Niche.com Lists High Tech 21st in Its Best Public High Schools Ranking

(Pittsburgh, PA—March 26, 2015) Niche.com, formerly known as College Prowler, which ranks and reviews K-12 schools, colleges, cities, and neighborhoods, recently published its “Best Public High Schools Ranking,” listing High Tech 21^st out of over 14,000 high schools in the United States, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

High Tech, a public school located in North Bergen, hosts 618 students in grades 9-12.  Based on the New Jersey Department of Education’s standards, 95% of High Tech students have proven their proficiency in math and/or reading.  On its website, Niche.com received 126 reviews about High Tech, most of which have been positive.

Founded by Luke Skurman in 2002 as a publisher of print guidebooks on colleges in the U.S., Niche.com has received national recognition for its ranking system.  In 2005, Fast Company magazine listed it as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the country.  Originally, the company produced print guidebooks, but by 2007, the company listed its content online for a subscription fee.  In 2009, Niche.com had eliminated its subscription service, providing all of its web content free of charge to the general public.

For an in-depth explanation of the ranking criteria employed by Niche.com, please go to the company’s website: https://niche.com/

County Prep’s Lynn Fedele to Co-Present at Urban Teaching Matters Conference, Rutgers Graduate School of Education

This Saturday, in New Brusnwick, NJ,  Rutgers University is hosting a one-day conference about issues affecting urban education, and County Prep’s Lynn Fedele will be co-presenting one of the workshops.

Rutgers is advertising the full-day program as, “Urban Teaching Fellows Program at Rutgers Graduate School of Education for Urban Teaching Matters, a conference by and for urban educators, designed for mutual exchange of ideas, support and inspiration.” 

The keynote speaker this year will be David Dante Troutt, who is a Professor of Law and Justice John J. Francis Scholar and the founding director of the Rutgers Center on Law in Metropolitan Equity. According to conference organizers, “He teaches, researches and writes about the intersections of race, class and place. His recent book, The Price of Paradise: The Costs of Inequality and a Vision for a More Equitable America (NYU Press, January 2014) explores the role that place plays into our thinking and how we have organized our communities to create or deny opportunity.”

Following Mr. Troutt’s keynote address will be morning and afternoon facilitated discussions on topics including: How do teachers influence policy and serve as advocates?; Does student-centered pedagogy look different in urban settings?; Schools are part of their local communities. What does this mean for us as teachers?; Literacy Strategies for Struggling Readers and Writers; and Classroom Management Strategies in Challenging Settings. 

Ms. Fedele will be co-presenting a morning discussion titled “How Are Assessments and Prescriptive Curricula Framing Our Teaching? What Can We Do About It?”

Registration for the conference, which runs from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, is available at: http://urbanteachingmatters.com/

19th Annual Student Photography Exhibition

This year County Prep High School competed in the 19th annual Student Photography Exhibition at the Pingry School in Martinsville, NJ. Instructor Mr. Gerard Patten sent Pingry 26 photographs from 26 of his photography students. Two of those students were recognized for their work and are award winners: Peter Rocheny for his "Reach for the Stars" photograph, and Anh Truong for her "Fallen" photograph. Congratulations are extended to both of them.

View this on the County Prep High School Website >>

Four High Tech Students Present Posters at 53rd Annual Monmouth University Junior Science Symposium

(West Long Branch, NJ—March 19, 2015) Four High Tech High School students presented their work at the General Poster Session at the 53^rd Annual Monmouth University Junior Science Symposium (MJSS), announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

