Explore 2000's Jalen Geter Claimed District Wrestling Title

Explore 2000 Middle School is proud to announce that 1st Year Student Jalen Geter claimed his fourth consecutive district title in the 85 pounds 12U Junior Division wrestling tournament on Sunday, February 22, 2015. The tournament consisted of five districts – over fifty towns within Hudson and Bergen counties.


Jalen wrestles for the Hoboken ‘Sharks’ recreation team, where he also obliges as a team captain. He has over seven years of experience on the mat in his eleven years of life. Wrestling is a challenging and demanding sport that takes a lot of hard work, dedication and discipline and Jalen epitomizes this through his leadership skills.

Jalen’s dad, Fred Geter, says, “Me and his mom are beside ourselves with his progression in the sport, as well as his maturity with the way he carries himself. And we attribute a lot of these qualities to his environment and would like to thank the E2K staff with their assistance in building such a fine young man”.

 Jalen has advanced to the Twin County Junior Wrestling League’s Regional Tournament which will take place this Sunday, March 1, 2015 at Hackensack High School. Explore 2000’s staff and students wish Jalen the best of luck this weekend and hope he brings back another victory!

Picatinny Arsenal and ARDEC Select High Tech’s Kylie Long and Anisha Mahat as Runners-Up for Monmouth Junior Science Symposium

(West Long Branch, NJ—February 24, 2015) Picatinny Arsenal and ARDEC (U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center) have selected two High Tech students, Kylie Long of Kearny and Harrison resident Anisha Mahat, as runners-up for their projects for the Monmouth Junior Science Symposium, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Picatinny Arsenal and ARDEC have chosen Long’s project, “Effect of Human Prostate Cancer Cells on Mouse Osteocyte Sclerostin Expression in Vitro” and Mahat’s “Microfluidic Devices: Novel Fabrication Technique and Microchannel Design for Micromixing” as best in Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Science and Manufacturing, respectively.

Picatinny Arsenal, in part, endorses the advancement of science through the transfer of government-developed technologies to the private sector and networks with other technologists in the fields of cutting-edge technology.  ARDEC, meanwhile, supports the Army's efforts to ensure soldier survivability and enhances platform and area protection by providing engineering, design, and development support.  It also explores ways to transfer beneficial technologies to public use.

The Monmouth Junior Science Symposium promotes research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the high school level and publicly recognizes students for outstanding achievement. The two-day event includes presentations from high school students on their science research projects.  This year’s Symposium takes place on March 19^th and 20^th.  Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey’s Federal Laboratory, will again choose winners in their respective categories.

County Prep Theatre Arts Students Attend Broadway Production Constellations

The Theatre Arts students participated in the Manhattan Theatre Club Core Education program of the Broadway Production of Constellations, by Nick Payne, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson.  Part of this program, our students participated in workshops with Manhattan Theatre Club resident artist Melissa Murray-Mutch, and other professional actors, in order to prepare and discuss the play. During the workshops they acted, read, improvised and wrote their own scenes inspired by Nick Payne’s new play.

Constellations a two-character drama, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, playing a bee-keeper and Ruth Wilson, playing a Cambridge University cosmologist, is reviewed by the NYTimes as “the most sophisticated date play Broadway has seen”, “a 70-minute fugue-like production”, that “takes that most elemental of dramatic setups — boy meets girl — and then spins it into a seeming infinitude of might-have-been alternatives.”

The play, performed at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, weaves in the principles of string theory, relativity and quantum mechanics, and really makes the audience think about choices and their consequence, alternate universes and the complexity of our world.

Our students thoroughly enjoyed the play, the versatility of the acting as well as the simplicity of the means by which the story was told. They participated in a question and answer session with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson which they found fascinating and inspiring. "Overall, this was a very enriching experience and we are looking forward to more collaboration with the Manhattan Theatre Club in the near future," says Raluca Shields, the Theatre Arts teacher at County Prep.

County Prep Theater Arts performs the musical The Wiz

In just its third year, the after school Theater Arts course has brought a new performance opportunity to County Prep students. “Our students have been getting a valuable experience through this credited class and related productions, learning both performance and rehearsal practices, and encountering first hand all of the aspects of professional theater,” says Ms. Shields, language and drama instructor.

This year, the course focused on rehearsing and performing the musical The Wiz.

County Prep’s rendition of the musical was a tremendous success. Performed for two sold-out audiences with standing ovations, plus an open dress rehearsal for Explore 2000 middle school, the response has been overwhelming. There have been many requests to add more dates for the show. There is lots of buzz around the school of audience members sharing their favorite moments. Directed by Ms. Warfel-Sandler, Ms. Shields and Mr. Macklin, the piece was chosen for its significance to our student body and their life experience. One of the most important missions of the performing arts programs at County Prep is to present work that connects sincerely with our students, as well as with our audiences and community. The 407 Theater is a welcoming place where performers and audience alike feel at home. While the fable of The Wiz and the Land of Oz may seem surreal, the actors focused on the humanity of the story and the characters. After all, many of us, especially in adolescence, have found ourselves wondering if we’re smart enough, hoping to find true love, or putting on a tough face while inside we were truly afraid. As we go through life there may be moments of pretending to be something we’re not, or of being distracted by money and fame, until a dramatic event helps us to appreciate something more meaningful, like where we’ve come from, our family, friends, and home. The actors’ sincerity shined through, as many audience members were brought to tears during the final song “Home,” sung by Alexia Velazquez as Dorothy, accompanied by a unique video projection created by Ms.Warfel Sandler and the cast. The reactions to the play were absolutely gratifying.

