clothing and accessories, stuffed animals, blankets, towels, curtains. Go to www.clothingdrive.net for a full list of items.
Next meeting: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
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VISA Holiday Gift Card Raffle
Make this holiday season Merry and Bright! You could be one of four lucky recipients to win! Your $10 donation enters you for the chance to win a Visa Gift Card for $1,000, $750, $500, or even $250 !!! Remember, “ You gotta be in it to win it!” Drawing to be held on Dec. 18th. Increase your odds, purchase 5 tickets and get the 6th ticket FREE!! Please click here for more info. All proceeds to benefit PTSA events for both students and staff and scholarships. Tickets will be mailed out soon. Please click here for information.
We Need You!
It is not too late to become a member. ALL parents, students, and staff are welcome to join. Visit our webpage at http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/ptsa/ to signup online, or print a paper copy located under forms. We value you and want you to become a part of our school community. Show your support by becoming a member today.
PTSA Meeting
We welcome parents, students and teachers to join us. The next PTSA meeting is on Jan. 13th at 7PM and will be virtual. Please see meeting access details:
Meeting number: 130 688 9163
Meeting password: JHdWpppi285
Audio connection: 415-655-0001
Access code: 130 024 3063
Join from a mobile device
Support Our School!
Lions Card - Save Money Everyday!
Purchase a 2020-2021 Lions Discount card! Support local businesses and save money at over 95 locations!
Looking for a holiday gift or stocking stuffer? We have you covered! Tell all your family and friends about this REUSABLE discount card! For just $20, you can begin your savings and support our school! Click here to purchase online.
Show your Lion Pride!
Shop the Spiritwear store this holiday season
With the colder weather approaching, it’s time to purchase your North hoodies, flannels and sweats. We also have 3-ply wicking face masks and much more!. Shop online and take advantage of curbside delivery at Sneakers Plus or your items can be mailed to you for a nominal fee. Click here to shop.
You can customize your purchase. Proceeds benefit each grade so at checkout don’t forget to select the grade you would like to support.
Amazon Smile Shop Smile.Amazon and a portion of your purchase goes to PTSA! Every time you shop this holiday season and 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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Board of Education Updates |
Each month, we will include key topics discussed or approved at the most recent Board of Education meeting.
The regular meeting of the Board of Education was held on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 7:00pm. Items approved or discussed included:
- The Board reviewed the audit report for the 2019-2020 school year and the auditing firm stated the district's finances were in good standing.
- The Assistant Superintendent of Schools presented the HIB self-assessment grades for both high schools to be submitted to the state under the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.
- Superintendent of Schools said the recent survey regarding the potential for in-person instruction every day resulted in about 650 students. Their schedules are being evaluated to see if we can accommodate bringing these students in each day without violating social distancing in classrooms.
- Board President acknowledged the passing of retired NHHS math teacher and supervisor, Raymond Levandowski, who recently died from a hit and run accident, offering the Board's sincerest condolences to his family.
- Board approved several curriculum additions for 2021-2022 school year, including an Introduction to Theatre course and African American History and Influence course.
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Board approved the 2021-2022 school calendar, now posted on website.
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00pm virtually.
For more information on Board meetings and agendas, please visit the district website at www.nhvweb.net and click on the District & BOE Services menu tab.
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North Hunterdon High School
1445 State Route 31, Annandale, NJ 08801
(908) 713-4199
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