George Iskander of Bayonne, Kearny residents Kylie Long and Sabina Ohkawa, and Anisha Mahat of Harrison joined Dr. Nina Lavlinskaia for the event.  Iskander, a junior, solved many science-related problems and collected a number of gifts for his effort.  Ohkawa, also a junior, earned third prize for her project in Thermochemistry, i.e., identifying the role of convection currents in the so-called Mpemba Effect, when warmer water freezes faster than colder water.  Mahat, a senior, also earned third place for her poster on “The Underlying Effects of Human Prostate Cancer Cells and Mouse Osteoblasts on the Expression of Protein Scelrostin.”  She performed her experiments as a summer scholar in Professor Woo Young Lee’s state-of-the-art lab at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she used 2D co-culture with and without contact and 3D co-culture, and received a special award from the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) as the runner-up for the best work in Nanotechnology.  ARDEC also recognized the work of Long, also a senior at High Tech, who suggested a novel technique for fabrication and design of a microchannel for micromixing, very important in the field of nanotechnology.  Long worked at NJIT and received a special award as a runner-up in Advanced Materials Science and Manufacturing at the banquet given to students and teachers on the first day of the Symposium.

The two-day event (March 19^th and 20^th) offered presentations from New Jersey high school students of their individual science research project.  These presentations at MJSS afforded students the chance to report their experimentations and research to an assembly of their peers, instructors, and other scientifically-minded people.  Judges singled out papers and posters for special recognition. 

In addition to the MJSS, a science-based scavenger hunt saw students competing for memorabilia, gift cards, and other prizes.  As a point of fact, General Poster Session participants may present no more than four poster per participating school. 

As of this moment, the High Tech Science Department’s Research Team has acquired five medals and two special ARDEC awards in two very different and difficult competitions.

The Hudson County Board of Freeholders Commends and Honors County Prep Senior Dimitri Rodriguez

The Hudson County Board of Freeholders commends and honors Dimitri Rodriguez on his inspiring “Teens for Jeans” Drive to raise awareness for youth homelessness.

Dimitri Rodriguez, a senior at County Prep High School, has spearheaded and managed a successful and inspiring clothing drive for homeless youth in Hudson County.

Teens for Jeans is a national campaign in partnership with Aeropostale and DoSomething.org, the largest not-for-profit organization for young people and social change, that encourages young people across the country to help provide clothing for youth experiencing homelessness.

Over a million young people experience homelessness in the United States every year and one of the most requested items that young people in homeless shelters ask for is a pair of jeans.

As part of Dimitri Rodriguez’s Teens for Jeans campaign, several drop-off bins were placed throughout Hudson County including County Prep High School, local libraries and City Halls. Members of the community were encouraged to drop off their jeans at Hoboken and Bayonne City Hall during the duration of the drive. As the drive came to a close, 830 pairs of jeans had been collected for distribution to youth experiencing homelessness.

As a frequent volunteer at the Hoboken Shelter, Dimitri Rodriguez was able to witness many people who are homeless. He observed that some teens were not as fortunate as he was and many lacked basic clothing such as jeans. By running the drive, Dimitri Rodriguez hopes it will give youth in need a chance to fit in with everyone else.

Dimitri Rodriguez is an active and involved citizen in the County of Hudson who volunteers at the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Liberty Science Center and several local festivals.

Chairman E. Junior Maldonado along with the Hudson County Board of Freeholders commend Dimitri Rodriguez for his successful and inspiring “Teens for Jeans” drive to raise awareness for youth homelessness. They also extend their appreciation to Dimitri Rodriguez for his service to the County of Hudson.

County Prep Dance Program attends NJ High School Dance Festival

On Saturday, March 14^th, County Prep dance instructor Heather Warfel-Sandler and 14 dancers attended the NJHS Dance Festival at Union City High School.  It was an event filled day which included adjudications of each school’s work, master classes, scholarship auditions, and a performance by several professional NJ dance companies.

County Prep presented two dances for adjudication. The first, titled Herstory, is a piece created by the Dance IV class of juniors and seniors.  Through discussion and collaboration, the students in the class came up with the concept to use various personal stories as a background for the dance, in order to present a dramatic dance that would challenge them to be expressive and vulnerable on stage.  The music for the piece includes recorded text of the dancers themselves sharing their experiences, and the movement was created by the dancers as they were inspired by each other’s stories.  The piece made a strong impression at the festival, with members of the audience being moved to tears. 