The lead roles were played by Alexia Velazquez, who sang several flawless songs as Dorothy Joshua Dunn as a charismatic Lion, Juan Ferreira as the lovable Tin-Man, Adam Hassan as the Scarecrow, and Ryan Wares as the Wiz. The cast also included Valerie O’Higgins, Sabrina-Lee Ceballo, Scarlett Melendez, Kailyn Vazquez, Jose Lupianez, Samantha Killion, Gianella Flores, Gianni Ortega, Brianna Pitchford, Jason Ortiz, Chelsea Hall, Mia Stephens, Abigail Melendez. The dance ensemble included Naheema Bass, Amanda Abelaal, Tamijah Southerland and Emily Ruiz. This production was overall an ensemble piece, where each performer was involved at all times, either on stage in numerous group numbers and scenes or backstage preparing the set, props, costumes, and program. Special recognition also goes to student sound and lighting technicians Christopher Ortiz and Kaylee Cox, stage manager Juliana Yeung, and stage hand Sean Eggers.

 Ms. Shields, Ms.Warfel-Sandler, and Mr.Macklin are very proud of all the actors, dancers and singers whose work has developed through our premiere rendition of this Broadway classic.

 THE WIZ, BOOK by William A. brown, Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls

 From the story “The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC

County Prep High School Donates to St. Lucy's Emergency Shelter

The staff and residents of St. Lucy's Emergency Shelter recently thanked County Prep High School for their generous donation during these cold winter months. "Donations support our effort to shelter, feed and provide supportive services to homeless men and women." according to Director Brenda Pulaski. Anyone who would like to donate to St. Lucy's, which is one of seven programs addressing homelessness operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark and Jersey City, may contact them at (201) 653-3366.

High Tech Research Represented at XIX Poster Session of American Chemical Society at St. Joseph’s College

(Brooklyn, NY—February 7, 2015) High Tech students presented their research at XIX Poster Session of the New York Section of the American Chemical Society at St. Joseph’s College, where students from the five boroughs and New Jersey took part in the contest judged by imminent scientists, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Students included Bayonne’s Sara Bendaoud, Jessica Driscoll, George Iskander, Kapil Kanakaraj, Hayoung Park, and Paulina Yaniak; Anisha Mahat of Harrison; Jersey City resident Meichin Ong; and Vivian Chaca and Emma Spahic of Secaucus,

While judges elaborated on the scores, students attended a keynote address by Dr. Carlo Yuvienco from the Physical Sciences Department at St. Joseph’s College on “Protein-based Drug Delivery Agents.”  This entertaining presentation, accompanied by a demonstration of the effects of solubility and filtration, proved very stimulating that students Mahat and Iskander volunteered their assistance in the presentation.

Also, Yaniak’s poster on “Bacterial Growth” witnessed not three, but six judges.  One judge invited Yaniak to do research at his lab at St. Peter’s College as a summer scholar.  Mahat talked about the “Effect of Human Prostate Cancer Cells Presence on Mouse Osteocyte Sclerostin Expression.” Ong presented the results of her YSAP-funded research on “Oil Bioremediation.”  Fellow YSAP grant recipients Iskander and Kanakaraj offered a poster on “Sonoluminescence.”  Meanwhile, Spahic and Chaca presented their research on “Bacterial Transformation.”  Park and Bendaoud, also YSAP grant recipients, on “The Role of Convention Currents in the Mpemba Effect” earned Honorable Mention.

High Tech’s Aaleah Oliver Will Compete in 2015 Poetry Out Loud State Championship

(Englewood, NJ—February 4, 2015) Representing High Tech High School, Aaleah Oliver of Secaucus, along with another high school student from the Region 6 Championship, will compete in the 2015 Poetry Out Loud State Championship at Princeton University on March 13th, a first for High Tech, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

A junior, Oliver recited “Truth” by Gwendolyn Brooks, “Thoughtless Cruelty” by Charles Lamb, and Shihab Nye’s “Famous” at the Region 6 Championship, which included students from Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties. The competition took place at BergenPAC.

All student contestants recited in Round One. Ten students with the highest scores then recited in Round Two and Round Three. At the completion of Round Three, the judges chose two students to represent Region 6 in the State Finals.