The second piece, Ready, was choreographed by Ms.Warfel-Sandler.  It is a lively, physically demanding dance created especially for the advanced dancers in the 407 Dance Company.  It was also very well-received, as several dance professionals in attendance commented on the ‘precision’ of the dancers and the ‘finely crafted choreography’.

“I was stopped several times throughout the day by fellow dance teachers, who told me how moved they were by our work,” says Ms.Warfel-Sandler.  “Others were impressed by the creativity, professionalism, and movement quality of our students overall throughout the day.  I’m very proud of how our dancers represented County Prep.  We were able to introduce the NJ dance community to what our program is about, and I’m very excited that so many understood and appreciated our vision.”   

Thanks to Ms.Cristen Pennello and Union City High School for hosting the event, and for the unique opportunity to network with both young and professional NJ dancers in a non-competitive atmosphere - a great success for everyone involved.

High Tech Senior Karina Voronich Receives President’s Volunteer Service Award

(Washington, D.C.—March 24, 2015) North Bergen resident Karina Voronich, a senior at High Tech, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, on behalf of President Barack Obama, granted this award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.  Elaine Samman, President of Animal Life Savers, Inc., nominated Voronich for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service dedicated to the health and safety of domestic pets and her chairpersonship in the High School Division of Hudson County.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.

“The recipients of these awards demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” says John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial.  “By recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their volunteer activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”

In the past, Voronich has also received a 2012 Young Science Achievers Program (YSAP) grant, received Honorable Mention in the 2014 St. Joseph’s College Research Poster Session, and First Place in the 2014 Seton Hall Project SEED Poster Session.

“Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life,” NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti adds.  “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”

High Tech Attends This Year’s Young Science Achievers Science & Math Day at Princeton University

(Princeton, NJ—March 21, 2015) High Tech science students attended the annual Young Science Achievers Science & Math Day, held in the Friend Center at Princeton University, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

In collaboration with the MIRTHE Engineering Research Center at Princeton, the Young Science Achievers attended a day of workshops and lab demonstrations.  Students listened to workshops on how to prepare for college admissions, toured labs, and spent one hour attempting to invent and present their inventions.  On this last note, students assembled into groups of four for the express purpose of inventing something in less than an hour.  Also, the groups had to offer an illustration of the invention, its name, the problem that it would solve, and the production cost (as a rule, it had to cost less than $500) all in a minute.  High Tech, in the end, placed three winning groups in the competition, receiving a $25 gift card for their troubles.

Please note the High Tech classes and corresponding winning projects for the Young Science Achievers (YSAP) 2014-2015 program year:

Dr. Arun Srivastava (“Energy Crash Course”; “Sterilizing Surgical Equipment Using the Polyphenol, Catechin”; “Let It Grow”; “Bioengineering for Tomorrow: 3D Scaffold Printing to Sustain Cell Culture”; “Comparing the Plaque Formation in an Escherichia coli Virus with T4 Bacteriophae and Syzgium Aromaticum”; “Clean water vs. Polluted/Dirty Water in Fish Habitat; Pollution and Plants”; “Effects of Various Concentrations of Sulfur Dioxide”; “Effects of Genetically Modified Corn on the Motor Skills and Behaviors of Mice; Bio-remediation”; “The Effects of Oil-Eating Bacteria Under Various Environmental Conditions”) and Dr. Nina Lavlinskaia (“Milk or Kale Leaver: Which has More Calcium?”; “How Does F Plasnid PsiB Effect Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics?”; “Effects of Microwave Radiation on Microorganisms”; “Does a Plant Benefit More from Nitrogen Fertilizer or Nitrogen Fixing Bacterial in a Limited Sunlight Environment?”; “The Effect of Various Concentrations of Plant Extracts around TiO2 on the Efficiency of Dye-Sensitive Cell Structure”; “Fighting Fungus with Vitamins”; “How Does Microwave Radiation Affect Different Organisms?”; “The Effect of Organic Wastes on the Output of Clean Energy in Microbial Fuel Cells”; “Effects of Acne Medications on P. Acnes”; “How Does the 5-Second Rule Affect Bacterial Contamination of  Different Snacks?”; “The Effect of Mild Stress on Teenage Boys vs. Girls”;  “Will Almond Milk Substitute Cow’s milk?”; “Effects of Allicin on Probiotic and Harmful Bacteria”; “The Efficiency of Water Purification Methods Usable by Third-World Countries”; “Cleaning Up Oil Spills”: “Which of Five Sorbents Is Most Effective?”; “Acid Rain and Liming Material’s Affect on Plant Survival”; “Dissolving Kidney Stones”;  “Soil Safe for Residents?”;  “The Effect of Hydraulic Fracturing on the Environment”; “Stimulus-triggered Fate Conversion of Somatic Cells into Pluripotency Due to Membrane Perforation by Streptolysin O”; “The Most Suitable Environment for Crude Oil Degradation”; “The Effect of CO2 and Temperature Change on Pollen Count”; and “Can Algae Help Produce an Egg with a Lower Level of Cholesterol?”)

High Tech’s Aaleah Oliver Competes in 2015 Poetry Out Loud State Finals

(Princeton, NJ—March 13, 2015) High Tech’s Aaleah Oliver, a resident of Secaucus, who won the Region 6 Championship of the 2015 Poetry Out Loud competition, competed at the State Finals at Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Oliver recited “Thoughtless Cruelty” by Charles Lamb in Round One and “Truth” by Gwendolyn Brooks in Round Two, the poems that she had recited in the Region 6 Championship of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties.

“Although Aaleah didn’t advance to the final round,” says Joan Marie Bellotti, the High Tech moderator for Poetry Out Loud, “her performance was exemplary and we are very proud of her.”   

This year’s competition marks the 10^th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud. For further information on this terrific contest, please go to www.poetryout loud.org. 

Pictured (from left to right): Ida Behreini, Samantha Da Rocha, Kylie Long, Aaleah Oliver, Kisha Beltran, Yael Orejuela, and Raymond Calubayan

Aaleah Oliver

High Tech National Honor Society Sponsors Valentine’s Day Project

(North Bergen—March 20, 2015) The High Tech National Honor Society (NHS) sponsored a Valentine’s Day card designing project, which it opened to the entire student body of High Tech, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

During free periods, students designed cards in the mall area and cafeteria in a spirit of goodwill that resulted in more than 300 cards produced and distributed to Alaris Health Center in Bayonne and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

“The NHS members wanted to spread the spirit to those in our community who might not have been remembered on Valentine’s Day,” says Joan Marie Bellotti, moderator for the High Tech chapter of NHS.

Alaris Member Health Centers provide short-term post-hospital rehabilitation and long-term and specialty care throughout New Jersey.  Today, Alaris Member Health Centers set new standards in quality, service, and innovation. Using their innovative focus, Alaris Member Health Centers continue to lead the way in an evolving health care environment.  Member Health Centers treat residents with the most advanced care and provide an ever-increasing range of services and care options.

Meanwhile, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, a regional care, teaching hospital, has New Jersey's most comprehensive Robotic Surgery Center; the State's first accredited Sleep Disorders Center; one of the largest electrophysiology programs in New Jersey; kidney transplantation; the largest hospital-based dental program in New Jersey; and The Barnabas Health Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, which offers the best in cardiology services and cardiac surgery programs.  The hospital also offers the nationally recognized Pacemaker & Defibrillator Center; Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorder Center; The Center for Geriatric Health Care; and a Regional Perinatal Center, offering the highest quality maternity care for both normal and high-risk pregnancies.  Newark Beth Israel Medical Center also houses Children's Hospital of New Jersey, the state's premier children's health facility.  Children's Hospital provides state-of-the-art care in nearly 30 pediatric subspecialties. Treating ill and injured children from newborn to adolescent years, Children's Hospital also initiates preventive programs that promote wellness in the community.