“I’m so proud of Aaleah, and she should be proud herself,” says Joan Marie Bellotti, High Tech moderator for Poetry Out Loud. “Her commitment and hard work have earned her a place in the State Championships, the first time for High Tech.”

This year’s competitions mark the 10th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. High Tech has competed in Poetry Out Loud since its inception. For further information on this terrific contest, please go to www.poetryout loud.org. 

  

High Tech's Dr. Lavlinski Joins Other Teachers in Seton Hall's Project Acceleration

(North Bergen, NJ--February 3, 2015) Dr. Dmitri Lavlinski, who teaches AP Chemistry for High Tech, has joined other High Tech teachers in connecting their coursework to Seton Hall University's college curriculum in a program known as Project Acceleration, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella,

Upon completion of the course, students earn college credits.  Students register in September and receive grades in December for the Fall course.  For Spring, students register in January and receive their grades in June.  The year-long courses require registration in September, with grades being received in June as well.

Dr, Lavlinski's AP Chemistry course serves as the equivalent to Seton Hall's General Chemistry I (for three credits) and General Chemistry Lab I (for one credit).  He joins Dr. David Cincotta in the Project Acceleration program in chemistry.  Also, Jamie Velazquez teaches AP U.S. History for Project Acceleration credits, as do Michael Scerbo, who teaches AP Economics, John Jefferson for AP European History, and Mark Gutmann for AP English Literature.

Since 1978, Project Acceleration, a concurrent enrollment program within the College of Arts and Sciences at Seton Hall, has allowed all high school students in New Jersey and New York to get a head start on their university careers.  Over the course of their high school career, students can earn up to 22 credits from Seton Hall for approved courses taken in their secondary schools.  Subjects include mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, psychology, political science, sociology, history, communication, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek, Japanese, music, art, and education.  More than 200 colleges and universities accept college credits earned through Project Acceleration.  Currently, 70 high schools offer Project Acceleration courses.  Approximately 3,000 students participate each year as well.

Netting More Experience: Local Badminton Fans Get Visit from U.S. National Squad

Netting more experience
Local badminton fans get visit from U.S. national squad

by Joseph Passantino

The world got a bit smaller and friendlier for students at the county’s public high school -- High Tech High School -- on Jan. 16, when they were visited by the USA and Thailand’s national badminton teams.

Visitors included Andrew Smith of England, once ranked in the top 10 in the world in men’s singles and an Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games. 

High Tech high is a public high school to which students from all towns in Hudson County can apply. The school has a Badminton Team who were at the Jan. 16 event.

A sport that resembles tennis, badminton is different in that it is played indoors and uses a shuttlecock, a pointed projectile, feathered at one end that can reach a speed of 200 miles per hour, when hit by professionals.

USA Badminton runs badminton in the United States and chooses a national Olympic team.

The USA team members and associates spent the entire afternoon with the High Tech students, putting on an array of exhibitions. These included singles and doubles matches, serve instruction, and drills on strokes. The team even raffled off badminton and related sports equipment to the students.

Smith, 30, who has played since he was 15 years old, said his visit was important to him as an ambassador of badminton.

“It’s good seeing the kids, letting them play,” Smith said. “It’s good for the sport.”

Teachers liked it

Dorothy Gilmartin, High Tech health and physical education teacher and Badminton Club coach, said the event presented the students with a new experience.

“It shows the kids a life in the world beyond their parameters,” she said. “It shows there are places to go. They meet kids from different countries.”

But Gilmartin stressed there are even more benefits for them.

“They learn team play and they learn etiquette,” she said. “Badminton is a very polite sport. It’s like chess on the court. It’s an intelligent game.”

Zelda Jones, Samantha Zegarra, Giana Marie Ponce, Lisa Marie Romero, Nicholas Casais, Indhu Kanakaraj, and graduate Garrett Chu were among the students participating in the afternoon of clinics and exhibitions. All were happy for the opportunity.
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“Badminton is a very polite sport. It’s like chess on the court. It’s an intelligent game.” – Dorothy Gilmartin
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“I like it. You have to be coordinated,” said Kanakaraj, 15, of Bayonne. “You need to be agile too. You have to move around the court. And I like ‘smashing’ too. That’s one of my favorite moves.”

“I think that it’s amazing. I never have seen a professional badminton team before,” said Jones, 15, of Union City. “I think it says a lot about how High Tech has good connections to the sport.”

“I like the sport and wanted to know more about it,” said Zegarra, 18, of Jersey City, the school’s badminton intern. “I went after school and over the summer for the club team.”

Chu, 18, of Hoboken, was back from Rutgers University to visit the program. He said that badminton had become a big part of his life since attending High Tech, and that it will likely help him make the Rutgers squad next year.

High Tech, which doesn’t sponsor competitive scholastic sports teams, nonetheless has about 120 students involved with the three-year-old badminton program, either through the club or gym class, according to Gilmartin. Those students involved with the sport come from every town in the county. The school was visited by the British Badminton team in 2013.

High Tech High, though based on Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, accepts students from all over Hudson County.

Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.