Pictured (from left to right): NHS president Tyler Law of Bayonne, Jersey City resident Meichin Ong, and Kelsey Paul of Bayonne

More than 300 cards were distributed by NHS students to Alaris Health in Bayonne and Newark Beth Israel

High Tech Zoology Students Win Kids to Parks Day National School Contest

(Rockville, MD—March 19, 2015) Five High Tech High School freshmen in Dr. Arun Srivastava’s Zoology class have submitted one of the winning proposals in the National Park Trust’s Kids to Parks Day National School Contest, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Bar Yifrakh of Hoboken, Jersey City resident Syedah Hasnain, Cassandra Romeo of Kearny, North Bergen resident Martha Reyes, and Sarais Ovalle of Secaucus will collect information on flora and fauna at Liberty State Park, as well as promote healthy living through activities such as bicycling, kayaking, and hiking.

The contest, sponsored by The National Park Trust (NPT), assists grade school and high school teachers and students in promoting local parks.  To qualify, students must submit proposals for a Kids to Parks event to be held at their community park.  NPT awards scholarships of up to $1,000 to winning entries for each class, monies to be used to implement their Kids to Parks event on May 16^th. These High Tech students’ proposal calls for a $594 budget for their Kids to Parks event at Liberty State Park, which would cover bus transportation, canoe rentals, entrance fee, guided tour, costs of stewardship project (plants, mulch, cleaning supplies, etc.), refreshments, and healthy snacks.

“I strongly believe that when students’ educations go beyond the classroom and textbooks, they learn the most,” declares Dr. Srivastava.   “They can also experience the rich, diverse world around us in a more meaningful way.”

Dedicated to preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow, NPT has committed itself to the completion and the full appreciation of the American system of local, state, and national parks through the identification of key land acquisition and preservation needs.  Since 1983, NPT has worked on more than 100 conservation projects, which have benefited 47 national park units and other public lands in 31 states and Washington, D.C. 

HCST Science Fair Winners

8th grade winning project:
‘ReBuilding The Earth’ by Joseph Sexton

Joseph's project focuses on greenhouse emissions and eco-friendly design. "I came across statistics that the construction industry is responsible for as much as 40% of man-made carbon emissions," he explains. "It's clear that investing in sustainable design is an important step in helping to save our planet. Eco-construction should almost be automatic, not just an afterthought."
Joseph came up with prototype of an "eco-friendly" building, in this case, a health facility with a swimming pool using the principle of reflected and refracted light to help heat the pool and gym. Joseph will be presenting his "ReBuilding the Earth" project at the 2015 Jersey Journal Hudson County Science Fair. Another of Joseph’s science projects won the Narushinsky Award at the Hudson County Fair in 2013. Joseph's other interests include filmmaking, drama and writing.

7th grade winning project: ‘Money that Makes a Battery’ by Christopher Casavecchia 

“My interest in physics started when my science teacher, Ms. Norcia introduced the topic one day in class,” Christopher stated. He wanted to expand his knowledge by creating a science fair project about batteries, which he entitled, “Money that Makes a Battery.” Christopher was intrigued about how batteries worked. Christopher’s project consisted of making a voltaic pile (an electric battery) out of pennies and nickels which acted like electrodes and a salt water and vinegar solution which represented electrolytes. Christopher explained, “Essentially how batteries work is one electrode would act stronger than the other creating an electrical potential difference, which makes the electrodes negatively charged and the other positively charged. This allows the electrons to flow through the battery, which represents the flow of energy.”
Christopher loves to play soccer and he enjoys learning about physics. Physics helps him understand sports in a scientific level, from the physics of motion and friction to aerodynamics. This experience is something Christopher will not easily forget, he is very excited about moving on to the finals at Liberty Science Center and he is very grateful for the experience.

6th grade winning project:
‘Aquaponics’ by Sydney Perelson 

Sydney’s science fair project concentrated on Aquaponics. “Aquaponics works by providing the fish and plants with the nutrients they need and it saves water!” Sydney enthusiastically explained. “Aquaponics saves more than 75% of water used in soil base gardening, too!” Sydney was drawn to Aquaponics because it involves helping animals and when she grows up she wants to be a veterinarian. Sydney likes to draw and she loves taking care and spending time with her pets; two dogs (a Jack Russell Terrier and a Yorkiepoo), two goldfish, 2 cavies (guinea pigs), a leopard gecko and a cockatiel that she likes to walk around with.

Read this on Explore 2000's Website >>

County Prep’s Improvisation Class Performs in the First Annual Jamboree

On February 13th, 2015 the County Prep Theatre Arts students performed in a competitive improvisation event called the Annual Jamboree. The battling teams, Chaplin and the Stooges and Bad Biscuit competed in a series of improv games as part of a fundraiser for the Theatre Department. Although Chaplin and the Stooges took the trophy, all of the performers won the heart of the audience.

The show was hosted by Junior Jose Lupianez and Senior Tamara Alicea, who found ways of including the audience by letting them pick the place, the relationship, and even the lines for the actors to say in the middle of their improvisation. Junior Brianna Pitchford accented all jokes and highlighted the competition with her creative action on the drums.

Bad Biscuit competed with Senior Valerie O’ Higgins; Juniors Alexia Velazquez, Samantha Killion, Joshua Dunn, Juan Ferreira; and Freshmen Julio Velazquez and Quinton Casillas. Chaplin and the Stooges competed with Juniors Ryan Wares, Jonathan Dunn, Gianni Ortega; Sophomores Alyssa Massa, Adam Hassan, and Kailyn Vazquez; and Freshman Jason Ortiz.

The two teams took turns in winning the applause of the audience in games such as Freeze Tag, Singing About You, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, What Happens Next, Master and Servant, Taxi, What Are you Trying to Say?, Director, Dubbing, and Scenes From A Hat.  While Tamara was trying to elude all Jose’s creative ways of asking her out on a date, she rewarded all the audience members who participated to the show with colorful heart shaped balloons.

Finally in the end the teams battled it out in the game Props, where each team had to come up with fast creative ways of using an umbrella as a different object. The last competitors left standing were Valerie O’Higgins and Adam Hassan. After a nail-biting run Adam won and Chaplin and the Stooges took the first Annual Jamboree trophy. It was indeed a night to live, love and laugh! Ms. Shields is extremely proud of her extraordinary creative improvisers as well as the technical crew of the evening; student sound and lighting technicians, Seniors Chris Ortiz and Kaylee Cox, and stage and house managers Senior Flora Keim and Junior Koutanding Wally. 

See more photos on the Theatre Program website >>

High Tech Science Teacher Shelly Anne Witham Co-authors Scholarly Article in Columbia University Publication

http://www.tcrecord.org/content.asp?contentid=17489

County Prep High School Students Host an African American Read-In

On Friday February 13th, County Prep High School was an official host of the African American Read-In sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English and the Black Caucus. The NCTE promotes "Making literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating Read-Ins in their communities." During lunch periods in the EMIC, over one-hundred students and faculty members participated in a reading of works authored by African American writers.  Selections included children's literature, excerpts of novels, short stories, speeches, sermons, and poems. As coordinators of this event, Mrs. Ashe, Ms. Robinson, and Ms. Fedele were instrumental in planning a stellar line up of student readers. Several faculty members also chose to attend during their lunch periods. The audience was enlightened by the works of such writers as Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Rita Dove, Ralph Ellison, and W.E.B. DeBois.
Mrs. Ashe would like to thank principal Ms. Mendolla for allowing County Prep to host what she hopes will become an annual event. Gratitude is also extended to Mr. Lyons and his interns in the EMIC for providing the decorations and the venue, Mr. Josiah and Mr. Ekmekjian for providing the delicious food and beverages, and all the participants for making it a memorable event.

Joseph Sexton, Explore 2000, Student, Wins 2nd Place C-Span’s StudentCam competition

Joseph Sexton, Explore 2000 third year student, recently participated in C-Span’s StudentCam documentary competition - the annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. Explore 2000 students and staff would like to congratulate Joseph on winning 2nd prize nationally, out of nearly 5,000 participants. Joseph’s film, The American Dream: Jersey City, focuses on diversity and the impact of President Obama’s immigration policy.

His prior work has focused mostly on producing fictional narrative films that Joseph says, “gives me the freedom to be as creative as I want to be”, whereas this film concentrated on producing a neutral, hard news documentary lasting no longer than 7 minutes. Joseph’s mom, K.K. Sexton, says, “The American Dream: Jersey City, was Joseph’s first effort at a news documentary and according to him, “I felt my challenge was to make it both balanced and interesting”. Joseph’s film will air nationwide in its entirety on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, during the network’s morning news show.

Watch the Video
  

or watch the embedded version below

Read more at Explore 2000's website >>

Kapil Kanakaraj of High Tech Named a Winner at The Jersey Journal's 57th Annual Hudson County Science Fair

by Patrick Villanova, The Jersey Journal:

(Jersey City, NJ--March 6, 2015) While two high school students have officially been crowned winners of The Jersey Journal's 57th annual Hudson County Science Fair, a number of their peers have earned medals for their projects.

McNair High School senior Eswar Anandapadmanaban and High Tech High School junior Kapil Kanakaraj (of Bayonne) were named winners of The Jersey Journal's 57th annual Hudson County Science Fair after Wednesday's round of super-judging.  Meanwhile, 12 others were awarded gold medals for their diverse group projects that they presented Monday and Wednesday.

Kanakaraj received the Gold Medal for his project, "Sonoluminescence,"and has been selected to participate at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2015 in Pittsburgh, all expenses paid.

High Tech juniors Jessica Driscoll (of Bayonne) and Anisha Mahat (of Harrison) earned Bronze Medals in the categories of Plant Science for "Fighting Fungus with Vitamins: the Effects of Thiamine on Plant Resistance to Fungal Growth" and Medicine & Health for "Effect of Human Prostate Cancer Cell on Mouse Osteocyte Sclerostin Expression in vitro," respectively.

These students will attend the Awards Ceremony hosted by Saint Peter's College Center for Microplasma Science & Technology during the first week of April (date TBA) in Dinneen Hall.

The 2015 Jersey Journal's Hudson County Science Fair is sponsored by Liberty Science Center, Fidelity Investments, CarePoint Health, Jersey City Medical Center, New Jersey City University, and Saint Peter's University, with support from Comcast/NBCUniversal. 

County Prep Students Visit Bloomfield College

County Prep students visited Bloomfield College on Friday, January 23, 2015.  The students met with an admissions representative to discuss the various programs offered at the institution and the overall college application process. A “Student Storyteller” took the students on a tour of the campus and ended with a Q&A luncheon.  The students were exposed to the college as a potential post-secondary option. Students in attendance were Shariff Alexander, Richelle Castillo, Elizabeth Flores, Samantha Killion, Nestor Munoz, Gianni Ortega, Josette Ortega, Ashlee Reynolds.

Junior Achievement Finance Park Program

On Thursday, February 26, 2015, approximately 80 County Prep students participated in a financial literacy program entitled “Finance Park” sponsored by Junior Achievement.  The students engaged in an intensive, high-energy immersion learning experience in which they received a fictional life situation and created a balanced monthly budget.  The activities reinforced NJ’s Core Curriculum Content Standards while focusing on important elements of money management and career exploration.  The event boosted the students’ confidence in making smart academic and economic decisions.   A special thank-you is extended to UBS employees for volunteering for this event at a location in Newark, NJ. Our students were empowered to own their economic success.

Speaker Prieto recognizes Career Technical Education Month with visit to High Tech High School in North Bergen

NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools recognizes Prieto with Leadership Award after Roundtable Discussion, School Facility Tour

NORTH BERGEN, NJ – As a beneficiary of career-focused education himself, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) has always had a passion for providing students with the skills necessary to pursue different paths to success. That interest has directly influenced his legislative agenda, as he sponsored a package of bills signed into law recently that are promoting and improving vocational secondary education in New Jersey. In recognition of his efforts and of February being Career Technical Education (CTE) Month, Speaker Prieto attended a wide-ranging event yesterday at High Tech High School in North Bergen, N.J. The event was organized in partnership with the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (Career Tech NJ), the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and the Hudson County Schools of Technology.

"Students at High Tech High School are exposed to a rigorous academic curriculum that prepares them well to gain acceptance to top colleges. But that path is not necessarily for everyone and there are many other options that can provide a successful and fulfilling career," said Speaker Prieto, who works as a Construction Code Official and is a Plumber by trade. "This is why the school's strong career-focused programs are so important and should serve as a model for other school districts in our state. Students here have the opportunity to explore fields as varied as culinary arts, media production, graphic design, science and technology and much more and they are building the skillset needed to fill the jobs of tomorrow."

Speaker Prieto also acknowledged the leadership and contributions to career and technical education by Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, citing his support of current HCST programs and of the district's planned new campus in Secaucus that will enable it to provide even more opportunities for Hudson County students.

"As an educator himself, Tom DeGise understands the need for new school facilities so that we can continue to offer our students the opportunities they deserve," said Speaker Prieto. "Tom's support for HCST has been critical for both its growth as one of our state's leaders in career focused education and for its future new campus in Secaucus that will take it to the next level."

The event began with a Roundtable Discussion on the current state and future of CTE, including how legislation sponsored by Speaker Prieto is creating a positive impact. In addition to the Speaker it included Judy Savage, Executive Director of New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, Tyler Seville, Associate Director of New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Frank Gargiulo, Superintendent of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, Daniel Gans, President of the HCST Foundation and of Hoboken Brownstone Development, Andrew Campbell, CEO of Eastern Millwork Inc. who was awarded the district's Business Partner of the Year Award, HCST students and faculty and more.

"Ever since he took office last year, Speaker Prieto has been our champion and the strongest advocate of career and technical education in the state," said Judy Savage, Executive Director of NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools at the event. "He has truly put us on the map and we are very excited for the next steps and what they will mean for the students of our state and our economy."

Following the Roundtable, Superintendent Gargiulo led the group on a tour of HTHS facilities. This included stops at the school's Culinary Arts kitchen, Graphic Design studio, Audio Technology department, TV Production studio and more. Later, the group proceeded to the school's Black Box Theater, where HTHS Drama students stage award-winning productions. Speaker Prieto presented a resolution from the State Senate and Assembly honoring CTE Month there, and was then interviewed on-camera by HTHS Broadcasting students. Later, Judy Savage presented Speaker Prieto with the CTE Leadership Award in recognition of his tireless advocacy for career focused education.

"The future of our state's economy depends on our ability to develop new businesses and one of the best ways we can do that is to ensure that there is a skilled, talented and focused workforce right here ready to get to work," said Speaker Prieto. "That is why Career and Technical Education is so important for our future and why I will continue advocating for more CTE programs, more funding and greater recognition. It's an investment in our future that we must continue to make."
For any additional information please contact Philip Swibinski at 201-978-8651 or philswib@gmail.com